Description
Okay, so imagine if red velvet cake decided to become a cookie, brought its signature cream cheese frosting along for the ride, and showed up looking like it belongs in a magazine spread. That’s what we’re dealing with here. Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are basically soft, pillowy cookies with that classic red velvet flavor—subtle cocoa, slight tanginess, gorgeous deep red color—topped with thick, tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting and finished with festive sprinkles. They’re the kind of cookies that make people stop and stare before eating them. The texture is cake-like but still has that satisfying cookie chew, the cream cheese frosting is sweet but balanced with tang, and they look so pretty you almost don’t want to eat them (almost). I made these for Valentine’s Day once and received three marriage proposals. Another time someone asked if I went to pastry school. These cookies inspire life commitments and professional assumptions.
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 tbsp liquid red food coloring (NOT gel—liquid works better here)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar (essential for red velvet chemistry)
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot cocoa mix)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp (full-fat, not whipped)
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1–2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (if needed for consistency)
For Decoration:
- Valentine’s sprinkles (red, white, pink mix)
- Heart-shaped sprinkles
- Red and white nonpareils
- Edible glitter (optional but sparkly)
Optional Add-Ins:
- White chocolate chips in the cookie dough
- Mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp almond extract for extra depth
- Lemon zest in the frosting
Equipment:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Two large mixing bowls
- Cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size)
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Piping bag with large star tip (or zip-top bag)
- Wire cooling rack
- Sifter for powdered sugar
Instructions
Make sure your butter, egg, and buttermilk are all at room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t mix well and create lumpy dough.
If you forgot to take them out, microwave buttermilk for 10-15 seconds until just warm. Let eggs sit in warm water for 5 minutes.
Sift your cocoa powder to remove lumps. Lumpy cocoa means streaky cookies.
Measure your red food coloring carefully. Too much makes them taste bitter, too little makes them pink instead of red.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, oil, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Beat for another minute until well combined. The mixture should be bright red and smooth.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create that classic red velvet tang and helps the red color develop.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the buttermilk and mix until incorporated.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until no dry streaks remain. Don’t overmix or cookies will be tough.
The dough will be soft, slightly sticky, and brilliantly red. This is perfect.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Chilling makes the dough easier to scoop and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
If you’re in a rush, 30 minutes works. If you have time, an hour is ideal.
Cold dough = thicker, prettier cookies. Warm dough = flat pancake cookies.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Use a cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size) to portion out the chilled dough onto the prepared sheets.
Space them about 2-3 inches apart. They spread moderately during baking.
Don’t flatten them—just leave them as rounded balls. They’ll spread on their own.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should look set, but the centers should still look soft and slightly underdone.
They should NOT be browned. Red velvet cookies should stay bright red, not brown at the edges.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Do not frost warm cookies. The frosting will melt into a puddle and you’ll be sad.
While the cookies cool, make your frosting.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition to prevent a sugar explosion.
Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and smooth.
If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach piping consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
The frosting should hold soft peaks and be smooth enough to pipe but thick enough to hold its shape.
Once the cookies are completely cool (this is crucial), transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
If you don’t have a piping bag, use a zip-top bag with the corner cut off. Won’t look as fancy but still works.
Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the cookie (straight up and down) about 1/2 inch above the surface.
Squeeze with steady pressure while moving in a circular motion from the outside toward the center, creating a swirl.
Release pressure and pull straight up to create a point.
Alternatively, just spread the frosting with an offset spatula or knife for a rustic look.
Immediately top with sprinkles before the frosting sets. Sprinkles stick to wet frosting but slide off dry frosting.
Let the frosted cookies sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes so the frosting firms up slightly.
Arrange on a pretty platter because these deserve to be presented beautifully.
Serve with milk, coffee, or champagne if you’re feeling fancy.
Take approximately 47 photos because they’re gorgeous.
Try to share with others instead of eating them all yourself. This is the hardest step.
Notes
These are basically perfect as-is, but here are some ideas:
- Arrange on a tiered stand for an elegant dessert display
- Package in clear boxes or bags tied with ribbon for gifts
- Serve at Valentine’s Day parties, bridal showers, or baby showers
- Make a cookies-and-milk bar with different milk flavors
- Sandwich two cookies with extra frosting for whoopie pie vibes
- Serve with champagne or sparkling wine for grown-up celebrations
- Crumble one over vanilla ice cream for a red velvet sundae
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch
Nutrition
- Calories: ~195 kcal
- Sugar: ~20g
- Sodium: ~135mg
- Fat: ~9g
- Carbohydrates: ~28g
- Protein: ~2g