Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies are the sweetest little way to celebrate. You get thick, soft sugar cookies that hold their heart shape, plus simple icing that makes decorating feel fun (not stressful). They’re perfect for classroom parties, cookie boxes, date night dessert plates, or just baking something happy at home.
The trick that makes these Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies so easy to work with is a quick dough chill. Cold dough rolls smoother, cuts cleaner, and keeps the cookies from spreading in the oven. Trust me, it’s the step that turns “messy” into “cute hearts.”
These cookies are a total fan-favorite because they stay soft for days and they decorate beautifully. Once you make Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies once, you’ll want them every February.
Why You’ll Love These Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies
- Soft and thick: Tender centers with just a light crisp on the edge for the best bite.
- Holds heart shapes: Chilling the dough keeps your hearts sharp and pretty.
- Easy decorating: Smooth cookie tops make icing and sprinkles stick like a dream.
- Perfect for parties: Great for classroom treats, cookie exchanges, and gift boxes.
- Make-ahead friendly: Bake ahead, decorate later, and still get fresh-tasting cookies.
- Customizable: Pink, red, white, drizzle, glittery sugar—decorate them your way.
Ingredients for Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies
Heart Sugar Cookie Dough
- All-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups): Gives the cookies structure so they cut cleanly and bake thick.
Tip: Spoon and level your flour—too much flour can make cookies dry.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Helps the cookies puff slightly so they stay soft.
- Salt (1/2 teaspoon): Balances sweetness and makes the butter flavor pop.
- Unsalted butter (3/4 cup, softened): The rich base that makes sugar cookies taste like a bakery treat.
Sub: Salted butter works—reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Granulated sugar (1 cup): Sweetness and that classic sugar cookie texture.
- Large egg (1): Binds the dough and keeps the texture smooth.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Adds warm flavor.
- Almond extract (1/4 teaspoon, optional): A tiny amount makes them taste extra special.
- Sour cream (1/4 cup): Helps keep the cookies soft for days.
Sub: Plain Greek yogurt.
Easy Valentine Icing
- Powdered sugar (2 cups): The base for a smooth, sweet icing.
- Milk (3–4 tablespoons): Thins icing to a spreadable consistency.
Sub: Half-and-half for richer icing.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds flavor so icing doesn’t taste plain.
- Pinch of salt: Balances sweetness.
- Pink and red gel food coloring: Strong color without making icing watery.
- Sprinkles and sanding sugar: For that fun Valentine look.
Tip: Add sprinkles right away before icing sets.
How to Make Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies
- 1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. This keeps the cookies baking evenly and staying soft.
- 2. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. This adds air so your cookies bake tender, not dense.
- 3. Beat in egg and extracts: Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Mix until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- 4. Mix in sour cream, then dry ingredients: Beat in sour cream until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until no flour remains. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons flour.
- 5. Chill the dough: Divide into two discs, wrap, and chill for 1–2 hours. Cold dough rolls cleaner and keeps heart shapes crisp.
- 6. Roll and cut hearts: Heat oven to 350°F. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut heart shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Re-roll scraps once or twice.
- 7. Bake just until set: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges look set and the bottoms are just barely golden. The tops should still look pale—that’s how you keep them soft.
- 8. Cool completely: Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool fully before icing.
- 9. Ice and decorate: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Split into bowls and tint pink/red. Spread or pipe icing on cooled cookies, then add sprinkles right away. Let icing set for 45–60 minutes before stacking.
Reader Review: “These heart sugar cookies stayed soft for days and were so easy to decorate. The dough rolled perfectly and the hearts held their shape. My kids loved making a whole pink-and-red batch!”
Tips for Perfect Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies
- Chill the dough: This is the #1 trick for clean heart shapes and less spreading.
- Roll evenly: Aim for 1/4-inch so cookies bake up thick and soft.
- Don’t overbake: Pull them when tops still look pale; they finish setting as they cool.
- Use parchment paper: Helps cookies bake evenly and prevents over-browning.
- Let cookies cool fully: Warm cookies can melt icing and make decorations slide.
- Make icing the right thickness: If it’s too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Variations & Substitutions
- Chocolate dip: Dip half the cookie in melted white or dark chocolate and add sprinkles before it sets.
- Strawberry flavor: Add 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract to the icing for a candy-shop vibe.
- Lemon hearts: Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the dough and use lemon juice in the icing.
- Sandwich cookies: Spread a thin layer of jam or frosting between two hearts.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (chill well and roll gently).
- Dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and a thick non-dairy yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Color swirl icing: Spoon pink and red icing side-by-side in a piping bag for a simple marbled look.
- Lazy version: Skip icing and sprinkle cookies with sanding sugar before baking.
Make-Ahead & Freezing
- Make-ahead dough: Dough can be refrigerated (wrapped) for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes if it’s too firm to roll.
- Freeze dough: Freeze wrapped dough discs up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Freeze baked cookies: Freeze un-iced cookies in a container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate.
- Freeze decorated cookies: You can freeze iced cookies, but some sprinkles may bleed. For the prettiest finish, freeze plain and decorate later.
Storing & Serving
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 4–5 days. Place parchment between layers so icing stays neat.
- Softness tip: Add a slice of bread to the container to help keep cookies extra soft.
- Serving: These taste best at room temperature when the centers are tender.
Serving Suggestions
- Classroom treat: Pack in little bags with a ribbon and a sweet note.
- Cookie box: Pair with chocolate-covered strawberries or crinkle cookies for a fun Valentine mix.
- Dessert board: Add berries, chocolates, and these heart sugar cookies for an easy party spread.
- Gift idea: Stack in a tin with parchment and dust a few with sanding sugar for sparkle.
If you make these Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies, leave a rating and a comment—I love seeing your decorating ideas. Are you going full pink, classic red-and-white, or a sprinkle explosion?
Print
Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies (Easy, Soft, Perfect for Decorating)
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Description
Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies are thick and soft with clean heart shapes, plus easy pink-and-red icing for a sweet, party-ready treat that’s perfect for gifting and sharing.
Ingredients
Heart Sugar Cookies
– 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 large egg
– 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
– 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
– 1/4 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
Easy Valentine Icing
– 2 cups powdered sugar
– 3–4 tablespoons milk
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– Pinch of salt
– Pink and red gel food coloring
– Sprinkles or sanding sugar, for decorating
Instructions
1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat in sour cream.
4. Mix in dry ingredients on low just until combined. If dough is sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons flour.
5. Divide into 2 discs, wrap, and chill 1–2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut heart shapes.
7. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake 8–10 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are barely golden.
8. Cool completely before decorating.
9. Make icing: Whisk powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time to thin. Tint pink/red.
10. Spread or pipe icing on cookies and add sprinkles right away. Let set 45–60 minutes before stacking.
Notes
– Key tip: Chill dough for clean hearts and less spreading.
– Don’t overbake: Pull cookies when tops are still pale for the softest texture.
– Make-ahead: Dough keeps 3 days in the fridge; un-iced cookies freeze up to 2 months.
– Tools: Mixer, rolling pin, heart cookie cutters, parchment paper, baking sheets.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: Chill time: 1 hour Cook time: 10 minutes