Description
Delight in these soft and festive Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting and heart sprinkles. Perfectly baked to have a tender crumb with a hint of cocoa and vibrant red color, these cookies combine the best of red velvet cake with the convenience of a cookie, ideal for celebrations or everyday treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process preferred)
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Cookie Dough
- 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
- 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
Decoration
- Heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside to be incorporated later.
- Beat Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the unsalted butter and white granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the vanilla extract, honey, white vinegar, eggs, and red gel food dye to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute until well combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined to avoid overmixing.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Allow the cookie dough to rest for 10 minutes to help control spreading during baking.
- Scoop Dough: Using a large cookie scoop, portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, placing six scoops per sheet with adequate spacing.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Bake until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly underdone for a soft texture.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Sift Powdered Sugar: For the frosting, sift the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat Butter and Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter on high speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat on high for an additional minute until smooth. Scrape the bowl and continue beating if any lumps remain.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed until the frosting is creamy and smooth.
- Decorate Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to dollop the cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled cookie. Gently spread the frosting smooth with an offset spatula and sprinkle heart-shaped sprinkles for decoration.
- Store: Keep the decorated cookies refrigerated until ready to serve to maintain freshness and frosting texture.
Notes
- Allow the cookie dough to rest before baking to prevent excessive spreading and to maintain the cookie shape.
- Use room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, cream cheese) for optimal mixing and texture.
- The red gel food dye provides a vibrant color without watery consistency; Americolor super red is recommended.
- Bake one tray at a time for even baking results.
- Do not overbake cookies; slight underbaking in the center keeps them soft and chewy.
- Store finished cookies covered and refrigerated to keep the frosting fresh and prevent melting.
