Valentine sugar cookies are the perfect way to show love—soft, chewy, buttery cookies cut into heart shapes and decorated with pretty pink and white frosting. Whether you’re baking them for your sweetheart, kids’ classroom party, or just a festive treat for yourself, these cookies deliver both charm and flavor. With simple ingredients and a dough that holds its shape beautifully, you’ll get cookies that look professional and taste like home. Decorate them as fancy or as simple as you like—they’re just as fun to make as they are to eat.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft & Chewy Texture: Perfectly tender, not dry or crumbly
- No Spread Dough: Keeps heart shapes sharp and pretty
- Simple Frosting: Customize with color, sprinkles, or piping
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Chill dough or freeze baked cookies
- Kid-Friendly: Fun to cut, bake, and decorate with little helpers
- Festive for Any Occasion: Swap shapes and colors for other holidays
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
For the Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring (pink, red, white)
- Sprinkles or sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Add Egg & Flavoring: Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until well combined.
- Combine: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix just until dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat & Roll: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Roll dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick.
- Cut & Bake: Cut out hearts and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 8–10 minutes.
- Cool Completely: Let cookies cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Decorate: Whisk frosting ingredients until smooth. Tint with food coloring. Frost cooled cookies and decorate as desired.
Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 9 minutes per batch
- Total Time: ~1 hour 45 minutes
- Servings: 24 cookies
- Estimated Cost: $6–8
Nutrition Facts (per cookie, approx.)
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 7g
- Sugar: 12g
- Carbs: 20g
- Protein: 2g
Tips & Variations
💡 Decorating Ideas:
- Use royal icing for crisp lines and piped details
- Add festive sprinkles or edible glitter while icing is wet
- Pipe names or messages for personalized valentines
❄️ Make-Ahead & Storage:
- Dough can be chilled for 3 days or frozen for 1 month
- Baked cookies (unfrosted) freeze beautifully
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days
🍫 Flavor Twists:
- Add mini chocolate chips to dough
- Replace almond extract with lemon or orange zest
- Frost with chocolate ganache instead of sugar icing
FAQs
Do I have to chill the dough?
Yes! Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and enhances flavor.
Can I use cookie cutters other than hearts?
Absolutely. Stars, flowers, or letters work great—perfect for any occasion.
How do I prevent cookies from spreading?
Use cold dough, don’t over-cream butter, and avoid overbaking.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, just make sure to divide and chill dough in separate discs for easier rolling.
What frosting works best?
A simple powdered sugar glaze or royal icing works great. Buttercream is delicious too but less firm.
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- – Mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- – Heart-shaped cookie cutters
- – Baking sheets & parchment
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- **For the Cookies**
- – 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- – 1 tsp baking powder
- – ½ tsp salt
- – 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – 1 large egg
- – 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- – ½ tsp almond extract optional
- **For the Frosting**
- – 2 cups powdered sugar
- – 2–3 tbsp milk
- – 1 tsp vanilla extract
- – Food coloring pink, red, white
- – Sprinkles or decorations
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and extracts.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients to form dough.
- Divide dough, flatten into discs, and chill 1 hour.
- Roll to ¼ inch thick. Cut heart shapes.
- Bake at 350°F for 8–10 min. Cool completely.
- Mix glaze ingredients. Color as desired.
- Decorate cooled cookies and let frosting set.
Notes
– Store in airtight container up to 5 days
– Frosting will harden slightly as it sets
Conclusion
These Valentine sugar cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious. With soft, buttery dough and a sweet vanilla glaze, they’re everything you want in a festive treat. Bake a batch for your valentine—or just to treat yourself. Customize with sprinkles, colors, or heartfelt messages, and share the love in the sweetest way possible.