Red Velvet Oatmeal Cookies

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: December 18, 2022

I am still on a red velvet kick. I had bought a box mix to make a red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day, but then decided to use it to make some fun cookies. I had seen recipes for red velvet banana bread and red velvet oatmeal cookies, so I kind of combined the two and made these with Red Velvet Oatmeal Cookies with bananas. I wasn’t too sure about the taste of bananas and red velvet together, but O.M.G, these came out so good. They even have a double dose of chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate chips inside and half-dipped in dark chocolate on the outside. I even threw in a Red Velvet M&M for decoration.

This recipe does call for ripe bananas and as you can see, mine are not there yet. However, I have learned a little trick and have been using it for awhile. Just place the bananas you need in the oven while it is warming up and watch them turn brown/black. How long it takes depends on how ripe they were to begin with. Mine took about ten minutes. I usually flip them at least once to get them brown all over. You can place them directly on the oven rack or in an oven safe dish. You will need to let them cool off a bit before slicing them open.

I did make these cookies three different ways to see which I liked best. The first way was just to place scoops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and pressed three Red Velvet M&Ms into the mounds before baking.

They were not very visually appealing and the colors of the M&Ms bled into the cookie, especially the white. You can try just using the red and burgundy colors if you prefer to make them this way.

Next, I tried my Wilton Heart-Shaped Whoopie Pie pan. I used the same amount of dough, but I had to press the dough into the shape because these cookies do not spread much. It was a little messy, but doable (I would suggest using a greased piece of waxed paper to press the dough). They looked really pretty after they were dipped and decorated. Don’t forget to grease your pan if you plan on using this method. (You may need to press the dough down again after they bake, if they rise too much.)

The easiest way to make these cookies, is to stick with the original scoop onto a cookie sheet method. It’s less trouble and the cookies still come out pretty once decorated.

I dipped these cookies in dark chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet if you prefer. I do recommend Ghirardelli chocolate chips because they melt so beautifully in the microwave. I used the same Wilton sprinkles that I had used for my Red Velvet Brownie Krispies last week. I found them at Walmart, along with the Red Velvet M&Ms.

These Red Velvet Oatmeal Cookies are moist and chewy like an oatmeal cookie should be. They are filled with plenty of chocolate, banana, and red velvet flavors. You can taste each flavor separately, but they magically all come together smoothly and seamlessly into one incredible flavor sensation for your taste buds.

I am trying to save some of these for Valentine’s Day on Saturday, but we can’t stop eating them. Guess I am going to have to stock up on red velvet cake mixes for future cookie making.

Red Velvet Oatmeal Cookies

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack healthy red velvet cake mix quick oats coconut oil banana Valentine’s Day cookie American spring

Ingredients (36 cookies)

For the cookies

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 (15.25 oz.) package Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake mix
2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Additional toppings

1 package (10 oz) Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
1 container (2.5 oz) Wilton’s Chocolate Hearts Mix sprinkles
1 package (9.90 oz) Red Velvet M&Ms

Instructions

For the cookies

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a stand mixer, mix together the oil, bananas, vanilla and eggs on low speed, until well blended.

Add the dry cake mix a little at a time, continuing to mix on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Next add the quick oats and mix on low until all incorporated.

Then add chocolate chips and continue to mix on low until evenly distributed

With a regular cookie scoop, drop by scoopful onto a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Mine only needed 10 minutes.)

Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the additional toppings

Melt chocolate chips according to instructions on the back of the package.

Dip half the cooled cookie into the melted chocolate and place on a sheet of wax paper to allow the chocolate to harden. ( I left mine out a room temperature to harden.)

Add sprinkles and M&M candies to the chocolate before it completely hardens.

Notes

I kept my finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you feel the need to refrigerate yours because you are making them far in advance, I suggest you leave out the M&M’s because they lose their color when refrigerated. You can always add them later with a dab of melted chocolate if you wish.

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Avocado Summer Rolls

Appetizers

Christiana George

Updated Date:
June 8, 2023

Chris and I went out to dinner last night with an older couple—friends of Chris’s parents—who live in a posh apartment with a great view of Central Park. Ordinarily, we trek out to their place in the Upper West Side, but Chris wanted to switch things up, so he suggested they come to our neck of the woods instead.

