Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies feature soft, chewy, buttery cookies, tinged with cocoa for smooth chocolate flavor, and the wells are filled with ultra-creamy, luscious, tangy cream cheese frosting. Featuring an iconic and irresistible duo, these Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies have earned a prominent spot on your cookie trays for the holidays.
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A iconic pair together in a pretty and festive cookie. Something I kinda regret about these Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies is that I didn’t decorate them with a few red and green sprinkles! That would’ve been beautiful in the photos. I only used white sprinkles.
On the other hand, I never want my pictures to have you feel like a recipe would only make sense a certain time of year. If I had red and green sprinkles on these cookies, and then plastered the photos all over Pinterest, people might only think of these as Christmas cookies.
Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies can be made anytime, obviously. I feel like these would be great for Valentine’s Day.
I actually modeled these Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies after these Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints with Kahlua Ganache, as well as these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patty Thumbprints. The chocolate thumbprint part is nearly the same in each.
Oh, wow, I forgot how many chocolate thumbprints I’ve shared. Also have these Turtle Thumbprint Cookies with caramel and pecans, and these Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Thumbprints. LOVE those… filled with strawberry preserves, and then the top is covered up with chocolate ganache. They’re amazing! They don’t get enough attention on the blog, that’s for sure.
My basic chocolate thumbprints recipe came from Better Homes & Gardens, I believe it was, and you can use the basic chocolate thumbprints, and roll them in just about anything you’d like, and fill them any which way, and then drizzle them any way you see fit. So many possibilities.
I love thumbprints for that. They can really get your creativity running wild. Many, many combos can be had.
These in particular are soft and chewy, but critically to thumbprints, they’re sturdy enough to hold a big dollop of filling in the center. Thumbprints are distinctly a little bit denser than most cookies so that they don’t fall apart when you fill the wells.
Still, they are so soft and chewy. Very rich with butter, and that is compounded by only using an egg yolk in the dough… yolk only adds extra richness and chewiness. With a touch of vanilla, a good bit of cocoa too.
What can I say about cream cheese frosting that hasn’t already been said? I really adore other frostings like Brown Butter Frosting and Nutella Buttercream, and many other seriously special frostings. It’s hard to pick one frosting and say it’s my favorite, but if you absolutely forced me, I would say that it’s difficult to top cream cheese frosting.
When the proportions are right, it reigns supreme. The right ratio of butter to cream cheese to powdered sugar to vanilla, and there isn’t much that beats it. With red velvet especially!
If you’re wanting to scope out some non-chocolate thumbprint recipes? Take a peek at these Snickerdoodle Thumbprints with Cookie Butter Buttercream. That buttercream is insanely delicious, speaking of special frostings. Or Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumpbrints, White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies, Coconut Macadamia Key Lime Thumbprints, or Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies!
If you’re just looking for other Christmas cookie ideas generally, a few most popular recipes are these Cracked Top Ginger Cookies, which we love so much that we make them year-round. You can’t go wrong with soft, puffy, buttery Amish Sugar Cookies. One of the BEST cookies recipes EVER, and I’ve made over 20 versions of them.
What’s on your baking list for the holidays? What cookie recipes are you planning to make??
Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For red velvet thumbprint cookies:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 4-5 drops red food gel paste or 1 tbsp. red food coloring
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup red or pink sugar crystals or sprinkles
For cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For red velvet thumbprint cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg yolk, milk, vanilla, and red food color.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl, and beat until just combined.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
- Shape into 1-inch balls.
- Roll each ball in sprinkles, thoroughly coating.
- Arrange two inches apart on parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheets.
- Press an indentation in the center of each dough ball using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies appear set.
- Remove from heat, and if desired, repress the indentation while cookies are still warm.
- Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare cream cheese frosting.
For cream cheese frosting:
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Add 3 cups powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Frosting should be thick, fluffy, and pipeable - I sometimes need it thicker. Add additional powdered sugar, as needed, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Fit a decorating bag with a star tip, and pipe cream cheese frosting into the center of each thumbprint, about a rounded tablespoonful.
For other red velvet things — check these out!
Hi! Just wondering why the last few days the title of recipe included in email is different from the recipe listed?
The email says nickerdoodle Amish Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Icing
But it’s actually for red velvet cookies.
Thanks!
Hmm…. I will check my newsletter settings. I’m sorry about that. When I post something, the newsletter for that item should go out the next morning. Maybe it’s grabbing from the wrong new item. Thank you so much for letting me know — I will look into that! 🙂
Enjoyed your writing, expecting some further great works!
Cookies were delish!! I ended up needing a lot more red food die (mine came out brown, with no red coming across)…. but honestly it doesn’t matter b/c these are so yummy!! My partner had 8 in one day. 🙊 We did just use store-bought whipped cream cheese frosting (bought it by accident)
Hi!
I’d like to make these for my Christmas Cookie Exchange. Does the recipe double well?
This particular one doubles fine, yes!
Super! Could I make the dough ahead, roll and indent the cookies and freeze?
I made these for a Christmas cookie swap and they were a hit! The only sugar I had to roll the cookies in was a small bottle of sanding sugar that looked glittery. When placed on the glass serving plate, the cookies were a beautiful red with glitter and a touch of cream cheese frosting. They were as delicious as they were beautiful!