Snow Capped Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Name: Snow-Capped Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 74 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (113g); 2/3 cup granulated sugar (133g); 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (66g); 1 large egg, room temperature (56g); 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g); 1 tsp red gel food coloring (I love Americolor or Chef Master); 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g); 1 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted if lumpy (6g); 1 tsp baking soda (6g); 1/4 tsp fine salt (1g); 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling - optional (50g); 1 cup good quality white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, melted (175g); 1 Tbsp Christmas nonpareil sprinkles - optional

ByChelsey White Updated onNovember 19, 2025

4.75 from 4 rating

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These delicious, no-chill red velvet sugar cookies bake up with chewy centers and crispy edges and are dipped in creamy white chocolate.

image of red velvet sugar cookies that have bitten into to show how perfectly chewy they are

It’s a dreamy combination that will have you going back for seconds!

Tips for Making the Best Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
Space your cookies about 2 inches apart before baking them. They will spread as they bake.
Don’t over-bake your cookies! The color of the dough makes it hard to tell when they start to brown, so keep an eye on the texture of the top of the cookie. Even if they seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will continue to bake and set on the tray once they’re out of the oven.
Gently flatten the baked cookies with the bottom of a metal measuring cup or glass while they’re still warm. This makes the centers even more perfectly chewy!
Melt the white chocolate gradually, heating it in 30-second intervals and stirring between. This will prevent the white chocolate from seizing and give you silky smooth melted white chocolate.

Substitutions and Swaps

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients, and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cookies.
Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar, but I prefer light! In a pinch, you can use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, but the cookies will spread more and be less chewy, and the flavor will be a bit different.
1 Large Egg– If you have an egg allergy, try using a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this one made by Bob’s Red Mill.
All-purpose flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
Cocoa Powder – Make sure you’re using unsweetened cocoa powder. I use the Hershey’s brand, but any brand will work. You can also use dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but the color of the cookies won’t be quite as vibrant.
Gel Food Coloring – I used red gel food coloring to make these, but you can use whatever you have on hand. You can also use 1 Tbsp of liquid red food coloring in place of gel if needed.

How to Make These Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Let’s walk through each step of this recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible!

I’ve also included a short video on how to make these cookies in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.

Make the red velvet sugar cookie dough following the recipe card at the bottom of this post. After creaming together the butter and brown and granulated sugar, mix in the egg, vanilla, and red gel food coloring.

image of an egg and red gel food coloring being mixed into creamed sugar and butter

Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The dough should be pretty thick at this point!

image of dry ingredients being mixed into wet ingredients to make red velvet sugar cookie dough

Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop or a large spoon to scoop and roll about 21 cookie dough balls.

Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar, then place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

image of red velvet cookie dough being scooped out of a bowl using a 1 1/2 TBSP Cookie scoop

image of red velvet sugar cookie dough balls being tossed in granulated sugar

Step 2: Bake the Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Bake for about 9 minutes, or until the cookies seem set around the edges and still a little puffy in the center.

image of red velvet sugar cookies being placed on a baking sheet to be baked

image of red velvet sugar cookies that have been baked on a baking sheet and are cooling

I like to gently flatten the cookies with the bottom of a metal measuring cup or glass while they’re still warm to give them super chewy centers, but this is optional.

image of a red velvet sugar cookie being flattened out with a measuring up to give it a perfectly chewy texture

image of red velvet sugar cookies that have been flatten a bit to give them the perfect chewy texture

Then let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 3: Dip the Cookie in White Chocolate

Dip about 1/3 of each cookie into the melted white chocolate, and let any excess run off.

Scrape the excess chocolate from the bottom of each cookie on the bowl’s edge to prevent pooling.

white chocolate that's been melted in a glass bowl

image of a red velvet sugar cookie being dipped in white chocolate

Then place them on a piece of parchment paper or silicone mat to let the white chocolate firm up (it usually takes mine about 30 minutes at room temperature).

If desired, add some nonpareils along the edge of the white chocolate, then enjoy!

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

The recipe makes 21 total cookies using a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop.

If you want to make more cookies, you can double the ingredients and make a double batch using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.

You can also halve this recipe to make 10 cookies (use an egg yolk).

You can also make mini red velvet sugar cookies that are half the size, and end up with 42 little cookies! Scoop them using a 3/4 Tbsp cookie scoop and bake for 7-8 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

Making These Red Velvet Sugar Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

This cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container, then when you’re ready to bake them, let the dough thaw to room temperature, scoop the cookies, and bake them.

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for a month.

image of red velvet sugar cookies that have been dipped in white chocolate to make them snow-capped for christmas

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for snow-capped red velvet sugar cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.

image of a red velvet sugar cookie that's been dipped in white chocolate

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4.75 from 4 rating