Easy Iced Heart Cookies Recipe
Easy Iced Heart Cookies is about to change your life. Or at least, make your afternoon a whole lot sweeter! We’re talking soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, shaped like little hearts (because, you know, love!), slathered in a simple, sweet icing. It’s the kind of baking that even I can’t mess up, and trust me, that’s saying something! These aren’t fancy pants bakery cookies, they’re the kind you make with the people you love.
My husband, bless his heart, is a HUGE sucker for these things. I swear, I made a batch last week, left them on the counter to “cool,” and came back five minutes later to find him sneaking one! He tried to play it off like he thought they were for him. Little does he know, I always make extra just for his cookie monster tendencies. And my daughter? Don’t even get me STARTED on her. She loves to help me put sprinkles on them – even though most of them end up on the floor or…in her hair. Good times! Anyway, these cookies are a staple in our house for a reason – they’re easy, delicious, and guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Iced Heart Cookies Recipe
- They’re practically foolproof. I mean, if I can do it, anyone can.
- You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already. Score!
- They’re freaking adorable. Heart-shaped cookies? Yes, please!
- Sprinkles. Enough said.
- They taste like a hug. Seriously, every bite is pure comfort food.
How to Make It
Alright, so first things first, cream together your butter and sugar. I usually use my stand mixer, because, lazy, but you can totally do it by hand if you’re feeling ambitious. Just make sure the butter is SOFT. I can’t stress this enough, otherwise you’ll end up with lumpy dough. Then, beat in the egg and vanilla. Don’t skip the vanilla! It adds so much yum.
Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This is important because you don’t want clumps of baking powder in your cookies. Learned that the hard way. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix! Overmixing leads to tough cookies, and nobody wants that.
Now, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This is crucial! It helps the cookies hold their shape when baking. Trust me on this one.
Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Parchment paper is your friend.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. I usually just eyeball it until it looks right.
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Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them with the icing and decorate with sprinkles. Let the icing set before serving. And try not to eat them all in one sitting!
Ingredient Notes
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- Butter: Make sure it’s softened! Seriously, don’t be like me and try to cream cold butter. It’s a nightmare. Let it sit out for a while.
- Sugar: Just regular granulated sugar is fine. I’ve used brown sugar in a pinch, and they turned out a little chewier, which wasn’t bad!
- Vanilla Extract: Don’t skip it! It adds so much flavor. I always use the real stuff, but imitation is okay too if that’s all you have.
- Flour: All-purpose is what you want here. I haven’t tried it with gluten-free flour, but if you do, let me know how it turns out!
- Baking Powder: Make sure it’s not expired! Otherwise, your cookies will be flat and sad. Check the date!
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness. Don’t leave it out! I did once, and the cookies were just…blah.
- Powdered Sugar: For the icing! It dissolves easily and makes the icing super smooth.
- Milk: Use whatever kind you have on hand. I usually use whole milk, but 2% or even almond milk would work fine.
- Sprinkles: Because sprinkles make everything better! Use whatever kind you like. I’m partial to the rainbow nonpareils.
Recipe Steps:
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out heart shapes.
- Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for icing.
- Frost cookies and decorate with sprinkles.
What to Serve It With
These cookies are perfect on their own, with a glass of milk, or a cup of coffee. They’re also great for parties, potlucks, or just a random Tuesday when you need a little something sweet. I’ve been known to dunk them in hot chocolate too. Don’t judge!
Tips & Mistakes
- Don’t overmix the dough! I can’t stress this enough. Overmixing leads to tough cookies.
- Make sure the butter is softened! Otherwise, you’ll end up with lumpy dough.
- Chill the dough! This is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Don’t overbake the cookies! They should be lightly golden brown around the edges.
- If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Don’t be afraid to get creative with the sprinkles!
Storage Tips
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for about 3-4 days. Or, you know, until you eat them all. Which, let’s be real, is probably going to be sooner rather than later. And yes, they’re delicious cold straight from the fridge. I won’t judge if you sneak one (or three) for breakfast. I may or may not have done that myself…
Variations and Substitutions
Okay, so sometimes I’m feeling fancy, and sometimes I’m just trying to use up what’s in the pantry. Here are a few variations and substitutions I’ve tried:
- Almond Extract: Instead of vanilla, try almond extract in the icing. It gives them a really nice flavor.
- Lemon Zest: Add some lemon zest to the dough for a bright, citrusy twist.
- Chocolate Chips: Fold some chocolate chips into the dough. Because chocolate makes everything better.
- Different Shapes: Don’t have a heart-shaped cookie cutter? No problem! Use whatever shape you like. Stars, circles, squares, whatever! They’ll still taste delicious.
- Honey Instead of Sugar: I ran out of granulated sugar once and used honey instead. The cookies were a little denser, but still pretty good!
- Skipped the salt: Yeah, I’ve done that too. They were okay, but definitely missing something. Don’t skip the salt!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Easy Iced Heart Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar for icing
- 3 tablespoons milk for icing
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice for icing
- 2 drops food coloring optional, for icing
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick and cut into heart shapes.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
- For icing, mix powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice until smooth, adding food coloring if desired.
- Decorate the cookies with icing and let set before serving.
Notes
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
