Description
Dawn’s Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies are a delightful treat combining soft red velvet cake mix cookies with a creamy, rich cream cheese icing filling. These sandwich cookies are enhanced with a touch of bourbon in the dough and a luscious filling made with cream cheese, butter, coconut, and pecans for added texture and flavor. Perfect for holidays, special occasions, or anytime you crave a decadent sweet sandwich cookie, they are simple to prepare and bake in about 8 minutes, with a nice crackled top and tender crumb inside.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cookies:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup flaked coconut
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to ensure it is hot enough for the cookies to bake properly and develop a nice texture.
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, mix together the red velvet cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and bourbon until fully combined and smooth. The dough should be sticky but manageable.
- Form the cookies: Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets to allow room for spreading while baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, until the tops begin to crack. This short baking time keeps them tender with a slight crisp on top.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool in the pans for 10 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling is essential before assembling the sandwich.
- Make the icing: In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and flaked coconut. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly each time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency. Add more evaporated milk if the icing is too stiff.
- Assemble the sandwich cookies: Place chopped pecans in a shallow bowl. Spread a generous amount of cream cheese icing on the bottom of one cookie, then top with another cookie, pressing gently so the icing spreads to the edge. Roll the edges of the icing in the chopped pecans to coat. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
- Extra cream cheese icing can be stored covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- If the dough is too soft to roll, chill it briefly before shaping to make handling easier.
- You can omit bourbon if preferred; it does not significantly affect the texture but adds flavor.
- Optional: Leave out coconut and pecans for a simpler filling or roll edges in festive sprinkles for holiday versions.
- Cookies taste best if brought to room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: red velvet cookies, sandwich cookies, cream cheese icing, holiday cookies, easy dessert, red velvet cake mix
