Description
These Soft Red Velvet Cookies are a delightful treat featuring thick, chewy cookies with crispy edges and a soft center. They are topped with a smooth and rich cream cheese frosting, making them perfect for festive occasions like Valentine’s Day or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cookies
- 110 g butter, melted and cooled (½ cup)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 100 g brown sugar (½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 230 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 120 g butter, softened
- 60 g full-fat cream cheese
- 220 g powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prepare Butter: Melt the butter gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over low-medium heat, ensuring it does not bubble. Pour it into a large mixing bowl and chill in the fridge until it reaches room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Mix Sugars and Coloring: Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and red gel food coloring to the cooled butter. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute or mix in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until well combined.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just mixed. Avoid overmixing.
- Scoop and Chill: Using a 2 tablespoon (56 g) cookie scoop, portion out 11 cookies onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roll each into a smooth ball. Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 180ºC (355ºF).
- Bake Cookies: Place 6 cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10–11 minutes. Keep remaining cookies chilled until ready to bake. Bake in batches as needed.
- Cool Cookies: Allow baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Gently press down any risen centers to even the surface for frosting. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Remove butter and cream cheese from the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut butter into cubes and sift powdered sugar. Beat butter in a stand or hand mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy. Scrape the bowl, mix another 2 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese and Vanilla: Mix in vanilla bean paste and cream cheese with the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- Incorporate Powdered Sugar: On low speed, add sifted powdered sugar in two parts, mixing well after each addition. Scrape sides and mix on medium speed for 1 more minute to obtain a creamy frosting.
- Frost Cookies: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2A tip (or similar). Pipe frosting in a swirl from the center outwards on each cooled cookie. Optionally, garnish with red sprinkles for extra festivity.
- Serve and Enjoy: Cookies are ready to be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for later indulgence.
Notes
- The U.S. customary cup measurements are approximations; weighing ingredients provides better accuracy, especially for baking.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to keep cookies tender.
- Chilling cookie dough helps maintain shape and improves texture.
- Be careful not to overbake the cookies to keep the centers soft.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting for best results.
- Using vegan food coloring makes this recipe suitable for vegan diets if you substitute the egg and butter accordingly.