Description
Delicious red velvet cupcake cookies topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting and decorated with heart sprinkles. These soft, fluffy cookies combine the delightful flavors of classic red velvet cake in a cookie form, perfect for celebrations or a sweet treat anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process recommended)
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Cookie Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 2 Large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp Red gel food dye (Americolor super red recommended)
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 oz Cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- Heart sprinkles (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dry ingredients. Sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer on high speed to beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add flavor and wet ingredients. Mix in the vanilla extract, honey, white vinegar, eggs, and red gel food dye on medium speed for 1 minute until thoroughly combined.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to reduce spreading during baking.
- Scoop the dough. Use a large cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, placing about 6 dough balls per sheet.
- Bake the cookies. Bake one tray at a time for 13-15 minutes, until the cookie edges are set but the centers remain slightly underdone for a tender texture.
- Cool the cookies. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides to ensure smoothness.
- Combine frosting ingredients. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed until creamy and smooth.
- Decorate the cookies. Using a small cookie scoop, dollop the frosting on each cooled cookie. Spread it evenly using an offset spatula, then decorate with heart sprinkles. Store the finished cookies in the refrigerator to keep the frosting firm.
Notes
- Allowing the dough to rest before baking helps control spreading and yields thicker cookies.
- Baking one tray at a time ensures even cooking and perfect texture.
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results.
- Store frosted cookies in the fridge to maintain frosting consistency.
- Red gel food coloring provides vibrant color without adding extra liquid to the dough.
