Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies with Brown Butter-Ginger Cream Cheese Filling
Girls don’t want a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. We want something thoughtful. Something that feels like it was made with intention.
These red velvet sandwich cookies are exactly that.
Valentine’s desserts don’t need to be oversized or overly sweet to feel romantic. Sometimes the romance is in the restraint. Likewise to my sandwich cookie recipe. The cookies are soft instead of cakey. These bake up flat and soft by design, with just enough cocoa to deepen the flavor without turning them into chocolate cookies. Joined with the filling, the sandwich cookie tastes balanced all the way through.
The filling is where things slow down.
The cream cheese gives it structure, brown butter brings warmth, and ginger whispers a coziness that makes you pause after the first bite. It’s familiar, but more considered. The kind of flavor that feels grown.
Bake them for someone you love.
Bake them for your friends.
Bake them if you’re over the moon in love.
Bake them if you’re choosing self-love.
Bake them for yourself.
That counts too.
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies with Brown Butter-Ginger Cream Cheese Filling Recipe
Ingredients
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp natural cocoa powder (not Dutch)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp red gel food coloring
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Cream butter + sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, buttermilk, vinegar, and food coloring.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
5. Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
6. Scoop ~1½ tbsp portions, roll into balls.
7. Bake for 10–12 minutes. Cookies should be set around the edges, but soft in the middle. Cool completely.
Brown Butter-Ginger Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 tbsp brown butter, cooled
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Pinch salt
Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to your bowl.
2. Whisk on low speed for 20–30 seconds just to combine.
3. Increase to medium-low and whisk another 20–30 seconds, just until smooth.
Notes from Neutral Kitchen 🤎
• Melted butter = flatter cookies.
This dough is designed to spread. If your dough looks loose, that’s intentional — it bakes into soft, even layers that sandwich cleanly.
• Natural cocoa only.
Red velvet relies on acidity for color and flavor. Dutch cocoa will mute both.
• Ginger is a background note.
The ginger only enhances the warmth and nutty notes in the filling. I highly recommend keeping this in the recipe.