Love Bug Valentine Sugar Cookies are made with my super easy, soft, and tasty sugar cookie cut-out recipe. These heart-shaped cookies are topped with pink buttercream frosting, and milk chocolate chips and they have a heart chocolate candy for a face! Adorable cookie recipe is so fun to make and they're perfect for Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day is coming up, and I'm so excited! I love any excuse to get creative in the kitchen, and today it's all about Valentine's Day!
Whether you've already got someone special, or you've newly caught the love bug these Love Bug Cookies are the perfect way to show that you care.
Made with my tried-and-tested Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe, these cookies are cut in classic heart shapes and decorated to look like a pink ladybug! I'm calling them Love Bugs because it's a level of cuteness that must be celebrated with a cute name!
This recipe will have step-by-step instructions and pictures on how to make the sugar cookie dough, and then how to decorate the cookies. If you're new to baking, do not fear! These delicious sugar cookies are super easy to make, and they're very forgiving too!
For more amazing colorful Valentine's Day cookie ideas, check out these Red Velvet Cake Box Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, these Rainbow Unicorn Cookies, or even my Pink Root Beer Cookies.
Shopping List
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Almond Extract, Egg, Coconut Oil, Heavy Cream, Food Coloring (in Pink, Red, or Lavender, or a combination)
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt
Chocolate. Chocolate Candy Hearts, Candy Eyeballs, Milk Chocolate Chips
How to Make Love Bug Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies
Make the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 375 F Degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
Make the sugar cookie dough by creaming the softened Butter and Sugar together. Cream until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer in a large bowl, or a stand mixer on medium speed with a whisk attachment.
Add Eggs and Almond Extract to the mix and continue to cream it together until fully combined.
In a separate medium bowl, combine Flour and Baking Soda together.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture (switching to the paddle attachment for the mixer on a low speed if you're using one).
Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure you're using all the ingredients.
Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
Flour your work surface and roll out chilled cookie dough to ¼ inch.
Using a heart cookie cutter, cut the cookie dough into heart shapes.
Carefully place the heart sugar cookies on the baking sheet, allowing at least 2 inches between each cookie.
Optional - Cookie dough shapes can be placed in the refrigerator before baking if the cookie dough is already too warm and soft.
Bake at 375 F Degrees for 7-9 minutes. The edges of the cookies will be lightly golden.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
Make the Frosting
Cream together softened Butter and Coconut Oil until light and fluffy.
Add Powdered Sugar and Almond Extract. The mixture will be very dry.
Gradually add the Heavy Cream until the desired consistency is reached.
Add 1-3 drops of food coloring for color, depending on the color you want.
Decorate the Cookies
Use a piping bag or a Ziploc Bag to pipe frosting onto cookies. Create wings by making a swirl of frosting on each side of the heart.
Place heart shape chocolate candy on tip of the heart for the head.
Place 2 candy eyeballs using a tiny dollop of frosting. Add chocolate chips for dots on the wings.
Storage & Freezing
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cookies are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Cookies can be stored in a sealed container or Ziploc bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking.
Substitutions & Variations
- Food Coloring Shades. You can get different shades of the same color by using more or less food coloring. Add a little bit at a time (probably just one drop at a time) until the desired color is reached.
- Pink Color. Get the pink frosting by adding a drop or two of red food coloring, or you can buy pink coloring to get a more vibrant pink color, without turning the frosting red.
- Eyes. If you don't have candy eyes, you can use a small dollop of white icing with a dot of black icing on top. Use store-bought royal icing, or a mixture of water and powdered sugar to make the icing, starting with a tiny amount of water to get the right consistency. Let the white icing dry before adding the black. You will need to color the icing black with black food coloring.
- Vanilla. You can use Vanilla Extract instead of Almond Extract if you prefer, or add Vanilla in as an extra warming flavor.
- Polka Dots. Frost the entire cookie and put chocolate chips on the cookies for polka dots instead of making them into bugs.
- Frosting. Use a cream cheese frosting like in this Watermelon Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe if you prefer.
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time here are some pro tips.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Cookie Scoop.
Using a cookie scoop keeps each ball of cookie dough the same size, which is essential for baking. I have used a medium cookie scoop in these photos.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cookies.
Cookies are perfectly baked when the edges are set and the centers are no longer glossy.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least 2 cooling racks
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take 2 batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula are all helpful.
Have you tried these Love Bug Sugar Cookies?
Let me know what you thought of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Valentine's Day Cookie Recipes
- Pink Peppermint Pie Cookies
- Air Fryer Red Sugar Cookies
- Red Velvet Cake Box Sandwich Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Bars with Pink Frosting
- Pink Swig Sugar Cookies
- Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches
- Neopolitan Cookies
Love Bug Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup Butter Softened
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar 200g
- 2 Eggs Large
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour 360g
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Almond Extract
Frosting
- ½ cup Butter Softened
- ½ cup Coconut Oil
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar 520g
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 4-6 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1-3 drops of food coloring in Pink Red, or Lavender
Decorate
- 24 Chocolate Candy Hearts
- 48 Candy Eyeballs
- ⅓ cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375 F Degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add eggs and extract and continue to cream the mixture together
- In a separate bowl combine All Purpose Flour and Baking Soda together. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed
- Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes
- Flour the work surface and roll out chilled cookie dough to ¼ inch.
- Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the cookie dough into shapes. Carefully place them on the baking sheet, allowing at least 2 inches between each cookie.
- Optional - Cookie dough shapes can be placed in the refrigerator before baking if cookie dough is too warm and soft.
- Bake at 375 F Degrees for 7-9 minutes. Edges of cookies will be lightly golden
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
Frosting
- Cream together softened butter and coconut oil until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and extract. The mixture will be very dry.
- Gradually add Heavy Cream until desired consistency is reached.
- Add 1-3 drops of food coloring for color.
Decorate
- Use a piping bag or a Ziploc Bag to pipe frosting onto cookies. Create wings by making a swirl of frosting on each side of the heart.
- Place heart shape chocolate candy on tip of the heart for the head. Place 2 candy eyeballs using a tiny dollop of frosting. Add chocolate chips for dots on the wings.
Notes
- Chill Dough: Cookie dough shapes can be placed in the refrigerator before baking if the cookie dough is too warm and soft.
- Frosting Color: Color frosting a variety of colors for a fun plate of cookies. Pink, Red, Lavender, Green, or Yellow.
- Store: These cookies should be stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator, and will last for up to a week. Cookies are best enjoyed within 2-4 days of being freshly baked.
- Freezer: Put the cookies into an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each one or wrap them separately in plastic wrap, then store them in an airtight container or in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
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