These Frosted Red Velvet Cookies are soft, chewy, and finished with a sweet, creamy buttercream-style frosting. They taste delightful and look stunning on any dessert table.
The rich red velvet base paired with smooth frosting makes these cookies an instant favorite. Their bold color and elegant topping make them a showstopper for parties, holidays, or everyday treats.
Table of contents
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🛒Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Make Frosted Red Velvet Cookies
- 🥄 Equipment
- 🥫 Storage
- Serve With
- 💭 Tips
- ⁉️ FAQ
- 🍽 More Recipes
- 🧾Recipe Card
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Balanced cocoa and creaminess create a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- A fluffy cream cheese frosting adds richness without fuss.
- The vibrant red color brightens any dessert spread.
- These cookies travel well and are less messy than cake.
- Easy to customize—add sprinkles, drizzle chocolate, or tint frosting for special occasions.
🛒Ingredients
Below is a handy ingredient list. See the recipe card at the end of this post for exact quantities.
- Butter (softened)
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Red food coloring (gel recommended)
- Cream cheese (for frosting)
- Powdered sugar (for frosting)
- Mini chocolate chips (optional)
Check the recipe card below for measurements and serving size.
🔪 How to Make Frosted Red Velvet Cookies
This overview summarizes the main steps. Full, step-by-step instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Beat butter with granulated and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture until combined, then stir in red food coloring until the dough is evenly colored.
- Scoop uniform cookies onto a baking sheet and bake until the edges are set and centers remain soft. Cool to room temperature.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy and spreadable.
- Fill a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto each cooled cookie using your preferred tip.
- Top with mini chocolate chips or other decorations as desired.
🥄 Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Small bowl and whisk
- Cookie scoop
- Baking sheet
- Piping bag and tip
🥫 Storage
Freshly frosted: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to keep the frosting stable and the cookies soft.
Unfrosted: Baked cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Add frosting just before serving.
Freezing: Freeze unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw and frost before serving.
Serve With
- A glass of cold milk
- A warm chocolate or coffee drink for cozy pairings
- Fresh berries for a bright contrast
- Vanilla or cream cheese ice cream to make cookie sandwiches
💭 Tips
- Measure carefully: Accurate measurements of cocoa and flour ensure the right texture.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerating for at least 30 minutes helps prevent excessive spreading and yields chewier cookies.
- Avoid overbaking: Remove when edges are set but centers are still soft for best chewiness.
- Use gel coloring: Gel food coloring gives a more vibrant red without altering dough moisture.
- Room temperature frosting ingredients: Softened cream cheese and butter whip to a smoother frosting.
⁉️ FAQ
Here are answers to common questions about the recipe.
Yes. Store-bought cream cheese frosting is a convenient substitute if you prefer not to make frosting from scratch.
Use unsweetened cocoa powder to control sweetness. Dutch-processed cocoa can be used but may slightly affect the red tone.
Absolutely — swap the food coloring for other colors to suit holidays or celebrations.
🍽 More Recipes
If you love red velvet flavors, try other red velvet desserts for variety.
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake with cream cheese filling
- Red Velvet No-Bake Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
- Red Velvet Cake Balls
🧾Recipe Card
Use the card below for full measurements, detailed instructions, and nutrition information.
Frosted Red Velvet Cookies
Equipment
-
Large mixing bowl
-
Electric mixer
-
Small bowl
-
Whisk
-
Cookie scoop
-
Baking sheet or cookie sheet
-
Piping bag with tip
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Red food coloring
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
-
In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
-
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
-
Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
-
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
-
Stir in red food coloring (about 1 tsp gel was used in photos). Adjust to reach your desired shade.
-
Scoop dough (about 1½ tbsp per cookie) onto a baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart.
-
Bake 10–11 minutes, until edges are set and centers are still soft. Remove and cool to room temperature.
-
For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until creamy.
-
Pipe the frosting onto each cookie using your preferred tip (tip #2D recommended for pictured look).
-
Garnish with mini chocolate chips or other toppings and serve.
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.