Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Posted on February 10, 2026
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These red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting are absolutely stunning and so much fun to make! They're chewy, vibrant, deeply chocolatey, and incredibly moist with the most beautiful bright red color that makes them look like they came straight from a bakery. What makes these cookies extra special is the combination of softened butter and olive oil in the dough, which creates a texture that's tender and chewy at the same time while staying incredibly moist even days after baking. The olive oil adds a subtle richness that you can't quite put your finger on but makes all the difference in how soft and luxurious these cookies feel. The dough comes together with all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder for that classic red velvet chocolate flavor, baking soda for lift, butter and olive oil creamed with sugar until light and fluffy, an egg, vanilla, and red food coloring that gives them that gorgeous jewel-toned color. The dough will seem slightly crumbly at first, but that's completely normal, just use your hands to bring it together and it'll come together beautifully. You roll the dough into balls, flatten them slightly, and bake for just 10-11 minutes until they're puffed with set edges but still soft in the center. While the cookies cool completely, you whip up the most incredible cream cheese frosting with softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. It's tangy, sweet, silky smooth, and the absolute perfect complement to the chocolate-y red velvet cookie. You spread a generous layer on each cooled cookie and if you want to make them extra pretty, add sprinkles before the frosting sets! These cookies are perfect for gifting, baking for someone special, bringing to parties, or just treating yourself because you deserve it. They stay fresh for up to 5 days, which makes them great for making ahead!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does this recipe use both butter and olive oil?
A: The combination of butter and olive oil creates the most incredible cookie texture! Butter adds flavor and helps the cookies spread properly, while the olive oil keeps them incredibly moist and tender even days after baking. All-butter cookies can sometimes dry out faster, but the olive oil acts as a liquid fat that stays soft at room temperature. It also adds a subtle richness that makes these cookies taste more complex and luxurious. Don't worry, you won't taste the olive oil at all, it just makes the texture exceptional!
Q: My dough seems too crumbly, is that normal?
A: Yes, totally normal! Red velvet cookie dough is naturally drier and more crumbly than regular cookie dough because of the cocoa powder and the ratio of fats. When the recipe says the dough will be slightly crumbly, it means it won't look like a smooth, cohesive dough when you first mix it. Just use your hands to squeeze and press the dough together, the warmth from your hands helps the fats bind everything. If it's still not coming together, add ½ teaspoon of milk at a time until it just holds when squeezed. Don't add too much or the cookies will spread too much during baking.
Q: Can I make these without red food coloring?
A: Absolutely! The red food coloring is purely for the visual effect and doesn't affect the flavor at all. Without it, these would just be delicious chocolate cookies! Here are some natural alternatives to try: Beet powder: About 1-2 tablespoons gives a beautiful pinkish-red hue. It's the most popular natural substitute and adds a very subtle earthy sweetness that actually complements the chocolate nicely. Beet juice: Use 2-3 tablespoons in place of the liquid food coloring. It may slightly thin your dough, so add an extra tablespoon of flour to compensate. Pomegranate powder: About 1 tablespoon gives a deep reddish-pink color with a slight tartness that pairs beautifully with chocolate. Hibiscus powder: About 1-2 teaspoons gives a gorgeous deep red-purple color and a very subtle floral, tart flavor. Keep in mind that natural colorings won't give you that same vibrant true red as food coloring, but they create beautiful, rich tones that look stunning. If you do want to use food coloring, gel food coloring gives a more intense color with less product. Start with 1 teaspoon of gel and add more for a deeper red.
These red velvet cookies are chewy, vibrant, and absolutely gorgeous! Made with butter, olive oil, cocoa powder, and red food coloring for that classic red velvet flavor and stunning color, then topped with tangy, silky cream cheese frosting. Bakery-quality cookies ready in 30 minutes!
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Preparations
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
11 minutes
Total Time:
31 minutes (plus cooling time)
Cuisine:
American
Course:
Dessert
Calories:
180 kcal (approx. per cookie with frosting)
Servings:
24 cookies
Author:
Ronica Rupan
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cookies:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (24g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1¾ cups (210g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Optional: sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set it aside. If you have two baking sheets, line both so you can bake in batches more efficiently.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined with no cocoa clumps. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter, Oil, and Sugar In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, olive oil, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the Remaining Wet Ingredients Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the vanilla extract and red food coloring. Mix until everything is evenly combined and the color is distributed throughout the batter with no streaks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the color is completely even.
- Combine Wet and Dry With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing between each. Mix until the dough just starts to come together. The dough will look slightly crumbly and not fully cohesive at this point, but that's completely normal! Use your hands to squeeze and press the dough together until it holds. It should be firm enough to roll into balls without crumbling apart.
- Shape the Cookies Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll each portion between your palms to form a smooth ball. Place the balls on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each ball slightly. They don't need to be super flat, just slightly pressed down.
- Bake Bake for 10-11 minutes until the cookies are puffed up and the edges look set. The centers might still look slightly underdone, but that's perfect! They'll firm up as they cool. Don't overbake or they'll dry out. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they need this time to set), then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Don't frost warm cookies or the frosting will melt!
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together on high speed for about 2 minutes until they're completely smooth, creamy, and well combined with no lumps. Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully add the powdered sugar (add it slowly so it doesn't puff up everywhere!), vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes until the frosting is silky smooth and fluffy.
- Frost the Cookies Once the cookies are completely cool, use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on top of each cookie. Be generous! If you want to add sprinkles, do it now before the frosting sets.
- Serve and Store These cookies are ready to eat immediately! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and serving.
Cooking hacks and tips
- Room temperature ingredients are essential: Both the egg for the cookie dough and the cream cheese and butter for the frosting need to be at room temperature for best results. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in your frosting no matter how long you beat it, and a cold egg won't incorporate as smoothly into the butter mixture. Take everything out of the fridge at least 30-45 minutes before you start.
- Don't overbake: These cookies should look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven. The edges should be set but the centers should still look soft and puffy. They firm up significantly as they cool on the pan. If you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they'll be dry and crumbly by the time they cool.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant color: Liquid food coloring works fine, but gel food coloring gives you a much more intense, true red color with less product. Use about 1 teaspoon of gel food coloring in place of the 1 tablespoon of liquid. This is especially helpful if you want that deep, jewel-toned red that really pops.
- Sift your powdered sugar: For the smoothest, lump-free cream cheese frosting, sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the cream cheese and butter. This takes an extra minute but makes a huge difference in the final texture of your frosting. Nobody wants lumpy frosting on their beautiful cookies!
- Make them ahead for gifting: These cookies are perfect for making ahead and gifting! Bake the cookies and make the frosting separately, store both in the fridge, then frost and package them the day you want to give them. They look stunning in a clear gift box or on a decorative plate wrapped in cellophane. Add extra sprinkles on top for a pop of color and festive flair!
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This is where I love to share my passion for cooking, baking, and flavor. When I’m not creating delicious recipes, you’ll find me spending time with my family, working on my spice blends at Flora & Mana, or enjoying a homemade baked goods. Join me on this culinary journey to taste, healthy meals and fun kitchen hacks!
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