These Chocolate Sugar Cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day! Filled with Nutella and decorated with sprinkles, they make a great edible gift.
These decorated heart-shaped cookies are a fun treat for kids and adults! Two chocolatey sugar cookies are sandwiched with Nutella and topped with cute sprinkles to make an easy and adorable Valentine’s Day treat that not only looks pretty but also tastes delicious.
My favorite Valentine’s Day Chocolate Sugar Cookies don’t spread as they bake, have a deep chocolate flavor, and are soft and tender for days. Rolling out the dough on a piece of parchment paper before chilling saves time and makes cutting out cookies and clean-up so much easier! Just-made cookie dough is still soft and easier to work than a ball of cold cookie dough from the fridge. No need to warm the dough on the counter to make it workable!
These cute Valentine Cookies make a great edible gift for your loved ones this year!
Tips & Tricks for making Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat rather than greasing your pan for the best results.
- Measure all the ingredients correctly, using a kitchen scale is best when baking delicate goods like cookies.
- The butter should be softened but not melty. The butter should still be firm, but you should be able to make an indent with your finger easily.
- Roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper before chilling it. This makes rolling out the dough so much easier!
- Chilling the dough is very important! Don’t overhandle the dough and keep the dough in the fridge until you use it.
- Instead of Nutella, you can also spread seedless raspberry or strawberry jam on the cookies.
Can you freeze sugar cookie dough?
Yes, sugar cookie dough can be frozen. Roll out the dough between parchment and freeze until solid. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a few minutes before using cookie cutters. If the dough is still frozen when you put the baking sheet in the oven add 1 or 2 minutes to the baking time.
Can sugar cookies be frozen?
Yes, the baked cookies can be frozen! Sugar cookies contain a lot of butter so they freeze well. I would freeze the (cooled) baked cookies stacked in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the cookies and add the Nutella and Sprinkles later after thawing them. To thaw, take the cookies out of the container and let them sit at room temperature so they don’t get soggy from condensation.
How to make heart-shaped cookies
The easiest way to make heart-shaped cookies is by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. If you don’t have a heart-shaped cookie cutter you can draw a heart on a piece of sturdy cardboard (cereal container for example), cut it out, and use it as a template.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day recipes?
- Puff Pastry Jam Hearts
- Strawberry Tiramisu
- Homemade Strawberry Cake Recipe
- Easy Creme Brulee Recipe
- Raspberry Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Tools used for making these Chocolate Cutout Cookies
Dutch-process cocoa: Dutch-process cocoa powder is not as bitter as natural cocoa powder and darker in color. Oreo cookies are made with dutch cocoa.
Heart-shaped cookie cutter: You need a larger and a smaller heart cookie cutter for this recipe.
Sprinkles: This shop sells the cutest sprinkles! You have to check them out!
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder, optional
- 1/3 cup Nutella
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter at medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and light.
- Add vanilla extract and egg. Beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a medium bowl.
- On low speed, slowly mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Divide the dough into two parts and roll each portion out to 1/4 inch thickness on a piece of parchment paper. Stack, put onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight (cover top with parchment).
- Preheat oven to 375°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Take out one part of the dough and cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet then using a smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut smaller hearts into the centers of half of the hearts. Remove the smaller hearts and re-roll the remaining dough. Continue cutting until all the dough is used.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are firm, the cookies will still appear soft. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining chilled dough.
- When the cookies are cooled completely, spread Nutella over whole hearts then place cookies with heart cut centers over tops. Decorate with sprinkles. Store in an airtight container.
KK says
The recipe steps are currently missing any reference to adding the baking powder!
Julia Foerster says
Sorry, KK! I added it to the recipe. Thank you for letting me know!
Karly says
The cuteness. I just can’t even handle it. I LOVE these little things- they look so stinking delicious too!
Michelle says
These are sooo adorable! And I have such a weakness for Nutella!
Cheryl @ That's What Che Said... says
These might be my new favorite Sugar Cookie! Huge hit in my house! Thanks for sharing!