Amazing 320 Calorie Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Oh, you just can’t beat a classic dessert, but sometimes those classics need a little playful nudge, right? That’s exactly what we’re doing today! Forget dry, crumbly cookies; these are the melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly soft Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies you didn’t know you were missing. That iconic deep red paired with the sharp, tangy cream cheese filling? Yes, please!

I remember the first time I tried making them. My kitchen looked like a crime scene—dye everywhere! But I finally figured out the magic angle for that deep, luxurious color. Trust me, once you nail this technique, these cookies become your new go-to for any celebration.

Why You Will Love These Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Seriously, these go beyond just looking pretty on a plate. They are everything a great sandwich cookie should be, and then some! I’ve included a link below if you want to check out some other great cookie recipes, but I promise you’ll be coming back to this one.

• The cookies themselves are wonderfully soft and almost cake-like—never crisp!
• That filling! The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting cuts through the rich cocoa perfectly.
• The color is exactly what you want for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or just a Tuesday needing a lift.
• They hold together beautifully, even if you pipe the filling like I prefer to do. Check out these other great sandwich cookies too!

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

We can’t rush perfection, and that starts right here with what we put into the bowl. Getting the ratios right for these Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies is non-negotiable for that soft, tender bite. I’ve learned to treat the cookie part and the frosting part like completely separate entities that just happen to live together later!

If you ever need a quick tip on adding acid or replacing dairy when you run short, I’ve got you covered over here on buttermilk guides, but for now, let’s stick to the star ingredients!

For the Red Velvet Cookie Base

The cookie dough needs rich flavor but also that stunning hue. You absolutely need one cup (that’s two sticks!) of unsalted butter, softened completely—no shortcuts here, please. We pair that with one and a half cups of granulated sugar, two large eggs, and that essential teaspoon of vanilla. For the dry side, we keep it simple with two and a quarter cups of flour, just a teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of salt, and the smallest amount of cocoa powder—only one tablespoon!

Now, for my favorite part: the color! You must go for a gel food coloring. I use a full tablespoon, aiming for that deep, luxurious red. Liquid coloring just won’t give you the same intense shade without making the dough too wet, and we certainly don’t want spreading!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting Filling

This filling is the superstar that pulls the cookie into sandwich territory. You need eight ounces of cream cheese, softened perfectly, and half a cup (one stick) of unsalted butter, also softened to that perfect, creamy state. If your dairy is cold, the frosting will be lumpy, and nobody wants that!

We sweeten it up with three full cups of sifted powdered sugar—sifting is crucial so you don’t end up with little hard sugar pockets. Finish it off with one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat it long enough until it looks like fluffy, tangy clouds ready for sandwiching!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Okay, let’s get baking! I always think of this recipe in four distinct phases: dough prep, baking the cookies, making the filling, and finally, the assembly. If you follow this order, things flow so smoothly. Remember what I always say about mixing flour? Don’t overdo it! Too much mingling means tough cookies, and we want soft goodness here.

If you want to beef up your general baking skills and avoid common pitfalls like overmixing, check out some of my general best baking tips!

Preparing and Chilling the Red Velvet Dough

First things first: cream that full cup of butter with the one and a half cups of sugar until it’s light and fluffy—it shouldn’t look gritty anymore. Then, drop in your eggs one by one, making sure each one is mixed in before adding the next, followed by that vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk your dry stuff: the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Now, add the dry mix to the wet mix slowly. Mix it *just* until you don’t see streaks of flour left. Seriously, stop mixing then! Finally, stir in that tablespoon of red food coloring until the dough is one beautiful, uniform red.

This is where patience comes in. Wrap that dough up tightly and let it chill for at least one full hour in the fridge. This stops the cookies from spreading into flat pancakes when they hit the heat!

Baking the Red Velvet Cookie Discs

Time to turn on the oven! Preheat it to 350 degrees F (that’s 175 degrees C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper—it makes cleanup so much easier and ensures a nice clean bottom edge on the cookie. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the parchment.

Bake them for just 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready because the edges will just look set. Let them hang out on the hot baking sheet for about 5 minutes after they come out—this lets them firm up slightly before you move them to a cooling rack to get completely cold. They must be room temperature before we fill them!

Making the Cream Cheese Frosting

While those cookies cool down, let’s tackle that dreamy filling! You need that eight ounces of cream cheese and the half cup of softened butter. Get those beating together until they are seriously smooth and creamy. If you’re rushing this, your frosting will be grainy, so take your time!

Then, gradually beat in that three cups of sifted powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Keep beating until it looks light, fluffy, and perfectly spreadable. You want it to look like it could float away—that’s how you know the texture is right for holding the sandwich together.

