These Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies have a mild sugar cookie base that pairs perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. Each cookie is the perfect blend of sweetness and a slight tang from the frosting. Those extra cookie crumbs on top that give the cookie some added texture and help balance out the frosting! Best part is, they’re gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be made dairy free (vegan).
These Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies are so delicious and so festive! Of course they’re perfect for any day but they really are extra pretty for Christmas, Valentine’s Day or even the 4th of July. Whenever red is involved, these beauties would be the star of the show just like my Red Velvet Oreo Cookies or my Sugar Cookie Blossoms!
If you're looking for more red velvet recipes, try my Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Red Velvet Muffins, and my Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins.
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Reasons to Love these Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Gooey Inside- The cookies are soft and chewy!
- Frosting- It is topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting! If cream cheese isn't for you, they also taste delicious with my vanilla frosting!
- Red Velvet- There is that slight tang that's classic of red velvet.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce.
- Vegan Baking Stick/Butter- Only use room temperature. If you use melted, the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Cornstarch and Water- These are eggless cookies so this mixture helps bind everything together.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non dairy, use a non dairy milk of your choosing.
- Cream Cheese- If you're vegan, use your favorite vegan cream cheese.
- Red Food Coloring- Make sure to read the label to keep your food safe. I use McCormick.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these Vegan
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non dairy milk of choice.
- Use a vegan cream cheese for the frosting or make my vegan vanilla frosting instead.
- Make sure the red food coloring is made in a vegan facility or is plant based.
How to Make this recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ¾ packed cups of regular flour (294 grams).
- Make sure to also use packed cups of cocoa powder.
- Only use 1 tablespoon of milk.
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to make Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make these cookies!
For the Cookies
Step 1: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 3: Cream the Sugar
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, beat the softened vegan baking stick or butter and 1 cup of sugar until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the Other Wet Ingredients
Slowly beat in the cornstarch water, the milk, vanilla and red food coloring until fully combined. It will appear chunky. That’s normal.
Step 5: Add in the Dry Ingredients
With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and combine.
Step 6: Chill the Dough and Preheat the Oven
Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a round flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. It needs to harden otherwise the cookies will spread all over the place.
When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 7: Scoop the Dough and Drop in Sugar
Remove dough from the fridge and use a small cookie scoop or use your hands to roll dough into 1 inch balls.
Pour the ⅔ cup of granulated sugar into a bowl. Drop each dough ball into the sugar and coat completely.
Step 8: Bake the Cookies
Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.
Pop the extra dough balls into the fridge while these are baking. Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and press the cookies down gently with a fork so you have a flat top to frost. If they are already flat on top, skip this step.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
For the Frosting
Step 1: Cream the Butter
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add in the Vanilla and Cream Cheese
Add in the vanilla and cream cheese and beat until everything is combined and smooth.
Step 3: Add in the Confectioners' Sugar
Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar and the salt. Beat until combined and smooth.
For the Crumb Topping
Break one cooled cookie apart and rip or chop it into tiny crumbs.
Make sure you do this step when the cookie has cooled completely otherwise the crumbs won’t be dry they will be gummy and will not sprinkle well.
Sprinkle the crumbs on top of each cookie as you frost them.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Room Temperature Butter- Do not use softened or melted butter/vegan baking sticks. The cookies will spread out when baking into a giant mess.
- Chill the Dough- If you don’t chill the dough for at least 30 min, the cookies will spread and be flat and thin. Chilling for an hour or more is best.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Either use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape or use a large circle cookie cutter. If using a cookie cutter, place it over the cookies and rotate quickly in a circle.
- Break Cookie when Cool- Break one cooled cookie apart and rip or chop it into tiny crumbs. Make sure you do this step when the cookie has cooled completely otherwise the crumbs won’t be dry they will be gummy and will not sprinkle well.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dough the night before. Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a round flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to chill again prior to baking.
Or you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze the dough for up to 30 days. Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using.
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make these cookies a day before and store them in an airtight container at room temperature without frosting.
I would not make the frosting until the same day. Since it is cream cheese based, it does need to be in the fridge.
Many food colorings are NOT safe for those with celiac and nut allergies.
It appears to me that McCormick is.
I checked their website and it said that any product that contains a gluten free label is produced on a dedicated gluten free line and has been validated as gluten free.
McCormick says if gluten appears in a product, they will always list it on a label.
They will never hide allergens under the term “natural flavors.”
I even called the company. The statement said, if a product ever contained an allergen it would be declared on the label. If it is not declared, this means the product does not contain it.
I feel very confident in using McCormick products due to these procedures they have in place, but of course you need to make your own decisions.
You can also use plant based natural food colorings but keep in mind it won't be as deep a color as mine are.
You can make this frosting the night before you need to use it.
Store it in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge.
When ready to use, let it come to room temperature and rewhip to get that creamy consistency.
Once the frosting has hardened a bit, store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
When ready to eat, bring them to room temperature if you want the cookie soft.
If you don't want to store them in the fridge, keep the cookies at room temperature and then frost the cookies one at a time before you eat them.
Other Cookie Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free flour (I use a 1:1 gf flour with xanthan gum)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (I use Dutch or Natural Unsweetened)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar (reserve ⅔ cup for rolling)
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring (I use McCormick. You may need less if you’re using a gel or a paste).
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Topping:
- One cooled Red Velvet Cookie , broken into tiny crumbs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter or vegan baking stick and 1 cup granulated sugar until creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
- Then slowly beat in the cornstarch water mixture, milk, red food coloring and vanilla until combined. It will look chunky and that’s normal.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and combine.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a round flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. It needs to harden otherwise the cookies will spread all over the place.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the fridge and use a small cookie scoop or use your hands to roll dough into 1 inch balls.
- Pour the ⅔ cup of granulated sugar into a bowl. Drop each dough ball into the sugar and coat completely.
- Place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.Pop the extra dough balls into the fridge while these are baking.
- Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
- Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and press the cookies down gently with a fork so you have a flat top to frost. If they are already flat on top, skip this step.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
For the Frosting
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and cream cheese and beat until combined.
- Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar and the salt. Beat until combined and smooth.
For the Crumb Topping
- Break or chop one cooled cookie into tiny crumbs. It must be cool otherwise the crumbs will be gummy and not sprinkle well.
- Use an icing spatula or a butter knife to spread the frosting all over the top of the cooled cookies.
- After you frost each cookie, immediately sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top of each cookie.
Nishu
C a n intake normal flour too ? If yes , will there be any change in the liquid quantity ?
Lee
Hi...yes you can! However, I cannot test the recipe with regular flour because my daughter has celiac and my entire home is gluten free. No change in liquid is needed.
john
I ate the whole batch of these. I'm not sorry.
Kristie
How long can you refrigerate before baking? Would 24-48 hours be too long? they look delicious and thick! yum
Lee
The dough? No that should be fine! I wouldn't go longer than 48 hours.