Valentine’s Day gives you a perfect reason to bake something sweet and special. Sugar cookies are a classic choice because they taste great and work well for decorating.
They’re simple to make and fun to share with friends, family, or anyone you care about.
This collection of six sugar cookie variations offers different textures, decorating styles, and dietary options so you can pick the version that fits your needs best. Some recipes create soft centers while others give you crisp edges.
You’ll find options for royal icing, buttercream, and marbled designs, plus a gluten-free version that doesn’t skip on flavor.
Classic heart-shaped sugar cookies with royal icing
These heart-shaped sugar cookies with royal icing are a traditional Valentine’s Day treat. They have soft centers with slightly crisp edges and hold their shape perfectly when baked.
The royal icing dries smooth and firm, making these cookies easy to stack and store.
Ingredients
For the cookies, you need 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
For the royal icing, gather 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons meringue powder, and 5 to 6 tablespoons water. You can divide the icing and add food coloring in pink, red, or any color you want.
Cooking Instructions
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together.
Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
The edges should be lightly golden, but the centers will look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the royal icing by beating the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water together until smooth. The icing should be thick enough to hold a line.
For flooding, add a bit more water to thin it out. Outline each cookie first with the thicker icing.
Let it set for a few minutes, then fill in the center with the thinner icing. You can add designs, dots, or messages while the icing is still wet.
Let the icing dry completely for at least 4 hours or overnight before handling the cookies. The surface should feel dry and firm to the touch.
Serving Suggestion
Serve these cookies at Valentine’s Day parties or package them in boxes for gifts. They pair well with coffee, hot chocolate, or milk.
You can also arrange them on a platter with fresh strawberries and other Valentine’s Day treats. Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Layer them between sheets of parchment paper to protect the icing. These cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months if you want to make them ahead.
Buttery sugar cookies with marbled Valentine-themed icing
These cookies combine a soft, buttery base with decorative marbled icing that creates a unique pattern on each cookie. The marbling technique adds visual appeal without requiring advanced decorating skills.
Ingredients
For the cookies, you will need 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup softened butter, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
For the marbled icing, gather 2 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and gel food coloring in pink and red or purple.
Cooking Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface.
Cut out heart shapes or other Valentine-themed shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the marbled icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. The icing should be thick but pourable.
Divide the icing into separate bowls and add different colors of gel food coloring to each bowl. Spoon the different colored icings onto each cookie, letting them pool together.
Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the colors together, creating a marbled effect. Work quickly before the icing sets.
Allow the icing to set completely at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving or storing.
Serving Suggestion
Serve these cookies on a decorative plate or package them in clear bags tied with ribbon for gift-giving. They pair well with milk, coffee, or hot chocolate.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Soft sugar cookies topped with buttercream frosting
These cookies combine a tender base with creamy frosting that makes them perfect for Valentine’s Day. The soft texture of the cookie pairs well with smooth buttercream on top.
Ingredients
For the cookies, you need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. The butter should be at room temperature so it mixes easily.
For the buttercream frosting, gather powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and milk or heavy cream. You can add pink or red food coloring if you want colored frosting.
Cooking Instructions
Start by creaming together your butter and sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then mix until everything is combined well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Roll out your dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters or other Valentine’s Day shapes to cut out your cookies.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
The edges should be set but the centers should still look slightly soft. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the buttercream, beat the softened butter until it’s smooth. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
Pour in the vanilla extract and milk, then beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Spread or pipe the buttercream onto your cooled cookies.
You can leave them plain or add sprinkles while the frosting is still soft.
Serving Suggestion
Serve these cookies on a decorative plate for a Valentine’s Day party or gift them in a box tied with ribbon. They taste best within three days of making them.
Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Gluten-free sugar cookie recipe option
You can make Valentine’s Day sugar cookies without gluten and still get great results. These cookies work well for people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Ingredients
You will need 2 cups of gluten-free flour blend. Use a 1-to-1 baking blend that includes xanthan gum.
You also need 3/4 cup of softened butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
For dairy-free cookies, you can swap the butter with coconut oil or vegan butter. The recipe works with both options.
Cooking Instructions
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture looks light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined. Mix the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly. Stir until a dough forms.
Roll the dough out on a surface dusted with gluten-free flour. Make it about 1/4 inch thick.
Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out your shapes. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. The edges should be set but the centers can still look soft.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Serving Suggestion
Decorate your cooled cookies with pink or red frosting. You can use store-bought frosting or make your own with powdered sugar and milk.
Add sprinkles in Valentine’s colors like red, pink, and white. These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. This makes them good for baking ahead of time.
Conversation heart-style decorated sugar cookies
Conversation heart sugar cookies are shaped and decorated to look like the classic candy conversation hearts you see every Valentine’s Day. You make them with a basic sugar cookie dough that holds its shape well during baking.
The cookies should have soft centers with slightly crisp edges. You’ll need standard sugar cookie ingredients including butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract.
Some recipes call for a small amount of almond extract to add extra flavor. You can make the dough ahead and chill it in the refrigerator for easier handling.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Royal icing (2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons meringue powder, 5 tablespoons water)
- Gel food coloring in pastel colors
Cooking Instructions
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Beat the softened butter and sugar in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually.
Mix until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Place the hearts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Make the royal icing by mixing powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until smooth. Divide the icing into separate bowls and add gel food coloring to create pastel shades like pink, purple, yellow, and blue.
Add more water if you need a thinner consistency for flooding the cookies. Outline each cookie with royal icing using a piping bag.
Fill in the center with the same color icing. Let the base layer dry completely, which takes about 2 hours.
Use a food-safe marker or additional royal icing to write short messages on each cookie. Classic phrases include “BE MINE,” “LOVE YOU,” “XOXO,” and “CUTIE.”
Serving Suggestion
Package these cookies in clear cellophane bags tied with ribbon for Valentine’s Day gifts. You can also arrange them on a platter for classroom parties or office celebrations.
Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Sugar cookies with crisp edges and soft centers
You can create the perfect textured Valentine’s Day sugar cookie by following a simple recipe that delivers both crispness and softness. The key is using the right balance of butter, sugar, and flour to achieve edges that snap while keeping the middle tender.
Ingredients
You will need 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour for the base of your dough. Add 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar for sweetness and texture.
Mix in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to bind everything together. You’ll also need 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to help the cookies rise properly and enhance the flavor.
Cooking Instructions
Start by beating your room temperature butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture looks fluffy. This usually takes about 3 minutes with an electric mixer.
Add your egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until everything is combined well. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. Mix until a dough forms but don’t overmix or your cookies will become tough.
Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This step is important because it prevents the cookies from spreading too much when you bake them.
Roll out your chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out your Valentine’s Day shapes.
Place your cut cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie to give them room to spread slightly.
Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Your cookies are done when the edges turn golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft.
Let your cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool while keeping their soft centers.
Serving Suggestion
You can decorate these cookies with royal icing once they cool completely. Spread a thin layer of icing in pink, red, or white to match the Valentine’s Day theme.
Add sprinkles or edible pearls while the icing is still wet for extra decoration. Let the icing dry for at least 2 hours before stacking or packaging your cookies.
Serve them on a pretty plate with a glass of cold milk. These cookies also make great gifts when arranged in a clear bag tied with a red ribbon.
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I’m Nina, and I’m very passionate about spirituality. Exploring the depths of the soul and connecting with the divine has always been my source of inspiration. Join me on a journey of self-discovery and inner peace through my writing.