Name: Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe
Prep time: 5 h 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 14 tablespoons unsalted European butter, cool room temperature; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 large egg yolk, room temperature; 2 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature; 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste; Red gel food coloring; 1/2-1 cup Pink and white jimmy sprinkles

If you're in the mood to wow your sweetheart with something truly special, this Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe is pure magic. These charming slice-and-bake cookies feature layers of pink and red dough swirled into delightful hearts—perfect for sharing a little love (and sweetness!) this Valentine’s Day.

The image shows several round cookies arranged on a metal cooling rack over a white marbled surface. Each cookie has one layer with a light tan color forming the base and a smooth texture. In the center of each cookie, there is a bright red heart shape layer that stands out clearly. Around the edge of every cookie, there is a border made of small, round, pink and white sprinkles, adding a speckled texture and color contrast to the smooth cookie surface. The lighting is soft, showing a warm and inviting baked look. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’m genuinely obsessed with how these cookies come together—there’s something so fun and satisfying about layering vibrant dough, rolling it into a log, and then slicing out delicate heart shapes that are bursting with buttery flavor and sparkle.

Eye-Catching Design: The marbled pink and red layers create a stunning, gift-worthy look without complicated decorating.
Soft, Buttery Texture: These cookies stay soft and tender—perfect for that melt-in-your-mouth bite.
Easy Slice & Bake: Prep the dough ahead and slice fresh cookies whenever you want—super convenient and impressive.
Fun, Festive Sprinkles: The pink and white jimmies add just the right vibrant crunch to make every bite special.

Ingredients & Why They Work

All the magic starts with quality ingredients and a few smart choices. I always recommend using European-style butter (like Kerrygold) for extra richness, and vanilla bean paste for that authentic vanilla flavor that really shines through.

Flat lay of a small mound of all-purpose flour, a small white ceramic bowl with fine sea salt and baking powder mixed, a few large whole uncracked brown eggs with clean shells, a handful of pale yellow unsalted European butter sticks at cool room temperature, a small white ceramic bowl filled with granulated sugar, a tiny white ceramic bowl holding heavy cream, a small white ceramic bowl containing vanilla bean paste, a small white ceramic bowl with vivid red gel food coloring, and a small white ceramic bowl overflowing with pink and white jimmy sprinkles, all arranged with perfect symmetry on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

All-purpose flour: The base of your cookie dough—measuring it accurately is key for the perfect texture.
Baking powder: Adds just enough lift to keep these sugar cookies tender.
Fine sea salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the buttery goodness.
Unsalted European butter: Provides a rich, creamy flavor and fatty richness ideal for soft sugar cookies.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps create that tender crumb.
Large egg & egg yolk: Adds structure and moisture while keeping cookies soft and chewy.
Heavy cream: A splash of fat boosts tenderness and richness.
Vanilla bean paste: Brings deep, authentic vanilla flavor with those pretty specks you can see.
Red gel food coloring: Gives the dough its vibrant pink and red hues without changing the texture.
Pink and white jimmies sprinkles: For that perfect festive sparkle coating that’s fun and flavorful.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of the best things about this Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe is how easy it is to personalize. Whether you want to tweak colors, flavors, or textures, these buttery heart cookies provide the perfect, flexible canvas!

Variation: I love swapping the classic vanilla bean paste for almond extract when making these cookies for a unique nutty twist that pairs beautifully with the vibrant sprinkles. It’s a lovely surprise in every bite!
Sprinkle Selections: Feel free to experiment with different types of sprinkles—like sanding sugar for extra sparkle or pastel-colored pearls for elegance—to match the vibe of your Valentine’s celebration.
Diet-Friendly Options: For a vegetarian-friendly but gluten-free alternative, try using a blend of gluten-free all-purpose flour and a dairy-free butter substitute. The texture changes slightly but the heartwarming effect stays just as strong.
Seasonal Spin: Beyond Valentine’s Day, you can switch up the colors to green and red for a festive Christmas batch or soft pastels for springtime celebrations.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe

The image shows several round cookies with a light tan base layer and a bright red heart shape in the center of each. The edges of the cookies are decorated with small pink and white sprinkles, creating a textured border. One cookie in the middle is broken in half, showing the soft, crumbly texture inside with the red heart layer clearly visible through the middle. The cookies lie on a metal cooling rack, and above them is a white bowl filled with the same pink and white sprinkles. The background is a white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Step 1: Mixing the Base for Tender Cookies

Start by whisking together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a small bowl. This dry mix sets the foundation for perfectly tender cookies. Set it aside while you cream the butter and sugar—about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides often to ensure everything blends smoothly! This stage is key to that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Step 2: Combining the Wet Ingredients for a Silky Dough

Next, add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat everything together until fully incorporated and glossy. This wet mixture brings richness and flavor to your dough, giving those cookies a buttery softness you’ll adore.

Step 3: Bringing It All Together - Flour Meets Dough

Slowly fold your dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined — avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cookies. You'll notice a soft dough forming, smooth and slightly sticky. Divide this dough in half, leaving about 375-400 grams in your mixing bowl for the plain part.

