Soft red velvet cut-out Sandwich cookies
These Soft Red Velvet Cut-Out Sandwich Cookies, filled with tangy cream cheese frosting, create a delicious pairing where each element perfectly enhances the other. It’s the ideal Valentine’s Day treat!
These cookies are not only delicious but also incredibly simple to make. Additionally, they don’t require any chill time, making them a convenient and quick option to prepare.
Ingredients you’ll need for this Red Velvet Cookie recipe
This recipe needs only simple ingredients, found in any grocery store.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies, ensuring they have the right texture and consistency.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Infuses the cookies with that classic red velvet flavor and deepens the color.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness and intensifying the cocoa taste.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and a buttery flavor to the cookies.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies, contributing to their irresistible taste.
- Egg: Provides moisture and acts as a binding agent, contributing to the structure of the cookies.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with a warm and sweet aroma. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Red Food Coloring: Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid due to its concentrated formula, giving a deep red color without compromising texture.
- Cream Cheese: Creates a smooth and tangy frosting that complements the sweetness of the cookies.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese frosting and contributes to its thick and smooth consistency.
Take a look at the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
How to make these red velvet sugar cookies
Red Velvet Cookies
Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 F and preparing 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
Sift the dry ingredients together using a medium bowl, and set them aside.
Over a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Incorporate egg, vanilla extract, and red gel color and mix until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the dough into 2 equal dough balls. Lightly dust the rolling pin, then roll out the first disc of dough over a silicone mat to a thickness of 1/4″. You can also lightly dust your work surface to roll the dough there instead.
Use a 2.5″ square cookie cutter and a 1.3″ heart cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Create one square-shaped cookie and another square-shaped cookie with a heart-shaped hole in the center (which will be used as the top cookie). Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1.5 inches of space between each.
Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the bottom of your cookies turn a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet (until easy to handle), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling them
Cream Cheese filling
Over a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter at medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Incorporate the cream cheese and beat for an extra minute.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the cream cheese mixture, and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes. Do not overbeat.
To assemble your cookies, place the cream cheese filling in a piping bag with a 1M Wilton tip.
Pipe a rose-shaped swirl onto the base cookie, beginning in the middle and going all the way to the edges of the cookie. Then, top the base cookie with the heart-shaped hole cookie. Enjoy!
Tips for the best chewy red velvet cookies
- The butter, egg, and cream cheese should be at room temperature. This will make sure that your ingredients mix more evenly with the rest of the ingredients, and prevent unwanted lumps in your frosting.
- Flour or powdered sugar should be measured using a spoon, scooping the flour or sugar into your measuring cup without compacting it, then using the back of a knife to level it. For granulated sugar, just scoop it using a measuring cup, then level it with a knife.
- Do not overbeat the dough after adding the dry ingredients, or your cookies might become cakey and hard. Once the flour is added and mixed with the wet ingredients, the gluten proteins are activated and they start developing.
- After adding the cream cheese to your frosting mixture, be careful not to overbeat it, as it might become runny and difficult to pipe.
- Because of their small size, cookies tend to burn more quickly. An overbaked cookie could lose its softness, so keep an eye on them when they’re baking in the oven.
- Don’t pipe your filling into the cookies while still warm. The heat will melt it, resulting in a melty mess.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are red velvet cookies made of?
Red velvet cookies are made of flour, cocoa powder, butter, sugar egg, vanilla, and red food color.
What flavors are in red velvet?
Red velvet flavor involves traditional sugar cookies with a few teaspoons of cocoa powder and red food coloring.
How to store my red velvet cookies?
These cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for up to a week.
Can I freeze my cookies?
Yes, you can freeze your cookies for up to 3 months, although the cream cheese filling will become softer as it thaws.
To freeze, follow the next steps:
- Wrap each cookie up using plastic wrap.
- Place them in an airtight container or cake carrier. You can also use a zip-lock bag, but I prefer the practicality of the container to be able to stack them up in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to eat them, get the cookies out of the freezer and take off the wrapping. Put them in the fridge overnight to thaw for best results. After that, let them warm up at room temperature. Cookies may get a bit sweaty when thawing – they’ll dry out eventually.
Follow this link if you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day recipes, or click the links below for some red velvet recipes, and cookie recipes you might like:
Fudgy Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Funfetti Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry Filling
If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment!
Soft red velvet cut-out sandwich cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 2 cookie sheets
- 1 2.5" square cookie cutter
- 1 1.3" heart cookie cutter
- 1 1M Wilton piping tip
- 1 piping bag
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookies
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
Cream Cheese filling
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar measured, then sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Red Velvet Cookies
- Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 F and preparing 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients together using a medium bowl, and set them aside.2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Over a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed.1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- Incorporate egg, vanilla extract, and red gel color and mix until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix.1 large egg, 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal dough discs. Lightly dust the rolling pin, then roll out the first disc of dough over a silicone mat to a thickness of 1/4″. You can also lightly dust your work surface to roll the dough there instead.
- Use a 2.5" square cookie cutter and a 1.3" heart cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Create one square-shaped cookie and another square-shaped cookie with a heart-shaped hole in the center (which will be used as the top cookie). Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1.5 inches of space between each.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the bottom of your cookies turn a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet (until easy to handle), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling them
Cream Cheese filling
- Over a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter at medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Incorporate the cream cheese and beat for an extra minute.4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the cream cheese mixture, and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes. Do not overbeat.2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- To assemble your cookies, place the cream cheese filling in a piping bag with a 1M Wilton tip.Pipe a rose-shaped swirl onto the base cookie, beginning in the middle and going all the way to the edges of the cookie. Then, top the base cookie with the heart-shaped hole cookie.
Notes
- The butter, egg, and cream cheese should be at room temperature. This will make sure that your ingredients mix more evenly with the rest of the ingredients, and prevent unwanted lumps in your frosting.
- Flour or powdered sugar should be measured using a spoon, scooping the flour or sugar into your measuring cup without compacting it, then using the back of a knife to level it. For granulated sugar, just scoop it using a measuring cup, then level it with a knife.
- Do not overbeat the dough after adding the dry ingredients, or your cookies might become cakey and hard. Once the flour is added and mixed with the wet ingredients, the gluten proteins are activated and they start developing.
- After adding the cream cheese to your frosting mixture, be careful not to overbeat it, as it might become runny and difficult to pipe.
- Because of their small size, cookies tend to burn more quickly. An overbaked cookie could lose its softness, so keep an eye on them when they’re baking in the oven.
- Don’t pipe your filling into the cookies while still warm. The heat will melt it, resulting in a melty mess.
