Ruby Chocolate is pretty, fun, and tasty. It's a type of chocolate that makes this chocolate chip cookie recipe extremely unique. A Ruby chocolate recipe will definitely draw a crowd and everyone will want to know all about it. And, it's the perfect Valentine's Day cookie!
I consistently follow a handful of of other food blogs that I really like.
On one of my favorites, 2pots2cook, I recently saw a Ruby chocolate recipe for Ruby Chocolate Truffles. Unfamiliar with this chocolate, I was intrigued and immediately did a bit or research, found it online and ordered it.
(I also think these pink chocolate chips would be fun to serve these on Valentine's Day.)
Ruby chocolate comes from ruby-colored cacao beans. These beans aren’t new, but the introduction of this chocolate to the world was recent.
Sourced from from Brazil, Ecuador, and the Ivory Coast, Ruby chocolate was in development for just over ten years, before it was introduced by Callebaut in 2017 to Japan. In 2018 it was introduced to Europe, and in 2019 to the United States. (Callebaut is a Belgian–Swiss cocoa company.)
Callebaut says “one of our cacao experts discovered that components of certain cacao beans could produce a cacao taste experience with an exceptional flavor and color. Since then, we’ve been unraveling the secret behind this, leading to the discovery of the ruby cocoa bean and creation of a totally new flavor experience. They contain no added flavors or colors.”
It's being called the "4th type of chocolate," after dark, milk, and white.
Ruby chocolate has been made into bars, chips and you can even get Ruby Kit Kat bars. (Callebaut has partnered with a few brands, including KitKat.)
The actual production of it is still kept a trade secret, but it’s speculated that it’s made with un-fermented cacao beans which are a naturally pinkish color.
There are skeptics who think ruby chocolate is fake, that it might be flavored and colored cacao butter, and that the beans are treated in some way after they’re harvested.
Here’s what I say . . . a Ruby chocolate recipe is fun, interesting and quite tasty. I love it in these chocolate chip cookies.
While I find the taste very reminiscent of white chocolate, there are definite notes of fruity and tangy flavors. I would describe the fruity taste as raspberry-like and the tangy taste as subtly lemony.
The texture is very smooth, and it melts nicely.
The Ingredients
(I often suggest brands I love and use — these are only suggestions and this is not a sponsored post.)
- Ruby chocolate chips - I used the Ruby chocolate chips in this recipe, you can also use a Ruby chocolate bar and cut it into small chunks.
- unsalted butter - I always bake (and cook) with unsalted butter so I can control exactly how much salt is in the recipe.
- brown sugar
- pure vanilla extract - I like Nielsen-Massey.
- salt- I bake (and cook) with Kosher salt. I prefer it over other salts for a few reasons: its larger flake size, it's less refined and usually doesn't contain additives, and it does a great job enhancing the flavor of foods without making them taste salty. If you use table salt, use half the amount.
- egg
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking powder is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking powder. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Recipe Tips
- The longer you refrigerate the dough, the better. They are a flat-ish cookie, but the warmer the dough, the flatter they’ll be.
- I reserve ½ cup of the chips to press into the the tops of the cookies because it’s pretty, but this is an extra step you can skip if you’d like.
- FYI, you can use this chocolate in any chocolate chip cookie recipe. Just make the swap.
Substitutions
- For a gluten-free version, substitute with the same amount of Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multi Purpose Flour.
More Fun & Pretty Cookie Recipes
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Strawberry and Blueberry Cookies
- Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
- Everything Bagel Cookie
Making Them Ahead and Storing Them
- The dough can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic, or in an airtight container.
- Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, the cookies can be kept at room temperature for 3 days.
- Freezer. Sealed tightly, you can store the cookies for about a month in the freezer. Of course they’ll last longer than that frozen, but will taste the best for up to a month.)
Where to buy Ruby Chocolate
I haven’t seen it in regular markets, but it’s very likely you can find it at specialty baking supply stores. (If you’re in Los Angeles, it’s available at Surfas.) You can also find it on Amazon.
How to Make Them
- Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir until It’s smooth. Then mix in the egg and again stir until smooth.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder, and stir only until you no longer see dry spots. Then fold in 1 cup of the Ruby chocolate chips.
- Use a 1¼-inch cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon), to scoop balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be close together at this point. Gently press a few of the remaining ½ cup of Ruby chocolate chips on the surface of each one. Cover the with plastic wrap, being sure it’s well sealed, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line another sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place about 12 balls of dough this pan, with at least a couple of inches between them.
- Bake the cookies just until the edges look slightly golden, about 8 minutes.Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 15 minutes.
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do.
Ruby Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly blended
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ cup Ruby chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir until It’s smooth. Then mix in the egg and again stir until smooth.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder, and stir only until you no longer see dry spots. Then fold in 1 cup of the Ruby chocolate chips.
