Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies

No-spread, no-chill Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies are soft, chewy, pretty red cookies with subtle chocolate flavor and hold their shape perfectly when baked -- no chilling necessary. Delicious on their own or decorated with tangy cream cheese frosting, they're perfect for Christmas or Valentine's Day. 

Red velvet sugar cookies are a delicious, colorful spin on classic cut-out sugar cookies. A hint of cocoa powder adds mild chocolate flavor, and gel food coloring gives them a stunning, deep red color.

The dough is soft and easy to work with. I don't chill the dough at all while I'm rolling and baking, and the cutout cookies keep perfectly crisp, sharp edges all the way through to the last batch.

Frost with buttery cream cheese frosting for classic red velvet cake flavor. It's easily pipeable and holds its shape. If your kitchen is warm or the ingredients are warm and you find the dough or frosting is too soft, just chill them and carry on. 

Or try Buttercream Frosting that Hardens or glossy Sugar Cookie Icing -- they both harden to a stackable finish, perfect for transporting. 

🍪Ingredients

See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.

• Butter. Room temperature butter will ensure it creams easily with the sugar. 
• Egg. Use a room temperature egg for cookie batter that mixes together smoothly. 
• Red gel food coloring. Gel food colors are much more intense and vibrant than liquid. I use a teaspoon of red gel color, but you can use more or less depending on the shade of red you're going for. 
• Cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder gives a subtle chocolate flavor. 
• Frosting, optional. This cream cheese frosting recipe pairs deliciously with red velvet. When frosted with cream cheese frosting, the cookies will need to be refrigerated. You can also use your favorite royal icing recipe, try my stackable Buttercream Frosting or Sugar Cookie Icing recipes, or drizzle or dip with melted white chocolate. 

🥣How to Make Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies

Step 1: Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and red food coloring. 

Step 2: Sift in the dry ingredients (or whisk them in a separate bowl). Mix until just combined -- the mixture will look crumbly. Gather the dough with your hands and form into two smooth balls. 

Step 3: Roll out the cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper to ¼" to ½" thickness. Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place the cut outs on the prepared cookie sheet. 

Step 4: Bake for about 6 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle no longer looks wet. 

Step 5: Cool cookies on the pan for a few minutes then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

 Step 6: Prepare cream cheese frosting, or your favorite frosting. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles and sugars before the frosting sets. Store red velvet cut out cookies with cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator. 

👉Top Tip: Use dowels or rolling pin guides to roll the dough to an even thickness.

🎁Storage

• Store plain red velvet cut-out sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 10 days. If frosted with cream cheese frosting, store for up to one week in the refrigerator.  
• Freeze sugar cookie dough in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. 
• Freeze frosted or unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw unfrosted cookies at room temperature and frosted cookies in the refrigerator. 
• Store leftover cream cheese buttercream frosting in an airtight container or ziptop bag in the refrigerator for up to one week. You may need to re-whip it before using it again. 
• Freeze cream cheese frosting in a freezer bag for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator. 

📅Make Ahead

• Make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Set at room temperature until it is soft enough to roll out. 
• Make the cream cheese frosting and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

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