Inside: Get a recipe that makes soft, buttery heart cookies–and no need to chill the dough. They’re frosted with a naturally-pink raspberry buttercream. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Nothing halts the momentum of baking fun like the phrase chill the dough for at least an hour.
This sugar cookie recipe is unique for a few reasons:
- You don’t chill the dough
- It works with whole wheat pastry flour just as well as it does with all-purpose flour
- The dough is soft and easy to roll
- The cookies keep their shape when baked
- They’re frosted with a naturally pink raspberry frosting
This is a sweet Valentine’s Day cookie recipe, but you can use this simple sugar cookie dough for any special occasion.
Ingredients for Heart Cookies
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for white sugar
- Egg: Ideally at room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Flour: You have a few options here–you can use:
- Whole wheat pastry flour OR
- Half regular whole wheat flour, half all purpose flour OR
- All all-purpose flour
Ingredients for Raspberry Buttercream
- Raspberries: Either fresh or frozen (defrosted)
- Powdered sugar
- Butter: Softened to room temperature
- Lemon juice: Either fresh or bottled works
Supplies you Need
- Rolling pin
- Electric mixer (either a hand mixer or standing mixer with a paddle attachment)
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter: Feel free to use multiple sizes of heart shape
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat to line the baking sheets
- Knife or offset spatula for frosting (you can also use a pastry bag and piping tip)
- Sprinkles (optional)
How to Make Heart Cookies
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (such as Silpat mats).
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) cream butter and sugar well with your mixer on medium speed. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, adding one cup of the flour mixture at a time and mixing after each addition. Be sure all the flour at the bottom of the bowl is mixed into the dough, but don’t over-mix. Do not chill. That’s important! This dough does not work when chilled.
Divide the dough in half and form two dough balls. Roll the first one onto a lightly floured surface about 1/8″ thick. This is a soft, moist dough so make sure both your surface and your rolling pin are floured. (Cover the bowl with the other dough ball using either a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.)
Using your heart cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes in the rolled-out dough. Keep rolling out remaining dough scraps until it’s gone. Repeat with the second dough ball.
Place heart shapes on the prepared baking sheets and bake cookies for 6-7 minutes. They may be ever-so-slightly golden brown–and may even look underdone–but if you want them to be soft, you don’t want to over-bake them! If you prefer a crisper cookie, increase the bake time by a couple of minutes, or until they are more golden brown.
Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
How to Make Raspberry Buttercream
Blend 2 cups of fresh or defrosted, frozen raspberries in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a fine-mesh strainer (sieve) set over a bowl and press and stir with a spoon to remove some of the seeds. Scrape the bottom of the strainer with the spoon to get all the puree. I ended up with about 1/2 cup of puree. Discard the seeds.
With a hand mixer or standing mixer, place 4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and blend for 30 seconds on low. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating, adding raspberry puree until you achieve the consistency you want for either spreading or piping (you’ll want a thicker consistency for piping). I used about 1/3 cup of the puree.
Ice your heart-shaped cookies with the raspberry frosting. If you want to top with sprinkles, add them just after each cookie is frosted before the icing hardens on top.
Heart Cookies FAQ
Can I use regular whole wheat flour?
I have tested this cookie recipe a few ways. It works best with either ALL wheat pastry flour OR ALL all-purpose flour OR half regular whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour.
What is whole wheat pastry flour?
Whole wheat pastry flour is made from a milder white wheat and has lower protein content than regular whole wheat flour. It’s great for cookies, muffins, and cakes (but not yeast bread).
How do I store these heart cookies?
Place cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 5-7 days for best quality.
How long do leftover cookies last?
These cookies will stay soft for days when kept in an airtight container. They’re best if eaten within 5-7 days.
Can I freeze these heart cookies?
Yes. Freeze the baked, unfrosted cookies in a freezer bag, pressing the extra air out before sealing. Defrost cookies, then ice with frosting.
More Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
The Very Best 4-Ingredient SunButter Cookies (Nut-Free + Peanut-Free!)
Thee are also fun Valentine’s Day Cookies, and they’re safe for people with nut and tree nut allergies.
How to Make Naturally Pink Frosting with Strawberries
If you prefer the flavor of strawberries and a paler pink, you can use this frosting for your heart cookies.
Naturally Colored Raspberry Whipped Cream
Spoon a dollop of this onto a slice of cake
Whole Wheat Heart Cookies With Raspberry Buttercream
Yield:
Makes 4 dozen
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
12 minutes
Total Time:
42 minutes
These Whole Wheat Heart Cookies are frosted with a vibrant pink icing that’s made with raspberries.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
Raspberry Frosting
- 2 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted) raspberries
- 1/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Move top rack to top one-third of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl of bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and blend well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together baking powder and flour.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Combine just until all blended. Do not chill.
- Divide dough into two balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies, place on prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies for 6-7 minutes.
- Let cookies sit one minute, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting, blend 2 cups of fresh or defrosted, frozen raspberries in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a fine-mesh strainer (sieve) set over a bowl and press and stir with a spoon to remove some of the seeds. Scrape the bottom of the strainer with the spoon to get all the puree. I ended up with about 1/2 cup puree. Discard seeds.
- Place 4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and blend for 30 seconds on low. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating, adding raspberry puree until you achieve a consistency thick enough for spreading or piping. (I used about 1/3 cup).
- Ice cookies. If using sprinkles, top each cookie with sprinkles just after frosting, before the top hardens.
Notes
*You can also use 3 cups all-purpose flour OR 1.5 cups each all-purpose and regular whole wheat flour
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 240Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 77mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 27gProtein: 5g
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