These shortbread heart cookies are easy to make, with minimal ingredients and the perfect Valentine’s Day cookie-cutter cookie recipe.
While you are at it, check out some of my other Valentine’s Day favorites: Valentine’s Day fudge, heart-shaped stained glass cookies, and Valentines cake mix cookies.
Valentine Heart Cookies
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so why not whip up a batch of these gorgeous heart-shaped shortbread cookies? Decorate with royal icing and festive sprinkles or serve your Valentine’s shortbread cookies plain. The choice is yours!
Wrap in cellophane baggies to give to loved ones, pack one in your child’s lunch, or enjoy as a Valentine treat to nibble on during the week.
Kid-friendly Valentine’s Day Cookie Recipe
You can even let your kids toss on an apron and help decorate these heart-shaped Valentine’s day cookies! The kids will have fun adding the icing, sprinkles, candies, etc.
This is a fun way for children to learn to bake, have fun making special cookies for loved ones, and enjoy the Valentine’s Day season.
What is the difference between a sugar cookie and a shortbread cookie?
Sugar cookies tend to contain eggs as an ingredient, where shortbread cookies do not. Shortbread cookies also are a bit more buttery in texture and can crumble more than a traditional cookie-cut sugar cooker would.
Ingredients for Shortbread Heart Cookies
Here are the ingredients needed for these decorated valentine heart cookies. If you want to serve them plain, you can skip the last two ingredients.
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Royal Icing and Sprinkles (optional)
- Red food coloring (optional)
How to Make Heart-Shaped Cookies
- Mix Dough | Follow the simple directions in the step-by-step recipe card below to make this simple shortbread cookie dough.
- Chill | Pop the dough in the freezer to chill and firm up a bit so you can roll it out nicely. 15-20 minutes is all that is needed for chilling.
- Roll & Cut Out | Use a rolling pin to roll out your dough and a cookie cutter to cut into hearts.
- Bake | Bake as directed, making sure to not overbake or it will make your cookies pretty dry. Allow the cookies to fully cool on a baking rack before decorating.
Best Icing To Use For Shortbread Cookies
You can use a royal icing you buy or make. Or if you want a softer style frosting any whipped style frosting can be spread on the cookies. The only thing about that is it won’t be as clean looking as a royal icing as it is a wetter style that hardens up after it sits a bit.
But both methods of frosting or icing taste delicious on these decorated heart cookies. You could even skip icing or frosting and serve plain or drizzle or partially dip in chocolate.
Storage For Valentine’s Day Shortbread Cookies
These cookies can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature. However, they do tend to dry out pretty quickly. I recommend making them a max of 24 hours in advance of serving for the best results.
In terms of freezing, these homemade shortbread cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
More Valentine’s Day Dessert Ideas:
- Easy Red Velvet Cookies – 5 ingredients!
- Heart Eyes Emoji Valentine Oreo Cookies
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies – Only 4 ingredients!
- Valentine Lady Bug Oreos
- 25 Divine Red Velvet Desserts
- Strawberry Jello pie – easy no-bake recipe
- Valentine’s Day Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with M&Ms
Heart Cookies
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Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- red gel food coloring, optional
- royal icing, sprinkles, and candy hearts for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy-- about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla extract and food coloring, if using, and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour. Mix just until the dough has come together in a ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes, or until it has hardened slightly.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out until it is ¼” thick. Cut the cookies using a heart-shaped cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet. Reroll any leftover dough and repeat the cutout process.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your hearts), or until the edges are starting to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool fully before icing.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by a third party and intended to serve as an estimate only. The accuracy of nutritional information is not guaranteed.
Pin for Later:
These look like the cookies my mom used to make for us when I was little. They’re so gorgeous!