Now, our part of Brooklyn and their part of Upper West Side aren’t so very different. Both have tree-lined streets and a neighborhood-y feel and slightly less bustle than, say, Midtown or the Villages. But where they have Columbus Circle and doormen galore and hordes of tourists and expensive restaurants that primarily service said tourists, we have cash-only dive bars and small yoga studios and cafes that fit, like, 10 people max and our local Mexican spot (replete with all the usual cheesy decor).

Our Brooklyn juxtaposed with their Manhattan is like… is like the opera to a movie theater. A glass of pinot noir to a pint of whatever’s on tap. A white tablecloth dining experience to burgers, fries, and a beer. So it only made sense that we take them to our favorite burger joint.

Normally, they take us to a fancy restaurant where we get to feel pampered by waiters who fuss over our seats and bring out our courses with flair. So you can understand why I was a bit nervous about taking them to such a low-key establishment. I’m not saying it was a hole-in-the-wall, because it wasn’t at all, but it had that whole rough-hewn, rustic look that’s so popular among Brooklyn restaurants these days, including the dreaded communal table. As luck would have it, that’s where we were seated.

I’m building this up, aren’t I? Ultimately, they loved the resutarant. We ate and talked and talked and ate, and had a wonderful time. Afterwards, we walked by the mom ‘n’ pop ice cream stand where they bought a mint chip cone to share, fighting for the last few bites. It was a great evening, and I think that whatever impression they had had of Brooklyn has been amended.

And rightly so! Despite the picture I paint, this neighborhood has come a long way. My landlord’s son told me how it had been a contested zone between rival gangs back in the 80′s. And apparently, the Mafia’s reign was still going strong up until, I dunno, the 70′s. And before all that, a gazillion years ago, it was farmland. Now, we live around the corner from a gourmet cheese shop, across the street from a high-end clothing boutique, and down the street from a newly-opened Blue Bottle Coffee. Times have changed.

These summer rolls have nothing to do with my story except I’ve been going gluten-free recently and had to break my ban last night. I guess I didn’t want to be the debbie downer who ordered the salad while everyone else was gorging on burgers and fries, you know? These summer rolls, on the other hand, are gluten-free (with the exception of the hoisin sauce, but you can buy a gluten-free version), and vegan too I guess, and maybe even raw? The rice noodles are cooked, it’s true, but you can easily leave them out.

Since summer has officially kicked in—beginning with some minor humidity this week—I’ve been feeling the urge for fresh vegetables and herbs. And what could be more perfect than the trifecta of cilantro, Thai basil, and mint? Nothing, that’s what. NOTHING. These summer rolls are filled to the brim with earnest plant matter, and are one of the tastiest (and easiest!) foods I’ve made recently.

I realized in my last post that I’d somehow toggled off the comments. Sorry about that! I don’t know whether or not they’ll be turned back on when I publish this post, but if not, I’ll try to figure out how to turn them back on. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

AVOCADO SUMMER ROLLS

Makes 12
Adapted from all over the place, but mostly Gourmet Live and Chow

Feel free to play around with proportions, but don’t skimp on the avocado! Its taste will be overwhelmed by the other ingredients if you don’t use enough in each roll.

Ingredients:

12 sheets rice paper
2 or 3 medium avocados, sliced into wedges
36 mint leaves
36 Thai basil leaves (regular basil okay)
24 sprigs cilantro
2 or 3 medium carrots, julienned and chopped into 1-1/2″ pieces
3 oz. dried rice vermicelli, cooked and drained
12 pieces of lettuce (I used Bibb, halving each big leaf to form 2 pieces)

Directions:

Fill a pan large enough to contain the rice paper with hot water. Prepare a moist surface (such as a damp cloth) on which to make the summer rolls. Have all the other ingredients ready around your workstation.

Take a sheet of rice paper and submerge it completely in the hot water. Remove it immediately—it should still be stiff and easy to handle—and place it on the moist surface. Place 3 slices of avocado horizontally across the center of the rice paper, leaving a 1-inch margin on either side. Place 3 mint leaves, 3 basil leaves, and 2 sprigs of cilantro on top, across the avocado slices. Grab a small handful of carrots and place them in two small heaps across the herbs. Do the same with the vermicelli. Finally, roll a piece of lettuce into a cigar shape and place it on top. Go with conventional wisdom and don’t stuff your rolls, as the rice paper is quite flimsy!

Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper over the center mound, then the left and right edges. Finally, roll the mound upward toward the final edge. Try to wrap the roll as tightly as possible.

Dip in the tahini hoisin sauce and enjoy!