↑

Playdates to Parties

DIY Party Crafts and Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers, Sides, and Finger Foods
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Cooking Tips & Tricks
  • Crafts
    • Printables
    • Cricut Crafts
    • Kid Crafts and Activities
    • Organization
    • DIY Projects
  • Parties
    • Kids Parties
    • Baby Showers and Gender Reveals
    • Party Games
    • Party Music
    • Grown Up Parties
    • Gift Ideas
    • Party Planning Tips
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentines Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • About
    • Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Hostess Toolkit
  • Shop

Your Ultimate Guide to Amazing Red Velvet Recipes

January 18, 2018 by Leslie 20 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. To learn more, please read our disclosure and privacy policy

Learn all about red velvet and find the best red velvet recipes to make for any time of day, from breakfast right through dessert!

Want to make the BEST red velvet recipes? With over 80 ideas to choose from you don't need to look anywhere else. Whether you're looking for a low carb cake from scratch to keep you on your healthy living journey, or easy ways to hack a box mix, it's even all categorized for you so you can find what you want in no time flat! #redvelvet #recipes #desserts

 

 

 

“Worse the cake part is red velvet cake. Blood red!! People are gonna be hackin’ into this poor animal that looks like it’s bleedin’ to death.” ~ Shelby, Steel Magnolias

This line from the iconic movie Steel Magnolias was my first introduction to red velvet cake.

For years I had no idea what it was or what made it so special. All I ever thought of upon hearing the word red velvet was that line, which understandably sullied my opinion too soon.

Fortunately, as I got older, I actually tasted some red velvet cake and other treats. And I fell in love just like so many others.

Your Ultimate Guide to Amazing Red Velvet Recipes

But What is Red Velvet?

In the simplest terms, red velvet is a chocolate cake that is red in color.

The red color is nearly always derived from the use of red food coloring. Though, these days many chefs and home cooks are attempting to find natural ways to color the dessert red. According to Wikipedia

“The reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red anthocyanin in cocoa and keeps the cake moist, light, and fluffy. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name “red velvet”, as well as “Devil’s food” and similar names for chocolate cakes.”

Some accounts state that the ‘velvet‘ aspect of the term derives from the cake’s particularly silky texture, though I haven’t found a solid source for that claim.

The History of Red Velvet Cake

You can read the whole history of red velvet cake at this article from the New York Times, but here’s the cliff’s notes version:

While Southerners often claim ownership of the red velvet cake, the first clear mention of red velvet cake is at the Waldorf in the 1930s. Not much later, it was also found at Eaton’s department store in Toronto.

It is said that the owner of the Adams Extract Company tasted the red velvet cake at the Waldorf, and recognized a marketing opportunity. Sometime in the 1940s, after the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 supported and standardized food colorings and additives, the Adams Extract Company adapted a traditional mahogany cake with red food coloring.

Then, the new cake was marketed alongside the company’s products, and America pretty much fell in love.

A Loaf of Red Velvet Quick Bread with Icing Drizzled on Top

Red Velvet Bread by 3 Boys and a Dog

Are there any natural ways to get the red color?

As mentioned above, there is some speculation that the chemical reaction between acids and non dutch–processed cocoa can bring about a red-tint, though it’s not likely to be as red as those made with food dye.

Natural cooks often use beet juice to create a red velvet look. You can find several recipes that use beet juice in the “Healthy, Diet, and Natural Red Velvet Recipes” section below!

Red Velvet Recipes to Take You from Breakfast to Dessert

These days, there is no shortage or red velvet recipes. Whether you want to make a red velvet treat just for the fun of it, or for the upcoming holiday, all you have to do is take a look at the list below to find some of the BEST red velvet recipes!

Red Velvet Breakfast Recipes

  • Red Velvet Donuts at Jennifer Meyering*
  • Red Velvet Waffles at Go Eat & Repeat*
  • Overnight Red Velvet French Toast Casserole at Frugal Foodie Mama*
  • Red Velvet Churro French Toast at Thrillist*
  • Cake Batter Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup at Gimmedelicious.com*
  • Red Velvet Cheesecake Pancakes at Creme de la Crumb*
  • Red Vevet Cinnamon Rolls at The Housewife Modern
  • Red Velvet Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls at No. 2 Pencil*
  • Red Velvet Cream Cheese Danish at Taste and Tell*

Red Velvet Drink Recipes

  • Red Velvet Soda at A Bride on a Budget
  • Red Velvet Cake Milkshake Shooters at Cake Merchant*
  • Red Velvet Protein Shake at Atkinson Drive*
  • Red Velvet Cake Milkshake at My Organized Chaos*
  • Red Velvet Smoothie at Desserts with Benefits*
  • Red Velvet Mocha Milkshake at Lemon Tree Dwelling*
  • Red Velvet Hot Chocolate with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream at Tidy Mom*
  • Red Velvet Latte at Almost Supermom*

A woman's hand holding a red velvet cookie with a bite taken out.

