These Valentine’s Sandwich Cookies are a fun and tasty way to celebrate a special day! Each soft sugar cookie has bright heart-shaped designs that make them look as good as they taste. The smooth, creamy fudge filling in the middle adds just the right amount of sweetness for a truly delicious treat.
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The heart inlays are created by laying pieces of colored dough over the cookie base. Then the hearts are gently pressed into the cookie base by gently rolling over the top. This technique allows for endless customization, letting you tailor designs to match personal preferences.
Ingredients
Sugar cookie ingredients
Gather the following ingredients to make the dough for these easy Valentine's sandwich cookies:
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter - soften butter before starting this recipe
- All-purpose flour - if necessary, sift flour to remove any lumps
- Baking powder and salt
- Flavor extract - optional - consider using vanilla, peppermint, almond, etc..
- Gel food colors - I used red but feel free to use any color you wish or a combination of colors (e.g. red and pink, etc...)
See recipe card for quantities.
Fudge filling ingredients
You need the following ingredients for the creamy fudge filling:
- Chocolate - use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
- Unsalted butter - soften butter before starting recipe
- Light corn syrup
- Heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To create these Valentine's heart sandwich cookies, follow the instructions provided below. Each step will guide you through the process of making these treats, ensuring they turn out as sweet and charming as the occasion itself.
Cookie instructions
1 - Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift flour through a fine mesh sieve if necessary to remove any lumps. Set aside.
2 - Mix together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg to bowl and mix until well combined.
3 - Add dry ingredients (flour, etc..) to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until well combined.
4 - Set aside ⅔ cup of cookie dough to color red in the next step. Roll the remaining dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼" thick, then set it aside.
5 - Mix a few drops of red food coloring into the ⅔ cup of dough set aside in step 4. Knead thoroughly, adding more food coloring as needed until the desired color is reached.
6 - Roll the red dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ⅛" thick. Use an assortment of small cookie cutters (¼" and ¾") to cut out heart shapes.
7 - Arrange red hearts randomly over the cookie dough without pressing them down.
8 - Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and gently roll with light pressure to secure the heart inlays, being careful not to press too hard to avoid distorting the shapes.
9 - Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once firm, use a 2 ½" round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place cookies on sheet pans lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
10 - Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350℉ / 180℃ (edges will be lightly browned). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling and assembly instructions
1 - Bring heavy cream and corn syrup to a low boil. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften, then stir until smooth.
2 - Add softened butter to bowl. Stir until smooth. Allow filling to sit at room temperature and cool until it is firm enough to spread or pipe (approximately 1 hour).
3 - Add 1 tablespoon filling to half of the cookies. Place another cookie on over the fudge filling and press lightly to adhere.
4 - Enjoy your Valentine's Day sandwich cookies!
Variations
Feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your personal preferences. Here are a few ideas that work well:
- Fillings - replace the fudge filling with raspberry or strawberry jam, use vanilla buttercream, lemon curd, etc...
- Gluten-free - replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount 1 to 1 gluten-free flour. King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill both make excellent wheat flour replacements.
Storage
Place cookies in an airtight container or a tightly-sealed cookie tin, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can stay fresh this way for up to 5 days. Alternatively, wrap cookies well and freeze for up to 2 months.
Top Tip
Use light pressure on your rolling pin when adhering the heart inlays in order to not distort them.
More heart-shaped dessert recipes
Looking for more dessert recipes for your Valentine's Day celebration? Try these:
I hope you enjoy these Valentine's sandwich cookies as much as my family and friends have over the years!
📋 Recipe
Valentine's Sandwich Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Cookie Sheet Pans Lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- 1 Hand Mixer or
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Heart-shaped cookie cutters I used ¼" and ¾" heart cutters for the inlays
- 1 2 ½" round cookie cutter
- 1 Pastry bag or tablespoon for adding fudge filling
Ingredients
Sugar cookie dough
- 1 Cup Unsalted butter softened
- 1 Cup Granulated sugar use unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon Flavor extract optional - consider using vanilla, peppermint, almond, etc...
- 1 Large Eggs room temperature
- 3 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Red gel food coloring or other colors of your choice
Fudge filling
- 6 Ounces Chocolate chips use bittersweet or semi-sweet chips
- ½ Cup Heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons Light corn syrup
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
Instructions
Sugar cookie dough
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift flour through a fine mesh sieve if necessary to remove any lumps. Set aside.3 Cups All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Place butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (note - a hand-mixer may be used).1 Cup Unsalted butter, 1 Cup Granulated sugar
- Mix butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.
- Add egg to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Optional - add any flavor extracts when adding the eggs1 Large Eggs, 1 teaspoon Flavor extract
- Add dry ingredients (flour, etc..) to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until well combined.
Roll and bake dough
- Preheat oven to 350℉ / 180℃
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Set aside ⅔ cup of cookie dough to color red in the next step. Roll the remaining dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼" thick, then set it aside.
- Mix a few drops of red food coloring into the ⅔ cup of dough set aside in previous step. Knead thoroughly, adding more food coloring as needed until the desired color is reached.Red gel food coloring
- Roll the red dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ⅛" thick. Use an assortment of small cookie cutters (¼" and ¾") to cut out heart shapes.
- Arrange the red hearts randomly over the cookie dough without pressing them down.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and gently roll with light pressure to secure the heart inlays, being careful not to press too hard to avoid distorting the shapes.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once firm, use a 2 ½" round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
- Place cookies on sheet pans lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, leaving at least 1" of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Fudge filling
- Place chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl.6 Ounces Chocolate chips
- Combine heavy cream and corn syrup in a pan. Bring to a low boil and pour over chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.½ Cup Heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons Light corn syrup
- Add softened butter to bowl. Stir until smooth. Allow filling to sit at room temperature and cool until it is firm enough to spread or pipe (approximately 1 hour).3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
Assemble cookies
- Add 1 tablespoon filling to half of the cookies. Place another cookie on over the fudge filling and press lightly to adhere.
Video
Notes
- If the dough cracks, it may be too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling. You can also knead it lightly to warm it up slightly.
- If dough becomes sticky, place it back in your refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill it slightly.
- Storage: Place cookies in an airtight container or tightly-sealed cookie tin, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can stay fresh this way for up to 5 days. Alternatively, wrap cookies well and freeze for up to 2 months.
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