Red Velvet Bear Cookies

4.93 from 14 votes

Cute, not too sweet, soft, red velvet bear cookies decorated with melted chocolate. Perfect for red velvet lovers and holidays, especially during the winter or for Valentine's Day!

Prep Time20

Cook Time11

Resting time30

Total Time1 1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Bianca Fernandez

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
1 egg
red food coloring

Decoration for face:

1 tbsp melted milk or dark chocolate
3 tbsp melted white chocolate
oil-based food coloring, see steps (pink/red)

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Instructions

For the cookie dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder baking soda, and salt.
In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (can alternatively use hand mixer or whisk), mix the butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Scrape bottom of bowl. Add vanilla, vinegar, egg, and red food coloring and mix until smooth.
Dump in all of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add more red food coloring as needed.
Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will let the flour hydrate and let the butter firm up again, yielding chewier cookies. The dough will also be easier to work with. :)
Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Use small cookie dough scoop to gather dough (about 1 ½ tablespoon each). Shape into a ball and place onto lined baking tray. Repeat for about 15 more cookies, making sure you have some left over for the ears. Place cookies about 3 inches apart.
For the ears, take about 1 tsp of dough, and split it into two equally sized pieces. Roll into balls and place on the tops of the bears’ heads.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are set and centers are slightly puffy. If you underbake them a little, they will be chewier! :)
Let cool on pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack. Let cool completely.

For the bear faces:

You can a piping bag, toothpick, or cookie scribe to add on the details. I used a piping bag.
Use melted white chocolate to draw on the snouts and ears. Dye the leftover chocolate pink or red for the blush.
If you don't have oil-based food coloring, then the chocolate will seize/become lumpy. To counter this, stir in a tsp of neutral oil (canola, vegetable) at a time, until it becomes smooth again.
Use melted milk or dark chocolate for the eyes and noses.
Enjoy!

Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
To make it vegan, swap in a high quality vegan butter and vegan chocolate (suggestions listed in this blog post). Omit the egg. Follow the recipe accordingly up until you add in the dries. If the dough seems crumbly, add in a tbsp of alternative milk (2-4 tbsp total) at a time until the dough comes together. It should be thick, but scoopable. In addition, you can use a vegan chocolate brand like Pascha Chocolate. OR, you can try out my easy icing recipe, which is found in my teddy bear cookie recipe.

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