Heart-Shaped Valentine Cookies
These nostalgic heart-shaped cookies are perfect for Valentine's Day, featuring a tender sugar cookie dough colored in festive reds and pinks, and topped with sprinkles.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled Spoon flour into the measuring cup for accuracy.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened Room temperature.
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Can be swapped for more vanilla or lemon zest.
Coloring and Decoration
- Red and pink food coloring (gel recommended) Use gel for brighter color without adding liquid.
- Sprinkles and decorative sugars For topping.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until smooth and creamy for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and beat until combined.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Scrape the bowl to ensure even incorporation.
- Divide the dough into portions and knead in gel food coloring until evenly colored. Wear gloves if desired.
Baking
- Lightly flour the work surface and roll each dough portion to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use heart-shaped cutters to stamp cookies and transfer cutouts to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- Add sprinkles or decorative sugar to the cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake — centers should remain pale.
- Cool cookies on wire racks completely before decorating further or storing.
Notes
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze undecorated baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating. For a dairy-free version, use vegan butter.