These Valentine cookies get an extra boost of flavor from the almond extract in the dough. Top with your favorite royal icing or cream cheese frosting!
In This Post
Cut-Out Valentine Cookies
When I was in 7th grade I was OBSESSED with hearts. Anything hearts. Everything hearts. Hearts, hearts, hearts. I’d draw fat bubble hearts over and over, making my mark on just about everything my magic markers could get close to. Oh, and rainbows and juicy red lips.
So its no surprise that my Smudge is now equally obsessed with the red pulsating symbols of happiness. She hasn’t quite hit the “love” obsession yet—she still has penguins and puppies inside of hearts on the brain—so in the voice of ex-NFL QB Kurt Warner, “Thank you Jesus!” that we have a few more years before teenage love-angst hits our doorstep.
So Smudge’s request for cut-out sugar cookies was no surprise. Of course she had to choose the ittiest, bittiest cookie cutter to create her love cookies and we broke out ALL of the decorating fixins. We made minis, maxis, and cookies on sticks. And then we ate. A lot. And then we made more Valentine sugar cookies that may or may not make it into our Valentine’s hands featuring these adorbs downloadable tags in one of my fave Foodie Crush fonts from Emily at Tar-Tryin.
This almond sugar cookies recipe is seriously the bomb and like my other childhood fave—my mom’s fudge—is the one Miss P (my mom) broke out anytime a cookie cutter and rolling pin were involved.
Way more flavorful than other doughs I’ve tried, this is one that you’re lucky if you have any left to actually bake cookies with. Hello, beaters! Thanks to a dose of almond flavoring, these Valentines Day cookies are a bit more unique and subbing granular white sugar with powdered sugar gives them a more delicate bite that is far from cake-like that so many other sugar cookies recipes hold dear.
These babies are F-I-N-E! Come on, give ‘em a go.
What’s in These Valentine Cookies?
This Valentine cookie recipe is easy peasy and requires only a handful of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make these cut-out sugar cookies:
- Powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Icing of choice
How to Make Valentine’s Day Cookies
Simply cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg and extracts. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Divide the almond sugar cookie dough in two, wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Once chilled, roll out the dough and cut using your favorite cookie cutters.
These Valentine cookies need to bake for roughly 7 to 8 minutes, or until just barely golden brown on the edges.
Do I Have to Chill the Dough?
Yes, chilling the dough is crucial! It’s just a quick 15-minute chill though, so you won’t have to wait long to eat these cut-out sugar cookies!
Can I Prep the Cookie Dough in Advance?
Yes, the Valentine sugar cookie dough can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to three days before rolling it out.
Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookies
I sometimes frost these sweeties with a cream cheese powdered sugar old fashioned down and dirty frosting, but have lately been giving them the royal icing treatment. Need tips on how to line and flood—yeah, that’s cookie speak, are you impressed? Check out the terrific video above from Marian at Sweetopia and her royal icing recipe.
If you’d like to bake these cut-out sugar cookies in advance and have them on hand for later, freeze them sans icing in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat the frozen cookies, set them on your counter to thaw and then frost them.
These almond sugar cookies can be enjoyed any time of year. To make these for other holidays, use different cookie cutters and choose different icing colors. Easy as that!
More Valentine’s Day Desserts You’ll Love
- Rice Krispies Valentine Lollipops
- Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Chocolate Espresso Ganache
- Classic Fat Witch Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Quick and Easy Raspberry Fool
- Classic Tiramisu
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
55 Valentines Day Dessert and Drink Ideas | Valentine Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar , sifted
- 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- With a hand or stand mixer, cream together powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, almond and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Sift together flour, soda and cream of tartar and add to sugar mixture, mix until well combined.
- Divide dough into two disc shapes, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Once chilled, roll out dough to ⅛ to ¼ inch thick and cut into cookie shapes.
- Place on lightly greased or silpat covered cookie sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove and cool on cookie sheet. Frost with royal icing.
Notes
- The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days.
Nutrition
More Easy Cookie Recipes to Make Any Day
- Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best No-Bake Cookies with Coconut
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Omg these look amazing!! So pretty!!
Thank you for the interesting post. As business ethics assignment help expert, I feel it is really interesting.
Tasty sugar cookie recipe! I separated the batch into 5 pieces and colored them to make colorful dinosaurs. Thanks for the recipe!
Some brilliant ideas here, thank you for sharing x
We’re baking cookies today too. . just might have to try this one!! and oh my gawd, the Heart Shaped Sushi! LOVE! We’re also hosting a sushi party today too! so excited! Happy Valentine’s Day, Heidi!
The icing is beautiful! I have not made icing like this before. Do I need to work fast to get it into my piping bag and then onto the cookie? My concern is that it might harden before I can get it on the cookie. Is my concern warranted? Thanks for sharing the recipes!
These cookies are so simple but stunning!!! Love love!
Hi! You are so creative and these cookies look amazing! I just had one question – can the almond extract be omitted? Can it just be left out completely or does it need to be substituted with something? Thank you so much for your help!
These are so bright + fun and just adorable!! Love all the heart-food links as well!
These cookies looked so tempting I just couldn’t resist baking them myself for Valentine’s. They were simply delightful!!
