Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

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These red velvet sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and the dough comes together within minutes! With the perfect hint of chocolate flavor, they take plain sugar cookies to the next level.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: red velvet sugar cookies

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Bianca Fernandez

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

Wet ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar packed
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
1 egg
red food coloring I like to use gel food coloring since it's highly concentrated!

For rolling:

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

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Instructions

Make the cookie dough:

In a large mixing bowl, use silicone spatula to mix melted ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup light brown sugar until smooth.
Mix in 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla, and red food coloring until smooth.
Add in all of the dry ingredients: 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar. Mix until no dry spots remain. Add more red food coloring as needed.
Cover and chill dough in fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will let the flour hydrate and let the butter cool, yielding chewier cookies. The dough will also be easier to work with. :)

Scoop & bake cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling the dough.
Use medium cookie dough scoop to gather dough (about 2-3 tablespoons each). Shape into a ball and roll in granulated sugar and place onto lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies 3-4 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are set and middles are mostly baked through.
Tip: For rounder cookies, place a large circular cutter or mug on top of a freshly baked, warm cookie. Move it around in a circular motion until your cookie is perfectly round! This step is totally optional and purely for plating purposes! 🙂
Let cool on pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack. Let cool completely.
Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Baking tip:

Weigh your ingredients! One of my favorite kitchen tools is a kitchen scale because it’s more accurate than measuring by volume. If you use cups, spoon the flour in gently, then level it with a knife or spatula.

Storage instructions:

If you’d like to make these red velvet sugar cookies ahead of time, you can freeze raw cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Roll in sugar right before baking, and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions: Store cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze raw cookie dough balls for up to 3 months and bake as usual; just add a few minutes to the baking time.
Reheating instructions: Allow frozen cookies to thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Or, reheat in the microwave at 10-second intervals.

Nutrition