Red Velvet Cookies

  • Red Velvet Cookies with Cake Mix
  • Red Velvet and Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies at DIY Candy
  • Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips at Melanie Cooks
  • Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies at Cake Whiz
  • Homemade Red Velvet Oreos at Cooking Classy*
  • Red Velvet Kiss Cookies at The Cafe Sucre Farine*
  • Red Velvet Cupcake Cookie with Cream Cheese Frosting at Recipe Tin Eats*
  • Red Velvet Sugar Cookies at Wine and Glue*
  • Nutella Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies at A Cookie Named Desire*
  • Red Velvet Whoopie Pies at Sally’s Baking Addiction*

Red Velvet Browies & Bars

  • Red Velvet Brownie Stack at Lights, Camera, Bake!
  • Red Velvet Cookie Dough Cheesecake Brownies at Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen*
  • Red Velvet and Pistachio Ice Cream Bread Bars at From Play Dates to Parties
  • Red Velvet Dessert Lasagna at The Cookie Rookie*
  • Red Velvet Seven Layer Bars at Sally’s Baking Addiction*
  • Red Velvet Truffle Bars at Lights, Camera, Bake!
  • Red Velvet Oreo Brownies at Sally’s Baking Addiction*
  • Red Velvet Chocolate Swirled Brownie Bars at Averie Cooks*
  • Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies at Just a Taste*

 

A waffle cone with red velvet ice cream and sprinkles

Red Velvet Ice Cream with Cookie Dough by We Are Not Martha

Red Velvet Snacks

  • Red Velvet Strawberry Parfaits at Crayons & Cravings
  • Red Velvet Ice Cream with Red Velvet Cookie Dough at We are Not Martha
  • Red Velvet Oreo Cookie Ball Pops at Dukes & Duchesses
  • 4 Ingredient Red Velvet Valentine’s Truffles at Me & B Make Tea
  • Red Velvet Cake Pops at Ann’s Entitled Life
  • Red Velvet Muddy Buddies at It’s a Keeper*
  • Red Velvet Fudge at Amanda’s Cookin’*
  • Eggless Red Velvet Mug Cake at Tickling Palates

Red Velvet Breads & Muffins

  • Red Velvet Bread at 3 Boys and a Dog
  • Red Velvet Banana Bread at Mom Loves Baking
  • Red Velvet Cream Cheese Muffins at Averie Cooks*
  • Red Velvet Pull Apart Bread at Taste and Tell*
  • Red Velvet Quick Bread with Cream Cheese Filling at Taste and Tell*
A slice of bright red velvet cake - 3 layers with white frosting between each layer

Dragon Scale Red Velvet Cake by Liv for Cake

Red Velvet Cakes

  • Game of Thrones Red Velvet Dragonscale Cake at Liv for Cake
  • Layered Red Velvet and White Chocolate Cheesecake at The Housewife Modern
  • Red Velvet Cake at 3 Boys and a Dog
  • Easy Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake at Food Meanderings
  • Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake at Divalicious Recipes
  • Moist Red Velvet Cake Recipe at Cake Whiz
  • Gooey Red Velvet Brownie Cake at Beyond Frosting*
  • Oreo Cookie Dough Red Velvet Blondie Layer Cake at Life, Love, and Sugar*

Red Velvet Cupcakes

  • Best Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe at 3 Boys and a Dog
  • The Best Red Velvet Cupcakes at Hunger Thirst Play
  • Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting at The Baking Fairy
  • Air Fryer Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes at Recipe This
  • Air Fryer Red Velvet Cupcake Heaven at Recipe This
  • Magnolia Bakery’s Red Velvet Cupcakes at Eat Cake for Dinner*
  • Red Velvet Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream at The Gold Lining Girl*
An overhead view of a red velvet cake with frosting and sprinkles on a teal plate

Gluten Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake by Rhians Recipes

Healthy, Diet, and Natural Red Velvet Recipes

  • Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes at Rhian’s Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake at Rhian’s Recipes
  • Healthy & Natural Red Velvet Cookie Recipe at Food Meanderings
  • Low Carb & Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes at Low Carb Yum
  • Healthy Red Velvet Beetroot Pancakes at My Fussy Eater*
  • Vegan Red Velvet Brownies at Modern Little Victories*
  • Vegan, Paleo, No-Bake Red Velvet ‘Cheesecake’ at Pretty Pies*
  • Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream at Recipe Runner*

Holiday-Themed Red Velvet Recipes

Valentine’s Day

  • Red Velvet Valentine’s Day Doughnuts at For Modern Kids
  • Red Velvet Poundcake Hearts at A Bride on a Budget
A cute cupcake decorated to look like a spider with pretzels, candy eyes, and a truffle.

Red Velvet Spider Cupcakes by No Plate Like Home

Halloween

  • Red Velvet Cinnamon Roll Guts at Nerdist*
  • Ferrero Rocher Red Velvet Spider Cupcakes at No Plate Like Home

Christmas

  • Red Velvet Christmas Cake at Sugar et Al*
  • Red Velvet Peppermint Christmas Cookies at The Search for Imperfection
  • Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake at Yummiest Food*
  • Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes at Pint-Sized Baker*
  • Red Velvet Holiday Loaf at Soccer Mom Blog*

Now, It’s Your Turn

Well, I may not be about to put red velvet cake inside something shaped like an armadillo, but it’s definitely captured my heart along with Americans everywhere! And with these 80+ recipes, our family can enjoy it anytime. Yum!

