These red velvet cut out cookies are soft, tender, and full of classic red velvet flavor. Their deep red color and delicate cocoa flavor make them perfect for the holidays or Valentine's Day. Decorate them with icing and sprinkles for cookies that are as festive as they are delicious!
My family has a recipe for cream cheese cut-out cookies we make every year. I wanted to create a variation on that recipe (like these chocolate chip cut-out cookies), and I thought that red velvet cut out cookies was the perfect twist! What's red velvet without cream cheese?
These cookies are super tender and flavorful because of the cream cheese addition. They hold their shape in the oven and are so pretty piped with a simple icing. They're the perfect addition to your cookie box!
For more red velvet desserts, try red velvet thumbprint cookies, red velvet Oreo brownies, no bake red velvet cheesecake, strawberry red velvet cake, or red velvet blossom cookies!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Red velvet sugar cookies- The cookies taste like a slice of red velvet cake in cookie form with cream cheese and a touch of cocoa powder.
- Cream cheese in the dough- This recipe uses butter and cream cheese to make up the base of the dough, unlike traditional sugar cookies which use only butter. The cream cheese makes them extra rich with a subtle tang that pairs perfectly with cocoa.
- Simple icing- The icing is made with heavy cream and powdered sugar, making it thicker and sturdier than your typical icing made with milk. It crusts nicely almost like a faux royal icing.
Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter- Adds richness and helps create a tender cookie with a soft crumb. Use room temperature butter for smooth mixing and even cookie dough consistency.
- Cream cheese-ย A classic red velvet cake ingredient, cream cheese enhances the cookies' flavor with a subtle tang and makes the dough soft and pliable. For best results, use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature.
- Egg yolk-ย Adds richness and chewiness. It binds the ingredients together without making the dough too soft.
- Red gel food coloring-ย Make sure to use red gel color, not water-based food coloring. Gel color has the most intense color and won't affect the texture of the cookies.
- All purpose flour-ย Weigh the flour in grams or fluff and spoon it into your measuring cup to avoid overmeasuring, which can make the cookies dry and crumbly.
- Cocoa powder-ย Natural unsweetened cocoa powder is best because the red color will stand out more, but Dutch-processed cocoa powder creates a cookie with a deeper chocolate flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Natural food coloring-ย Instead of artificial red food coloring, try a few teaspoons of beet powder. The red hue might be less vibrant.
- Dip in chocolate- Dip the cooled cookies halfway into melted white or dark chocolate and sprinkle with festive toppings like red sanding sugar or crushed candy canes.
- Cream cheese frosting- Instead of icing, frost the baked cookies with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting. You can also make red velvet sandwich cookies with frosting in the center! Try this white chocolate cream cheese frosting, Oreo cream cheese frosting, or strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In the bowl of an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined. Then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and red food coloring on low speed.
Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4: Gradually add the dry ingredients to mixture of wet ingredients. Beat on low speed until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Step 5:ย On a lightly floured surface or silicone mat, use a rolling pin to roll the cookie dough to โ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Bake one tray at a time until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: For the icing, add powdered sugar and cold heavy cream to a large bowl. Whisk until the icing becomes thick. You can divide the icing into small bowls and add food coloring if you want!
Step 8: Transfer the icing to a piping bag. Pipe a border and other decorations on your cooled cookies and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Chill the dough. Don't skip this step!! The dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours. It'll be easier to roll, cut, and holds its shape in the oven.
- Dip cutters in flour. Dust cookie cutters lightly with flour to prevent them from sticking to the dough. Your rolling surface needs to be well-floured too!
- Don't overbake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. They'll firm up as they cool.
- Cool before decorating. Let the cookies cool fully on a wire rack before icing them so it doesn't melt.
Freezing Instructions
Freezing baked red velvet cookies- Let the cut-out cookies cool completely, then layer the cookies in a sealed container with parchment or wax paper between layers so they don't stick. Freeze for 2-3 months.
Before eating, thaw the cookies at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. For the best results, freeze undecorated cookies and add icing after thawing.
Freezing cookie dough- Roll out the dough, cut into shapes, and place the unbaked cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray. Freeze them for 1-2 hours until firm, then transfer the frozen cookie shapes to an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to bake, place the frozen cookies directly onto a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding 1-2 extra minutes if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your butter or cream cheese may have been too soft when mixing the dough. Both need to be room temperature but not warm. If that wasn't the case, you may have undermeasured the flour or not chilled the dough long enough. If the dough is sticky, chill it for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.
This can happen if the dough wasn't chilled enough. Chill the cut shapes on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before baking, and measure the flour accurately!
Yes, you can make the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Soft Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 113 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 210 grams all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Icing
- 120 grams powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoon heavy cream cold
Instructions
Cookies
- In the bowl of an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.113 grams unsalted butter, 113 grams full-fat cream cheese
- Add granulated sugar and beat on medium speed. Then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and red food coloring on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.150 grams granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยฝ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.210 grams all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the cookie dough to โ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one tray at a time for 8-10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing
- Add powdered sugar and cold heavy cream to a bowl. Whisk until thick. Divide the icing into small bowls and add food coloring if desired.120 grams powdered sugar, 2-4 tablespoon heavy cream
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag. Pipe decorations on the cooled cookies. Enjoy!
Megan Weimer
These cookies are so soft and chewy. The cocoa flavor is perfect!