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Home Baking Recipes

Red Velvet Cookies

By:Nagi
Published:8 May '15Updated:12 Apr '19
69 Comments
Recipe v

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.

Closeup of Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

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!).

Sprinkling finishing touches on Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

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.

Frosting Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies with 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

Overhead photo of Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting - these taste just like red velvet cupcakes, except they're in cookie form! Just 200 calories each.

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Closeup of Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cookies

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Baking, Cookie
5 from 8 votes
Servings20 - 24
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 1009
These cookies have a "cake like" texture so they honestly taste just like a red velvet cupcake, except they're in cookie form! Which means a) a higher frosting to "cupcake" ratio; and b) less calories per serving. 🙂 The cream cheese frosting is very soft and creamy and stays that way ie. a crust does not form.

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:

1. Storage - because the frosting has cream cheese and butter in it, I store these in an airtight container in the fridge. But they must be brought back to room temperature before serving!
2. Recipe slightly adapted from Frosted Red Velvet Cakes by My Name Is Yeh.
3. Nutrition is per cookie. I accept no responsibility for how many you eat!
Red Velvet Cookie Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 51gCalories: 206cal (10%)Carbohydrates: 28.2g (9%)Protein: 2.2g (4%)Fat: 9.8g (15%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 39mg (13%)Sodium: 72mg (3%)Potassium: 62mg (2%)Sugar: 19.5g (22%)Vitamin A: 300IU (6%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 0.7mg (4%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

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69 Comments

  1. mira says

    May 13, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    Love anything red velvet and these cookies are perfect for me! Pinned to try them!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 13, 2015 at 8:21 pm

      Ha! I KNEW you would like this!! 😉

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    May 13, 2015 at 5:26 am

    These look so dreamy and creamy! What a great idea to turn the famous red velvet cupcake into a cookie! I’m with you on the red velvet – before I tried it I wondered why there was so much hype about this flavor. But after I tried red velvet I knew why – it was just so moist, and the red color is so intriguing.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 13, 2015 at 7:31 am

      Thanks Sarah! Bet you can come up with a dairy free version! 😉

      Reply
  3. jo@jocooks.com says

    May 12, 2015 at 3:20 am

    5 stars
    These totally look like whoopie pies, which I love. I love red velvet anything! I once made red velvet cupcakes with beets instead of red food coloring and to my surprise they turned out great. Great addition with the frosting, can’t go wrong with cookies and frosting! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 12, 2015 at 7:08 am

      I know! I thought about whether to make them whoopie pies, but then I decided I wanted a higher frosting to cookie ratio! 😉

      Reply
  4. Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says

    May 11, 2015 at 8:22 am

    These look AWESOME! They are kinda like whoopie pies which are like my favourite things ever. And red velvet – hello heaven!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 11, 2015 at 8:40 pm

      THANKS Jessica!! That’s so sweet of you to say! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says

    May 10, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Red Velvet = MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE!!! I must make these. I must. And try not to inhale all of these in one sitting!

    I was recently invited to a baby shower, and the guest of honour placed a special request for some red velvet cupcakes. I ended up making her some cupcakes and a centrepiece cake too! See photo – http://instagram.com/p/0WdMjHKyX-/. The cake with Frankie Bear is red velvet with cream cheese frosting in the middle, and the babies with the colourful beanies are red velvet with a swirl of cream cheese frosting topped by the baby faces toppers. They were so well received!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 10, 2015 at 6:58 pm

      OMG OMG! It looks incredible! You made that? The decorations are incredible!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    May 10, 2015 at 2:17 am

    I think you told a porkie in your recipe, Nagi … I DON’T agree that the sprinkles are optional! The finished cookie is SO luxuriously delicious-looking, and the sprinkles make them like a work of art.
    I’m happy that you put the appeal of red velvet into words for us. It’s true that they are SO good, but I couldn’t have told you exactly why!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 10, 2015 at 6:32 am

      Funny you say that! I just had a debate with my friend who was adamant it “cheapens” the look of these cookies! BAH! I told her she has no sense of FUN!! N x

      Reply
  7. Tania @My Kitchen Stories says

    May 9, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Love these Nagi and love making them in a muffin tin too because then you can fill them with MORE frosting.

