Perfectly sweet, soft and tender sugar cookies topped with a thick icing and sprinkles, these Iced Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies are the perfect treat for Valentine’s (or any occasion)!
Hey, hi, hello! Today I’m excited because I get to share with you these Iced Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies. I call these “Valentine’s Day” cookies, but let’s be honest: heart-shaped sugar cookies are for any time of year and any occasion. And by “occasion,” I mean any day of the week.
I really love this sugar cookie recipe. It’s the one I use any time I need cutout sugar cookies. The dough is really easy to make, really easy to work with, and makes the most delicious sugar cookies! Because sometimes sugar cookie dough that is easy to cut out doesn’t taste great, ya know what I mean? Not so with this dough. You get the best of both worlds – easy to work with and delicious! It’s perfectly sweet and strikes just the right balance between soft and tender. I like to throw a little almond extract into the dough and icing for flavor, but feel free to replace that with more vanilla extract if you please.
Speaking of icing, this icing makes for the prettiest cookies! It sets up quickly and turns out thick and glossy.
Have fun with these! Switch up the shape, the color of icing, the sprinkles – you do you! I’m a sucker for all things pink, so that’s of course the route I took with these Valentine’s Day cookies.
I hope you love these Iced Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies as much as I do. Happy baking!
What you’ll need to make these sugar cookies:
Flour: All-purpose flour gives just the right amount of structure to these sugar cookies. I sift the flour to make the cookies more tender. Be sure to measure your flour correctly first (either by weight or the spoon and level method), then sift.
Cornstarch: A little bit of cornstarch makes these cookies extra soft and tender.
Baking powder: Just ½ teaspoon of baking powder gives these cookies just the right amount of lift without making them cakey or dry.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Butter: For flavor, moisture, and tenderness.
Sugar: Granulated sugar tenderizes the dough, adds sweetness, and a little bit of moisture, giving these sugar cookies the perfect taste and soft, tender texture!
Egg: For binding and structure.
Vanilla + almond extract: For extra flavor. If you prefer to not use almond extract, simply replace it with the same amount of vanilla!
Powdered sugar, pasteurized egg white, milk, almond or vanilla extract, and food coloring for the icing. Plus, sprinkles for decoration!
FAQs:
Can I make these into different shapes and sizes? Yes! Any size or shape cookie cutter will work, as long as you roll the dough out to the correct thickness. For reference, I used a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter for my Valentine’s Day sugar cookies.
Can I leave out the almond extract? Yes! Simply replace the almond extract with the same amount of vanilla extract (this goes for the cookie dough and icing).
Do I have to chill the dough? Yes! Chill the dough 2 to 3 hours before rolling it out and cutting into shapes. Chilling the cookie dough allows the dough to firm up and the gluten to relax, making it much easier to work with. It’s also important to chill the cutouts right before baking, which keeps them from spreading and helps them hold their shape.
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes, these sugar cookies are very freezer-friendly! See my recipe notes for make-ahead instructions.
A few notes before you bake:
This recipe calls for sifted flour. When measuring, be sure to measure out the correct amount of flour first and then sift.
The fridge is your friend! Sugar cookie dough is easiest to work with when it’s chilled. If the dough starts to become sticky while you’re rolling it out, simply wrap the dough in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up again.
Feel free to use any shape or size cookie cutter you like with these sugar cookies. As long as you roll the dough out to the correct ¼-inch thickness before cutting out, you’re good to go!
To make rolling out your dough into an even thickness easier, I like to use this rolling pin!
Iced Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 38 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
Perfectly sweet, soft and tender sugar cookies topped with a thick icing and sprinkles, these Iced Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies are the perfect treat for Valentine’s (or any occasion)!
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 292 gm (2 1/3 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 8 gm (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 226 gm (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150 gm (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (can omit and use 1 additional teaspoon vanilla extract)
For the icing:
- 1 pound (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 large pasteurized egg white
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (can substitute vanilla extract)
- Gel food coloring of choice
- Sprinkles, for topping
Instructions
To make the sugar cookies:
- Make the cookie dough. Add the sifted flour, cornstarch, baking powder and kosher salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through and again at the end. Mix in the egg and both extracts.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 2 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough into a large disc, about 1/2″ thick, then wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap (TIP: lightly flour your hands if the dough is sticky).
- Chill the dough. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for 2 to 3 hours. Towards the end of the chill time, preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut out the dough. Place the chilled dough on a clean, floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll the dough into an even 1/4″ thickness, re-flouring the surface and/or dough as needed to prevent sticking. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into heart shapes, gathering and re-rolling the scraps until you’ve used up all of the dough (TIP: if the dough begins to get too sticky, press it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up).
- Place the heart-shaped cutouts on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 to 2-inches apart. Place in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes (TIP: if your baking sheets don’t fit in the fridge, place the cutouts on large plates).
- Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny. Rotate the pan as needed if your oven tends to be warmer in the back. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing/ Decoration:
- Make the icing. Add the sifted powdered sugar, egg white, 3 tablespoons milk and almond extract to a large bowl and whisk to combine; it will be very thick at first, but keep stirring! Add more milk if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is still thick but flows off your whisk like honey. Stir in a few drops of gel food coloring.
- Decorate. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Dip the top side of each cookie into the icing, holding the cookie over the bowl to let excess drip off. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that appear. Place the iced cookie on the prepared baking sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat this process with each cookie.
- Set. Allow the icing to dry, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Notes
Make ahead/ freezing instructions: To freeze the dough, shape the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, as directed in the recipe. Once chilled, wrap the disc with foil and place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using. To freeze individual cutouts, freeze the cutouts on a parchment lined baking sheet until solid, about 30 to 60 minutes. Store frozen cutouts in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes as necessary to your bake time.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, separating layers of cookies with wax or parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
