Valentines Day Cookies

These easy Valentines sugar cookies, made with pantry staples, are the ultimate classic Valentine’s Day treat!

Suitable for vegetarian diets.

These Valentine’s Day cookies are my most favorite Valentines Day dessert. I just love the combination of fun heart shapes, the colored icing, and delicious cookies – the perfect Valentines treat.

Easy Valentines Day Cookies

Whilst there are a few steps, these sugar cookies are incredibly easy to make for both seasoned bakers and a total beginner. The bonus is that they look simply stunning. These cute heart shaped cookies always go super fast.

Why Make This Recipe?

• It’s so easy – Making these is quick and simple! Pretty much just mix, chill, roll, and bake.
• A true favorite – everyone will love the classic flavor of sugar cookies in fun, heart-shaped form.
• Customizable: Change up the shape, decorate with super colorful sprinkles, rand use icing that you like.
• Great for entertaining – perfect for serving at all your Valentine’s Day gatherings and Mother’s Day, or as an anytime dessert.
• Great edible gift – Decorate and wrap up in a gift box or bag and give out as gifts.

Ingredient Notes

1. Unsalted butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter. Be sure to allow your butter to come to room temperature before using.
2. Granulated sugar: Add sweetness with granulated sugar.
3. Egg: Please allow the egg to come to room temperature before using.
4. Pure vanilla extract: Adds the perfect flavor to cookies and icing.
5. All-purpose flour: The foundation of your cookie dough.
6. Baking powder: This ingredient is used as a leavening agent for cookies to provide the needed lift. Be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder!
7. Kosher salt: Help balance the sweetness of the cookies.
8. Powdered sugar: Needed to whip up the royal icing.
9. Meringue powder: Meringue powder is used to create the royal icing. Grab some from the cake decorating aisle in Walmart. 
10. Water: Use room-temperature water to help whip up the royal icing.

Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!

For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

How To Make Valentines Sugar Cookies

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter and 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add 1 whisked egg and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. 
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Be careful not to overmix. Mix just until the dough comes together.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness (around ¼ inch). Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your hearts. Return the scrapes of dough to a pile, combine, and roll them out to make additional cookies. Be sure to use all of your dough.  
8. Place the cut-out cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each. Bake for 8 – 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them, as baking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
9. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cool, you can decorate them with icing.
10. To make the royal icing, combine 3 tablespoons meringue powder and ½ cup purified water in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy.
11. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the meringue mixture. Mix on low speed initially to avoid a cloud of sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high once the sugar is incorporated. Continue to beat the icing until it forms stiff peaks. This means the icing should hold its shape when the beaters are lifted.
12. Check the consistency of the icing. If it’s too thick, add a little more purified water, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
13. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (or another flavoring of your choice). Mix until well combined.
14. Divide the icing into 3 bowls if you want to create different colors. Use gel food coloring to tint the icing to your desired shades. Once colored, place each bowl of royal icing into piping bags. 
15. Use a piping bag with a small round tip to outline each cookie and then flood your cookies. Allow the icing to dry completely. Drying may take several hours, depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
16. Serve and ENJOY!

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Sift – Sifting the powdered sugar before using so you get a smooth and lump-free royal icing.
• Chill – Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Roll – Roll your dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a rolling pin with guides or roll between two sheets of parchment paper to keep the thickness consistent.
• Let icing dry – Drying time can vary depending on the humidity in your environment. Allow at least several hours for the icing to fully dry and set before stacking or packaging decorated cookies.
• Royal icing can dry quickly, so cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth when not in use to prevent it from drying out. Store it in an airtight container if you’re not using it immediately.
• Use a floured cookie cutter – Dust your cookie cutter with flour before cutting to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Keep an eye on the bake time – These bake quickly, so keep an eye on them, as soon as the edges turn lightly golden, they’re done.
• Cool before decorating – Always let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Otherwise, the frosting will melt into the cookie and help your designs set properly.
• Vary the shapes – use other shapes of cutters for other occasions.
• Vary the flavors – Use lemon extract, almond extract, or strawberry extract instead.
• Add sprinkles – to easily decorate the baked cookies, or roll the dough in sprinkles before baking.
• Cinnamon Sugar – Roll your cookies in a mix of cinnamon and sugar before baking for a spiced-up version.

