Valentine Chocolate Dipped Heart Cookies

Valentine sweets for your sweetie

If there's one way to show your love this Valentine's Day, it's with homemade cookies straight from the heart - literally! These Valentine Chocolate Dipped Heart Cookies are buttery, soft sugar cookies dipped in rich chocolate and decorated with colorful sprinkles. Whether you're baking for your sweetheart, friends, or kids, these Valentine's Day cookies are as fun to make as they are delicious to eat. They're the perfect treat to celebrate love!

But why stop there! When it comes to making something sweet for your sweetie try an easy-to-make Chocolate Raspberry Trifle, these rich decadent Red Velvet Brownies, or these light as air Valentine Meringue Cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

There are so many reasons to fall in love with these cookies!

Homemade with love: They're made from scratch, giving them a charm that store-bought can't compete with. You'll taste the buttery goodness in every bite.

Decadent & Fun: The chocolate-dipping step adds a richness, turning simple sugar cookies into a show-stopping dessert. And the decorations? Well, that's where the fun begins!

Versatile: Change the shape, the chocolate, or the sprinkles to match any holiday or occasion.

Ingredients

These cookies come together with just a few pantry staples and a sprinkle:

• Butter: The base of any good sugar cookie, it adds a rich, buttery flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens while creating that perfect sugar cookie texture.
• Vanilla and almond extract: A duo of extracts that create a fragrant and flavorful cookie.
• Egg: Helps bind the dough together and give it a soft texture.
• Baking powder: Gives the cookies a little lift, keeping them from being too dense.
• All-purpose flour: The foundation of the dough, creating cookies that roll out beautifully.
• Dark chocolate: Melted for dipping, it provides a rich chocolatey coating. Look for a good quality chocolate for the best results.
• Sprinkles: A fun and festive finishing touch to customize for Valentine's Day or any occasion.

How to make chocolate dipped sugar cookies

Making these chocolate-dipped cookies is both fun and tasty!

1. Place room-temperature butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
2. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg, almond and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture.
4. Continue to mix until well incorporated.
5. Combine flour with baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients, beating just until mixed. This will make for more tender cookies.
6. The dough should be smooth and firm.

7. Divide dough into thirds. On a lightly floured flat surface, roll dough out to about ¼" thickness. Cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.

8. Place hearts on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
9. Bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 11-12 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheets 5 minutes then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. To finish: Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between until melted. This usually takes 1-½ minutes. Line your cookie sheets with wax paper. Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate.
11. Sprinkle the warm chocolate immediately with pink and white sprinkles perfect for Valentine's Day.

NOTE: If you don't have a deep, narrow bowl that makes dipping the cookie easy, use a spatula and drip the chocolate over half the cookie. You can do just the front or both sides, it's up to you.

Recipe tips for success

Getting perfect cookies every time doesn't have to be tricky! These tips will help you create heart-shaped sugar cookies that are buttery, smooth, and perfectly decorated.

Use softened butter: It makes creaming with sugar easier and ensures a smooth dough.

Let the chocolate cool slightly before dipping: If it's too hot, it may drip excessively or coat unevenly.

Work in batches when dipping and decorating: You want to decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate cools and hardens.

Recipe variations

These cookies are endlessly customizable! Here are some ideas:

• Swap out dark chocolate for milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate.
• If using white chocolate, add a few drops of food coloring gel for a colorful touch.
• Use different cookie cutter shapes to match holidays like Easter or Christmas.
• Change up the sprinkles to fit any theme or celebration. Or use finely chopped nuts.

Make ahead

You can make and freeze the cookie dough up to 2 months in advance. There are two ways:

Shape the dough into 2 or 3 disks, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and place them in a plastic freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge before rolling and cutting.

After preparing the dough, roll it out, cut into shapes, and freeze the raw cookies on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. To bake, place frozen cookies directly in the oven, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.

Baked cookies can also be frozen before dipping in chocolate. Allow them to cool completely, store in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Dip and decorate after thawing.

How to store and freeze chocolate dipped cookies

Storing: Once dipped and decorated, place the cookies in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Freezing: These cookies freeze beautifully. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. They'll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw before serving.