Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

These Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies are the kind of collected recipe I keep around for holidays, bake sales, and those weeks when making an entire layer cake simply is not happening. A red velvet cake mix creates soft, chewy cookies with lightly crisp edges, while a splash of bourbon adds subtle warmth and depth without overpowering the familiar cocoa-vanilla flavor.

The filling is what makes these especially memorable. Tangy cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and coconut become a rich frosting tucked between two red velvet cookies, and chopped pecans around the edges add a buttery crunch. They look festive enough for a Christmas cookie tray but are easy enough to make whenever a red velvet craving hits. I especially appreciate recipes like this on busy weeks because the shortcut cake-mix dough saves time without sacrificing that homemade, special-occasion feeling. The recipe has also been reorganized and rewritten for a practical American home kitchen, following the provided recipe-formatting guidance.

Love these cookies? Pin them to your Holiday Cookies or Easy Desserts board on Pinterest so you don’t lose the recipe!

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cookies

1 (15.25 oz) box red velvet cake mix

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp bourbon

Coconut Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp evaporated milk, plus more as needed

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

For Finishing

½ cup pecans, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
2. Make the cookie dough. Combine the red velvet cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and bourbon in a large bowl. Stir until no dry pockets of cake mix remain.
3. Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Keep the cookies similar in size so they pair neatly after baking.
4. Bake. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and the edges look set. Avoid waiting for the centers to become firm; they will continue setting as they cool.
5. Cool completely. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before filling.
6. Prepare the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the evaporated milk, vanilla, and coconut. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until thick, creamy, and spreadable. Add a small splash of additional evaporated milk if necessary.
7. Assemble. Spread a generous layer of filling over the flat side of one cooled cookie. Top with a second cookie and press gently until the filling reaches the edge.
8. Add the pecans. Place the chopped pecans in a shallow bowl. Roll the exposed frosting edge of each sandwich cookie through the pecans until coated.
9. Set and serve. For the neatest cookies, refrigerate briefly to firm the cream cheese filling before serving.

Cooking Notes

Do not overbake. Red velvet cookies can be difficult to judge by color. Look for cracked tops and set edges rather than browning.

Cool before filling. Even slightly warm cookies can soften or melt the cream cheese frosting.

Skip the bourbon if needed. Replace it with 1 tbsp milk or 2 tsp milk plus 1 tsp vanilla extract for an alcohol-free version.

Adjust the frosting carefully. Add extra evaporated milk about 1 tsp at a time. Too much liquid can make the filling squeeze out when the cookies are assembled.

Make evenly sized cookies. A small cookie scoop helps produce matching sandwich halves.

Storage: Because the filling contains cream cheese, store assembled cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator. The original recipe notes that leftover frosting can be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

The recipe yields approximately 24 sandwich cookies, with one sandwich cookie considered one dessert serving. Actual values will vary with the cake mix brand, frosting used per cookie, and the amount of leftover filling.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 260 kcal
• Fat: 13.0 g
• Carb: 35.0 g
• Protein: 2.0 g

Recipe Science

These sandwich cookies combine a prepared red velvet cake mix with eggs and vegetable oil, creating a dough with more fat and less added liquid than a traditional cake batter. That produces a compact cookie rather than a cake. Cream cheese and butter provide the fat structure for the filling, while confectioners’ sugar thickens and sweetens it. Coconut and pecans contribute additional texture.

The short 8-minute baking period at 190°C / 375°F helps preserve a softer center. Allowing the cookies to rest on the hot baking sheet afterward finishes setting their structure without requiring additional oven time. In the filling, softened cream cheese and butter emulsify more smoothly, while gradually incorporating confectioners’ sugar makes it easier to control consistency.

For everyday use, the components can be prepared ahead, but the assembled cookies should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese filling. Bring them out shortly before serving if a softer texture is preferred. Pecans can be omitted for a nut-free version, provided the cake mix and other ingredients are also confirmed nut-safe.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: Based on the supplied nutrition information, saturated fat is approximately 5 g per serving, or 25% of the FDA Daily Value of 20 g, making it High by the 20% Daily Value benchmark. Sodium is about 186 mg, well below 20% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value. Anyone limiting saturated fat can use a lighter layer of filling or make smaller sandwich cookies. The supplied nutrition information reports total sugar rather than added sugar, so the percentage of the FDA’s 50 g Added Sugar Daily Value cannot be determined reliably from the provided data.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Cake-Mix Convenience: The shortcut dough keeps preparation manageable while delivering soft, rich red velvet cookies.
• Cream Cheese Filling: Tangy cream cheese balances the sweetness of the cookies and confectioners’ sugar.
• Texture in Every Bite: Tender cookies, creamy frosting, chewy coconut, and crunchy pecans create plenty of contrast.
• Holiday-Worthy Presentation: The deep red cookies and pecan-coated filling look right at home on a Christmas dessert tray.
• Easy to Customize: Leave out the bourbon, coconut, or pecans to adapt the cookies to your family’s preferences.

FAQ

• Can I leave out the bourbon? Yes. Substitute 1 tbsp milk, or use 2 tsp milk and 1 tsp additional vanilla extract.
• Why are my cookies too hard? They were most likely baked too long. Remove them once the tops crack and the edges are set; the cookies continue cooking slightly on the baking sheet.
• Can I make these ahead? Yes. Bake and cool the cookies ahead of time, then refrigerate the assembled sandwiches in an airtight container because the filling contains cream cheese.
• Can I leave out the coconut? Absolutely. The frosting will still work without it. You may need slightly less confectioners’ sugar depending on the desired consistency.
• Can I freeze them? The unfrosted cookies are the best candidates for freezing. Freeze them airtight, thaw completely, and then prepare the filling and assemble the sandwiches.

Conclusion

These red velvet sandwich cookies have everything I want from an easy celebration dessert: soft cookies, luscious cream cheese filling, and just enough pecan crunch to make each bite interesting. Remember, cooking is a journey, and there is always room to adjust a treasured recipe to make it fit your own family.

Would you keep the pecan-and-coconut finish, or make yours with classic cream cheese filling only? Happy baking, friends!