These soft red velvet thumbprint cookies are my favorite cookies to make for Valentine's Day or the holiday season! They have a beautiful red color, mild chocolate flavor, and tangy, velvety cream cheese icing piped in the centers. They're a fun twist on classic thumbprint cookies!
Red velvet is one of my all-time favorite flavors, especially with rich cream cheese frosting. These red velvet thumbprint cookies have a bright red hue that makes them stand out on any dessert table. They're so festive and charming for holidays like Christmas or Valentine's Day.
Whether you're sharing them at a cookie exchange or just making a batch for yourself, they're sure to become a new favorite!
For more red velvet recipes, try small batch red velvet cupcakes, red velvet cut-out cookies, no bake red velvet cheesecake, red velvet loaf cake, or strawberry red velvet cake next.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chewy red velvet cookies- The cookies are made with melted butter and an extra egg yolk to help make them soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth.
- Tangy cream cheese filling- You can't have red velvet without cream cheese frosting! Each cookie has a big dollop of homemade filling in the center. It's similar to the cream cheese swirl on these red velvet muffins.
- Easy to make- You don't need a mixer for the dough; you only need it for the filling. It is cream cheese frosting without butter, so it requires way less mixing than traditional cream cheese frosting but tastes just as delicious.
Key Ingredients
- All purpose flour-ย Be sure to measure accurately because too much flour can result in dry, crumbly cookies. I weigh mine in grams using a kitchen scale, but if you don't have one, fluff the flour and spoon it into your measuring cup.
- Cocoa powder- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder is best because it gives the cookies a mild chocolate flavor. It also lets the red color pop more than Dutch-processed cocoa.
- Unsalted butter- Melted butter makes the cookie dough rich and moist. Let it cool slightly after melting so it doesn't dissolve the sugars.
- Brown sugar- Pack the brown sugar firmly into the measuring cup or weigh it for accuracy. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar- Adds sweetness and promotes spreading. It also helps create crisp edges.
- Egg and egg yolk- The egg yolk is for moisture and richness, while the whole egg adds structure. The combination keeps the cookies tender with soft centers. Be sure to bring the eggs to room temperature for the best texture.
- Vinegar- A key ingredient in classic red velvet cake, vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise and gives them tang. It also intensifies the vibrant red color. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work well.
- Red food coloring- Red food coloring is essential for giving these cookies their signature red hue. Gel food coloring is best because it has the brightest color. You only need a few drops! You can find it at most grocery stores and craft stores.
- Cream cheese- Use full-fat cream cheese in the filling and allow it to soften before mixing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Different filling- These cookies are delicious filled with chocolate cream cheese frosting, white chocolate ganache, or peanut butter. You can also press a Hershey's chocolate Kiss in the centers (making them red velvet blossoms).
- Sprinkles and other toppings- I topped these cookies with white sprinkles, but you can also garnish them with coarse sugar, flaky salt, chopped walnuts, or a drizzle of melted chocolate.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Vigorously whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a separate large bowl.
Step 3: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the mixture. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and paste-like.
Step 4: Gently whisk in the vinegar and red food coloring until the mixture is completely red. You can add a few more drops of red coloring for a deeper color.
Step 5: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula until the dry streaks of flour disappear and a soft dough forms.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator uncovered for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven as it chills.
Step 6: Scoop the dough with aย small cookie scoop, roll into balls, and bake! After taking the cookies out of the oven, press the back of a round teaspoon orย tablespoon into the center of each to create the "thumbprint".
Step 7: For the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth and lump-free.
Step 8: Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Step 9: Once the cookies are cool, spoon or pipe frosting into the center of each cookie. Garnish with sprinkles and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your dairy ingredients and eggs are room temp so they're easy to mix. This is really important for the cream cheese. If it's too cold, your filling will be lumpy!
- Chill the dough. Chilling the red velvet dough for at least 1 hour keeps the cookies from spreading too much. It keeps them thick and perfectly chewy.
- Don't overbake. Take the cookies out of the oven as soon as the edges are set. Overbaking makes them dry, crumbly, and difficult to indent.
- Let the cookies cool before filling. If the cookies are still warm, the cream cheese filling will melt and lose its creamy texture. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
Storage Instructions
Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I recommend storing the filling in a separate container in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to 1 week. Fill the cookies as you eat them.
If your cookies are filled, however, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The top of the cream cheese filling might dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave your cookies unfilled and freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Yes! Make the dough, chill, and then roll into balls. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Before baking, thaw the dough for 30 minutes.
Your melted butter may have been too warm! Let it cool a little bit before making the dough. It might also need to chill more, so pop it in the fridge for 30 more minutes to firm up.
Add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it thickens to a pipeable consistency. This frosting is made without butter, so it has a stickier texture, but it should still be easy to pipe.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
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Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookies
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 20 grams cocoa powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 153 grams unsalted butter melted
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon red food coloring
Cream Cheese Filling
- 228 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 240 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
Red Velvet Cookies
- Before you start baking, line 2 metal baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.300 grams all purpose flour, 20 grams cocoa powder, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยพ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well combined.153 grams unsalted butter, 150 grams brown sugar, 50 grams granulated sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Then whisk in the vinegar and red food coloring.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ยฝ teaspoon vinegar, ยฝ teaspoon red food coloring
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until the dry streaks of flour disappear and a soft dough forms.
- Chill the dough uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. While it chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Scoop the dough with a small cookie scoop and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet with 1-2 inches between each. Bake for baking 7-10 minutes until the edges are set and middles look puffy and a bit underdone.
- Immediately after taking out of the oven, press the back of a round tablespoon into the center of each cookie, creating an indent
- Let the cookies cool on the hot cookie sheet for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.228 grams full-fat cream cheese
- Gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing on low speed until thick and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.240 grams powdered sugar
- Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon a dollop of frosting into the center of each cookie or add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it into the "thumbprints".
- Garnish the cookies with sprinkles and enjoy!
Megan Weimer
These are so soft and easy to make! The cream cheese filling is so smooth and the tang is lovely.