Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Why Cream Cheese Belongs in Snickerdoodle Dough

Adding real full-fat cream cheese alongside unsalted butter transforms traditional snickerdoodles from a standard cookie into a thick, bakery-style treat. The acidity in dairy breaks down gluten strands to create an impossibly tender crumb, while retaining essential moisture so the cookies stay soft for days.

Classic vs. Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles

With cream cheese in the dough, and perfectly paired with a mug of sweet hot chocolate, this classic recipe is a tradition in our home. Our favorite Christmas cookies are these well-loved Best Sugar Cookies, but there’s always room for a variety on the holiday cookie platter.

Step-by-Step Baking & Quality Control Checklist

• Bring Dairy to Room Temp: Ensure both the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature so they emulsify smoothly without lumps.
• Do Not Skip the Chill: Chill the covered dough for at least 1 hour. Cold dough prevents excessive spreading and locks in that thick, puffy shape.
• Coat Just Before Baking: Roll the 2-teaspoon dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mix right before placing them on the baking sheet so the sugar doesn’t absorb into the dough.
• Rest on the Pan: Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes until set, then let them sit on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.

How Cream Cheese Upgrades Cookie Texture

In partnership with the American Dairy Association Mideast, using real dairy milk, butter, and full-fat cream cheese is one of the easiest ways to elevate holiday baking:

• Acidity & Tenderness: Cream cheese contains natural lactic acid, which softens gluten structure to guarantee a tender bite.
• Moisture Retention: The combination of milk fats and solids binds moisture tightly, keeping cookies soft far longer than butter alone.
• Emulsification Tip: Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar thoroughly on medium speed until smooth before incorporating the dry ingredients.

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Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles Recipe

These Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles deliver the classic cinnamon-sugar flavor you love in a soft, pillowy, soft-baked cookie with a subtle, delicious tang.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword christmas, cinnamon, cookie, cream cheese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 27 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 148kcal

Author Katrina Bahl

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Cream the Base: In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
• Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the cream cheese mixture until a dough forms.
• Chill: Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, you can form the dough into 36 balls and chill.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and sugar.
• Prep & Pre-heat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.
• Roll & Coat: Scoop dough into balls using about 2 heaping teaspoons per cookie. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Bake & Cool: Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10–12 minutes until set. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Can I freeze Cream Cheese Snickerdoodle dough? Yes! Shape the dough into balls, freeze them on a lined baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Roll the frozen dough balls in cinnamon sugar right before baking, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

How should I store these cookies to keep them soft? Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

Why did my snickerdoodles turn out flat? Flat cookies usually occur if the butter or cream cheese was melted rather than softened, or if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

Cookie Recipes to Try

Biscoff Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies

For even more recipes, information about dairy nutrition, and to meet Ohio and West Virginia dairy farmers, visit Drink-Milk.com, and follow the American Dairy Association Mideast on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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If you love the holiday classic Vanilla Ricotta Cookies, then you will want to add this fresh citrus version!

The Best Lemon Ricotta Cookies

This simple recipe comes together quickly with no fuss and makes four dozen small cookies so you can share them with friends and family. It’s as simple as combining the wet ingredients and dry ingredients.

Cover the warm cookies with a simple powdered sugar glaze and cover with candy sprinkles or additional lemon zest. You can spoon the glaze over the cookies, drizzle, or dip the cookies into the glaze.

Ricotta Cookies Key Ingredients

Please view the recipe card below to view and print the complete ingredient list and instructions.

• Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese- Full-fat ricotta cheese is best for this recipe. Most ricotta cheese comes pre-drained, but stir if your ricotta looks soupy. If still not satisfied, you can press the cheese into a sieve or squeeze in a cheesecloth before using.
• Fresh Lemons- This recipe uses fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, so it is not advisable to use bottled lemon juice.
• Butter- Bring your butter to room temperature before attempting to cream it with sugar. Do not microwave the butter; it may become too soft and melt, resulting in a sticky cookie dough batter. You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe.

Freezing Cookies and Storage

The dough can be prepared two days before and refrigerated in an air-tight container until ready to bake. Or freeze unbaked cookie dough batter for up to 3 months before thawing and baking. The cookie texture will still be soft and have a bold lemon flavor.

