Braided Sweetheart Cookies are simple sugar cookies formed into pink and white striped hearts. These heart-shaped cookies are easy to make and are so pretty, you don’t even need frosting!

Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday for making treats! We’ve made lots of delicious Valentine’s Day cookies over the years, and it’s hard to pick a favorite. These braided heart cookies are more unique than most cookies, but the dough is still very basic and easy to make.

BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

These cookies are soft because they are sweetened with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. The simple sugar cookie dough is divided in half before adding red food coloring to make half of the dough pink. Roll the dough into ropes before twisting the pink and white dough together in the shape of a heart to get a “braided” effect. Bake and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS IN BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Butter: I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. No margarine! Make sure the butter is softened, but not melted before adding to the recipe.

Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar makes the cookies sweet and gives them a perfectly soft consistency.

Egg: We only need 1 egg, but it is important for helping to bind the dough together so that the cookies cook properly and don’t crumble.

Vanilla extract: The higher the quality of the vanilla, the better.

Flour: I usually use all-purpose flour, but you can use bread flour, or even pastry flour in this recipe. A gluten-free alternative would work well too.

Baking powder: This is the leavening agent in the cookies. Make sure your baking powder isn’t old or expired for best results.

Salt: Just a little bit of salt will make all of the other flavors pop.

Red food coloring: Use red food coloring to color half of the dough pink.

HOW TO MAKE BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Make the cookie dough.

Divide the dough in half; use the food coloring to tint one portion pink, and leave the remaining portion white. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). 

For each cookie, shape a 1-inch ball of each color into an 8-inch rope. Place a pink and white rope side-by-side; press together gently and twist.

Place it on a baking sheet and shape it into a heart, pinching the ends to seal (at the bottom of the heart).

Bake for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Braided Sweetheart Cookies are simple sugar cookies formed into pink and white striped hearts. These heart-shaped cookies are easy to make and are so pretty, you don't even need frosting!

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword Braided Sweetheart Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 147kcal

Author Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 6-8 drops red food coloring

Instructions

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar (2-3 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
• Divide the dough in half; use the food coloring to tint one portion pink, and leave the remaining portion white. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• For each cookie, shape a 1-inch ball of each color into an 8-inch rope. Place a pink and white rope side-by-side; press together gently and twist. Place it on a baking sheet and shape it into a heart, pinching the ends to seal (at the bottom of the heart).
• Bake for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

These braided cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

WHY DID MY COOKIES SPREAD?

If your cookies spread too much while baking, it was most likely a direct result of the dough being too warm. If it’s hot in the kitchen or your butter is too soft, your dough will become warm fairly quickly. You can fix this easily by just popping the dough into the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour or so before you continue to bake the cookies as directed.

CAN I MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH IN ADVANCE?

Yes, you can make the dough and keep it in a well-covered bowl in the fridge for up to a day in advance. So make the dough one day and bake it the next. Perfect for parties and occasions where you want fresh cookies but without being in the kitchen for too long.

MORE DELICIOUS VALENTINE’S DAY COOKIES TO TRY:

• VALENTINE’S DAY SUGAR COOKIES
• VALENTINE’S THUMBPRINT COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE HEART VALENTINE’S SUGAR COOKIES
• RED VELVET VALENTINE’S CAKE MIX COOKIES
• VALENTINE HEART COOKIES
• VALENTINE’S CAKE MIX COOKIES
• PINK SANDWICH COOKIES
• LINZER COOKIES
• STRAWBERRY COOL WHIP COOKIES
• VALENTINE HEART THUMBPRINT COOKIES
• CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES
• STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIES
• VALENTINE’S WHOOPIE PIES
• STRAWBERRY CAKE MIX COOKIES

Braided Sweetheart Cookies are simple sugar cookies formed into pink and white striped hearts. These heart-shaped cookies are easy to make and are so pretty, you don’t even need frosting!

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