Assembling Your Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Once everything is totally cool, it’s assembly time! Take one cookie and spread a nice dollop of the cream cheese frosting on its flat side. I personally love using a small offset spatula because it gives me a nice, even layer. Then, gently top it with another cookie, matching up the edges nicely.

Pro tip: if you want fancy edges, load that frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip! It looks incredibly professional and keeps your fingers from getting too messy transferring the filling. Enjoy pulling those two halves together!

Tips for Achieving the Best Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

You followed the recipe exactly, but maybe your cookies spread a little too much for your liking, or maybe the color just wasn’t popping? Don’t worry for one second, friend! Even the best recipes need a little nudge based on your specific kitchen environment. That’s why I wanted to pull a few key warnings right out of my own trial-and-error book for you.

The absolute biggest thing you need to nail is dough temperature. If that dough is too warm when it hits the oven, it melts immediately before the structure can set, leading to flat, wide cookies. I know the recipe says chill for an hour, but if your kitchen is warm, push it to an hour and a half. If you’re in a hurry, roll the dough balls out, place them on the sheet, then chill them on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before they go into the oven! That locks in the shape beautifully.

Next up: the color intensity! I mentioned using gel food coloring—and I really mean it, okay? If you try to substitute with standard liquid drops, you end up needing way too much just to get a faint pink instead of that deep, velvety red. Use the gel; it’s worth tracking down. A little goes a long way, and it keeps your flour-to-liquid ratio perfect.

When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet, remember that light touch we talked about? You want to stop mixing the second you see the last flour streak disappear. Overmixing develops gluten, and gluten is the enemy of a soft, cake-like cookie. You want these cookies tender, almost delicate!

Finally, for assembly, if you find spreading the filling is tearing your cookies, try piping it! It puts gentle pressure on the cookie surface rather than dragging across it. You can see some great ideas for piping techniques here, although our cream cheese filling holds its shape wonderfully even without fancy piping tips.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

I get so many questions about substitutions, especially when flavor profiles like red velvet are involved! This recipe works best with the components listed—dark cocoa powder, specific butter amounts—but sometimes you just can’t run to the store, can you? I totally get it!

Look, the gel coloring is really a non-negotiable if you want that authentic look without sacrificing texture. However, if you are in a true pinch, you can sparingly use liquid food coloring, but you’ll need patience. Start with half a teaspoon and see how it looks once mixed into the dough. You might have to add a tiny bit more, but stop adding before the dough feels noticeably wetter.

Now, let’s chat about baking chemistry. While this recipe sets up beautifully with the balance of ingredients provided—butter, sugar, eggs—some bakers prefer that authentic ‘tang’ often associated with classic red velvet cake, which usually comes from buttermilk. Our recipe uses the acidity of the cocoa reacting with the baking soda, but if you want an extra kick, you absolutely can swap out a little liquid portion of the recipe for homemade buttermilk!

If you look over my guide on how to make buttermilk substitutes, you can quickly whip some up using milk and vinegar or lemon juice. I’d suggest swapping out about half of any liquid (like if you use milk/water in another recipe, but since this one doesn’t call for added liquid outside of the eggs and vanilla, you might skip this substitution entirely unless you adjust the eggs slightly, which I don’t recommend for these cookies!). Just know that for these specific sandwich cookies, the cream cheese frosting already brings plenty of delicious tang!

Storage and Make-Ahead Options for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

These Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies are so good, you’ll definitely want to make a double batch. But what about leftovers? That beautiful cream cheese frosting means we have a few ground rules for storage, unlike plain old chocolate chip cookies!

The absolute best way to keep these looking and tasting fantastic is in the refrigerator. Because that frosting is full of real cream cheese and butter, it needs that chill to stay firm. Place your assembled sandwiches in an airtight container, maybe layering them with wax paper or parchment sheets between layers so the red cookies don’t stick to the frosting tops.

If you keep them cold, they’ll easily last for 4 to 5 days. Honestly, they’re often even better on day two once the flavors have really settled in together!

Freezing the Cookie Discs Ahead of Time

This is my favorite make-ahead hack! The cookie dough itself freezes like a dream, but I never freeze them once they are assembled, as the chilling process can sometimes feel weird on the frosting texture once it thaws completely.

Here’s what you do: Bake the red velvet cookie discs as directed, let them cool completely—and I mean stone cold—and then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet for about an hour. Once they are solid little discs, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag. You can write the baking date right on the bag!

They keep wonderfully for up to three months this way. When you decide you need a fresh batch of sandwich cookies, just pull out as many discs as you need and let them thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes while you whip up a quick batch of cream cheese frosting. Instant fresh cookies!

