This soft and chewy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies recipe is a simple way to pack all the flavors of a red velvet cake in one small, handheld package. Baking cookies from a box of cake mix that’s combined with 4 basic ingredients is a quick and easy way to make these vibrant red cookies that sandwich together with a cream cheese frosting.
Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies – Cake Mix Cookies
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies are my favorite way to pair the flavors of sweet red velvet complemented by tangy cream cheese. This simple recipe can be prepared in mere minutes because it uses a shortcut: baking from a box!
When you don’t have time to make scratch cookie dough or feel like getting your fingers red from food coloring, making cake mix cookies is so easy and can quickly combine with a few basic ingredients to create the dough.
Each cookie is coated in powdered sugar, and as they bake, the sugar spreads so it looks like a crackle cookie covered in snow! And when filled with rich cream cheese frosting, you’ve created a festive Christmas or Valentine’s Day delicious dessert.
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies are a creative cross between a whoopie pie and a homemade version of a red velvet Oreo. Like an inside-out cupcake, they have a chewy, cake-like texture on the outside and a soft and creamy frosting for the filling; it looks like a sandwich cookie but has a cake consistency. It’s the perfect way to serve red velvet cake as an individual snack!
If you like this Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies recipe, you must make my other deliciously easy cake mix cookies!
Why We Love This Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies Recipe
- Quick and easy to make using a cake mix combined with 4 simple ingredients.
- Simple homemade cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with red velvet.
- Classic red velvet flavored cake served as a fun snack-sized sandwich cookie.
- Soft and chewy sweet treat with a vibrant red color.
- Perfect for Christmas, Valentines Day, 4th of July, or any special occasion.
Ingredients
- Red velvet cake mix
- Eggs
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Cake Mix: Feel free to use any flavor cake mix you want! The cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with other cake mix flavors. Try chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lemon….the possibilities are endless.
- Customize Your Cookies: If you want make these cookies more festive, you can roll the edges in some colorful sprinkles to match any occasion or holiday. Roll them in patriotic sprinkles for the 4th of July, red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or pink and red sprinkles for Valentine’s Day.
- Frosting Flavors: Instead of cream cheese, you can use chocolate or vanilla frosting, which will taste great sandwiched between the red velvet cookies. You can even use store-bought frosting to make these extra easy.
Recommended Tools
- Cookie sheets
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring tools
- 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop
- Wire rack
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How to Make Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
It is so quick and easy to make these Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies because the recipe has a shortcut: it simply combines a box of cake mix with a few ingredients. A rich, smooth cream cheese frosting fills the center of two soft and chewy cookies–perfectly pretty and delicious for Christmas or Valentine’s Day dessert.
- Mix together cake mix, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until completely combined.
Pro-Tip: I like to use butter in place of oil in the cookies because I believe it gives the cookies a richer flavor and helps them from spreading as much.
- In a separate bowl, add powdered sugar.
- Scoop the cookie dough with a 1 T cookie scoop and place the dough ball directly into the powdered sugar.
Pro-Tip: I recommend using a 1 tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop for making these cookies. The scoop helps to ensure uniform balls of dough, which bake into evenly sized cookies. - Roll the dough around in the powdered sugar, tap the excess sugar off, and place each onto the prepared sheet tray, 3 inches apart.
Pro Tip: I find it easiest to use a fork to roll the dough in the powdered sugar, then lightly tap on the edge of the bowl to remove the excess powdered sugar. - Bake at 375°F for 7-9 minutes, or until the cookies slightly spread, crack on top and appear set, with no wetness.
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting by whipping together the cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer, until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar to the frosting, a little at a time, and whip together with the mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
- Place about 2 teaspoons of frosting on the bottom of a cookie.
Pro-Tip: When filling the cookies with the frosting, be sure to select two cookies that are very close to each other in size. - Top with another cookie, and gently press down to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Pro Tip: Don’t worry if there is a little bit of frosting leftover. - Serve and enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: These cookies should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container once they are filled with frosting for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze these cookies in a freezer-safe container, with or without filling, for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the assembled Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies should be kept in the refrigerator because of the dairy in the cream cheese frosting.
If you are making these in advance, you can make the cookies and frosting separately and then fill them to serve OR you can make them into sandwich cookies beforehand and store them in an airtight container with parchment or wax in between each layer of cookies.
If you do not want to add the cream cheese frosting, these cookies are delicious without it!
If you have leftover icing, you can use it as a dip for pretzels, or ice another treat, like my Carrot Cake Cupcakes or my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup butter melted and cooled slightly
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.
- Place the cake mix, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix together with an electric hand mixer until there are no dry patches.
- Place the ½ cup powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Place 1 tablespoon-sized dollop of the dough directly into the powdered sugar. I like to use a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop for this. Roll the dough around in the powdered sugar, tap the excess sugar off and place them directly onto the prepared sheet tray, 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes, the cookies will slightly spread, crack on top and appear set, with no wetness to the cookies once done. Let them cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium-sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, whip until smooth. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar to the bowl a little at a time until fully mixed in. Turn the mixer on to medium-high speed and whip for 2 minutes.
- Place about 2 teaspoons worth of the frosting on the bottom of a cookie. Top with another cookie, gently press down to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies, there may be a little bit of frosting leftover.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: These cookies should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container once they are filled with frosting for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze these cookies in a freezer-safe container, with or without filling, for up to 3 months.
- I recommend using a 1 tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop for making these cookies. The scoop helps to ensure uniform balls of dough, which bake into evenly sized cookies.
- When filling the cookies with the frosting, be sure to select two cookies that are very close to each other in size.
- I like to use butter in place of oil in the cookies because I believe it gives the cookies a richer flavor and helps them from spreading as much.
- I find it easiest to use a fork to help roll the dough in the powdered sugar, then lightly tap it on the edge of the bowl so any excess powdered sugar falls off.
Love, love, love these cookies! They were a big hit with our friends and family!
Just made this recipe and cookies didn’t flatten as much as the pictures and I have a ton of filling leftover but they taste delicious and I was told keep this recipe on my list of do agains.
Omg! So delicious
I am so excited to be on this site thank you so much for accepting me can’t wait to do some of these fun recipes