This excellent Valentine’s cookies recipe is sure to win over your sweetheart. It includes my favorite soft, chewy, heart-shaped sugar cookies with royal icing or chocolate chips. These heart-shaped cookies are perfect for any occasion. Valentine’s Day recipes like this easy cookie recipe are ideal for heart-shaped cookies, and I’ll show you the best way to make these delightful heart-shaped cookies.
I’m a bit of a cookie snob. These Valentine’s Day cookies fit the bill for my ideal cookie. They have a slight crisp to the outside, but they are soft and chewy. Top with Ghardelli’s Chocolate Chips. I can’t think of better cookies to make on Valentine’s Day. They are fantastic!
What makes them perfect:
Softand chewy: The melted butter, extra egg yolk, and brown sugar make these cookies soft and chewy Valentine’s Day treats.
EASY: This only takes minutes to prep, and you don’t need a mixer!
Ingredients Needed:
Here are some notes on a few ingredients- please see the complete ingredient list in the recipe card below! These ingredients make for perfect Valentine’s Day cookies.
Butter—I always use unsalted butter for baking Valentine’s Day cookies. You can use salted butter if that’s all you have! Just omit the salt that the recipe calls for.
Sugar—This recipe calls for both granulated and light brown sugar. The combination gives the cookies that classic chocolate chip taste.
Chocolate chips/chunks—I used a mixture of regular and mini semisweet chocolate chips inside my cookies, perfect for Valentine’s Day cookies. Then, I cut up a semisweet chocolate bar to add chunks to my cookies. This gives them those swirly pools of chocolate!
Cookie cutter—I got this heart cookie cutter on Amazon (it’s about 3.5×3.25″, but there are smaller and bigger versions as well). You should also easily find a heart cookie cutter at a local Walmart, Target, or craft store! Adjust the cookie dough size you scoop depending on your cutter’s size. Make sure each cookie is uniform for the best Valentine’s Day cookies.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients like a Pro
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This step ensures that everything is evenly distributed and that your heart-shaped cookies won’t have weird salty pockets. This is an easy cookie recipe to follow. Set it aside for now—we’ll return to it when it’s time to mix the Valentine’s Day cookie batter.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar until They’re Best Friends
Use an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This step is crucial because the air you’re beating in gives your sugar cookies that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture perfect for Valentine’s Day cookies. This easy cookie recipe never fails to impress. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if you’re using them) and beat until well mixed. It should smell amazing at this point.
Step 3: Mix It All
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing quickly until everything is mixed for your Valentine’s Day cookies. Don’t overmix here—overmixing makes tough cookies, and nobody wants that. This easy cookie recipe helps ensure your heart-shaped cookies turn out perfectly. Once the dough comes together, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps it firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut into shapes. Plus, it ensures the cookies hold their shape when baked.
Step 4: Roll, Cut, and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out your chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. You want the dough thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to bake evenly.
Use your heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible, re-rolling the dough as needed. Transfer the heart-shaped cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each one. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start turning golden. Remove from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Finish preparing your Valentine’s Day cookies with this easy recipe.
Step 5: Whip Up That Royal Icing
While your heart-shaped cookies are cooling, it’s time to make the royal icing. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the powdered sugar. Then, add the egg whites (or meringue powder). Finally, mix in the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and glossy. The icing should be thick enough to pipe. But, it should not be so dense that it won’t spread for Valentine’s Day sugar cookies decoration.
If it’s too thick, add a little water, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Divide the icing into separate bowls and add food coloring to each, mixing until you achieve your desired shades. This easy cookie recipe makes the icing for heart-shaped cookies a breeze.
Step 6: Decorate Like a Pro (Or At Least Pretend to Be One)
Transfer your icing to piping bags fitted with small round tips. If you don’t have piping bags, a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off works, too. Outline your cookies with the icing, then flood the centers by filling in the outlines. Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly if needed. This is where you can get creative—add sprinkles, edible glitter, or sugar pearls while the icing is still wet. Let the cookies sit for about 30 minutes to an hour until the icing sets ultimately. The wait for your Valentine’s Day sugar cookies to be ready is tough, but it’s worth it. The entire process is easy with this heart-shaped cookie recipe.
Step 7: Admire Your Work (Then Eat It)
Once your heart-shaped cookies are decorated and the icing is set, step back and admire your beautiful creations. Snap a picture for Instagram. You know these Valentine’s Day sugar cookies are too cute not to share. Then, dive in and enjoy. These heart-shaped cookies are as delicious as they are adorable. And there you have it, an easy cookie recipe that impresses every time.
Often Asked Questions
You can use heart cookie cutters for more than just cookies! I would use this on brownies, like my red velvet or triple chocolate brownies. You can also use it on blondies, like my white chocolate and raspberry blondies.
Eat them!! At least that is what I would do!
If you don’t have access to a heart-shaped cookie cutter, don’t fret! There are a few ways to make them without one. You can shape the cookies with a spatula or butter knife as soon as they come out of the oven. Be careful, though, because they will be hot. Alternatively, you can cut a heart out using a knife! While I find using the cookie cutter to be simply the easiest of the options, none of them will work.
Yes, you can. You can make these and store them in an airtight container for a day or two before serving. If you have to make them earlier than that, I would freeze them until ready to eat.
Tips and Tricks
Measure your flour correctly- I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your flour. You can also spoon and level your flour when baking. Use a large spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup gently. Once it’s finished, use a flat edge. It should be gently scraped across the top of the measuring cup.
Use room-temperature ingredients—the butter and eggs in this recipe should be at room temperature before use. I like to take my butter out about an hour before baking, just to be sure!
Add extra chocolate—Press chocolate chunks onto the tops of your cookies to create gooey chocolate pools. I cut up a semi-sweet chocolate bar for this.
Use festive sprinkles.These Valentine’s Day sprinkles worked well—they didn’t bleed on my cookies while baking! I found them at my local grocery store.
Storing & Freezing
These heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days. After baking, you can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them sit at room temperature to defrost.
Want to try more Valentine’s Day recipes?
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