These Red Velvet Cookies taste just like red velvet cake – except it’s in cookie form! Which appeals to my simple mind because a) there’s a higher frosting to cake ratio; and b) less calories per serving (just 200 calories each!), therefore I can eat MORE.
Red velvet is hugely popular in the US. I remember watching one of those reality shows about a popular cupcake shop in the US (I think it was in Georgetown in Washington) and the owners said that the most popular cupcake by a long shot was Red Velvet.
Australia hasn’t quite caught on (yet!). Red Velvet is always a staple at cupcake shops, but they aren’t the most popular. When I offer to make cupcakes for birthday parties, no one ever asks for Red Velvet!
But me – I was hooked from the moment I tried red velvet cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery the first time I visited in NYC. Totally worth lining up for (and I NEVER line up for food!).
I took these cookies to a family dinner last night and my brother, in all his foodie wisdom, was grilling me about what Red Velvet actually is and what’s so good about it.
That’s a tough one to answer because it doesn’t actually taste that much like chocolate. The red colour has nothing to do with the flavour. It’s the total package. The visual appeal. The mild chocolatey flavour. And the crowning glory – the cream cheese frosting.
Seriously. Why did I have to explain all that? He should have just accepted my initial very concise response: “They’re just awesome!”
These ARE awesome. Pinky swear. 🙂
– Nagi
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Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened (110g / 3 3/4 oz)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract/essence)
- 1 cup caster sugar (220g / 7 3/4 oz)
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (full fat)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3/4 tbsp red food colouring
- 2 cups plain white flour (250g / 9 oz)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter , softened (75g / 2 1/2 oz)
- 5 oz / 150g cream cheese , softened
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract/essence)
- 2 1/4 cups powdered (icing) sugar (225g / 7 1/2 oz)
Decoration
- Red sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Line two cookie sheets with baking (parchment) paper. I streak the tray with a bit of butter to make the paper stay in place.
- Use a mixer or handheld beater to cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugar until light and fluffy - around 3 minutes on high.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, cocoa powder and red food colour and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of batter onto the baking tray, spacing them out around 1 inch / 2.5cm from each other and the edge of the tray.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the top springs back when touched.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
- Top with cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles, if using.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth - around 5 minutes on high.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Hi Nagi!
Does the recipe call for pure icing sugar or icing mixture?
Hi Nagi
Am used doing this recipe. And it was perfect. Last time i did and decrease the sugar by 75g and it didn’t flatten and the visual was not as usual, not the soft cookie. Might it be cause if less sugar?
Hi Nehaly, yes if you change the ingredients it will affect the overall texture of the cookie. N x
Hi Nagi! Thank you for your amazing Recipes! I’m making some of your recipe and earning money from online selling! It’s a big help for me because I have no work..
Hey Nagi, amazing recipe, tasted great and everyone loved it like always!
I have noticed however that whenever I try to make anything red velvet, the colour doesn’t come out the way it’s supposed to. I’m from Europe so I followed your suggestion to use gel food colouring instead of the liquid one. My colour is still weak in comparison even when I use more than the suggested amount. I have also used vinegar but it didn’t help as much as I’d hoped.
Is there anything else I could try?
Hi! Can powdered/confectioner sugar be used in place of caster sugar? Or is it better to use granular sugar as replacement?
Hi Maria, I haven’t tried to be honest – would love to know if it works though! N x
Hi Nagi 👋🏽
How long do these keep for? I’d liked to make this for Christmas.
Thanks.
PS- love your recipes and website. I’ve learnt how to cook lots of different things because of you 🤩
Hi Andrea, I’d keep these up to 5 days in the fridge – N x
Just made these for my red velvet cake LOVING hubby for his birthday (kids love it too).
They’re delicious!! Cake/cookies – I’m definitely making these again!
Wahoo, that’s great Loretta!!
I baked these cookies for Valentine’s day and everyone absolutely love it! Everything came out exactly as I hoped and so delish!! Thank-you for the best red velvet recipe!!
These look amazing:) If i was to make these in a mini muffin tin, how do you think the timing would change?
Hi, I tried to make these but the top of the cookies cracked, can you please help me identify my mistake? 😆 Thank you!
Hi Tim! Did you use the ingredients per the recipe, no subs???
Yes no subs, but less sugar though. 😁
: (
The cookies tasted great,but there was one prob. They were brown, not red! That seems like the type of thing that you would mention in the recipe. Like “the cacao powder turns the cookies brown.”
Hi Rocco, I’m sorry to hear that, but they are supposed to stay red! Can I ask where you are? Liquid colouring might be different 🙂
hi
can i use cake flour and baking soda instead of plain flour and baking powder?
Hi Aish! Yes except for the baking soda, only use 1/3 of the amount of baking powder in the recipe 🙂
Have you ever tried to make them in cupcake form? I’ve made these multiple times and receive such praise but I want to make these for a bake sale in cupcake form.
HI Megan! I haven’t made this in cupcake form but the red velvet cake is perfect for cupcakes. It makes 13 or 14 🙂 -> https://www.recipetineats.com/red-velvet-cake/ So pleased to hear this has been a hit!
Do you need caster sugar? Can I make it with regular sugar?
Hi Kiera! Caster sugar works better because it’s finer but regular sugar will work ok too 🙂
I plan to make a bunch of these as Christmas treats for friends. Is the frosting creamy or stiff enough to pack without getting squashed?
I love your blog!!
Lucky friends! 🙂 The frosting is creamy. Definitely don’t want to stack them! What I do is go to my bakery and buy large shallow fold up boxes for transporting. They only charge me 50c for each one – totally worth it!
Hi,
I love this cookies.
Can you tell me how to have the color red VELVET . I try a lot color food but I can have the same color of you.
Thank you
Hi Mai! I get the colour in these cookies by using a combination of cocoa powder and red food colouring, as per the recipe 🙂
I worship at the church of red velvet so I SHALL be making these lovelies very soon.
I had to giggle at this!! Red Velvet is the BEST!! 🙂
Red velvet cupcakes are always yum….. I can’t wait try to this recipe too.
Hope you do!! This is really fab! 🙂