Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

9 extra-large or 12 large cookies

When I think of the holidays, the first flavor that comes to mind is red velvet. When I was little, my mom always baked Red Velvet Cake on Christmas Day. Later, it became a family tradition to go Christmas shopping, pick up red velvet cake, and watch the movie The Holiday. It’s one of my favorite cakes, not just for its flavor, but for the memories it brings of those December traditions.

These cookies are my tribute to that iconic cake: a thick, chocolatey red velvet cookie with a vanilla cream cheese center. To me, it’s the perfect cookie—crisp edges, a gooey center, and a soft, chewy texture. The secret? Cold butter, cornstarch, & freezing the dough before baking.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 6 oz cream cheese, room temp (170 g)

  • ½ cup powdered sugar (65 g)

  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (8 g)

  • 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes (226 g)

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (215 g)

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (73 g)

  • 2 large eggs, room temp

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp distilled white vinegar

  • ¾ tsp red gel food coloring 

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (310 g)

  • ¼ cup natural cocoa powder, sifted if clumpy (24 g)

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 2 tsp cornstarch

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 cup chocolate chips (160 g)

DIRECTIONS

Prep & Freeze Cream Cheese Filling

  1. Line a small sheet tray that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper.

  2. Mix softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in flour, vanilla, and salt until fully combined.

  3. Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to portion 1-tablespoon scoops of filling onto the lined sheet tray. You will need 9-12 scoops of filling depending on how large you decide to make your cookies. Place tray in freezer while you make the cookie dough.

Make the Cookies

  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream cold butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low until incorporated. Mix in vanilla, white vinegar, and food coloring. The mixture may look clumpy - this is normal.

  2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low until mostly combined. Finish by folding with a spatula until no flour streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips.

  3. Line a half-sheet tray with parchment paper. Optionally, refrigerate the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes so it’s less sticky & easier to work with.

  4. Weigh cookie dough into 4-ounce balls for 9 extra-large cookies or 3-ounce balls for 12 large cookies. Press a frozen cream cheese scoop into each cookie dough ball, ensuring it’s fully covered. Place filled cookie dough balls on the prepared sheet tray. If the dough is too sticky, dust your hands with flour or refrigerate again. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

  5. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two half-sheet trays with parchment paper. Arrange 4-6 frozen cookie dough balls on each tray, leaving space between them. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for 30-45 minutes to let cream cheese center set before serving.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

  • Because the cookies are baked from frozen, they are a great make-ahead dessert. After the cookie dough balls have frozen solid (about 2 hours), transfer them from the sheet tray to an airtight container or Ziploc bags to prevent freezer burn. Stored this way, the cookie dough will last for several months in the freezer.

  • Handle food coloring with care, as it can easily stain your hands and clothes. I prefer to stir in the food coloring using the measuring spoon itself to ensure it’s fully incorporated. If have liquid food coloring instead of gel, keep in mind that it’s less concentrated, so you'll need to use a larger amount to achieve the same color.

  • When stuffing the cookie dough with cream cheese, it’s easier if you chill the cookie dough first. The dough will stick to your hands as you work with it, but dusting your hands with flour can help!

  • Like traditional Red Velvet Cake, this recipe includes white vinegar. It adds a slight tangy flavor, helps tenderize the cake, and reacts with the baking soda as a leavener. It serves the same purpose here in our cookies. If you don’t have white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a good substitute.

  • To be precise and consistent when baking, I recommend using a Digital Food Scale. The one I linked is relatively inexpensive and in my opinion, a great investment for any home kitchen! But if you don’t have one, I’ll always include cup measurements as well.