You can freeze unglazed, baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month—glaze cookies when brought to room temperature.

The lemon glaze will set firm but not completely harden. Let the glaze set up for 1-2 hours before stacking for storage.

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Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Pillowy soft Lemon Ricotta Cookies are perfect for any season. Enjoy with a cup of afternoon tea or as a shining star on any holiday cookie platter; these lemon ricotta cookies are a crowd-pleaser.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie, lemon, ricotta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 48 cookies

Calories 145kcal

Author Katrina Bahl

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 15 oz whole milk ricotta
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoon butter melted
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• sprinkles optional

Instructions

• PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, CREAM the butter and sugar for 2 minutes until smooth and light in color. Slowly add eggs, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined (about 1 minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl down as necessary.
• COMBINE flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl; gradually add dry ingredients to the mixer until a soft dough forms. Use a medium (2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop. Roll into balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
• BAKE for 10 minutes. Edges will be slightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the Glaze

• In a medium bowl, WHISK the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Add cream or milk one tablespoon at a time to reach the desired consistency. Spread glaze over warm cookies and top with sprinkles.

Notes

• You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe.
• It is best to use fresh lemons since you will need the zest and juice of two lemons.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 17g

Lemon Recipes to Love

Easy Lemon Daisy Cupcakes

Frozen Blueberry Basil Lemonade Mini Pies

Nojito Recipe

Related Recipes

• Vanilla Ricotta Cookies
• Nojito (Non-Alcoholic Mojito)
• Whipped Blueberry Goat Cheese with Lemon Zest

Try these Copycat Girl Scout Lemon Cookies or Sunburst Lemon Bars if you love lemon desserts.

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Special Ingredients Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies

You may remember a version of this cookie called “Melting Moments.” Our recipe varies slightly to include cream cheese baked directly into the cookie batter rather than only being topped with cream cheese frosting.

Cornstarch is the special ingredient that makes these cookies melt in your mouth! They are light and fluffy and the perfect addition to any holiday celebration.

It’s not a typo; there are no eggs in this recipe! Do you know someone with an egg allergy who might want a special Christmas cookie?

Tips for Baking and Storing Soft Cookies

• Let Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies briefly rest on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the deliciously fluffy cream cheese frosting while the cookies are cooling. However, you can dust meltaway cookies with powdered sugar if you prefer.
• Cream Cheese Meltaway cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for 2-3 months.

Baking with Friends and Family

As stated earlier, you may remember “Melting Moments” from childhood. I certainly have fond memories of baking with my mother and grandmother this time of year.

It might be a special recipe representing my heritage, like Vanocka Czech Christmas Bread studded with plump raisins (and forbidden rum!) or Ice Cream Kolacky Cookies with ice cream mixed right into the batter. How meaningful to have a day in the kitchen swapping stories and making a mess together!

My friends introduced me to these Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies. And there isn’t a December that goes by without making our Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER, along with the soft and tender classic Vanilla Ricotta Cookies!

Whatever you choose to bake, spend time in the kitchen making memories with those you love this season! And don’t forget a big glass of milk for Santa! He told me he wants to try our Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies this year.

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Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies

Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies are light, buttery cookies with the tang of cream cheese. One special ingredient makes these melt in your mouth!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie, cream cheese, frosting

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cookies

• PREHEAT over to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone baking mats.
• In the bowl of your mixer, CREAM together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth (approximately 2 minutes).
• ADD in the powdered sugar and continue mixing.
• In a separate bowl, COMBINE flour, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly ADD to the butter mixture until smooth and the batter pulls away from the sides of the mixer.
• DROP by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Gently FLATTEN cookies with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped into powdered sugar (to prevent sticking).
• BAKE for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool and set for a few minutes until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

• BEAT the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and light in color.
• Slowly ADD the powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth and fluffy.
• Add a drop of food coloring if desired.
• When cookies are completely cool, FROST cookies and add sprinkles if desired.

Video

Notes

• The cornstarch is the secret to the melt-in-your-mouth texture of these cookies.
• You may know a version of this cookie called “Melting Moments.” Our recipe varies slightly to include cream cheese baked directly into the cookie batter rather than only being topped with cream cheese frosting.
• The cookies are just as delicious unfrosted or dusted with powdered sugar! 