FAQS

Prep And Storage

• Prep Ahead – You can make both the frosting and the cookie dough ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Just make sure to bring the frosting to room temperature so it’s soft enough to spread on the cookies.
• Storage – Store cookies in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze – Unfrosted cookies can be wrapped tightly, placed in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
• Defrost – Place frozen cookies in the fridge to defrost overnight before frosting and decorating.

More Recipes Like This

• Easy Valentine’s Day Dip.
• No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Bars.
• Red Velvet Brownies.
• Valentines Day Desserts.
• Valentines Day Dinner Ideas.
• Fun Valentines Desserts.

Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!

For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu

Get The Valentines Day Cookies Recipe:

Valentines Day Cookies

Fun and festive heart-shaped cookies made with affordable pantry staples!

Print Pin Rate Save RecipeSaved!

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Western

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 42 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy | Budget Delicious

Ingredients

For the Sugar Cookies:

• 1 cup (227g) softened unsalted butter 2 sticks
• 1 ¼ cup (250g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature and whisked
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Royal Icing:

• 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• ½ cup (118ml) water room temperature (adjust as needed)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or other flavoring, optional
• food coloring gel pink and red

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter and 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add 1 whisked egg and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Be careful not to overmix. Mix just until the dough comes together.
• Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness (around ¼ inch). Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your hearts. Return the scrapes of dough to a pile, combine, and roll them out to make additional cookies. Be sure to use all of your dough.
• Place the cut-out cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them, as baking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cool, you can decorate them with icing.
• To make the royal icing, combine 3 tablespoons meringue powder and ½ cup purified water in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy.
• Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the meringue mixture. Mix on low speed initially to avoid a cloud of sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high once the sugar is incorporated. Continue to beat the icing until it forms stiff peaks. This means the icing should hold its shape when the beaters are lifted.
• Check the consistency of the icing. If it’s too thick, add a little more purified water, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
• If desired, add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (or another flavoring of your choice). Mix until well combined.
• Divide the icing into 3 bowls if you want to create different colors. Use gel food coloring to tint the icing to your desired shades. Once colored, place each bowl of royal icing into piping bags.
• Use a piping bag with a small round tip to outline each cookie and then flood your cookies. Allow the icing to dry completely. Drying may take several hours, depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.

Notes

• • Sift – Sifting the powdered sugar before using so you get a smooth and lump-free royal icing.

• • Chill – Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

• • Roll – Roll your dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a rolling pin with guides or roll between two sheets of parchment paper to keep the thickness consistent.

• • Let icing dry – Drying time can vary depending on the humidity in your environment. Allow at least several hours for the icing to fully dry and set before stacking or packaging decorated cookies.

• • Royal icing can dry quickly, so cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth when not in use to prevent it from drying out. Store it in an airtight container if you’re not using it immediately.

• • Use a floured cookie cutter – Dust your cookie cutter with flour before cutting to prevent the dough from sticking.

• • Keep an eye on the bake time – These bake quickly, so keep an eye on them, as soon as the edges turn lightly golden, they’re done.

• • Cool before decorating – Always let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Otherwise, the frosting will melt into the cookie and help your designs set properly.

• • Vary the shapes – use other shapes of cutters for other occasions.

• • Vary the flavors – Use lemon extract, almond extract, or strawberry extract instead.

• • Add sprinkles – to easily decorate the baked cookies, or roll the dough in sprinkles before baking.

• • Cinnamon Sugar – Roll your cookies in a mix of cinnamon and sugar before baking for a spiced-up version.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg