Description

Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies combine soft, chewy cookie texture with cupcake-like domes and a swirl of cream cheese frosting, perfect for any celebration.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Red Velvet Cookies:

1 & ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant milk powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick / 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons red liquid-gel food coloring *see notes

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 ounces (85g) block cream cheese
6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 & ½ cups (195g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Cookies

Preheat oven & prep pans:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Milk powder
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
  Set aside.
Cream butter, oil, and sugars:
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
Add egg, vanilla, and color:
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
Add white vinegar and 1 to 2 teaspoons of red liquid-gel food coloring (adjust as needed for your desired shade). Stir well. Note: The dough will be very bright at this stage but will deepen after flour is added.
Combine wet and dry:
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully combined. The dough will be thick, sticky, and soft—like a cross between cookie dough and cake batter.
Portion the dough:
Use a 3 to 4 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop rounded mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches of space between each. You should get about 12–14 cookies.
Bake:
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed with slightly golden edges. The centers should be soft but set.
Cool:
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting

Cream butter and cream cheese:
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth and lump-free.
Finish the frosting:
Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy.
If the frosting feels too soft, chill in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes to firm it up before piping or spreading.

Decorate

Frost the cookies:
Once completely cool, frost each cookie with a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting. Use a spoon, offset spatula, or piping bag.
Garnish (optional):
If you have any leftover cookie dough or a broken cookie, crumble it and sprinkle over the frosted tops for a bakery-style finish.

Notes

Food coloring: Gel or liquid-gel preferred. Avoid water-based colorings that can affect dough texture.

If your frosting is too soft, chill it briefly to firm it up for piping or spreading.

For a cleaner look, use a piping tip like a star or round tip for frosting.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12–15 minutes
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American