Your cookies always look so perfect. How do you ice them to look smooth and proportioned on the cookies so perfectly? They look professionally done. So yummy looking.
Hey, i love all these ideas. I had a question though, after searching your blog i noticed you have a few recipes for sugar cookies. Which recipe is the best….i’m making those cookies for my daughters baby shower and want the most yummy ones… many thanks kim
Hi, I am pretty partial to this sugar cookie recipe, it’s softer and less cakey thanks to the powdered sugar in the dough. Best of luck with the baby shower!
do these cookies hold their shape after baking? do they puff up or lay flat?
\thanks
They pretty much lay flat. These aren’t really thick, cakey cookies. If you want them a bit thicker just roll them out to the thickness you want.
Your cookies are gorgeous! I thought I had done a good job scouring the internet for Valentine treats to pin, but you found a bunch of fun ones I hadn’t spotted. Love your site so much- you come up with the best stuff!
Thanks Lori, means a lot coming from you! There’s so many unique and amazing valentines ideas out there that it’s great we all have a different eye for highlighting them. XO
Hihi… THere’s something bothering me about the cookies that I made with royal icing on top and I hope you can help me out. =X I followed the recipe for the cookies and royal icing as well to a T but when consumed, the royal icing is super hard. Is it supposed to be that way? >.<
Thankss!
Hmmmm. I didn’t have that problem, bit maybe next time use less meringue powder. I can check with Sweetopia and see what her rec is too. Glad you tried them out!
Heidi! I’ve been looking for a sugar cookie recipe with powdered sugar for years. My grandma made them this way and we lost the recipe. You are my hero! Thank you :)
Yea Jenni! They’re almost as good as those crazy SLC sunsets. XO miss you.
Nice roundup! Cute cookies!
Well, thanks for sharing! I’m super glad you liked the video! I often wonder if these videos are actually helping someone or others… and I’m thinking your cookies look stellar & sweet – bravo to you and Smudge! Thanks for linking to me, and thanks for the other Valentine ideas… am feeling inspired!
Are you serious? The video is the BEST and so helpful and showcases how easy it can be. One reader commented about the icing being pretty hard when dried. That’s the style or royal icing but do you have any tips on softening it? Don’t know if it would still
Spread nicely or not. Thanks!!
love all of these!!
You + these hearts amaze me!! Heidi this is such a great round up of everything hearts! I will check out all of the links now. I have just become a new fan of Tar-Tryin’ thanks to your link here :)
The cookies are stunning + your daughter has great taste like her mama!! ~xo~
Thank you Marla and so glad you found a new blogger and her talents to enjoy. XO happy V-day
I love the heart round-up! People are so creative!!! I am wanting each and every one of these right now… guess I better get my butt into the kitchen ;)
I`m not a big heart shaped food guy but those cookies look good. I can`t lie. Love them. And the photography is so light and airy. Beautiful.
Wow, a photo compliment from you is like a knighthood from the queen! I stand so deep in your shadows of pic taking knowledge and would love nothing more than to get some one on one tips. Let’s make a date!
Gorgeous cookies and probably my favorite V-Day round-up so far!
Wow, thank you. It was so much fun poking around all of these talented bloggers sites and spreading the love. DOH! Umm, yes that one was obvious. XO
I always use my mom’s sugar cookie recipe, which I love, but I’m totally tempted to make a batch of these right now!!
Oooh yum, mom’s recipes always seem to be the best since they remind us of being kids with no responsibilities :) is it on your blog?
Wow. Those cookies are beautiful! Paired with my bacon: perfect. ;)
Haven’t stopped by since Alt yet. It was so lovely meeting you! You’re so sweet.
So glad you were able to make and post these cookies– they are SO CUTE! I’m definitely craving a frosted sugar cookie now.
Maybe we can make you some pickle and peanut butter sugar cookies :)
Oh! Thanks for sharing my gift labels! I’m having a kiddo sugar cookie decorating party on Valentine’s Day and just sat down to find a recipe! You knew just what I needed! TGFFC! (That’s Thank God for Foodie Crush, of course) xoxoxo
So cute! I love how vibrant they are!
And I’m 28, and still love hearts! :)
perfect timing! making them this weekend :) Will be a great end to our valentines celebration with sleigh riding. I wish you and smudge were joining us ;)
Your cookies are so fun. Love that you made different sizes. Sounds like a great way to spend time with Smudge. Thanks for the link love!
These are just adorable! I loved hearts when I was younger too. Now I find myself doing little things with hearts again, especially this time of year with my kids. These are the perfect Valentine’s Day sweet!
I was also obsessed with hearts in my younger days! These cookies look just like the doodle hearts I used to scrawl in the margins of my math notebooks. How cute, and perfect for Valentine’s Day!
What better way to distract yourself from math than doodling hearts and love links?
They’re awesome and I’m going to link your cookies up in a VDay roundup post I’m doing. They are gorgeous, Heidi. That icing is SO SMOOTH!
Thanks Averie, getting them smooth wasn’t all that hard thx to the tips in Sweetopia’s video that is SO great. Man does she have a steady hand! I cannot wait to see your round-up, my teeth are already aching from the sugar rush I’m anticipating!