Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting taste just like a red velvet cupcake in cookie form! Perfect recipe for Christmas or for Valentine’s Day!
I’m a sucker for a good piece of red velvet cake. These red velvet cookies take all of the flavor of red velvet cake, and turn it into an easy cookie, and the cookies are much faster and much easier to make than red velvet cake or cupcakes.
These cookies are really easy to make! The cookie dough is made in one bowl, and there’s no chilling necessary. And they’re topped with rich cream cheese frosting, so you don’t miss any of the deliciousness of red velvet cake.
They’re perfectly festive for Christmas or Valentine’s Day. You can enjoy them as-is, or you can top them with colored sugar or sprinkles.
“I made the cookies to take to a Christmas cookie swap at work. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how good they were!” – Shelly
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookies an a pinch or two of salt to the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to add additional vanilla extract if you prefer.
- Sour cream: I recommend using full-fat sour cream in this recipe. Using fat-free sour cream can give you tough or rubbery cookies.
- Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder. I haven’t tried using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Red food coloring: Red food coloring or red gel food coloring will work. Red velvet bakery emulsion (a combination of red velvet flavoring and red dye) will also work.
- All-purpose flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. Either weigh the flour or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup and level.
- Cream cheese: I recommend either full-fat or 1/3-less fat cream cheese. Fat-free cream cheese doesn’t blend well and can be grainy.
How to make red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Red velvet cookies
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on high.
Step 3: Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well-combined.
Step 4: Mix in sour cream, cocoa powder, and food color until combined.
Step 5: Add the flour and baking powder; mix until just combined
Step 6: Drop by 1.5 tablespoon scoops of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing the scoops 2 inches apart.
Step 7: Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched.
Step 8: Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool to room temperature before frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
Step 10: To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese together until well-combined, about 3 minutes on high.
Step 11: Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix on low for 30 seconds.
Step 12: Increase speed to high, and continue to beat for 2 more minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
Step 13: Spread cream cheese frosting on cooled cookies. Store cookies, covered, in the fridge.
Recipe Tips!
- Cool room temperature: Be sure that your butter isn’t too warm. If it is, the cookies will spread too much as they bake. Cool room temperature means that the butter should be about 68F. It should dent when pressed, but the butter shouldn’t lose shape.
- Food dye: If you’d like to avoid red food coloring, look for plant-based food colorings or try red beet powder.
- Holidays: Red velvet cookies are perfect for Christmas or for Valentine’s Day. I like to use red and green sprinkles on top for Christmas and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day.
Storage
The cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cookies will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More red velvet recipes!
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Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter at cool room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on high.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well-combined.
- Mix in sour cream, cocoa powder, and food color until combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder; mix until just combined.
- Drop by 1.5 tablespoon scoops onto prepared baking sheets, spacing the scoops 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese together until well-combined, about 3 minutes on high.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Mix on low for 30 seconds.
- Increase speed to high, and continue to beat for 2 more minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies.
- Store cookies, covered, in the fridge.
Notes
- Butter – I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookies an a pinch or two of salt to the frosting. Be sure that your butter isn’t too warm. If it is, the cookies will spread too much as they bake.
- Sour cream – I recommend using full-fat sour cream in this recipe.
- Red food coloring – Red velvet bakery emulsion (a combination of red velvet flavoring and red dye) will also work.
- All-purpose flour – It’s important to properly measure the flour. Either weigh the flour or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup and level.
- Cream cheese – I recommend either full-fat or 1/3-less fat cream cheese.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 12/12/17. This post is regularly updated.
Cookies adapted from Recipe Tin Eats.
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Comments & Reviews
Erica says
I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t eat any food coloring if you paid me. With foods being sold like Beyond Meat and plant foods what is that telling you? There is a way however to mix beets and baking soda I believe to create the red coloring, not exactly sure but I have it written down somewhere.
Kate says
There are a number of companies that make red food coloring from plant-based ingredients. You can even purchase red beet powder, though I’ve never tried baking with it. If the food dye is a concern, I would recommend either looking into those options or skipping the recipe.
Shelly says
I made the cookies to take to a Christmas cookie swap at work. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how good they were!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad they were a hit. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!