- Use a 1 ¼-inch cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon), to scoop balls of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be close together at this point. Gently press a few of the remaining ½ cup of Ruby chocolate chips on the surface of each one. Cover the with plastic wrap, being sure it’s well sealed, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line another sheet pan with parchment paper. Take the shaped cookie dough out of the refrigerator and add about 12 to the new one, with at least a couple of inches between them.
- Once the oven has preheated to 350°F, bake the cookies just until the edges look slightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 15 minutes. If you’re not serving them right away, completely cool them before you wrap them or add them to a container, so they don’t stick together. They can be stored at room temperature for a few days and frozen for up to a month.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
This is the first time I have heard of ruby chocolate. Now I am intrigued. These cookies look really delicious!
valentina
Thanks so much, Kathy. I was intrigued, too. I had to try it. 🙂 ~Valentina
angiesrecipes
I will have to get some ruby chocolate to try! These cookies look phenomenal!
valentina
Thank you, Angie. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
Brilliant idea dear Valentina ! Thank you for mentioning me 🙂
valentina
Of course! Thank you for the inspiration. I love working with new ingredients! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
How neat! I've never heard of ruby chocolate before, but would certainly love to try! Love the pretty pink hue! And these cookie look like the most perfect way to kick of a Monday with a cold glass of milk 🙂 Happy Monday, my friend!
valentina
I'd start any Monday -- or any day -- with a cookie. 😉 Thanks so much, Dawn. ~Valentina
Marissa
Ruby chocolate is new to me, Valentina! Now I'll be on the hunt for it. These cookies look oh so good!
valentina
Thanks, Marissa. Hopefully you come across it and think it's as cool as I do. 🙂 ~Valentina
Christina Conte
I LOVE the Callebaut brand, and am so interested in ruby chocolate now! Thanks, Valentina, I'll be on the lookout for it!
valentina
Yay! Enjoy and thank you, Christina. 🙂 ~Valentina
sippitysup
Right down your alley! GREG
valentina
🙂
David @ Spiced
I read about ruby chocolate a couple of months ago, and I was totally intrigued! Then I promptly forgot about it...until you posted this awesome recipe. I do love a good cookie, and the ruby chocolate angle is really fun! Thanks for sharing this one, Valentina!
valentina
Thanks, David. Always fun to make a new type of cookie. 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs
I've not tasted this. Sounds like fun! Certainly it has a fun name. These cookies look inspired. Two, please. 🙂
valentina
Only two? 😉 It is fun. Thanks, John. ~Valentina
Kim Lange
These would be awesome for Valentine's Day or Easter! YUM!!!
valentina
Thanks, Kim. Funny, I was actually hoping to post them in time for Valentine's Day, but it didn't happen. Never enough hours in the day. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
The color alone makes me want to try these! I did have a ruby KitKat the other day, and it was pretty fantastic. It did have additional fruit flavor to complement the chocolate, though. I will probably have to order mine online, as I’m sure no one here in Tucson is carrying it!
valentina
What a coincidence that you just had the KitKat. Love it. I ordered mine online, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
mimi rippee
very pretty. i just don't bake cookies, but how fun would these be for a girly get together/ like a shower or girl birthday?
valentina
Oh yes! I love that, Mimi. 🙂 ~Valentina
Michelle
I just made the recipe, why do we have to put the dough in the fridge for 6 hours. I only did one hour and tried one batch, so then I put the rest in the fridge.
valentina
Hi Michelle. Thanks for writing in. Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. When they bake, the fat will take longer to melt. The longer the dough refrigerates, the less spreading there will be. That said, less than 6 hours is okay, but I typically think the longer the better -- to be sure they're solid all the way through. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy them! 🙂 ~Valentina
Rachel U
I followed this recipe but 8 minutes was not enough time, my 1st batch was rather raw in the middle even though the sides were golden. Next batch o cooked for 11 minutes and they were perfect.
Valentina
I'm happy it worked out with the 11 minutes. Temperatures and times can sometimes vary depending of the particular oven, pans, thickness of the cookies, etc. Thanks for trying them. 🙂 ~Valentina
Rachel Uffer
Thank you. I have one other question.... why use baking powder instead of baking soda?. Most cookie recipes I have used over the years using baking soda. No complaints just curious about the science of powder versus soda.
Valentina
Hi Rachel! I wish I could give a scientifically correct answer here, but the answer is that this recipe just seems to work well with the powder. Generally speaking, the powder helps create a light, fluffy texture in baked goods, while the soda is more about reacting with acidic ingredients to help rise and spread. So the use of the just the powder in this recipe is indeed a bit counterintuitive -- but it works. That probably wasn't a very satisfying answer, but that's it. 😉 😀 ~Valentina