Connect with ADA Mideast

Dairy farms operate 365 days a year, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas. On these holidays and every day, dairy farmers are committed to providing excellent care for their cows, producing safe, healthy milk, and protecting the environment for future generations.

For more information about dairy nutrition, to find delicious new recipes and to meet Ohio and West Virginia dairy farmers, visit www.Drink-Milk.com, and follow the American Dairy Association Mideast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies

Stuffed cookies are enjoying a surge in popularity lately, thanks partly to Crumbl Cookie stores opening their doors across the country.

The best filling is, of course, cheesecake! This is a graham cracker cookie base with graham cracker crumbs baked into the dough as well as coated on the outside before going into the oven.

How to Make Stuffed Cookies

• Prepare the filling and frosting
• Prepare the cookie dough
• Stuff the cookies
• Seal the cookies
• Coat with graham cracker crumbs
• Bake and let cool
• Drizzle with frosting and top with cherries

The soft graham cracker cookies with the creamy cheesecake filling are delicious enough to enjoy without icing. Still, you can dress them up with your favorite cheesecake toppings, like cherry or blueberry.

This recipe makes 8 large cookies.

Dairy Farming During the Holidays

In the winter, cow care routines on dairy farms change. Wet, chilly air means bedding the cows more often. Most barns are equipped with curtains that may be manually raised or lowered to protect cows from cold weather and whipping winds. Calf jackets help calves conserve heat and stay warm, much like we put on jackets to keep us warm.

Dairy farms operate 365 days a year, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas. On these holidays and every day, dairy farmers are committed to providing excellent care for their cows, producing safe, healthy milk, and protecting the environment for future generations.

Milk is the No. 1 nutritious product requested by food banks. Each year, dairy companies work with local food banks to provide nutritious dairy foods to those in need.

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This is a sponsored recipe on behalf of the American Dairy Association Mideast.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar cookie bars are a great option for holiday baking because they save you time by not cutting and frosting individual cookies.

You can also slice sugar cookie bars into small, bite-sized pieces for cookie trays or leave them a traditional size if serving for dessert.

Peppermint Bark Cookies and Cream Bars

These Peppermint Bark Cookies and Cream Bars are soft and thick with a delicious homemade frosting. The crushed chocolate cookies and candy canes make these bars festive and delicious!

How to Make This Festive Holiday Dessert

• Prepare the cookie dough
• Bake the cookie bars
• Prepare the frosting
• Crush chocolate cookies and candy canes
• Frost and decorate the cookie bars
• Slice and serve!

American Dairy Association Mideast

I am very proud to partner with the American Dairy Association Mideast.

Dairy farmers are committed to help nourish communities and provide wholesome, nutritious, affordable food.

In Ohio and West Virginia, cows on about 1,600 dairy farms produce about 663 million gallons of milk each year. Did you know that 95% of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated?

Milk and Cookie Bars for Santa

Using milk vs. water when cooking makes recipes creamier and adds nutrition. Milk can make scrambled eggs fluffier, too! Get more ideas for easy hacks that make recipes tastier and add bone-building nutrients—simply by using milk.

And don’t forget to leave out a glass of milk and a plate of these sugar cookie bars for Santa!

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What is a Spritz Cookie?

Originated from the German word “spritzen,” these cookies translated means “to squirt.” The soft, buttery cookie dough is squirted through a cookie press or piping bag, making the classic holiday designs you know and love.

What is a Cookie Press

You will need a cookie press. Any cookie press will do, but some are better than others. We suggest avoiding those with plastic discs. Recently we switched to the OXO Cookie Press with metal discs and fell in love with spritz cookies again. We also had to grab the OXO Christmas Disc set to go along with it (Amazon Affiliates links).

Alternatively, you could use a piping bag with a large open star tip to pipe Spritz cookies. While it does work, be warned that this method can produce uneven cookies, potentially affecting baking times. With some practice, you could get the hang of it, but we suggest a cookie press for this task for consistency.

Cream Cheese Spritz

Cream cheese and butter are creamed together with sugar, an egg yolk, and peppermint extract. You’ll add a pinch of salt and flour to make a soft, tart dough. The best cookies are the simple ones!

Tip: Cube the butter before adding it to the mixing bowl, helping to evenly distribute the butter and get it nice and incorporated with the softened cream cheese.

Peppermint Bark Cookies Two Ways

We’ve included two easy cookie options for this recipe.

1. Dipped Cookies: Dip the finished spritz cookies in melted dark chocolate then press into crushed candy canes.
2. Frosted Sandwich Cookies: Using homemade or store-bought frosting, spread a bit of rich chocolate frosting between two cookies of the same shape. Squeeze the cookies just a bit and press the outsides of the sandwich cookie into crushed candy canes.

How To Crush Candy Canes

Candy canes can be a pain to crush because they are very sticky. Here is our tip:

Whether you are pounding candy canes with a mallet in a zip-top bag, using a rolling pin to crush them, or you have access to a food processor, DO THIS FIRST!

Unwrap the candy canes or peppermint discs and throw them in a zip-top bag in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. By freezing the peppermints you will be drawing out the moisture which is what makes the candy canes sticky while you are chopping them up.

Spritz Cookies Tips for Success

Do not use a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. The pressed cookies need to adhere to the metal cookie sheet. Be sure that your cookie sheet is completely free of grease by washing thoroughly with dish soap and drying completely.

If your cookies are not adhering to the cookie sheet you can place the sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for 10-15 minutes.

This recipe does not require the dough to chill before using, however, if your kitchen is very warm or if your butter was very soft you make have issues with the cookies not adhering to the cookie sheet. Separate the dough into sections and place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes if this happens.

Since the cookies have peppermint extract in them you could skip the chocolate and crushed candy canes and opt for a simple sprinkle of colored sanding sugar before baking the cookies.

These are SMALL cookies so they bake quickly. We suggest baking for 12 minutes and checking for doneness. The cookies will continue to bake on the cookie sheet after they are removed from the oven. Use a spatula to remove the cookies to a cooling rack after no more than 5 minutes until firm enough to move without losing their shape. (more…)

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These little bird’s nest cookies are so easy; you’ll wonder why you’ve never tried to make them before. Our recipe is award-winning and pretty close to Ina Garden’s Macaroon recipe, so you know it’s delicious! You can deck these out for Easter with grass frosting and chocolate candy eggs or leave them simple.

White Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

In our recipe testing, we found that there was minimal benefit from whipping the egg whites beforehand. You can whip the egg whites separately before folding in the coconut mixture, but it’s unnecessary, especially if you mix the macaroon batter with a handheld or stand mixer.

Also, our recipe uses white chocolate for dipping and icing for the center. You can customize this in all sorts of ways- milk chocolate, sprinkles, even caramel centers. Try lemon curd or apricot jam; the possibilities are endless! Mix and match or use whatever you have on hand.

Easy Macaroon Ingredients

Sweetened Coconut: You can find sweetened, shredded coconut in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You may substitute unsweetened coconut in a pinch.

Sweetened Condensed Milk: Remove 2 Tablespoons from a standard 14 ounce can. There is no need to get every last drop. If your mixture does not keep its shape well when scooping, you can sprinkle in some flour (up to 1/4 cup). Please note- this is not evaporated milk.

Almond Extract: You can substitute pure vanilla extract.

Egg Whites: Most traditional macaroon recipes require beating the egg whites to medium-stiff peaks beforehand, but it is optional. We simplified the recipe to be able to make these macaroons in one bowl for easy clean-up.

Salt: This is a pretty sweet recipe- don’t skip the salt!

Macaroons or Macarons?

Macaroons are made from shredded coconut and are held together by egg whites.

Macarons are a Parisian sandwich cookie made from almond flour and are puffed up like airy meringue cookies.

Prepare and Store White Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

• Be sure to use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. DO NOT use wax paper; macaroons will stick to wax paper.
• Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.
• You can freeze macaroon cookies for up to 3 months.

Gluten-Free Macaroons for Passover

Macaroon cookies are popular during the Passover and Easter season. If you are preparing these cookies for that purpose, please read all packaging and avoid adding any flour or leavening agents.

(more…)

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It’s much easier than you think to make rainbow swirl frosting at home. Switch out the colors in any combination to make a unique rainbow cake or cookie design. Our helpful step-by-step tutorial will show you the easy DIY technique to get that bakery buttercream frosting for your next birthday party desserts.

How to Make Unicorn Rainbow Frosting

We have been using this multi-colored icing method on cupcakes for years, but you may be surprised that you can use this simple technique to make impressive rainbow cookies and unicorn swirled frosting.

You will need:

• Buttercream frosting
• Gel food coloring
• Plastic wrap
• Small piping bags
• Large piping bag
• Open star piping tip

Rainbow Swirl Icing Method

1. Divide frosting between 3-7 bowls depending on how many colors you are using, and color the frosting using gel food coloring for the most vibrant colors.
2. Transfer each color of frosting to its own small piping bag.
3. Pipe long rows of each color onto a piece of plastic wrap.
4. Roll up the plastic wrap into a log shape and snip off the excess.
5. Place the plastic wrap log into a larger piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as 1M).

How to Use Rainbow Swirl Icing

You can use this rainbow buttercream on top of:

Cupcakes (try our Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes)

Cut Out Cookies (try our Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER)

Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookies

Your favorite homemade or boxed cake recipe.

Rainbow Desserts

These cookies can be made for birthday parties, holidays (such as St. Patrick’s Day), and to celebrate PRIDE month.

Be sure to check out all of our rainbow desserts, like our popular Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookies and our festive Tie Dyed Rice Krispie Treats.

Frosting Recipes

For the flat flood icing (shown in white and green), I used Small Batch Royal Icing. If you do not wish to make another frosting, you can use store-bought cookie icing such as Wilton.

We do not suggest using canned frosting for the rainbow swirl buttercream. Frosting in a can will droop after you pipe it and will not hold up very well.

For this American Buttercream, you can use full butter or half butter and half shortening, such as Crisco.

(more…)

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We turned our Best Christmas Cookies into our Best Valentine Cookies. Keep them as they are, or make a few small changes. Either way, these vanilla and chocolate cut out cookies are a Reader Favorite with thousands of reviews and millions of saves every year.

• There is no need to chill the dough before rolling. Just mix, roll, cut, and bake!
• The chocolate cut-out cookies taste just like brownies.
• These Valentine Cookies are soft and can be rolled thick.
• Frost with buttercream, royal icing, chocolate glaze, or enjoy them plain.

Valentine Cookies that keep their shape!

Finally! Readers love this recipe because the cookies keep their shape. Can your cookies spell out cursive words?

You should be able to dent the butter slightly by pressing your finger to it. Your finger should not be able to make a significant mark into the butter or press through to the bottom.

Cream the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes before adding the other ingredients.

Measure flour in grams for the best, most consistent results (but not necessary if you do not own a kitchen scale).

The dough may feel dry at first, but we suggest allowing your mixer to go for 30 seconds to one minute longer than you think is necessary. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

The chocolate cookies with rich chocolate glaze are a Valentine Cookie must-make combination!

They are so thick and fudgy that you will think you are biting into a brownie. Add your favorite sprinkles, or keep them classic and simple.

How to frost Valentine Cookies

Don’t let the name fool you- our favorite Christmas Cookie Frosting is sweet and delicious for any holiday sugar cookie. It is a crisping buttercream (sometimes called a crusting buttercream) that dries firm enough to stack but stays soft on top of the cookie. We love this one because the cookies get even better in the following days after frosting them!

You can also use a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze or make our Small Batch Royal Icing. Keep it white or tint it pink and purple. Food gel colors give a vibrant shade without changing the consistency of the frosting. You can even use food gel to tint the dough itself. See our Patchwork Winter Mitten Cookies, for example.

Finally, our Three Ingredient Chocolate Glaze is so popular on Christmas cookies that we had to drizzle it all over these Valentine Cookies. The fudge chocolate glaze dries firm so you can stack the cookies. If it is too firm to pipe or spread easily, you can warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Do this as many times as necessary.

Flavor extracts for Valentine Cookies

Make these Valentine Cookies really stand out by swapping vanilla extract for another flavor.

In traditional sugar cookies, we like Cake Batter extract or Coconut extract. Sometimes we use fresh lemon zest with lemon extract too.

In the chocolate sugar cookies, try using a berry extract such as Raspberry or Strawberry.

These extracts can be used in the cookies or frosting, or both. Chocolate cookies with strawberry frosting is a treat!

