Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
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These Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches are filled with a tangy cream cheese frosting and taste just like red velvet cake!
I love all things red velvet but I think these Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches might be my favorite red velvet recipe to date. These cookie sandwiches taste exactly like red velvet cake and are filled with the most deliciously tangy and smooth cream cheese frosting! They’re easy to make with no chill time and are perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day or even 4th of July!
If you’re looking for more red velvet recipes try my Red Velvet Donuts, Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes or Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting!
What is Red Velvet?
Contrary to popular belief, red velvet is not just chocolate cake dyed red. The three ingredients that create red velvet’s distinct flavor are buttermilk, white vinegar and a little bit of cocoa powder!
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cookies structure.
Baking soda & baking powder – both leaveners are needed to help the cookies rise.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar – both sugars are necessary for sweetness and texture.
Egg – binds the ingredients and provides structure.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
Cocoa powder, buttermilk and white vinegar – gives the cookies their red velvet flavor
How To Make Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
1. Make the Red Velvet Cookie Dough: in a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
2. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and mix until just combined. Then add the buttermilk, vanilla, white vinegar and red food coloring to desired shade. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix the dough because it will make the cookies tough.
5. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheets (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger).
6. Bake red velvet cookies at 350°F for 8 minutes then cool on the baking sheet.
7. Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Pipe or spread a layer of cream cheese frosting onto half of the red velvet cookies then top with the remaining cookies. Store Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
Pro Tips For Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Use gel food coloring! It yields a deeper color without using a ton of dye and throwing off the consistency of the batter the way liquid food coloring does.
- Don’t over mix the dough! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
- Don’t over bake them! The red velvet cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Wait until the cookies are COMPLETELY COOLED before filling them otherwise the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off.
- Do not over mix the cream cheese frosting otherwise it will begin to break down and become runny.
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop
- Red gel food coloring
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Cookie scoop (I use a 1 tablespoon scoop)
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookie Dough
- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 15 g (1 tbsp) buttermilk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 56 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Red Velvet Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
- Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix until just combined. Then add the buttermilk, vanilla, white vinegar and red food coloring to desired shade. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix the dough because it will make the cookies tough.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheets (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger).
- Bake red velvet cookies at 8 minutes then cool on the baking sheet.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Pipe or spread a layer of cream cheese frosting onto half of the red velvet cookies then top with the remaining cookies.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/4 tsp salt.
- Store Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
