The easiest sugar cookie recipe that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day! These sprinkled sugar cookies are super soft, tender on the inside, and deliciously sweet. Much easier than cut-out cookies!
Table of Contents
Valentine Sprinkle Cookies
If you’re looking for a no-roll sugar cookie recipe, I’ve got the perfect one for you. I absolutely LOVE my classic sugar cookie recipe, but sometimes I just don’t have the time to make those. My kids love this easy version just as much, so we make it when I’m in a time crunch!
My kids are always asking me to make sugar cookies with sprinkles. They love picking out colors and for these ones they picked out a mixed variation, pink and red. The perfect easy Valentine’s Day dessert! The possibilities are endless with different colors.
Some of you may know of these as cream cheese sugar cookies. The addition of cream cheese to the dough adds the perfect texture.
Recipe Ingredients
These are simple sugar cookies that are special for the big Valentine’s Day! We love these cookies year-round and how simple and easy they are to make. These soft and chewy sugar cookies are always a favorite in our home!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: Soften the butter ahead of time. Room-temperature butter makes it smooth and buttery when mixed together.
- Cream cheese: Make these extra soft and chewy by using a softened cream cheese mixture.
- Sugar: Added for sweetness and texture!
- Egg: This is a binder to help stick the dough together, give leavening, and help with flavor.
- Extracts: Combine almond and vanilla extract to make a sweet and savory flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Helps build and thicken the cookies. Sift the flour with the other dry ingredients to help fluff and give a lighter and more airer cookie.
- Baking powder: This will add a chewy and softer cookie when baked.
- Sprinkles: These are an added touch and can change colors depending on the holiday.
How to Make Valentine’s Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies have hidden and special ingredients that make these cookies extra chewy, soft, and full of flavor. Roll these in sprinkles before you bake them to celebrate holidays or just because! These Valentine’s sugar cookies are yummy!
- Mix. Start by creaming together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix for an additional minute. Then mix in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Combine. Slowly add the flour and baking powder. Start with 2 1/2 cups flour and add an additional 1/4 cup if the dough is too sticky. Mix just until combined. I like to chill my dough for 30 minutes to an hour before baking, however, this is optional. It just makes the dough easier to work with.
- Roll. Scoop out the dough, then roll in between your hands. Roll the dough balls into a bowl of sprinkles (or granulated sugar) and place them on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press the dough balls down with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Decorations
Create your cookies just the way you like them! They are so easy to dress up or keep simple. Add sprinkles, icing, chocolate, or specialty candies to make your sugar cookies perfect!
- No sprinkles: You can absolutely make these sugar cookies without sprinkles. If I don’t roll them in sprinkles, I like to roll them in sugar.
- Hearts: You could even put candy heart shapes in the center to dress them up a bit.
- Chocolate: If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can add a Hershey Kiss to the center of the cookies.
- Frosting: Sometimes we add easy sugar cookie icing on top. Use either frosting, royal icing, or store-bought. It adds the perfect sweetness!
- Food coloring: You can even add food coloring to change the color of the frosting or cookie!
5 star review
“These are my husband’s favorite cookie and when I first made them, he went crazy over this recipe. I will be making them for Valentine’s Day again thanks so much!”
– Claudia
Recipe FAQs
When properly stored, homemade sugar cookies will last two to three days before they become too hard and not chewy and soft.
Sprinkles should be added or rolled into the sugar cookie dough prior to baking the dough. This will give them a base and stay in the cookies rather than fall off after they are baked.
The best sprinkles for adding to cake batter or cookie dough are jimmies or confetti sprinkles. Both of these will have the best results and will hold their shape and color when baked.
Storing Sugar Cookies Properly
Sugar cookies will keep for about 3 weeks long. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be stored in the freezer. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a ziplock bag. From the freezer to the oven, bake them frozen for a delicious treat when needed!
Looking for more easy Valentine’s Day treats? Make this sugar cookie bars recipe with pink icing and festive sprinkles!
More Easy Treats for Valentine’s Day
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Valentine Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter , softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour , more if needed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup sprinkles , sanding sugar or granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and mix an additional minute. Add in the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.
- Slowly add 2 1/2 cups flour and the baking powder. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour if the dough is too sticky. Mix, just until combined. Note: The dough will be a little sticky and refrigerating it will help. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour. Place sprinkles (or granulated sugar) into a bowl if desired and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop or Tablespoon, spoon out the dough. Roll in between two hands and then roll into the sprinkles or sugar (whichever desired).
- Place onto the pan 2 inches a part and press down with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
These cookies were a big hit with everyone young and old! Way easier than roll-out sugar cookies and honestly more delicious! Made them or Valentine’s Day and again 3 weeks later. So pretty rolled in sanding sugar! Will be my go-to sugar cookie recipe!
Perfect for valentines! Will probably make this!
These were nice and easy to make and so cute with the red heart in the middle of the sugar cookie!
These were so good and my daughter and I had a blast making them.
These sugar cookies were so adorable and decadent! I’m excited to make them again for Valentine’s treats. Thanks Jamielyn, this recipe is a hit!
Great sugar cookie recipe -love that you don’t have to roll them out!
I made these and they were amazing. My son has a tree nut allergy…can you leave out almond extract? If so, do you use more vanilla??
Yes, definitely! I’d just swap the almond extract for vanilla :) Or even lemon extract would be delicious!
We made these and they were SO good! Easy too and everyone loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
One of my very favorite parts about Valentines day!
I just loved how easy these were! And my kids just loved helping me decorate them.
These are my husband favorite cookie and when I first made them he went crazy over this recipe, I will be making them for Valentines Day again thanks so much!
I was looking for the perfect cookies to make for the kids to bring to school. The kids will love these!
I love this! I am always reluctant to make sugar cookies because of the time and mess involved. This solves both of those problems! Pinning!
Hi! We are loving these cookies at my house. Thank you for sharing. Is there any way you can share with me the nutritional value and serving size?
Hi Mandy! I’m not sure on the exact nutritional information, but I typed them recipe into a nutrition calculator online and it found that 2 cookies have 376 calories.
Hi Jamielyn, I’d rather make these than any rolled out sugar cookie, any day! First of all there’s all that time and mess, and secondly, I think rolled cookies don’t taste as good. These are so cute! I’m passing your blog on to my daughter, too, who has seven kids who all like to get into the kitchen with her (well, except the little twins and the new baby)
Mollie
I agree! My kids love the rolled out sugar cookies, but they enjoy these just as much with the sprinkles! Hope your daughter enjoys these too. :)
Do you think they are too soft to package up and mail?
I think they would ship pretty good if you packaged them well. I would just make sure they get there in a couple days or they won’t taste fresh! :)
The cookies look fantastic yum..
Thank you! They were a hit with my kids! :)
These are perfect for Valentines day. And really simple to make too
Simple and festive is my favorite! :)