Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies – Deliciously soft and chewy vanilla-infused thumbprint cookies that are coloured a vibrant red, and filled with a sweet cream cheese centre. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

I love making thumbprint cookies. They look so pretty and impressive, despite being incredibly quick and easy to make.

These Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies are just that.

Deliciously soft and chewy, coloured a beautiful shade of red, and filled with cream cheese centres, these make the PERFECT Valentine’s Day cookies!

Looking for more thumbprint cookies? Check out my Coffee Thumbprint Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jam Thumbprint Cookies, Mint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these cookies. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

• Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature.
• Light brown sugar: Using more brown sugar than white sugar makes for extra chewy cookies.
• Caster/granulated sugar
• Large egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Red food colouring: I used Sugarflair Spectral Concentrated Paste Colour – Christmas Red.
• Plain/all-purpose flour
• Salt

For the filling, you’ll need:

• Cream cheese: Softened to room temperature.
• Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature.
• Vanilla extract
• Icing/powdered sugar

How to make Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

To make these cookies, grab a large mixing bowl and beat together the butter and sugars until smooth and combined.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.

Add enough red food colouring to reach desired shade.

Add the flour and salt, and mix to form a smooth, soft dough. If needed, use your hands to help bring it all together.

Roll the dough into 0.7oz balls. Roll each one in granulated sugar, and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Use your thumb, or the back of a measuring spoon (I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon), to make an indent in the middle of each ball.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until firm to the touch. If the indents have risen, gently press them back down with the measuring spoon.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling, grab a medium bowl, and beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and combined.

Add the icing sugar and mix until smooth and combined.

Add more icing sugar if the mixture is too thin, or add milk (1 tablespoon at a time) if the mixture is too thick.

Fill the indents in the cookies with the filling, and allow to set before serving.

The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.

Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

Tools you’ll need

Here are a few handy tools I used to make these cookies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Baking tray
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons: I used the 1/2 teaspoon to make the indents in the cookies.
• Kitchen scales: I always recommend weighing out your ingredients for complete accuracy. Sometimes using cups can be a little off, especially when it comes to ingredients like flour.

These Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies are:

• super quick and easy to make
• deliciously soft and chewy
• coloured a beautiful red for Valentine’s Day
• filled with sweet cream cheese centres

How long will these cookies last? These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Can I freeze these cookies? Yes, they also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Want freshly-baked cookies every time? Cookie dough balls, shaped, can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!

Try these cookies next!

• Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
• Russian Tea Cakes

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