Can I Freeze Assembled Cookies?

For me, this is a hard pass, although I know some folks try it. When you freeze a fully assembled sandwich cookie, and then bring it to room temperature, the moisture difference sometimes makes the cookie part a little soft or soggy right where it meets the frosting, and the frosting can weep a bit. It’s just not the same texture experience!

If you must assemble them ahead of time, limit it to one day beforehand and keep them tightly sealed in the fridge. But trust me, when the craving strikes, having the pre-baked red velvet discs ready to go is the real win here.

Serving Suggestions for Your Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

These beauties are so rich and decadent, they don’t need much doctoring up, but what they really call for is the right partner in crime!

The deep cocoa flavor pairs perfectly with something slightly bitter or very creamy. Cold milk is the obvious choice, but if you’re treating yourself for a grown-up snack, try serving one of these alongside a strong cup of coffee. If you’re feeling festive and want a little boozy treat, you absolutely have to check out this amazing recipe for a velvety espresso martini—the flavors match shockingly well! These cookies are stellar on their own, I promise.

Frequently Asked Questions About Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

I know you might have a few burning questions floating around after reading through all those steps. It happens to me every time I try a new bake! Here are the things that pop up most often when folks are making these gorgeous Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies.

Why did my cookies spread out too much when baking?

Ah, the classic spreading issue! This almost always comes down to temperature control, honestly. If your butter or your dough comes even slightly too warm to the oven, the structure melts before it can set, and you end up with wide, thin cookies instead of plump ones. Make absolutely sure you chill that dough for at least an hour, or ideally, even longer. If you’re in a rush, rolling the dough balls and chilling the *sheet* right before baking helps lock that shape in place.

Can I make these Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies without red food coloring?

You totally can, but they won’t be *Red Velvet* cookies by definition, will they? If you skip the dye, you get a really lovely, soft, light chocolate cookie because we are only using one tablespoon of cocoa powder. They will be delicious, just more of a pale brown color. If you want the full experience, though, you really need that color to give it that signature look!

How long do I need to store my finished cookies?

Because we are using a real cream cheese frosting filling, these definitely need to stay chilled for maximum freshness! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They usually look and taste best within 3 to 4 days. If you keep them sealed tightly, they often last up to 5 days, but they really shine in the first few days after you make them.

What’s the best way to get that sharp contrast in the filling?

That bright white, tangy filling is just as important as the red cookie! Make sure you are using full-fat, well-softened cream cheese and butter for the filling. When beating them together before adding the powdered sugar, really take the time to get them fluffy; this whips air into the frosting, making it lighter in color *and* texture. It contrasts so beautifully against that dark red cookie!

If you are looking for some other delicious ways to use those red velvet flavors, I’ve got an absolutely show-stopping Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake recipe that uses similar flavors but in a completely different, decadent style!

Estimated Nutritional Profile for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

I always joke that cookies should never come with a nutrition label, but I know some of you need the details, so here they are! Please remember these are just estimates based on the standard ingredients list I provided—every swap or brand difference can shift these numbers slightly. Baking is a science, but calorie counting is definitely an art!

These numbers reflect one perfect Red Velvet Sandwich Cookie, made exactly according to the recipe. If you skip the frosting, obviously things change, but why would you ever do that?! I’ve listed the main culprits down below so you can see what you’re working with in that rich, sweet bite.

• Serving Size: 1 cookie sandwich
• Calories: Approximately 320
• Total Fat: Roughly 18g (with about 11g of that being saturated fat)
• Carbohydrates: About 38g, with sugar making up a big chunk at 35g
• Protein: Around 3g
• Cholesterol: 65mg

So yes, they are a treat, but they are completely worth every single bit of that 320 calories when you bite into that soft cocoa cookie and creamy filling. Enjoy them responsibly—or don’t, I won’t tell!

Share Your Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies Experience

Wow, you made it to the end! That means you’re either ready to bake these incredible Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies right now, or you’re already enjoying the leftovers. Either way, I just want to hear about it!

Your feedback makes this whole process worthwhile. Did the red turn out perfect? Was your cream cheese frosting super tangy? If you loved them, please take a second to give the recipe a star rating right here on the page—it helps other bakers feel confident jumping in!

And if you snapped a photo of those gorgeous red and white beauties, please don’t keep them to yourself! Tag me on social media so I can see your masterpiece. If you have any final lingering questions that I didn’t cover up in the FAQ, feel free to pop over to my contact page for a quick chat. Happy baking, friends!

I hope you love these as much as my family does. If you need anything else from me, just reach out via the contact form; I’m always around!

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