Try these tips and tricks for decorating Valentine cookies with kids. This is a fun and creative Valentine’s Day activity for the whole family!
Updated January 2025
This time of year, we have to do all things heart-related. And that includes decorating heart cookies!
It can be a fun way for the whole family to gather together and create some yummy Valentine treats for each other!
We like to decorate Valentine cookies for kids in the traditional way, with frosting and sprinkles, but you can also try using food coloring to paint the cookies before baking.
How to Decorate Valentine Cookies
MATERIALS
- Uncooked sugar cookie dough (use the recipe at the bottom of this article or buy pre-made sugar cookie dough)
- Heart-shaped cookie cutters
- Frosting (recipe below)
- Sprinkles
- Food coloring
- Parchment paper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make or prep your dough
You can use our sugar cookie dough recipe at the bottom of this article or use pre-made sugar cookie dough. Either way, make your dough and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut dough and bake cookies
Next use your cookie cutters to cut your dough into hearts. Place the dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake according to your recipe.
- Decorate your cookies!
While your cookies bake, prepare your decoration ingredients. You can make a simple frosting with powdered sugar and either milk or water, or you can use store-bought frosting.
We like the look of white frosting and colorful sprinkles, but you can also use food coloring to dye your frosting different Valentine colors!
When your cookies are cooled, decorate them however you like! This is the fun part!
- Or try painting them!
You can also try painting your cookies. Once you have cut out your heart shapes, freeze the dough. Freezing the cookies makes them easier for the kids to work with and means they won’t get smooshed out of shape during the process.
While the heart cookies freeze, prepare the “paint” by diluting the food coloring with water or milk to create the shades and tints desired.
Then paint the cookies using cotton swabs as brushes. Bake according to recipe.
Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
Description
This simple recipe results in a delicious cookie, perfect for cutting out shapes for any occasion!
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 cups flour
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons milk
For the icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4–5 tablespoons milk
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
To make the cookie dough:
- Sift together flour and baking soda
- In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add milk and vanilla and mix well
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined
- Divide your dough in half. Transfer each half onto a sheet of plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and wrap tightly to seal
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling out
To cut and bake the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap one section of dough and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until 1/4 inch thick.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut as many shapes as possible. Re-roll and cut excess dough (refrigerate again if too soft)
- Bake the cookies at 350°F for 7-10 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To frost your cookies:
- Mix all of the frosting ingredients together. Add more milk if too thick; add more powdered sugar if too thin.
- To make colored frosting, divide into separate containers and add a drop or two of coloring to each one.
- Frost with spoons or piping bags and decorate as desired!
Notes
- Wrapped cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to three months. Thaw the frozen dough in the fridge overnight before rolling out.
- Baked (or baked and decorated) cookies can be stored up to three months in the freezer
- Recipe can easily be halved or doubled with the same results!
We love making and decorating Valentine cookies as a family. It is a great way to connect and create together!
More Valentine Treats to Make with Kids
- Heart-Shaped Cherry Hand Pies
- Cranberry Oatmeal Heart Cookies
- Painting a Cake with Kids
- DIY Heart Lollipops
- Kids’ Cake Decorating Tips and Ideas
- 5 Holiday Baking Ideas for Kids
Want even more creative ideas?
Check out our Hearts Activities pack!
We think you’re going to LOVE this sweet collection of adorable heart activities! This 32-page printable eBook is full of coloring pages, drawing prompts, games, and more!
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