Happy Valentine’s Week! ♥
To celebrate, I made my favorite cut-out sugar cookies—soft, tender, and shaped for the occasion.
My mom showed me how to make these when I was very young, and they’ve been a family tradition ever since. While we often bake them at Christmas, they’re perfect any time you want a classic, decorated cookie.
Today I’m sharing heart-shaped cookies decorated with vanilla icing and sprinkles—an easy way to show some love.
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Cut-Out Cookie Ingredients
- Powdered sugar: 1 cup
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup
- Egg: 1 large
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Almond extract: 1/2 teaspoon
- Unsalted butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), room temperature — not too warm or the cookies will spread
- Self-rising flour: 2 1/2 cups
Vanilla Icing Ingredients
- Powdered sugar: 2 cups
- Milk: 4 teaspoons
- Light corn syrup: 4 teaspoons
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Almond extract: 1 teaspoon
- Sprinkles: for decorating
How to Make Cut-Out Cookies
Follow these steps to make, bake, and decorate your cookies.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Beat: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, almond extract and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add flour: Add the self-rising flour and mix until just combined.
- Chill: Divide the dough into four pieces, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine and convenient).
Make, Bake & Decorate
- Preheat: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Roll: Roll chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Cut: Use cookie cutters to cut shapes and transfer them to prepared pans.
- Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Make icing: In a medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Mix in corn syrup, vanilla and almond extracts until glossy.
- Decorate: Frost cooled cookies and add sprinkles as desired.
Additional Baking Tips
- Chilled dough: Refrigerating the dough for at least an hour helps keep cookie shapes crisp. Overnight chilling works well if you’re prepping ahead.
- Cookie cutters: Lightly spray cutters with nonstick spray to prevent sticking and get clean edges.
- Even thickness: Use an adjustable rolling pin or rolling pin rings to ensure all cookies are the same thickness for even baking.
Baking Tools Needed
- Mixer: A stand or hand mixer for creaming butter and sugar.
- Baking sheet: Large baking sheets (16×11 in recommended).
- Silicone mat or parchment: For even baking and easy cleanup.
- Cookie cutters: Any shapes you prefer; hearts are great for Valentine’s treats.
- Icing spatula: Helpful for spreading frosting smoothly.
Recipe Card
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Servings: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 1 hr 15 mins • Cook Time: 14 mins • Total Time: 1 hr 29 mins
These cut-out sugar cookies are soft, flavorful, and perfect for decorating and gifting.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Vanilla Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons milk
- 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Beat powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, almond extract and butter on medium-high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick, cut shapes, and place on baking sheets.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes. Cool on the sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, vanilla and almond extract until glossy.
- Frost cooled cookies and add sprinkles.
Notes
- Storage: Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature up to 7 days.
- Freezing: Unfrosted cut-out cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen for 9–10 minutes — no thawing required.
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