These Valentine’s Day Shortbread Cookies with Icing are a festive treat perfect for celebrating love and friendship! Their buttery flavor and crisp texture make them an ideal canvas for colorful icing and sprinkles, allowing you to get as creative as you like.
The simple dough is easy to make, so it’s great for baking with kids. Little ones will love rolling out the dough, cutting heart shapes, and decorating them with sweet sprinkles.
Whether you’re putting together a gift box, bringing a dessert to a Valentine’s party, or just adding a little love to your day, these buttery cookies are sure to impress. They’re sturdy enough to share but pretty enough to stand out on a dessert table. Pair them with a cup of tea or a frothy hot chocolate for a delicious Valentine’s treat.
This is one of my favorite recipes because every cookie is unique! The icing and sprinkle combinations are endless, making these cookies little edible works of art.
If you love holiday baking, check out my Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread, Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips or Apple Banana Bread.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: With just a few simple ingredients, this shortbread cookie dough is stress free and perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Customizable: From heart-shaped cutters to pink and red sprinkles, you can tailor these cut-out cookies to fit the Valentine’s theme perfectly.
- Irresistible Texture: Buttery, crisp, and just sweet enough, they melt in your mouth!
- Versatile: Use these heart cookies for gifts, party platters, or as a fun activity with kids.
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make these Valentine's Day cookies. For the full recipe and measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Butter: Good quality salted butter is key for the best flavor. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature.
- Sugar
- Flour
- Powdered sugar: You will want to sift it to ensure smooth icing.
- Half and half
- Clear vanilla extract: I like to use clear vanilla because it keeps the icing colors vibrant.
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles: Heart-shaped or pink and red varieties are ideal.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Half and half: Swap with milk, heavy cream, or a dairy-free alternative.
- Clear vanilla: Regular vanilla works just as well, or try almond extract for a subtle twist.
- Food coloring: Feel free to skip the food coloring and allow the sprinkles to steal the show.
- Sprinkles: Use finely crushed candies or edible glitter for a fun variation.
This buttery valentine shortbread cookie recipe has not been tested with these substitutions. If you give any of these a try, please let me know how it worked out in the comments below!
Recipe Variations
- Mix in a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest, or a small pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom, to give the dough a warm and inviting flavor.
- Instead of icing, try dipping half of each cookie in melted chocolate for a delicious twist.
- Trade the basic icing for royal icing to create detailed and decorative designs on your cookies.
- Blend two icing colors together to achieve a beautiful marbled effect.
- While heart-shaped cookies are my go-to for Valentine's Day, feel free to use any cookie cutter shapes that fit your style or occasion.
This shortbread valentine cookies recipe has not been tested with these variations. If you give any of these a try, please let me know how it worked out in the comments below!
Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer: To easily combine the ingredients for the dough use a stand mixer. A hand mixer works fine, but a stand mixer makes it quicker.
- Baking sheet: I love to use large jelly roll pans for baking cookies.
- Pastry mat: Any time I am rolling out dough of any kind, I am so thankful I have a pastry mat that does not slide around and makes for fairly easy clean up.
- Rolling pin: I just use an ordinary wooden rolling pin. It's a necessity for cookies, pizza dough, pie crust, and so much more!
- Cookie cutters: I like a medium sized heart-shaped cookie cutter for these. Feel free to use any shape cookie cutter your prefer.
- Parchment paper: Use parchment paper if you want to line the cake pan for easier removal after baking.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream softened butter for 2 minutes.
STEP 2
Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Gradually mix in the flour until just combined.
STEP 3
Gradually add in the flour and until just combined.
STEP 4
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, and chill for at least an hour.
STEP 5
Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters for Valentine’s flair.
Bake at 300°F for 28–30 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
STEP 6
In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, half and half, and clear vanilla until smooth. Divide the icing into bowls and add food coloring to create your desired colors.
Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing, letting the excess drip off. Flip them over and decorate with sprinkles. Allow the icing to set before serving or storing.
Expert Tips
Here are some tips and tricks for making the best heart shortbread cookies:
- Use two ¼-inch dowels taped to your counter by simply placing them on either side of your dough before rolling it out. This ensures that you maintain a consistent thickness across the dough without any guesswork. As you roll, the dowels will keep your dough at the perfect ¼-inch thickness!
- Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake. Shortbread cookies don’t spread much, so they’re easy to overbake if you’re not careful. Look for the edges to be just slightly golden.
- If the icing is too thick, add a little more half and half to thin it out. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Allow the icing to fully set before stacking or storing the cookies to avoid smudging.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe can be doubled easily. Simply multiply each ingredient by two and ensure your mixing bowl and equipment can handle the increased volume.
Absolutely! If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the dough for a balanced flavor.
Yes, the dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Be sure it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out. If refrigerated for more than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before rolling, as it may be too firm to work with immediately.
Storage
Room temperature
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator
Keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
Freezer
Freeze for up to 3 months in a sealed bag or container.
More Recipes To Try
Don't forget to leave a ⭐️star rating⭐️ below!
This helps both me and other readers!
Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss what we are up to!
Recipe
Valentine's Day Shortbread Cookies with Icing
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ½ cups flour
For the icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons half and half
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla
- Food coloring
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes.1 cup salted butter, softened
- Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.½ cup sugar
- Add the flour and mix just until combined.2 ½ cups flour
- Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap, shape into a disc and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness, cut out in desired shape and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until just starting to turn light brown around the edges.
- Allow cookies to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Combine icing ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Divide into two bowls, add food coloring and mix well.2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons half and half, ½ teaspoon clear vanilla, Food coloring
- Dip tops of cookies into the icing, allow excess icing to drip off, flip cookies over and sprinkle with Christmas themed sprinkles. Allow the icing to set for several hours.
Ashlyn Meredith says
Perfect for Valentine's Day school parties!