Valentine's Sugar Cookies (2024)

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By The BakerMama

Jan 15, 2024

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Made with my tried-and-true no-chill sugar cookie dough, Valentine’s Sugar Cookies are easy to make and sweet to eat. They’re even sweeter to share!

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A Sweet Heart for My Sweetheart

The way to my heart is through a sweet treat. And these Valentine’s Sugar Cookies are totally ready to show some love! A sweet, tender sugar cookie topped with simple icing and holiday sprinkles, they’re festive and delicious. And very hard to resist!

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Sharing is Caring

I don’t think I’ve ever made a batch of these Valentine’s Day cookies without sharing the love. They’re so easy to make and loved by everyone. Frosted heart-shaped sugar cookies make a pretty gift for my kids’ teachers, the neighbors, family and friends on Valentine’s Day. It’s love at first bite!

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What Do I Need to Make Valentine’s Sugar Cookies?

*For my audience outside of the United States, half-and-half is a mixture of half cream, half milk.

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More Cookie Recipes

I am crazy about cookies! So I could not be more excited to share My Favorite Cookie Recipes. Crafted by a true cookie-lover, these treats are absolute cookie perfection.

About Those COLD Ingredients

This recipe is for a “no-chill” cookie dough. But if your butter, eggs, or half-and-half is warm–even a little bit warm–you’re going to want to chill your dough before rolling it out. This recipe relies on your ingredients being very cold to work as expected.

How to Make Valentine’s Sugar Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter and sugar just until creamy. Try not to over beat the dough so the butter stays cold.
  • Beat in the half-and-half* and almond extract and then the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is well combined.
  • Add the flour, baking powder and salt.
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  • Mix on low speed until a thick dough forms. *If the dough seems too wet, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour at a time until it comes together smoothly.
  • On a floured surface, roll half of the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness with a rolling pin. Cut into heart shapes. Repeat with remaining dough until you’ve used it all.
  • Place cookies about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 7-9 minutes, rotating cookie sheets after 5 minutes, or until cookies are just set and starting to turn light brown around the edges. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
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  • To make the icing: whisk 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl until smooth and spreadable.
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  • If the icing is too thick, whisk in an additional 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until of desired consistency. If the icing is too thin, whisk in a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until of desired consistency.
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  • Spread a thin layer of icing on one cookie at a time and immediately garnish with Valentine’s themed sprinkles before the icing sets. Repeat with remaining cookies.
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More Valentine’s Day Recipes You’re Sure to Love

Whether you need to make something special for the class Valentine’s party, a Valentine’s dinner in with your sweetheart(s), or a Galentine’s get-together with your besties, I’ve rounded up my favorite Valentine’s Day inspired recipesthat are sure to be loved by all!

How to Store Valentine’s Sugar Cookies

Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Baked cookies (not iced or decorated) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let cookies cool completely, stack with parchment paper in between each layer of cookies and store in a freezer safe container or resealable plastic bag. Let thaw completely at room temperature before icing.

Cookie dough can also be frozen up to 3 months. Wrap the cookie dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe resealable plastic bag to freeze. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out and cutting into shapes to bake.

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If you make these Valentine’s Sugar Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermamaso I can see. Valentine's Sugar Cookies (14)I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!

xoxo,

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Valentine’s Sugar Cookies

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  • Author: The BakerMama
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 9 minutes
  • Total Time: 29 minutes
  • Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Print Recipe

Description

Made with my tried-and-true no-chill sugar cookie dough, these Valentine’s Sugar Cookies are easy to make and sweet to eat.

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted COLD butter, sliced into tablespoon portions before mixing
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons COLD half and half
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract or peppermint extract
  • 3 COLD large eggs
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Icing:

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter and sugar just until creamy. Try not to over beat the dough so the butter stays cold. Beat in the half and half and almond extract and then the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is well combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until a thick dough forms. *If the dough seems too wet, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour at a time until it comes together smoothly.
  3. On a floured surface, roll half of the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into heart shapes with heart shaped cookie cutters. Repeat with remaining dough until you’ve used it all.
  4. Place cookies about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 7-9 minutes, rotating cookie sheets after 5 minutes, or until cookies are just set and starting to turn light brown around the edges. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. To make the icing, whisk 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup half and half in a medium bowl until smooth and spreadable.
  6. Spread a thin layer of icing on one cookie at a time and immediately garnish with Valentine’s themed sprinkles before the icing sets. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Notes

Baked cookies (not iced or decorated) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let cookies cool completely, stack with parchment paper in between each layer of cookies and store in a freezer safe container or resealable plastic bag. Let thaw completely at room temperature before icing.

Cookie dough can also be frozen up to 3 months. Wrap the cookie dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe resealable plastic bag to freeze. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out and cutting into shapes to bake.

Posted in: Cookies, Holidays, Recipes

About The BakerMama

Maegan is the author of her best-selling Beautiful Boards, Spectacular Spreads and Brilliant Bites cookbooks. She started blogging in 2012 and features hundreds of original recipes on The BakerMama. She truly enjoys sharing her easy, family-friendly recipes, creative meal ideas, food board creations, and entertaining spreads to encourage others to get in the kitchen and make something memorable for their loved ones to enjoy together. Learn More

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Valentine's Sugar Cookies (2024)

FAQs

How far in advance can you make decorated sugar cookies? ›

Although I've tested them for longer and the batches I've tried seem fine for up to 4 weeks, my general rule of thumb is up to 2 weeks. I know they're fine to eat at 4 weeks, but I feel better about giving the cookies away when the recipients don't need to eat them right away.

Should sugar cookies be soft or crispy? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

Should you refrigerate sugar cookies before decorating? ›

Time to Decorate!

*Use my royal icing recipe. Icing will completely set in about 2 hours at room temperature. If you're layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to speed it up.

Why poke holes in sugar cookies? ›

The holes trick

There's also a new technique going around when preventing craters in a second layer of icing: poke holes in the base flood (under the area you'll cover with a second layer of icing). You can even do this when the first layer flood has completely dried!

Can I use a cup as a cookie cutter? ›

If you're really hoping for a perfectly round cookie, you can also roll out your dough and use a drinking glass or mason jar lid as a makeshift cookie cutter.

What can I use instead of a heart cookie cutter? ›

Use a small, sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut any shape of cookie you like after rolling out the dough. If needed, use an aid to help cut specific shapes: Create a stencil out of cardboard or parchment, wax, or plain paper for simple shapes like hearts, shamrocks, eggs, and flowers.

How do you get cut-out cookies to keep their shape? ›

The dough can hang out in the freezer for weeks; when you're ready to bake your cookies, remove as many sheets of dough from the freezer as you'd like, let the dough stand at room temperature for five minutes, then use your favorite cutters to stamp out cookies; they'll be easy to cut, will hold their shape, and won't ...

Should I chill my sugar cookie dough? ›

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.

What does cream of tartar do for cookies? ›

What Does Cream of Tartar Do in Cookies? Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

Should you flatten sugar cookies before baking? ›

Flattening the cookie dough provides more surface area that comes into contact with the ice bath, shortening the time it takes to chill. Then submerge the dough in the ice water and let it chill. After 20 minutes the dough will be completely chilled and ready for baking.

How to fancy up sugar cookies? ›

Take plain sugar cookies up a notch with exciting mix-ins like chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, toasted chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit or M&M's. Add these after blending your butter and egg into the sugar cookie mix.

Why are my Betty Crocker sugar cookies hard? ›

You also might want to make sure your oven temp is accurate. Be gentle. If you handle the dough too much when making cutout sugar cookies, they'll get tough.

Can you roll out store-bought sugar cookie dough? ›

Roll on floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cutter. Bake 8 to 11 minutes.

How do you keep sugar cookies fresh while decorating? ›

Room Temperature:

Decorate the cookies within 48 hours of being baked, as they will start to become stale if left at room temperature for too long. If you need to store them for longer, store the undecorated cookies in an airtight container.

Can you bake sugar cookies and decorate them the next day? ›

The icing will not be as stiff the next day, so if you have fine detail work to do, you may want to make it the same day. Otherwise, it's fine.

How long do decorated sugar cookies last in sealed bags? ›

Heat Sealing. Heat sealing is magic sauce when it comes to decorated sugar cookies. A heat sealed cookie that's completely protected from air can last anywhere from 4-6 weeks!

Can I make cookies 3 days in advance? ›

Most homemade cookies will maintain their taste and texture for up to 3 days. If you leave them out for too long, the cookies begin to harden or dry out. To prevent cookies from becoming stale, cover them with plastic wrap or keep in an airtight container.

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