Valentines day cookie recipe that are heart shaped with pink icing.

We’re so excited about our super cute Valentine’s Cookies, that are meant for everyone to enjoy and not exclusive to couples. Our cut-out sugar cookie recipe is so simple and the cookies are topped with the most delicious and equally simple strawberry icing. The little faces we put on them are totally optional, but we think they add so much charm and character to them.

The icing drys hard, so there’s no need to worry about them smearing easily, making transporting them a breeze! These treats make lovely gifts for coworkers, neighbors, friends, family, anyone!

How to Make Our Valentine’s Cookies

Process

COOKIES

Valentines day cookie ingredients all prepped out.

Preheat oven to 375˚F.
In a stand mixer (using a paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer, cream together butter. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add sugar and continue to cream together.

Room temperature butter in a stand mixer to make valentines day cookies.

Butter being creamed in a stand mixer to make valentines day cookies.

Butter and sugar being creamed in a stand mixer.

Add milk, egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Sugar and butter with milk and vanilla to make cookies.

The start of cookie dough to make valentines day cookies.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

Dry ingredients in a glass bowl for cookies.

Whisking together dry ingredients to make Valentines Day cookies.

Pour flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until evenly blended and a dough forms.

Flour mixture going into the cooking dough.

Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out 1 disc of dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Using a 4-inch heart shaped cookie cutter punch out about 9 heart cookies (or about 25 hearts if using a 2″ cutter).

Cookie dough being rolled out to make Valentines day cookies.

Cookie dough being rolled cut into heart shapes.

Transfer cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet, 1 inch apart. (You will need multiple baking sheets or will need to bake cookies in batches).
Repeat steps 7 and 8 with other half of dough.
Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies barely begin to brown around the edges.
Remove baking sheet from oven and allow cookies to rest for about 5 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.

Cookies on a baking sheet ready to be baked.

STRAWBERRY ICING

Valentines day cookie ingredients for icing.

In a food processor, combine powdered sugar and freeze dried strawberries. Blend until freeze-dried strawberries become a fine powder and evenly mixed with powdered sugar.

Freeze dried strawberries to make pink icing in a food processor.

Valentines day cookie recipe making icing.

Add remaining icing ingredients and blend together until completely combined and smooth.

Strawberry icing being made in a food processor.

Valentines day cookie icing that is pink.

ASSEMBLY

Valentines day cookie ingredients, chocolate and candy eyes.

Once cookies have cooled completely, dip surface of valentine’s cookies into icing, shaking off any excess.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Add eyes to each cookie and allow icing to dry completely.

Decorating heart shaped valentines day cookies.

Once icing has dried completely, transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a #2 wilton tip (or Ziploc bag and snip a very small hole at the tip). Pipe smiles on each cookie. Allow chocolate to harden completely before serving.

Valentines day cookies resting on a baking sheet.

Tools You Will Need

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions for Our Valentine’s Cookies

Make Ahead

The cookie dough can be made up to 5 days in advance. If chilling dough in refrigerator for over 4 hours, allow dough to sit out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to (very) slightly soften.

The cookies can be baked, cooled and stored in an airtight container, in a cool dry place, for up to 5 days.

The icing can be made up to 1 week in advance. To store, transfer icing to an airtight container and place a layer of plastic wrap directly over the icing, before sealing with the container lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Allow icing to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before using. Stir and adjust consistency with more milk or powdered sugar, if needed.

The fully iced cookies can be made up to 5 day ahead of time. Store cookies in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

Freezing

The cookie dough disc can be frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, tightly wrap dough disc in two layers plastic wrap, then place in a resealable freezer bag with as much air removed from it as possible. When ready to use, transfer dough to refrigerator and thaw overnight. Allow thawed dough to sit out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before unwrapping and rolling.

The baked (unfrosted) valentine’s cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place cookies onto a baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching one another and freeze. Transfer frozen cookies to a resealable bag, remove as much air as possible and seal. Allow cookies to thaw in the refrigerator before icing.

The fully baked and iced cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month. Place cookies onto a baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching one another and freeze. Transfer frozen cookies to a resealable bag, remove as much air as possible and seal. Cookies should be enjoyed frozen. Allowing cookies to thaw may result in wet, sticky icing that also moisten the cookies too much.

Valentines day cookie recipe in the shape hearts.

Tips and Tricks for Valentine’s Cookies Success

Use an offset spatula (or small pancake turner) to transfer cut cookies to baking sheet. The dough is delicate and using your hands to transfer the cookies may result in them tearing or warping.
Shake as much excess icing off cookies as possible, once dipped, to prevent icing from dripping down the sides.
Iced cookies should be completely dry before transferring, plating, boxing, packaging to ensure no divots in the icing are made.

Why Use Freeze-Dried Strawberries?

Freeze-dried strawberries are the best to use for this strawberry icing because you’re using real strawberries (no artificial flavors!) with a deliciously concentrated strawberry flavor.
Since all the water has been removed from the freeze-dried strawberries, you only need to use a small amount to get a strong strawberry flavor and a nice pink color.
It’s much more low maintenance than using fresh strawberries. All you need to do is blend and sift the freeze-dried strawberries and the powder is ready to be added to the icing!
It can be blended up with powdered sugar (like we did for our valentine’s cookies) and stored in an airtight container and you’ll have strawberry flavored sugar on hand!
In general, freeze-dried strawberries can be added to a wide range of desserts to easily boost the flavor and color, making them great to have stocked in the pantry!