These conversation hearts cookies are the sweetest way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Made with soft sugar cookies, a simple royal icing made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and decorated in pastel shades with gel food coloring, they’re a homemade twist on the classic conversation heart candy. All you need is a heart-shaped cookie cutter, parchment paper, and a rolling pin to create these adorable heart cookies that look just like the nostalgic candy we all grew up with.
These conversation hearts cookies made with a soft, classic store-bought sugar cookie base. These cookies hold their shape beautifully when rolled out. They are easy to cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Top them with simple royal icing and decorat just like the nostalgic candy conversation hearts. These Valentine’s Day cookie recipe is easy to customize with your favorite colors and sweet sayings. They’re fun to bake, simple to decorate, and perfect for sharing.
Looking for more Valentine's Day recipes? I've got you covered with my Homemade Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish Hearts Recipe which tastes like they were made in a bakery. Get the family together and make my Easy Crispy Cornflake Cookies For Valentine's Day. Make Valentine's Day breakfast with my Heart Shaped Pancakes Easy Valentine's Day Breakfast they are adorable and taste really good! And for dessert, impress your person with my Chocolate Coffee Ganache with Raspberries & Espresso. Looking for a light Valentine's Day dinner option? My Basil Lemon Pesto | Easy 5-minute Pasta Sauce Recipe is super light and refreshing.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Conversation Hearts Cookies
- What you need for Mini Conversation Hearts Cookies
- Ingredients for Easy Conversation Hearts Cookies
- How to Make These Valentine's Sugar Cookies
- Recipe Notes for Heart Sugar Cookies
- More Valentine's Day Recipes
- Pin or send this recipe to a friend!
- Follow Us
- 📖 Recipe
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Why You'll Love These Conversation Hearts Cookies
- 💗 Nostalgic & adorable – Just like classic candy conversation hearts, but soft and homemade.
- 🍪 Easy sugar cookie base – A simple store-bought sugar cookie dough that holds its shape beautifully.
- 🎨 Fun to decorate – Customize with pastel royal icing and your own sweet sayings.
- ✨ Perfect for Valentine’s Day – Great for parties, gifting, or baking with kids.
What you need for Mini Conversation Hearts Cookies
Ingredients for Easy Conversation Hearts Cookies
- Cookies: Store-bought sugar cookie dough – A soft, classic sugar cookie base that rolls out easily and holds its shape beautifully when cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. This makes this recipe super quick and easy!
- Royal Icing Frosting: Powdered sugar – The base of the icing that creates that smooth, matte finish just like classic conversation heart candy.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness and helps create a thick consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of warm flavor that balances the sweetness.
- Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters: Use different sizes, it's fun!
- Gel Food Coloring: Gives you those bright classic pastel shades without thinning the icing.
- Edible Food Pen Coloring Pens: Makes it easy to add detailed conversation heart messages once the icing sets.
How to Make These Valentine's Sugar Cookies
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350-degrees and Roll Out the Dough Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the store-bought sugar cookie dough using a rolling pin. Aim for about ¼-inch thickness so the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Step 2: Cut the Heart Shapes Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the hearts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut again until all the dough is used
- Step 3: Place the heart-shaped cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look set but not browned. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 4: While the conversation hearts cookies are cooling, make the Royal Icing In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. The icing should be thick but still spreadable.
Divide the icing into separate bowls and add gel food coloring to create soft pastel shades like pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
- Step 5: Frost the Cookies Spread a smooth layer of colored icing over each cooled sugar cookie. Let the icing set completely before adding any writing.
- Step 6: Add the Conversation Heart Sayings Use an edible food coloring pen to write classic phrases like “HUG ME,” “BE MINE,” and “LOVE YOU.” Allow the writing to dry before stacking or storing.
Recipe Notes for Heart Sugar Cookies
- Tip: Don't over bake the sugar cookies
For heart-shaped sugar cookies that hold their shape, remove them from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft and pale. The edges should be set, but not browned. Overbaking causes spreading and dry cookies — which makes decorating with royal icing much harder. Remember: they continue baking on the pan for a few minutes after you take them out. - Tip: Let cookies cool completely before icing For heart-shaped sugar cookies that hold their shape, remove them from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft and pale. The edges should be set, but not browned. Overbaking causes spreading and dry cookies — which makes decorating with royal icing much harder. Remember: they continue baking on the pan for a few minutes after you take them out.
Storage:
- Storage: Store for Freshness Store decorated conversation heart cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. Place parchment paper between layers to protect the icing and keep your Valentine’s Day cookies looking perfect.
Absolutely! While this heart shaped cookies recipe uses store-bought sugar cookie dough for convenience, you can use your favorite homemade sugar cookie dough. Just make sure the dough is firm and chilled before using a heart cookie cutter so your heart sugar cookies hold their shape.
Yes! Royal icing creates a smooth, matte finish similar to classic conversation hearts candy. If you prefer decorated Valentine’s Day cookies with a firmer set icing, royal icing is a great option. Just allow extra drying time before writing your messages.
The key is slightly underbaking and working with chilled dough. Roll the dough evenly, about ¼-inch thick, and bake just until the centers are set. Over baking can cause the cookies to spread and lose their defined heart shape.
Let the icing fully set before using an edible food pen. Writing too soon can cause smudging. Once dry, you can add classic conversation heart messages like “LOVE,” “XOXO,” or “BE MINE.”
More Valentine's Day Recipes
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Thank you for stopping by Fitty Foodlicious, a website dedicated to sharing lasting, family recipes, anxiety tips and tricks, and healthy spirited mental wellness. Genevieve's recipes have been featured on MSN.com, NewsBreak, Food Talk Daily, Food Gawker, Trivet Recipes, Bartender.com, Health Magazine, Kitchen Aid AU NZ, and has a published Cookbook titled The 5-Ingredient Paleo Cookbook which can be purchased at all major bookstores and on Amazon.
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📖 Recipe
Conversation Hearts Cookies | Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 0z Package of store-bought Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2 cups powered sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring various colors
- Edible food pen for writing messages
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin
- Roll the sugar cookie dough to about ¼-inch thick. Cut the heart cookies: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart cookies. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft. Do NOT over bake. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center. Over baking will cause spreading and harder texture.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream.
- Make the icing: In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and thick. Divide and tint with gel food coloring.
- Frost the cookies with a spoon or offset spatula. Let icing set. One the icing sets, write messages using an edible food pen once fully dry.
Notes
- Bake just until edges are set — slightly soft centers are perfect.
- Use gel food coloring so the icing stays thick.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Amanda
These are so cute and such a fun homemade twist on classic conversation hearts. I love how soft the cookies look and the pastel icing makes them perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Swathi
This is a really cute idea for decorating cookies like this. I am going to make it for my daughters' birthday again.
Monica
I made these for a party and they were the first thing gone. The colors are so bright! If you want a different twist, these soft frosted sugar cookies are another crowd favorite.