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.

How to make heart shape cookies without cutter? ›

If you don't have a heart shaped cookie cutter, don't worry! To make heart shaped cookies without a cutter you need to shape the balls of cookie dough on the tray before resting and baking. You can then help them along during baking by using a teaspoon to press the edges and keep them in a heart shape.

What is the best sugar for cookies? ›

In that role, white sugar aerates the dough when creamed with butter for thick and puffy cookies. Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more.

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!

What to add to store bought sugar cookies? ›

Add extracts

A teaspoon or two of extracts will noticeably boost flavor when blended into your sugar cookie mix. Vanilla is the obvious choice. For a more intriguing flavor, add both vanilla and almond extracts. Rum, maple and anise are other delicious varieties to consider.

How do you get sugar to stay on sugar cookies? ›

Decorate After Baking

In order to add colored sugar to baked cookies, the sugar needs something to adhere to. Icing is the perfect choice. Bake and cool the cookies as directed by the recipe. Ice the very cool cookies with your favorite icing and top with your choice of colored sugar.

How long should sugar cookies dry before packaging? ›

Generally, it takes about 6-8 hours for royal icing to dry completely on a sugar cookie. However, if the weather is humid or the cookies are stored in a damp area, it may take longer for the icing to dry. To speed up the drying process, you can use a fan to circulate air around the cookies.

Is it better to use powdered sugar or granulated sugar in sugar cookies? ›

Powdered sugar has a much finer texture and a higher cornstarch content, which can absorb moisture and lead to a drier, crumbly cookie texture. If you use powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar, you'll likely end up with cookies that are more cake-like and less chewy.

Should sugar cookies be thick or thin? ›

The ideal thickness to roll out your sugar cookie dough is about 1/4"--that way, they'll be tough enough to be handled and decorated, but thin enough to stay a little crunchy.

Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar? ›

You can also use powdered sugar to replace up to 2 cups of granulated sugar, using 1 3/4 cup unsifted powdered sugar for each cup of sugar. This substitution is best for moist quick breads and muffins. Avoid powdered sugar, if possible, for recipes that require creaming together the butter and sugar.

How long before an event can you make sugar cookies? ›

See more on this in my how to make sugar cookie dough post. Make the cookies in advance and store at room temperature. The baked sugar cookies will store up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container, so they can easily be made ahead. Freeze the baked cookies.

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

My advice.... make the cookies a day ahead. Even two days. Even more than that and freeze them.

How to keep decorated sugar cookies fresh? ›

Store decorated cookies in a cool dry place, sealed in an airtight container. For long-term storage, freeze decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

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!

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