These Valentine cookies with buttercream frosting are thick, soft cutout sugar cookies decorated with fluffy vanilla buttercream in a mix of pretty pink shades. They're perfect for Valentine's Day parties, cookie decorating projects, or anytime you want a festive cookie that tastes as good as it looks.
This soft sugar cookie recipe is the same approach I used for Valentine's cookies at Amycakes Bakery, where soft texture and flavor always came first. It uses my classic sugar cookie dough and creamy American buttercream, making it a great choice for both beginner and experienced bakers.
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Whether you're new to cookie decorating or you've done it before, you'll love this buttercream version. The finish is slightly textured and charming, and the piping is very forgiving.
You can go simple with a textured swirl, or add rosettes and leaves if you want a more decorated look.
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Equipment Checklist
Here's what you need to make these Valentine's Day cookies.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Cookie Sheet
- Heart-shaped cookie cutters
- Offset spatula (for smoothing buttercream)
- Disposable piping bags
- Star piping tips (various sizes)
- Leaf piping tip (optional, for leaf accents)
Tip
If you don't have piping tips, you can still decorate these cookies using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. The texture will be more rustic, but the flavor will be just as good!
Key Ingredients
These ingredients give these buttercream sugar cookies their soft texture, classic vanilla flavor, and sturdy structure for decorating.
- Salted butter: Adds flavor to both the cookie dough and buttercream. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt by ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon per stick.
- Instant ClearJel or instant pudding mix: Helps the cookies stay soft for days. Be sure it's labeled instant.
- Almond extract: Enhances the vanilla flavor without making the cookies taste almond-forward.
- Butter-flavored shortening: Adds stability to the buttercream, making it easier to pipe and decorate.
- Nonfat milk powder: Gives the buttercream structure, volume, and a creamy bakery-style texture.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Recipe Notes & Baking Tips
- Roll the dough thick (about ⅜ inch) for soft, bakery-style heart sugar cookies.
- Avoid overbaking - the cookies should look slightly underdone when removed from the oven.
- Bake on the middle or top rack to prevent over-browning on the bottom.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting to avoid melting the buttercream.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the frosting.
- Mix the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes on hight until light and fluffy for the best piping consistency.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the dough: Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, then add eggs and extracts. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined.
- Roll and cut: Roll the dough to ⅜ inch thickness and cut into heart shapes.
Tips
Look for a smooth, uniform dough and avoid overmixing.
For soft cookies, avoid rolling too thin.
- Chill: Place the cutout cookies on cookie sheets (or trays) and refrigerate until firm to the touch, at least 30 minutes.
- Bake: Bake at 325°F until bottoms are lightly golden and tops lose most of their shine. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool fully before decorating.
Tip
To avoid crumbly cookies, pull the cookies when they look slightly underdone. Don't wait for browning on top! The tops of the cookies will be slightly rounded and have a slight shine.
- Make and tint the buttercream: Whip butter, shortening, powdered sugar, and rehydrated milk powder until light and fluffy. Divide it into bowls and tint with gel food coloring.
- Decorate: Frost and decorate the Valentine cookies with an offset icing spatula or piping bags. Pipe swirls/rosettes with star tips and add leaf details if desired.
Tip
For a flatter look, spread buttercream on the cookie with an offset spatula. Dip the spatula in hot water and go over the frosting a second time to smooth the frosting. Add mini rosettes on the edges using a star tip.
Tip
If your buttercream starts feeling too soft while decorating, pop the piping bag in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, then continue.
FAQ
The best way to prevent spreading is to bake the cookies from cold. After you cut out your shapes, place them on the baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the cutouts are firm to the touch. Cold dough helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the edges clean.
Yes! You can bake the cookies 1-2 days ahead and decorate them when you're ready. If you want to spread it out even more, you can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough hearts, and bake after thawing.
Nope - they're fine at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container, and they'll stay soft and delicious for up to 3-5 days.
Once the frosting has set for a couple of hours, stack the cookies carefully in an airtight container (I like to use parchment between layers just to keep them looking neat).
Absolutely. You can freeze the sugar cookies, decorated or undecorated, for up to 1 month. Let them thaw (still covered) at room temperature so condensation doesn't mess with the frosting.
Yes! I recommend cutting out the heart cookie shapes first, then freezing the cutouts between layers of parchment. When you're ready to bake, thaw the cookies for a few minutes on the baking sheet before baking.
Yes - it's optional. I love what it does for the flavor, but if you don't have it or prefer to skip it, just replace it with a little extra vanilla.
You can, but these cookies were created with vanilla buttercream frosting in mind. Buttercream keeps the cookies soft and adds great flavor.
📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Valentine Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dry Ingredients
- 400 grams (3 cups) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 4 teaspoons Instant Clearjel or 2 Tablespoon(s) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (Make sure whichever you use is labeled as INSTANT.)
Sugar Cookie Creamed Ingredients
- 2 stick (8 ounces) Salted Butter (soft to the touch)
- 200 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
Buttercream Ingredients
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) Salted Butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup (3.4 ounces) Butter Flavored Shortening (I use Crisco butter flavored shortening sticks)
- 48 grams (½ cup) Nonfat Milk Powder
- 3 Tablespoons Warm Water
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 680 grams (5 ¼ cups) Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookie Dough
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the Dry Ingredients until well mixed and set aside.400 grams (3 cups) All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar, 4 teaspoons Instant Clearjel or 2 Tablespoon(s) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Using a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the soft butter and sugar just until the butter is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.2 stick (8 ounces) Salted Butter , 200 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and almond extracts. Continue to beat on medium--the mixture will separate at first but keep beating just until it comes back together to a more uniform liquid, scraping the bowl as needed.2 large Eggs, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract, ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- On low, slowly pour the whisked dry ingredients into the dough, and continue to mix just until it is fully incorporated and a smooth and uniform dough. Avoid overbeating.
Roll out and Bake the Cut-out Heart Cookies
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the sugar cookie dough to ⅜ of an inch thickness and cut out heart shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-paper lined sheet pans or cookie sheets.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated 325-degree oven on the middle or top rack (avoid the bottom rack) for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are only lightly golden, and the tops of the cookies have lost most of their shine. Cookies that are rolled out thinner and smaller shapes will take less time in the oven. Avoid overcooking--the cookies will still have a slight shine and may look slightly underdone. They will continue to bake on the tray after they are removed from the oven.
Make the Buttercream
- Whisk the nonfat milk powder, warm water, and pure vanilla together to rehydrate the milk. Allow it to set for 5-10 minutes so that the milk powder can dissolve, and whisk again until there are no lumps. (If you notice any lumps, you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer.)48 grams (½ cup) Nonfat Milk Powder, 3 Tablespoons Warm Water, 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- Using a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer, blend the room-temperature butter and butter-flavored shortening until it is smooth with no lumps, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.2 sticks (8 ounces) Salted Butter, ½ cup (3.4 ounces) Butter Flavored Shortening
- Slowly add the powdered sugar while the mixer is on low, then add the rehydrated milk and vanilla mixture. Blend the buttercream on high for at least two minutes--this will add air into the buttercream and make it nice and fluffy.680 grams (5 ¼ cups) Powdered Sugar
- Dye your buttercream with gel food color and use it to decorate your cooled cut-out sugar cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
