Classic recipe for Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies made with a simple cookie dough that's easy to work with and holds its shape while baking. This recipe uses cute cookie cutter shapes everyone is going to love. Easy to decorate using canned frosting, this is another Valentine's Day Recipe the whole family can help create a fun memory.
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This recipe for Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies is a basic easy cookie recipe. Although, I do like to add both vanilla and almond extract to the dough. Why? The almond extract adds a richness to the dough making the cookies taste delicious.
The dough comes together really easy, but take the time to chill before rolling it out. This dough could be made ahead and kept in the wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling out and baking.
Table of Contents
Valentine's Day Recipes
Creating something yummy and fun is always a nice way to celebrate this holiday; especially if you have kids at home. Why not try my Chocolate Covered Pretzels or Heart Shaped Treats?
The whole family will definitely love the Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting that is made with homemade red velvet cake.
Valentine's Day Gift Tags
The perfect homemade treat for Valentine’s Day deserves really cute cards and gift tags. Check out a few of my favorites:
Cupcakes and Hearts Gift TagsMore InformationBe My Valentine with Heart BalloonsMore InformationHeart Gift TagsMore InformationCute Animal Gift TagsMore InformationTake My Heart Gift TagsMore InformationBee My Valentine Gift TagsMore InformationPuppy Valentine's Day CardsMore Information
Expert Sugar Cookie Dough Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients; especially the butter.
- Don't use butter that is too warm or melted. The cookies will spread.
- Make sure you cream the butter and sugar until both are light and fluffy. This could take up to three minutes. Don't rush this step.
- Chill the dough before baking. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then after cutting out the shapes, place the cutouts on the baking trays and then place the baking trays in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. This will help chill the butter so the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Allow the Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies to cool completely before decorating.
- Finally, allow the icing/frosting to dry completely before stacking and storing the cookies between layers of parchment paper.
Royal Icing Hack
Transform store-bought frosting into royal icing by following these easy steps:
- Remove the lid and aluminum seal.
- Place in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir well.
- Transfer to a piping bag and decorate the cookies first by outlining the cookies with the frosting and then flooding the cookie to fill it in with the frosting.
You can find expert tips on how to "flood" and decorate cookies in this post by Rose Bakes, How to Decorate Cupcake Cookies.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter - softened
- Sugar
- Egg
- Almond Extract
- Vanilla Extract
- Additional flour for rolling out the dough
- Frosting, sprinkles
🥣Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 | Combine the Ingredients
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, blend the butter and sugar together until creamy and light. Add the egg, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Dough may be a little crumbly, but turn it out onto a floured surface., press into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to create shapes.
- Gently lift the shapes onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes before baking.
Baking Tip: Placing the dough in the refrigerator before baking will help chill the butter in the dough so they keep their shape while baking.
Step 2 | Baking Instructions
- Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 7 to 9 minutes until the edges are just starting to turn lightly brown.
Step 3 | Cooling Instructions
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before carefuilly removing to a cooling rack.
Step 4 | Frost the Cookies
- Remove the lid and aluminum seal.
- Place in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir well.
- Transfer to a piping bag and add the frosting in an outline first and then fill in the center.
- Add the sprinkles immediately so they adhere to the wet frosting.
Before You Begin!
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The dough was overworked. Be careful not to overmix the dough once you add the flour. That will produce a soft sugar cookie.
Make sure the container you're storing the cookies in is an airtight container. You can also add a piece of bread to the container. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread which will help keep them soft.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mini Chocolate Chips - add mini chocolate chips to the dough for a fun twist.
- Slice and Bake Cookies - skip cutting out the cookies and form the raw dough into a cylinder and then cut slices and bake.
- Check out my other recipe for Christmas Refrigerator Cookies that are slice and bake.
Storage Tips
- Wait for the cookie icing to set completely before layering the cookies between sheets of parchment paper and stored in an air-tight container.
- The cookies can be store at room temperature for up to 5 days. If if is warm in the kitchen, you should store them in the refrigerator.
Freezing Tips
- Allow the icing to set completely before layering the cookies between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container.
- You can also flash freeze the cookies first by laying them on a baking sheet ion a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow the cookies to harden for about 30 minutes. Then place the cookies in a freezer-safe container layered between parchment paper.
- The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Top Tip
- Make sure the butter is room temperature and not melted. If it is melted, the cookies wiill spread.
📖 Recipe Card
Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter; softened 2 sticks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Assorted cans of frosting and sprinkles for decorating.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside,.
- In a mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add the egg, almond and vanilla extract,. Mix well.
- Slow add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Dough maybe a little crumbly.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work into a bowl.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough into ¼ inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to create shapes.
- Carefully lift shaped cookies to the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges are just turning slightly brown.
- Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Remove the lids and aluminum seal from the cans of frosting.
- Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Any longer and the frosting will completely liquify.
- Stir well.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a #4 tip attached.
- Carefully outline the cookies with the frosting and then fill in the outlined cookie with the frosting. This is called "flooding" the cookie.
- Immediately add the sprinkles.
- Allow the frosting to dry completely before storing in airtight containers.
Nutrition
Notes
- Using parchment or waxed paper between each layer of cookies is recommended.
- Nutritional information does not include the frosting or sprinkles as that will vary depending on how you choose to decorate the cookies.
Aeil says
Easy enough delicious awesome 👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lois says
Thank you!
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
I haven't made sugar cookies in years but this is a very good idea to try out this year. They came out so pretty and colorful and look delicious. #HomeMattersParty
Lois says
Thank you Donna!!
Karren Haller says
I haven't had good sugar cookies since my grandmothers. These look delicious for Valentines! Thank you for sharing on omhgww, please stop by and share again.
Lois says
Thank you for hosting every week!