These Frosted Heart Sugar Cookies are soft, tender, and topped with a simple strawberry buttercream. They’re an ideal treat for Valentine’s Day or any time you want a sweet, pretty cookie.
Table of Contents
- What Goes into this Recipe
- Variations
- How to make Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
- How to make Strawberry Buttercream and Frost Sugar Cookies
- Storage and Freezing
- Recipe FAQs
- Do you love Valentine’s Day cookies? Try these recipes…
- The Best Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies Recipe
I love these heart cookies. The recipe starts with a cream cheese sugar cookie dough that adds tender texture and a slight tang, keeping cookies soft for days—far better than a plain sugar cookie. The frosting here is a straightforward strawberry buttercream that’s easy to pipe and tastes delightful. A bit of strawberry jam gives the buttercream a lovely pale pink and natural flavor; add a drop of food coloring if you want a deeper hue.
What Goes into this Recipe
Sugar Cookies
- Butter: Softened butter adds richness and flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese is recommended for the best taste and texture.
- Baking Powder: Keeps cookies slightly denser so they hold their shape.
Strawberry Buttercream
- Butter: Room temperature, softened butter helps create a smooth buttercream.
- Strawberry Jam: Adds natural strawberry flavor and a light pink color—seedless jam works well.
- Powdered Sugar: The base for a sweet, pipeable frosting.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and measurements.
Variations
- Swap the strawberry jam for raspberry, cherry, or another favorite jam to change the frosting flavor and color.
- If you prefer a smooth, glossy finish, use royal icing or glace icing instead of buttercream.
- Add a splash of almond extract, lemon zest, or a pinch of cinnamon to the cookie dough for a flavor twist.
- Use different cookie cutter shapes to adapt this recipe for other holidays or celebrations.
How to make Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
- Prepare the cream cheese sugar cookie dough in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Cream butter and cream cheese, add sugar until light and fluffy, then add egg, vanilla, and baking powder. Gradually mix in flour until combined.
- Divide dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours (or up to 3 days) until firm enough to roll.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough to about 1/4″ thickness.
- Cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment. Bake at 375°F for 9–10 minutes, until the bottoms are just lightly browned. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
How to make Strawberry Buttercream and Frost Sugar Cookies
- Make the strawberry buttercream: beat softened butter and powdered sugar until the butter breaks into smaller pieces, then add strawberry jam and continue mixing until smooth and spreadable. Add a little milk or cream if needed to reach piping consistency.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag or a zip-top bag and cut a small corner. Pipe an outline around the edge of each cooled cookie to create a barrier.
- Use a zigzag motion to fill the center of each heart with buttercream. It doesn’t need to be perfect; small gaps are fine.
- While the frosting is still soft, add sprinkles around the edge or across the top of the cookies. Let the buttercream set at room temperature before storing or serving.
Expert Tips
- Soften butter and cream cheese: Room-temperature ingredients blend smoothly and give the best texture.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerating makes rolling and cutting much easier and helps cookies hold their shape.
- Cool cookies completely before frosting: Warm cookies will melt buttercream.
- Adjust color if desired: For a deeper pink, add one drop of pink or red food coloring.
- Try different jams: Raspberry or cherry jam create new flavors and colors—your cookies don’t have to be pink.
Storage and Freezing
Store: Keep frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. Unfrosted cookies will also store well.
Freeze: Unfrosted sugar cookies freeze well for up to 3 months when stored airtight. You may freeze frosted cookies too, but unfrosted freezing gives the best results.
Recipe FAQs
Create a paper stencil and use it as a template. Place the stencil on rolled dough and carefully cut around it with a small knife to form hearts.
Yes. Use a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, which should substitute directly for all-purpose flour in most recipes. Results can vary by brand, so check the package directions for best practices.
Absolutely. Royal icing or glace icing creates a smooth flood finish; marshmallow buttercream or other frostings also work well depending on the finish and flavor you prefer.
Do you love Valentine’s Day cookies? Try these recipes…
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The Best Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
Strawberry Buttercream
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup strawberry jam, seedless recommended
Sprinkles
Instructions
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
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In a mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and baking powder. Gradually add flour and mix until combined. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 3 days, until easy to handle.
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On a lightly floured surface roll dough to about 1/4″ thickness. Cut with a cookie cutter and place on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 9–10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Buttercream
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Combine butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat until the butter breaks down. Add strawberry jam and mix until the mixture becomes a spreadable buttercream. Add milk or cream if needed for piping consistency. Fill a piping bag or a zip-top bag for decorating.
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Pipe an outline around each cooled cookie, then fill the center with a zigzag motion. Add sprinkles while the frosting is still soft and allow the buttercream to set at room temperature. Cookies keep well at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Unfrosted cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese for best flavor and texture.
- Be sure butter and cream cheese are softened for smooth mixing.
- Chill the dough before rolling to keep shapes defined and make cutting easier.
- Cool cookies completely before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- To deepen the frosting color, add a small drop of pink or red food coloring.
- Try different jams for new flavor variations.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide.