Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

These heart-shaped sugar cookies are a fun and easy way to bring conversation hearts to life—no fancy decorating skills required. They’re sweet, simple, and perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

There’s something about decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies that makes Valentine’s baking feel extra fun. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of conversation hearts or just an excuse to play with frosting, but I always love making these. The cookies hold their shape perfectly, so you don’t have to worry about them spreading into unrecognizable blobs. And let’s face it—half the fun is in the decorating.

The dough is simple to throw together, and after a quick chill, it rolls out like a dream. I like using a heart-shaped cookie cutter around three inches wide, but you can go bigger or smaller depending on what you’re going for. Once they’re baked, they stay soft in the center with just the right amount of crisp on the edges. And since they stay mostly white, the frosting colors really pop.

For decorating, I keep it classic—pink, red, and white frosting, just like the little candy hearts. You can spread it on with a knife or break out a piping bag if you’re feeling fancy. Either way, they turn out cute and festive with minimal effort. Perfect for gifting, sharing, or just enjoying with a cup of coffee.

Why I Love This Recipe

• These cookies are soft, sweet, and have that classic sugar cookie flavor.
• They’re perfect if you’ve got little kitchen helpers who love rolling dough and decorating.
• Sugar cookies and frosting are always a winning combo.
• Sturdy enough to hold their shape but still tender, so they won’t crumble while you decorate.
• The undecorated cookies freeze beautifully, making them easy to prep ahead.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these fun Valentine’s Day cookies:

• Butter – Adds richness, flavor, and moisture for that classic buttery sugar cookie taste.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cookies and helps create crisp edges while keeping the centers soft.
• Egg – Binds the dough together and adds structure and a bit of richness.
• All-purpose flour – The base of the dough, giving the cookies their shape and texture.
• Baking powder and salt – Baking powder adds a little lift, while salt balances the sweetness.
• Vanilla frosting – A simple, sweet topping that makes decorating easy. I’m using canned to keep things simple, but homemade works too.
• Red and pink food coloring – Tints the frosting for that classic conversation heart look. I linked the exact ones I used in the recipe card below.

How to Make Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Step One: Prepare the Dough
  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully mixed.
• Step Two: Mix in the Dry Ingredients
  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Start beating on low speed, then increase as needed, until everything is well combined. The dough will be soft and a little sticky—that’s normal.
• Step Three: Chill the Dough
  Cover the dough and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. Longer is totally fine if you need to step away for a bit.
• Step Four: Preheat and Prep
  When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Step Five: Roll and Cut
  Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick, then use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheet 1 to 2 inches apart—they won’t spread much. I used a 3.15-inch cutter, linked below in the recipe card.
• Step Six: Bake and Cool
  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are just starting to turn lightly golden but the tops stay mostly white. As soon as they’re out of the oven, move them off the hot baking sheet and onto a cooling rack.
• Step Seven: Color the Frosting
  Once the cookies have cooled, divide the frosting into three bowls. Add pink food coloring to one, red to another, and leave the last one white. Stir until the colors are evenly mixed.
• Step Eight: Decorate
  Spread the frosting on the cookies with a knife. If you want, use a piping bag to write cute sayings on them.

Recipe Tips

A few tips to make these cookies even better:

• Chilling the dough before rolling it out is a must—otherwise, it’ll be too sticky to work with.
• A knife can be used to cut out hearts if a cookie cutter isn’t available. They won’t be as perfect, but rustic cookies have their own charm.
• Cold dough cut-outs should never go onto a hot cookie sheet. If reusing the same sheet, cool it down under cold water before baking another batch.
• Powdered sugar and milk make a simple homemade icing if frosting isn’t the plan.
• Classic conversation heart sayings like “Be Mine” and “XOXO” are always fun, but tweens and teens can get creative with their own phrases.
• Personalizing them with names, nicknames, or keeping them blank all work just as well.
• When making cut-out sugar cookies for any holiday, I always bake extras for future holidays since it saves time. I freeze them undecorated, then thaw and decorate as needed.
• This recipe makes about 40 heart-shaped cookies using the same size cutter. Larger or smaller cutters will easily adjust the yield without changing the recipe.

Storage and Freezing

How to store and freeze these cookies:

• Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer them between parchment paper to keep the frosting intact.
• Undecorated cookies stay fresh for about a week when stored in an airtight container.
• Freeze undecorated cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating.
• Frosted cookies can be frozen, but the frosting may slightly change texture after thawing. If freezing, layer them between parchment paper in a sturdy container.
• For best results, freeze the cookies plain and decorate them fresh after thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to chill the dough? Yes, chilling the dough helps it firm up, making it easier to roll and cut. It also prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven.
• Can I make these ahead of time? The dough can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge. The cookies can also be baked and frozen undecorated for up to 3 months.
• What if I don’t have a heart-shaped cookie cutter? A knife can be used to cut out heart shapes. They won’t be as uniform, but they’ll still taste great.
• Can I use royal icing instead of frosting? Yes, royal icing works well if you want a smooth, hard-set finish. Just allow extra drying time before stacking or storing.
• How do I get the frosting smooth? Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon helps spread it evenly. A piping bag with a round tip can also give a cleaner look.

More Valentine’s Day Recipes

If your love language is baking homemade treats, here are a few more recipes to make for the ones you love:

• Cupid’s Pretzel Treats
• Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark
• Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board

MORE COOKIE RECIPES

• Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Panko Cookies
• Italian Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crackle Cookies
• M&M Cookies

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

These heart-shaped sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and hold their shape perfectly. Decorated with vanilla frosting in classic conversation heart colors, they’re a fun and easy Valentine’s Day treat.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chilling1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies

Servings: 40 cookies

Calories: 134kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• measuring cups and spoons For accurate measuring.
• mixing bowls For mixing together ingredients and making frosting.
• baking sheet To bake the sugar cookies.
• parchment paper So cookies do not stick to the baking sheet.
• Stand Mixer or hand mixer. For making the dough.
• rolling pin For rolling out sugar cookie dough.
• heart shaped cookie cutter (Used the largest heart from this set, 3.15"). For cutting out hearts in the dough.
• piping bag with small round tip To pipe words onto the heart cookies.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour more for flouring
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. table salt

Frosting:

• 1 can vanilla frosting
• red and pink food coloring (used red and pink from this set)

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  3/4 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Beat on low speed at first, then increase as needed, until the dough is well combined. The dough will be soft and sticky.
  3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. table salt
• Chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour. Longer is fine.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Flour the surface where you'll be rolling out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick, then cut out hearts with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place them on the prepared cookie sheets 1 to 2 inches apart; they won’t spread much. I used a 3.15-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, which is linked above in the recipe card.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are just starting to turn lightly golden but the cookies remain mostly white. Immediately transfer them from the hot cookie sheet to a cooling rack.
• Once the cookies have cooled, divide the frosting into three bowls. Add pink food coloring to one, red to another, and leave the last one white. Stir the colored frostings until evenly mixed.
  1 can vanilla frosting, red and pink food coloring
• Frost the cookies with a knife, then use a piping bag to write cute sayings on them if desired.

Notes

For optimal outcomes when making these heart-shaped sugar cookies, I recommend referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

© noblepig.com. All content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, but copying and/or pasting the full recipe to social media or other platforms is strictly prohibited.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

Amount Per Serving (32 g)

Calories 134 Calories from Fat 49

% Daily Value*

Fat 5.4g8%

Saturated Fat 3.1g19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 13.8mg5%

Sodium 95mg4%

Potassium 18mg1%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 1.2g2%

Vitamin A 31IU1%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe? Share your experience in the comments below and let me know how it turned out.

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