These red velvet cream cheese cookies are irresistibly soft, thick, and loaded with creamy white chocolate chips and chunks for the perfect balance of flavour and texture. The tangy cream cheese compliments the sweetness of the white chocolate, creating a rich, indulgent treat that delights the taste buds.
These soft baked red velvet cookies have been on my to-do list. After making Mini Cream Cheese Pound Cakes, I was reminded of the incredible richness that cream cheese brings to baked goods.
To create these cookies, I adapted my Brown Butter Cookie recipe, swapping some of the butter for cream cheese—and let me tell you, it was a game-changer. The result? A luscious, rich, cookie with every bite, perfectly balanced with the deep flavours of red velvet and creamy white chocolate.
Why you will love this recipe?
- Quick and easy to make.
- Soft-baked chewy centre with perfectly crisp, buttery edges.Â
- Has a mixture of chocolate chips and chunks.
- These red velvet cookies capture all the rich flavours of a classic red velvet cake. You’ll enjoy a perfect balance of sweetness and tang with each bite.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter- Gives the cookies flavour and keeps them moist.
- Flour- Plain or all-purpose flour gives the cookies its structure.
- Cocoa powder-Gives the cake its chocolate flavour. My favourite to use is  Cacao Barry Amber Cocoa Powder Extra Brute
- Brown Sugar- The molasses in the sugar adds flavour to the cookies.
- Caster or granulated sugar- Helps the cookies spread and makes the cookies crisp up when baked.
- Baking soda- It reacts with the acid in the buttermilk causing the cookies to rise.
- Salt- Enhances the flavour and balances the sweetness.
- Egg- Helps bind the ingredients together while also adding moisture to the cookies.
- Vanilla extract -Enhances the flavour of the cookies.
- Buttermilk -adds a distinct tangy flavour, characteristic of red velvet cake.
- Red food colouring- gives the signature vibrant red hue of red velvet cake.
How to make cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl of the mixer beat butter, sugar, and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and red food colouring to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. Scrape down sides as needed.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and red food colouring to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. Scrape down sides as needed.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, over wet ingredients.Â
Mix on low speed until everything is combined. The dough will be sticky. Add the chocolate chips and chunks and beat on low speed until just combined.
The dough will be sticky, so cover it with cling film and chill until firm, for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
Scoop the dough and roll it into balls. For uniform cookies, weigh each portion—I used 60 grams per cookie.
Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The centre will look soft.Â
Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for success
Measure ingredients accurately. I recommend using a scale for precision.
Use room temperature ingredients. Room-temperature butter and eggs blend more easily with other ingredients, resulting in a smoother dough.
Chill the dough. This prevents it from spreading too much.
Weigh your cookies, that way you will have the same size cookies.Â
For more red velvet recipes, check out these out
Ingredients
- 120 unsalted butter room temperature
- 60 full fat cream cheese
- 135 brown sugar room temperature
- 50 caster or granulated sugar
- 210 plain flour
- 15 cocoa powder
- 1 baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 Â vanilla extract
- 1 buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon red gel food colouring
- 100 g white chocolate chips
- 100 g white chocolate bar, chopped
Instructions
- In the stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, and set aside.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, buttermilk and red food colouring, then mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for up to 3 days. If chilling for more than 2 hours, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Preheat oven to 170 °C,
- Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to soften for 10 minutes,
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out the dough. For uniform cookies, weigh each portion—I used 60 grams per cookie. Place dough on a baking tray leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes. This helps them set up and makes them easier to transfer. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover and store leftover cookies in a zip-lock bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
oooooo!! these cookies look amazing! Holiday perfect!!
Thank you Zainab.
Visiting from Saturday Night Fever. I love how vibrant these are, they look wonderful! I co-host Sweet and Savoury Sunday and would love for you to stop by and share this and other recipes with us. Have a great day!
Thank you Laura for stopping by and for your lovely comment. Will visit Sweet and Savory Sunday to share this recipe. Many thanks for the invite.
These look fantastic!!!
Thank you Amanda
These look insanely good!! So thick, and soft, and glorious! I wish I had a big plateful to indulge in right now! 🙂
Thank you Jocelyn
Okay, these look incredible!
Thank you Sarah
I’m in the middle of making these right now..but the recipe doesnt say when to add the food colouring? i’m assuming it’s with the egg mixture…or am i just being blind
You are right Bryony, the food colouring is mixed in with the egg mixture. I have updated the recipe. Thanks for asking.
Is it just me, or can i not see where to add the butter?