    Reply
  8. Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ) says

    May 9, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    Oh, these are so pretty – Nagi – I love red velvet too:-)

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 8:19 pm

      Thanks so much Rachel! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lesley says

    May 9, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    I will be making these for Mothers Day tomorrow. Look amazing and I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 8:19 pm

      OH YAY!! I would love to know what you think – I really hope you like them!! N x

      Reply
  10. Joanne T Ferguson says

    May 9, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Your cupcake cookies look AWESOME Nagi! Love your photography!
    Had to laugh as have not heard pinky swear in the long time! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 8:09 pm

      Ha! Thanks Joanne! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kathleen | HapaNom says

    May 9, 2015 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    These are genius, just genius! Red Velvet cupcakes are one of my favs… and you made them into a cakey cookie!? Omg, I could totally eat an entire tin of these!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 8:09 pm

      They’re so cool! I love ’em 🙂

      Reply
  12. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    May 9, 2015 at 6:54 am

    Nagi, brilliant to make these into cookies and BEAUTIFUL!!!! damn! these look so good!!!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 8:21 am

      Thanks so much Alice! Happy weekend to you! N x

      Reply
  13. Ciao Florentina says

    May 9, 2015 at 5:24 am

    That red color tough ! So beautiful! This is going in the Christmas file, how gorgeous would they look on the table ?! Wowzee

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:47 am

      Ooh, you know I never thought of red velvet for Christmas and I have no idea why not!! Thank you for the idea! N x

      Reply
  14. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    May 9, 2015 at 5:00 am

    5 stars
    I was so surprised when I first heard there was cocoa in red velvet sweets. Your cookies look just perfect, Nagi. Yum! And I agree with Maureen, more frosting per bite!!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:47 am

      Same here! I remember reading the recipe thinking – “what?? Cocoa AND red food colouring??” It sounds like an off combination, doesn’t it? But it WORKS!! N x

      Reply
  15. Fareeha says

    May 9, 2015 at 2:45 am

    Wow.. Looks delightfully yummy.. How to do manage to take such awesome pix.. Total admiration

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:46 am

      Aww, thanks so much Fareeha! N x

      Reply
  16. Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says

    May 9, 2015 at 2:14 am

    Red velvet is one of my favorites too! The savory and sweet cream cheese just makes everything better! These cookies are such a smart idea! More frosting for a little cookie!! 😀

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:27 am

      I know!! The frosting, I just LOVE the frosting!! N x

      Reply
  17. Dorothy Dunton says

    May 9, 2015 at 12:48 am

    Hi Nagi! Another one to be passed on to my son! When he relocated from MI to TN, he discovered red velvet cake and his favorite frosting has always been cream cheese. I took him pumpkin whoopee pies and red velvet whoopee pies when I went to visit him a couple years back. You could easily turn these into whoopee pies – just put the frosting on the flat side of the cookie and slap another cookie onto the frosting! Double the goodness! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:15 am

      Hi Dorothy! You know what? I turned a couple of them into whoopie pies BUT the frosting to cake ratio REDUCED!! So I opted to stick with cookies. 🙂 Hope you’re son gives them a go! N x

      Reply
  18. Shinee says

    May 8, 2015 at 10:24 pm

    Yeah, red velvet cupcakes are my favorite! The beautiful balance between hint of chocolate and vanilla flavors are what makes the perfect red velvet anything. One time, I’d read a book (a mystery novel!) about a cupcake bakery owner where their specialty was cupcake tops, which is exactly what you have here! I love this, Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 9, 2015 at 6:13 am

      Ha ha, that’s funny!! There is actually a store in Sydney called Muffin Top where they sell JUST the muffin tops! My fave part! 😉

      Reply
  19. Tara @ Deliciously Declassified says

    May 8, 2015 at 10:05 pm

    YUM! I love red velvet – and yes, I agree with you girls, the frosting IS the best part 🙂

    Reply
  20. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    May 8, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    When I saw the title I thought, “More frosting per bite!” LOL We think alike. I can’t wait to make these. I’ve been eating red velvet cake since I moved to Tennessee to go to uni. LONG time. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 8, 2015 at 9:49 pm

      You know what? I made a red velvet cake a few weeks ago and I increased the frosting by 50% because I knew I wanted MORE frosting!!! So YES we are two peas in a pod! 🙂

      Reply
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