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:
Love anything red velvet and these cookies are perfect for me! Pinned to try them!
Ha! I KNEW you would like this!! 😉
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.
Thanks Sarah! Bet you can come up with a dairy free version! 😉
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! 🙂
I know! I thought about whether to make them whoopie pies, but then I decided I wanted a higher frosting to cookie ratio! 😉
These look AWESOME! They are kinda like whoopie pies which are like my favourite things ever. And red velvet – hello heaven!
THANKS Jessica!! That’s so sweet of you to say! 🙂
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!
OMG OMG! It looks incredible! You made that? The decorations are incredible!! 🙂
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!
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
Love these Nagi and love making them in a muffin tin too because then you can fill them with MORE frosting.
Oh, these are so pretty – Nagi – I love red velvet too:-)
Thanks so much Rachel! 🙂
I will be making these for Mothers Day tomorrow. Look amazing and I can’t wait to try them.
OH YAY!! I would love to know what you think – I really hope you like them!! N x
Your cupcake cookies look AWESOME Nagi! Love your photography!
Had to laugh as have not heard pinky swear in the long time! 🙂
Ha! Thanks Joanne! 🙂
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!
They’re so cool! I love ’em 🙂
Nagi, brilliant to make these into cookies and BEAUTIFUL!!!! damn! these look so good!!!
Thanks so much Alice! Happy weekend to you! N x
That red color tough ! So beautiful! This is going in the Christmas file, how gorgeous would they look on the table ?! Wowzee
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
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!!
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
Wow.. Looks delightfully yummy.. How to do manage to take such awesome pix.. Total admiration
Aww, thanks so much Fareeha! N x
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!! 😀
I know!! The frosting, I just LOVE the frosting!! N x
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! 🙂
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
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!
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! 😉
YUM! I love red velvet – and yes, I agree with you girls, the frosting IS the best part 🙂
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. 🙂
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! 🙂