Step 4: Tint, Roll, and Chill the Colored Dough

Add a few drops of red gel food coloring to half the dough. Mix until you see a vibrant pink or red shade—feel free to adjust for your preferred color depth! Roll this tinted dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ½ inch thick and pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, cover the plain dough with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature.

Step 5: Cut, Stack, and Freeze Your Heart Shapes

Use a 1 ½-inch heart cookie cutter to cut shapes from your chilled colored dough. Don’t toss your scraps—reroll once and keep cutting! Lightly dab the center of each heart with water, then stack them gently, pressing just enough to stick. Arrange this heart stack into a 9–10 inch log on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze it for at least 30 minutes until firm. This step makes layering easy and mess-free later.

Step 6: Wrap and Chill Your Heart Log in Plain Dough

Remove your heart log from the freezer and carefully wrap the plain dough around it, making sure to cover all edges without gaps. Then, wrap this entire log in plastic wrap and roll gently into a smooth cylinder. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours—or overnight if you have time—so the dough firms up perfectly for slicing.

Step 7: Prep, Slice, and Bake to Perfection

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the chilled dough log from the fridge and roll it gently in pink and white jimmies sprinkles for that extra sparkle. Slice into ½-inch thick cookies and place them about an inch apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookie bottoms turn lightly golden and tops look matte. Want them crispier? Let them bake up to 12 minutes, watching closely so they don’t overbrown.

Step 8: Cool and Share the Love

Once out of the oven, transfer your cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set just right before sharing or packing up as a heartfelt gift. These buttery, tender Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles are sure to brighten anyone’s day!

Top Tip

Mastering the Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe is all about attention to detail and a few sweet secrets. These tips will help you achieve perfect texture, beautiful color, and that charming marbled effect every time.

Proper Ingredient Measuring: I can't stress enough how crucial it is to measure your flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale. Too much flour can make these buttery cookies dry instead of soft and tender.
Dough Temperature Matters: Keeping your butter at the cool room temperature of 64-68°F ensures you get that ideal creamy texture without the dough becoming too soft or greasy.
Stacking Hearts with a Dab of Water: When you lightly dampen the heart centers before stacking, the layers stick perfectly, making it easier to handle the heart log without pieces falling apart during freezing and wrapping.
Chill Patience Pays Off: Freezing the logs before slicing is not just a step—it's the secret to clean slices and nicely shaped cookies. Rushing this step is a mistake that I learned to avoid through trial and error.

How to Serve Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles Recipe

The image shows a close-up of a bright red dough mixture inside a clear glass bowl. The dough has a thick, slightly crumbly texture and is being mixed with a white metal paddle attachment of a mixer. The paddle is partially covered with the red dough, and the bowl's sides have some smears of the dough. The background is a white marbled surface, and a glass of water is partially visible in the top right corner. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Garnishes

These cookies already have a delightful sprinkle coating, but if you want to add a little extra charm, consider dusting them with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar just before serving for a soft snow-kissed look. Edible pearls or small heart-shaped sugar decorations also make lovely accents for special occasions.

Side Dishes

Pair your heart-shaped cookies with a warm cup of spiced hot chocolate, a creamy chai latte, or your favorite cup of tea to complement their buttery, sweet flavor. For a festive touch, a bowl of fresh strawberries or raspberries goes beautifully with these pink and red treats.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store your Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and soft for up to 5 days – perfect if you want to enjoy them across several days or share with friends and family.

Freezing

If you want to prepare ahead, the dough log can be frozen wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 1 month. When ready, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking. You can also freeze the fully baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Reheating

To enjoy your cookies warm, reheat them in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 3-5 minutes. This revives their buttery softness and brings back that freshly baked aroma without drying them out.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use regular food coloring instead of gel for the pink dough?

Regular liquid food coloring can work but may alter the dough's consistency, making it slightly softer. Gel food coloring is preferred because it provides vibrant color without affecting texture.

How thin can I slice the cookies before baking?

The recipe suggests slicing about ½-inch thick for soft, buttery cookies. If you prefer crispier cookies, slice thinner – around ¼ inch – but watch closely as thinner slices bake faster.

Can I substitute the European butter with regular American butter?

Yes, you can use regular unsalted butter, though European butter has slightly higher fat content making the cookies richer and softer. Using good quality butter will still yield delicious results.

Will the cookies keep their shape if I skip freezing the dough log?

Skipping the freezing step makes slicing tricky as the dough will be too soft. This often causes misshapen cookies. Freezing ensures firm dough for neat slices and beautiful hearts.

Final Thoughts

These Valentine’s Heart Cookies with Vibrant Sprinkles aren’t just adorable—they’re a labor of love that’s well worth the time. With buttery softness, that gorgeous pink-red marbled dough, and a festive sprinkle coating, they’re perfect for sharing smiles and sweet moments with the ones you cherish. Whether you gift them, enjoy them yourself, or bake alongside loved ones, these cookies truly bring the heart to your celebration. Happy baking and happy Valentine’s Day!