Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Two halves of a frosted red velvet cookie, showing the fudgy insides.

Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cookies are thick & fudgy cookies studded with white chocolate chips, and frosted in the silkiest cream cheese frosting! A split baking temperature trick ensures true bakery-style cookies with a crisp exterior and fudgy insides that stay perfectly soft even when completely cooled! A simple trick with a heart shaped cookie cutter and red sprinkles makes these the easiest decorated cookies.

Course Cookies

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Red Velvet, Valentine's

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 8

Total Time 48

Servings cookies

Calories 368kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1/2 cup + 6.5 tbsp salted butter, melted & cooled slightly 206 grams total, or 14.5 tbsp
3/4 cup granulated sugar 156 grams
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 163 grams
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp white vinegar 10 mL
4-7 drops red gel food coloring
2 and 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 374 grams
1/4 cup cocoa powder 22 grams
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 4 tbsp or 57 grams
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For Decorating

1 small heart cookie cutter
red sanding sugar sprinkles

Instructions

Make Cookie Dough: Melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Add the sugars and whisk well to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and white vinegar, and whisk until smooth and combined, about 30-45 seconds. Add the red food coloring and whisk in. You'll have a vibrant red - this will become muted after adding the dry ingredients.
Stir in the dry ingredients, adding the white chocolate chips last. (It will seem like the dough isn't going to come together at first but it will - it takes some elbow grease! Or, you can get out your mixer for this step.)
Scoop & Chill: Scoop the dough into balls that are 65 grams in size. This is about 2.5 tbsp each. Place cookie dough balls into an airtight container lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cookie dough balls can be chilled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the second part of the bake time as needed.
Bake Cookies: Preheat your oven to 400 ℉. Place 5-6 cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake one at a time. Bake for 4 minutes at 400℉, then turn the temp down and bake at 365℉ for 4 to 5 minutes.This will give you a nice crisp exterior, while keeping the cookies soft and gooey on the inside. The edges will appear and feel just set, and the tops will seem fairly set as well.
For perfectly round cookies, swirl each cookie inside of a round cutter (or use an upside down glass) as soon as they come out of the oven. If the cookies move on the baking pan easily, that's a good sign they're fully baked!
Place cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes or so, then transfer cookies to cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. Or dig in once they've had a chance to cool for 10-15 minutes!
Make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until combined and creamy. Don't over mix! If your frosting became a bit weepy, pop it in the fridge or freezer to quickly firm back up.
Decorate Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to drop balls of frosting onto each cookie, then use an offset spatula to spread it out, leaving the edges of the cookie visible. Place the heart cookie cutter in the center, and fill with sprinkles. Tap out the excess, then remove the cookie cutter.
Serve & Store: Once cookies are decorated, enjoy immediately! Or, store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to enjoy. Frosted cookies must be stored in the fridge, and will keep in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Unfrosted cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Nutrition