 

Signature2.jpg

Don’t forget to subscribe via
Bloglovin, Facebook, and Twitter,
to get more updates!

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

  • Share1
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Christmas, Desserts, Food, Halloween, Holidays, Valentines Day Tagged With: Holiday Desserts

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she was determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

Comments

  1. Sam | atkinson drive says

    January 20, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    Thanks for sharing my red velvet protein shake recipe! It’s one of my FAVORITE flavors!

    Reply
  2. Jen says

    January 21, 2018 at 10:39 am

    You are speaking my language here! I am a red velvet junkie 🙂

    Reply
  3. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

    January 21, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Velvety goodness all over the place! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!

    Reply
  4. Teresa says

    January 22, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Thank you for sharing all this information. To be honest I’ve never used red velvet before because I usually balk at food coloring, but everything looks so good…Added to The Really Crafty Link Party Pinterest board!

    Reply
  5. Amanda @ The Modern Nest says

    January 22, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    This post is a God send! Red velvet is my husband’s favorite, and he is going to lose his mind when he sees all these ideas! Thanks for this!

    Reply
  6. Michele Morin says

    January 23, 2018 at 9:46 am

    I didn’t know any of the “science” behind red velvet with the vinegar and cocoa, etc. This is fascinating!

    Reply
  7. angie says

    January 23, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    one of my favorite red velvet goodies is the red velvet funnel cake. I found them at many festivals in the area this past summer.
    come see us at https://shopannies.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. Natalie A says

    January 24, 2018 at 4:32 pm

    Oh my goodness, this is like Red Velvet recipe lover’s paradise. I didn’t know this many different unique red velvet recipes were out there. These are so perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up! Thank you for compiling a list all together of red velvet recipes!

    Reply
  9. Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:30 am

    Wow, great list of red velvet ideas! I’m not sure I’ve ever made much outside a boxed red velvet cake. May have to try something fun (and red) for Valentine’s Day. Visiting from Thrifty Thursday party.

    Reply
  10. April J Harris says

    January 25, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    What a fabulous collection! I’ve scheduled it to pin, as well as some of the recipes you have linked to! Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Have a lovely weekend!

    Reply
  11. Lynda Hardy says

    January 26, 2018 at 8:26 am

    Steel Magnolias was my intro too! I’ve never acquired a taste for red velvet but my husband adores it! I’ll have to check out these recipes and see what I might surprise him with. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!

    Reply
  12. Kathleen - Bloggers Lifestyle says

    January 28, 2018 at 7:04 am

    I had no idea that there were so many red velvet recipes. A great round up and they nearly all look delicious, especially if they don’t use artificial color.

    Kathleen
    Blogger’s Pit Stop

    Reply
  13. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

    January 28, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    I learned a lot about red velvet cake from your post. Very interesting to know. I have pinned this to try some of those delicious recipes later. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
  14. Jelica says

    January 28, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Wow! Who knew there were so many delicious red velvet recipes? What a fantastic round up. Now it’s just a matter of choosing where to start!

    Reply
  15. Sheri says

    January 29, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Perfect for Valentine’s! Thanks for joining the To Grandma’s House We Go link party! Hope to see you next week.

    Reply
  16. The Mummy Bubble says

    January 30, 2018 at 4:12 am

    Thanks for sharing with #fortheloveofBLOG – just a note for future linkys. We no longer accept recipe posts and the rules also ask that you display our badge. Hope to see you again x

    Reply
  17. Abeer Rizvi says

    February 6, 2018 at 12:47 pm

    Oh my goodness! So much red velvet deliciousness! Thanks for including me 🙂

    Reply
  18. Teresa Ambra says

    February 6, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    Thanks for linking my recipe!

    Reply
  19. Julianna says

    February 1, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    Wow! Go no further, folks!! This is the ultimate guide to all things Red Velvet. I don’t know about you, but I am bookmarking this post and using it forever more when I want something Red Velvet! Thanks a million for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday this week. 🙂

    Reply
  20. Antonia says

    February 2, 2019 at 10:21 am

    Red Velvet cake is the best! I love all of these ideas, what an awesome post. Thank you for sharing with us over at Fiesta Friday!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
See My Latest Stories

Reader’s Favorites

The Happy Now Blog Link Up #322

The Best Gender Reveal Party Games to Keep Them Guessing

40+ Kids Birthday Party Songs That Won’t Drive You Crazy

5 Birthday Traditions That Aren’t a Party (Plus a Free Printable)

The Best Party Games for Toddlers | 20 Easy Ideas

Must-HaveParty Supplies

BrowseParty Themes

Submit a Party &Get Featured!

See all thePrintables



Copyright ©2022, Playdates to Parties. All Rights Reserved. // Design by Pixel Me Designs. // Privacy Policy.
All images original to this website are the property of From Play Dates to Parties. Use of a single watermarked image is only authorized with a link and reference to the original source. Republishing posts in their entirety or removing/editing watermarks is prohibited without permission. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated. Thank you!
164 shares