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Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Cut-Out Cookies

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Ingredients

  • 1 + 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweet­ened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon bak­ing pow­der
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup 4 ounces or 8 tablespoons unsalted but­ter, room tem­per­a­ture
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • Melted chocolate for drizzling (optional if not using royal icing)

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sprinkles

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a bigger bowl, beat the butter and sugar until it’s light and creamy. This takes about a minute or two.
  • Scrape the bowl, then mix in the egg, vanilla, and food coloring.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
  • Split the dough in two. Put each piece between plastic wrap and roll it out until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for at least an hour so it firms up.
  • Heat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment if you want easy cleanup.
  • Take one dough sheet out at a time. Use a floured cookie cutter to make your shapes. Press the scraps together and keep cutting. If the dough gets sticky, pop it back in the fridge. Do the same with the second dough sheet.
  • Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, just until the edges feel set. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool all the way.
  • Decorate with chocolate drizzle, royal icing, or cream cheese frosting — whatever your kids love.
  • Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to a week.

For Icing

  • Mix powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. It should be thick. If it’s too runny, add a little more powdered sugar until it firms up.