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Stack of five red velvet cheesecake cookies with the top three broken in half exposing the inside
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Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

These soft and chewy red velvet cheesecake cookies are stuffed with cheesecake filling and taste like a slice of red velvet cake in cookie form!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Low Lactose, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill 20 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes
Servings 14 cookies
Calories 186kcal
Author Gabby

Equipment

  • Bakin sheets
  • handheld mixer or Standing Mixer

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling

  • 8 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened (4 oz) (regular or vegan) SEE NOTES
  • 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioners sugar) SEE NOTES if using regular (not vegan) cream cheese

Red Velvet Cookies

  • ½ cup butter, softened (regular or vegan)
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons liquid red food coloring
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. In a small bowl, use a whisk or mixer to mix the cream cheese with the icing sugar until smooth and combined.
  • Place 14 heaping teaspoons of cream cheese on the baking sheet or plate. Slightly flatten each ball of cream cheese. Freeze for at least one hour, or until frozen almost completely solid.
  • When the cream cheese is frozen almost solid, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, mix butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
  • Add in the egg, food coloring and vanilla extract, and beat until just combined. Different brands of food coloring will be darker than others, so start with just 1 teaspoon and add more as needed.
  • Mix in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda) until a dough forms.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on the baking sheets, allowing lots of room between each ball of dough.
  • Remove the cream cheese balls from the freezer and gently press one into the centre of each cookie (you can also use the back of a teaspoon to make an indent). Cover the cream cheese ball with the dough, wrapping it around the cream cheese to cover it completely (photos are in post above for reference)
  • Roll each ball of dough in granulated sugar until they are coated completely.
  • Once you've finished assembling one baking sheet of cookies, place them in the fridge while the oven finishes preheating, then repeat the steps with the second batch of cookies.
  • Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven when the edges look set.
  • Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Please Note: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above, under the "Metric" tab.
Properly measure your flour - I highly recommend using a $15 kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients (metric measurements are in the recipe card below). If you aren't using a scale, use the scoop and level method.
Cream Cheese: I don’t recommend using Daiya brand cream cheese as it tends to melt into the dough. If you’re looking for a dairy free or vegan option, then I suggest using Violife or another vegan cream cheese which has a coconut base. Depending what kind of cream cheese you use, the amount of time it takes to freeze the filling may vary.
Powdered Sugar: If you are using regular (not vegan) cream cheese, add an extra Tablespoon of powdered sugar (4 Tablespoons total). It's firmer than vegan cream cheese so more icing sugar will make the filling softer.
Food Coloring: Depending on the brand of food coloring you use, you may need less or more than stated above. Start adding it in small amount and adjust as needed.
Storage and Freezing: Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Store baked cookies in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Just let them thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 427IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg