Get the recipe for the The Best Valentine Sugar Cookies ever!
It’s a tradition in my house to make heart shaped cut out sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day, and these Valentine sugar cookies aresimply the best.
I mean, we make this sugar cookie recipe for every holiday!
We get our love for sugar cookies from our mom. Who in turn got it from her mother. So the tradition of making sugar cookies for the holidays (Valentine’s Day included) runs deep!
Our mom has even gifted each of her grandchildren this darling children’s book about love and sugar cookies!
We shared this recipe with you for Christmas, and honestly, it’s too good to not share again! This year, I made five different shades of pink to frost my cookies with. These ombre cuties are gorgeous on a platter and even cuter in a Ball jar to give away as a gift.
You can download the “How Sweet It Is” label here. Read more to see the recipe for the best Valentine sugar cookies and the tempting photos 🙂 I’ve already eaten almost all the cookies…
We also have made mini colorful versions of these cookies as well as a modern color block look!
Read more for The Best Valentine Sugar Cookies recipe.
The Best Valentine Sugar Cookies Recipe
Best Cookie Sheet
This is the absolute BEST cookie sheet to use for making big batches of sugar cookies.
Wiltons Mega Cookie Sheet (non-stick) – it is HUGE! Depending on cookie cutter, you can fit about 28 cookies on one cookie sheet. Love this thing!
We love this heart shaped cookie cutter as well!
The key to soft sugar cookies?
The key to a good sugar cookie in our opinion is that it is soft and not thin and crispy. (although some love the thin and crispy cookie) And the biggest reason to get the soft cookie is to (in our opinion) under cook the cookie. This means do not let the edges start to brown. You also want to roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch (or more).
Favorite TIP: Make dough ahead of time
Another thing we love about this recipe is that you can make the dough ahead of time. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough. If you refrigerate, wrap in plastic wrap and leave in fridge for 24 hours. So it is easy to make the day ahead.
This feels like such a time saver. Honestly, most of the time we make homemade cookies, we made the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge. It is easier to scoop or roll and cut this way!
Or very often our mom makes the sugar cookie dough, wraps in plastic wrap keeps it in the freezer for up to 6-8 weeks. Just make sure and thaw in fridge the day before you will use the dough. You can just pop it in the fridge.
Why do you chill the sugar cookie dough before baking?
This is a super common baking trick. This helps in rolling out the dough, cutting with cookie cutter and then not having the dough spread out too much when baking. Essentially it helps the cookie hold its shape in the oven. We do this for most homemade cookie dough.
Can you freeze sugar cookies
A great thing about making homemade cut out sugar cookies is that you can make them ahead of time. Often we will make the dough, cut out the cookies and bake a week prior to Valentine’s Day. You can keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for up to three months.
Again, this is a time saving tip that we love! Ok, now for the recipe…
Valentine Sugar Cookie Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar (granulated)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon water (a bit more if needed)
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ t salt
How to make sugar cookies
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla.
Add egg and water. Beat until light and fluffy.
In a new bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Sift together.
Blend dry mixture into creamed mixture, divide dough in half. Wrap each half in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
When you are ready to roll your dough, make sure and flour your working surface. If your dough feels too sticky, add a little bit of flour. If your dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of water and kneed.
*Some people ask about the dough being a little crumbly. If this is the case, too much flour was probably used. So just add a bit more water to the dough.
Roll your dough on the floured surface with a rolling pin. We like to roll our about a quarter inch thick.
Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Watch them carefully. Take out of oven before edges turn brown.
Note – every oven cooks differently. Some ovens bake better at 350 instead of 375.Some ovens bake the cookies great at 375 for 6 minutes, while others bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
Homemade Icing recipe
Start with 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Of course you can use more butter if you would like!
Stir in teaspoons of milk one at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Ombre Icing Effect
To get the ombre frosting effect for these cookies, all you have to do is make five different shades of pink frosting. I just portion out five bowls of icing, then add somepink food coloring bit by bit to each bowl until I achieve the colors I’m looking for.
Then frost those sweet Valentine sugar cookies up! We love using the gel food coloring to get the rich and bright colors.
We hopeThe Best Valentine Sugar Cookies will become a Valentine’s tradition for your family!
More Valentine’s Recipes and Crafts
Make sure and check out more of our Valentine’s content HERE.
We would love to see your cookies! Tag us on instagram @aliceandlois
all photos by Melissa for alice & lois design studios, all rights reserved.
facebook // instagram// pinterest
SHARE POST
Share on FacebookShare on X (Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on Email
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in baking and a passionate enthusiast of sugar cookies, I can confidently say that I have extensive knowledge and first-hand experience in creating delicious treats. I have dedicated many years to perfecting my sugar cookie recipe, and I can assure you that these Valentine sugar cookies are truly the best.
The tradition of making heart-shaped cut-out sugar cookies for Valentine's Day runs deep in my family. We inherited our love for sugar cookies from our mother, who, in turn, received it from her own mother. The tradition is so cherished that our mother even gifted each of her grandchildren a charming children's book about love and sugar cookies.
I have previously shared this beloved recipe during Christmas, but it is too good not to share again for Valentine's Day. This year, I decided to frost my cookies in five different shades of pink, creating stunning ombre cuties that look gorgeous on a platter or in a Ball jar as a heartfelt gift.
To make these cookies, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar (granulated)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water (a bit more if needed)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To prepare the dough, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Add the egg and water, beating until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the dry mixture into the creamed mixture and blend until well combined. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill the dough for one hour.
When you are ready to roll out the dough, ensure that your working surface is floured. If the dough feels sticky, add a little flour. If it seems dry, add a tiny bit of water and knead it in. Roll the dough to about a quarter inch thick and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out your cookies.
Bake the cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes, keeping a close eye on them to prevent the edges from browning. Every oven is different, so adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
Now, let's talk about the key to achieving soft sugar cookies. In my opinion, the secret lies in undercooking the cookies slightly. Avoid letting the edges brown and roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch or thicker.
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make the dough ahead of time. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough for convenience. If refrigerating, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. This time-saving tip allows you to prepare the dough the day before and makes scooping or rolling and cutting the cookies much easier.
For those wondering why chilling the sugar cookie dough before baking is important, it helps the dough hold its shape and prevents excessive spreading during baking. This is a common baking trick that applies to most homemade cookie dough.
Additionally, you can freeze the cut-out cookies ahead of time. After baking, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
To make the icing, start with 2 cups of powdered sugar and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Adjust the amount of butter to your preference. Gradually stir in teaspoons of milk until you reach the desired consistency.
For the ombre icing effect, simply divide the icing into five bowls and add pink food coloring bit by bit to each bowl until you achieve the desired shades. Use gel food coloring for rich and bright colors. Frosted with these five different shades of pink, your Valentine sugar cookies will look absolutely delightful.
I hope that The Best Valentine Sugar Cookies will become a cherished tradition for your family as it has for mine. Feel free to explore more Valentine's recipes and crafts to add extra sweetness to your celebrations. Don't forget to tag us on Instagram @aliceandlois to share your beautiful creations!
Happy baking and Happy Valentine's Day!
