Soft, thick, and slightly chewy red velvet sugar cookies slathered in rich, velvety cream cheese frosting. Welcome to cookie heaven.
I think I’m in love….with these cookies.
I’m not quite sure when the obsession with Red Velvet began, but people seem to go crazy for it’s vibrantly rich color and subtly sweet cocoa flavor. While you’re used to seeing this classic flavor in cakes, I’m here to show you a new AND satisfyingly sweet way of enjoying this blood-red favorite. 
These Red Velvet Sugar Cookies are SO much more than simple frosted sugar cookies. They’re ultra soft, wonderfully thick, perfectly moist and slightly chewy. Not the least bit cakey or crumbly.
They’ve got that delicately sweet cocoa flavor along with that classically deep, vibrant shade of red. I ended up adding a full tablespoon of red dye to get the color that I wanted. However, feel free to reduce that amount if it sounds like too much. Mind you, this recipe makes around 27 cookies, so one tablespoon equally distributed among that many cookies shouldn’t be an issue. Unless if you decide to eat the entire batch in one sitting…
Because nothing goes better with Red Velvet than cream cheese frosting, there’s definitely no shortage of it here. These heavenly red angels are generously slathered in the richest, most lusciously smooth cream cheese frosting imaginable. To provide that little extra tang to my frosting, I like to add a little greek yogurt. Not only does it add more richness and flavor, but greek yogurt is super healthy, so you don’t have to feel AS bad while you’re licking the mixing bowl clean. Just dismiss the fact that there’s only 3 Tablespoons of greek yogurt in the entire bowl of frosting…
And since everything that’s frosted MUST be accompanied by sprinkles (no exceptions), I added a few shakes of these lovely red, pink and white hearts. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Step by Step Guide to Making Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
1. Prep the Oven and Baking Sheet:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream Butter and Cream Cheese:
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add Wet Ingredients:
- Mix in vegetable oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla, and food coloring until well combined.
5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients:
- Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
6. Shape and Sugar Coat the Cookies:
- Form dough into golf ball-sized balls.
- Roll in the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
7. Bake the Cookies:
- Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
- Flatten each ball to about 1/2″ thickness using a glass.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes.
Red Velvet Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 27 cookies 1x
Description
Soft, thick, and slightly chewy red velvet sugar cookies slathered in rich, velvety cream cheese frosting. Welcome to cookie heaven.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons, divided)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring (gel or liquid)
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
1. Prep the Oven and Baking Sheet:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream Butter and Cream Cheese:
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add Wet Ingredients:
- Mix in vegetable oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla, and food coloring until well combined.
5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients:
- Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
6. Shape and Sugar Coat the Cookies:
- Form dough into golf ball-sized balls.
- Roll in the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
7. Bake the Cookies:
- Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
- Flatten each ball to about 1/2″ thickness using a glass.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes.
8. Cool the Cookies:
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Make the Frosting:
- Beat butter, cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla, and salt until fluffy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar.
10. Decorate and Serve:
- Frost cooled cookies and add sprinkles.
Notes
- Don’t overbake; cookies should be soft and slightly underdone for a chewy texture.
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for smoother mixing.
- Adjust the amount of food coloring depending on the desired color intensity.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
