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).
In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons 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 ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick and 1 cup granulated sugar until creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
Then slowly beat in the cornstarch water mixture, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon red food coloring and 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 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 by using a spatula to push them into a circle shape 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 ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Add in the 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 4 ounces cream cheese and beat until combined.
Slowly add in the 2 cups confectioners' sugar and the 1 pinch of kosher salt. Beat until combined and smooth.
For the Crumb Topping
Break or chop 1 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 tops of the cooled cookies.
After you frost each cookie, immediately sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top of each cookie.
Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, a non dairy milk, vegan red food coloring and vegan cream cheese.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 1 ¾ packed cups of regular flour (294 grams), packed cups of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of milk. Still chill the dough. Storing: Keep extra cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring cookie to room temperature prior to eating. They must be in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting.Freezing: Wrap dough in a disc in plastic wrap and then pop it in a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw dough in the fridge the night prior to using. Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.