Can Valentine Cookies be made gluten-free?

Yes! To make these the best gluten-free Sugar Cookie, swap out the flour for your favorite gluten-free 1:1 flour.

I use King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour.

These Valentine Cookies are a mashup of all of our favorite, most popular cookie and frosting recipes. We will link them here and in the recipe card as well. Follow the links for Ingredient lists and Printable Recipe Cards.

The Internet’s Favorite Cookie and a Reader Favorite: Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER

The Chocolate Sugar Cookie of your dreams: Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookie

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Valentine Cookies

The BEST Valentine Cookies- easy, no chill, no spread, soft cookies keep their shape perfectly, and the chocolate ones taste like brownies!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, cookies, frosting, Valentine's Day

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Author Katrina Bahl

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 recipe Best Sugar Cookie Ever
• 1 recipe Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookie

Frostings

• 1 recipe Crusting Buttercream
• 1 recipe Chocolate Glaze
• 1 recipe Royal Icing

Instructions

• Prepare cookies as directed.
• Frost and decorate with sprinkles or colored sanding sugars.

Notes

These Valentine Cookies are a mashup of all of our favorite, most popular cookie and frosting recipes. Follow the links for Ingredient lists and Printable Recipe Cards.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER

Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookie

Christmas Cookie Frosting

Three Ingredient Chocolate Glaze

Small Batch Royal Icing

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There might not be a better year to make this whimsical Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House than 2020. In fact, I had to prepare a second one just so my kids could devour it because I couldn’t part with this one. It makes me smile every time I walk near where it is displayed in our kitchen.

Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House

Gather your ingredients:

1. Gingerbread house- Purchase a kit or prepare the pieces at home. For best results, purchase an unassembled house.
2. Royal Icing- Repurpose the icing that comes in the store-bought kit. Trust us on this. Make our Gingerbread House Icing (recipe below). It dries completely firm. Your house will not fall apart!
3. Rainbow sprinkles- We used about 2 cups of nonpareil sprinkles for decorating (discard the excess).
4. Candy- Gather whatever colorful candies you would like.
5. Gingerbread cookies- We used store-bought gingerbread men and Grandma’s Gingerbread Spritz for the trees.

Gingerbread House Icing

Have you ever tried to prepare a gingerbread house only to have it fall apart midway through? First, repurpose the icing that came with your store-bought gingerbread house kit. It is likely a powdered sugar glaze that was not really meant to hold up a heavy structure. Try smothering it on cinnamon rolls or drizzling it on top of graham crackers.

Next, prepare our Gingerbread House Icing (printable recipe card below). It will dry firm and will hold up to the hefty sprinkle-covered gingerbread house pieces.

Attach the Sprinkles

We suggest spreading the icing on the gingerbread cookies and house pieces for the best results, then dipping them into the sprinkles. This can get messy! Let all of the gingerbread house sections and cookies dry before assembling. The suggested drying time is at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

This gets trickier if your gingerbread house came preassembled, but it’s not impossible. You will spread icing over one section of the house at a time before holding the house over a large bowl and pouring sprinkles over it. You may need to do this in batches while allowing the icing to dry on some sections before moving on to others.

Build a Sturdy Gingerbread House

Once your gingerbread house pieces are covered with sprinkles and the icing has dried firm, you can begin assembly.

1. Construct the base of the house. Use a piping bag or decorating bottle full of Gingerbread House Icing to pipe a line of icing on each end that will be touching together. Form the rectangle or square base of your house. Hold in place for several minutes. Use drinking glasses, water bottles, or soda cans placed inside the base (and outside as needed) to prop up the walls until they are set.
2. Meanwhile, pipe icing along seams of the roof pieces. Hold in place until firm enough to use glasses, bottles, or cans for propping up the roof pieces.
3. Allow the base and the roof to firm up for at least 1 hour.

When ready to attach the roof to the base, pipe icing along the top of every base piece and along the bottom of every roof piece that will be touching. Let dry until completely firm. Decorate with more icing and candies as desired!

Baker’s Tip:

Don’t be afraid to use a lot of icing while constructing the Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House. When it dries it will look like snow! You can also cover up any messy seams with more icing and candies when the house construction is finished.

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