‘We Goat Together Perfectly’ Valentine’s Day Desserts
Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to bake something fun, especially when the goal isn’t perfection, just cute desserts that make people smile.
This post is all about Valentine’s Day dessert ideas you can actually recreate at home. From heart shapes and love letters to playful designs, these cookies and treats use simple buttercream decorating and easy techniques so you can focus on having fun instead of stressing over every detail.
Sugar Cookies + Buttercream Icing
Every sugar cookie in this spread starts with my sugar cookie dough. They are sturdy enough to hold buttercream, but still soft when you bite into it.
All decorating was done with buttercream icing, which keeps things very forgiving. If you’ve ever been intimidated by royal icing, this is your sign that buttercream is more than enough!
My sugar cookie supplies:
Classic Valentine Shapes: Hearts, Envelopes, Heart Sunglasses & goats!
Best Sugar Cookies Ever – Jenny Cookies Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR PLUS MORE FOR ROLLING
- 2 TSP. ALUMINUM-FREE BAKING POWDER
- 1 CUP 2 STICKS SALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
- 1 CUP SUGAR
- 1 LARGE EGG
- 2 TSP. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and sugar for about 1½ minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and carefully add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once all the flour has been incorporated, the dough should form a ball around the mixing attachment and feel soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and press down to form a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling or store for up to 7 days tightly wrapped.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured flat work surface to about ¼-inch thickness, using additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes, and carefully transfer with a cookie spatula to a nonstick baking sheet, placing the cookies about ¾ inch apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until puffy, about 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the gathered scraps and remaining disk until all the dough has been used.
Buttercream Frosting
Pin Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup Imperial Margerine or butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup crisco vegetable shortening
- 2 lbs powdered sugar about 7 1/2 cups
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Combine the margerine and Crisco in the bowl of an electric mixer; using a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and continue beating on low speed for an additional two minutes, or until the mixture is creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy, about two minutes more.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 30 days.
Notes
These cookies are the backbone of any Valentine’s set.
These are all great shapes if you’re newer to decorating because you can adjust the piping to whatever fits your skill level!
Mixing shapes makes the final spread feel intentional without needing complicated designs.
cookie cutter links:
Goat cutter
heart cutters
heart sunglasses
envelope cutter
food coloring links:
Soft pink
Dusty rose
brown (for goat hooves)
X’s and O’s Sugar Cookies
These are simple and so easy to recreate.
Cut letters from sugar cookie dough, bake, then pipe buttercream using a medium round tip. You can keep them monochromatic or alternate pinks and reds for contrast.
These work great as fillers in a cookie box or dessert table, especially when paired with more detailed designs.
xoxo cookie cutters
Valentine “Pizza” Sugar Cookies (Heart Pepperoni)
This set is pure fun.
Individual sugar cookies are shaped like pizza slices, then arranged together to form a whole “pizza.” Buttercream acts as the “sauce” and “cheese,” with piped heart-shaped pepperonis on top.
This is such a good reminder that Valentine’s desserts don’t have to be traditional. Playful ideas like this are always crowd favorites.
Don’t worry if the slices aren’t perfectly uniform… once they’re arranged together, it all works!
pizza slice cookie cutter
Heart Oreo Sandwich Cookies
These heart-shaped sandwich cookies are made with black cocoa sugar cookie dough, which gives them that classic Oreo look but keeps the cookies soft.
They’re filled with a fluffy cookies & cream buttercream and sandwiched together once fully cooled.
These feel extra special but are still very manageable. Especially if you use a heart cutter and keep the filling simple.
the best black cocoa powder I’ve used
Oreo Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 cup black cocoa powder
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, whisk together flour, black cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and carefully add the flour and cocoa powder mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once all the flour has been incorporated, the dough should form a ball around the mixing attachment and feel soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and press down to form a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling or store for up to 7 days tightly wrapped.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured flat work surface to about ¼-inch thickness, using additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes, and carefully transfer with a cookie spatula to a nonstick baking sheet, placing the cookies about ¾ inch apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until puffy, about 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the gathered scraps and remaining disk until all the dough has been used.
- Once the cookies are cooled, fill each sandwich with cookies and cream buttercream.
- Enjoy!
Cookies & Cream Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 cups pulverized oreo cookies (about 25 cookies)
- 2 cups butter softened (4 sticks)
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Using a food processor, blend 25 Oreos. This will make 2 cups of cookie crumbs.
- Using a heavy duty stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until fluffy. Add the 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Beat for 1/2 minutes for a smooth and fluffy icing.
- Add the cookie crumbs to the buttercream. Mix just enough to incorporate. If the icing is too thick, add more cream.
- Enjoy!
Chewy Sprinkle Cookies (Birthday Cake–Inspired)
These sprinkle cookies are thin, chewy, and intentionally spread. They are the kind of cookie that feels nostalgic and bakery-style.
They’re flavored with birthday cake emulsion, rolled in sprinkles before baking, and finished with those crisp edges and soft centers.
Thin & Chewy Sprinkle Cookies (Birthday Cake–Inspired)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter very soft
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons birthday cake emulsion
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Sprinkles for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a mixer, cream together the butter, sugars until smooth. About 5 minutes
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and birthday cake emulsion and mix until combined.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined. Be sure not to over mix.
- Using a cookie scoop (mine holds 1.5 Tablespoons), scoop the dough and roll lightly into balls, then roll generously in sprinkles.
- Place dough balls well-spaced on baking sheet, and smash down lightly, avoiding crushing the sprinkles. These cookies will spread.
- To get the really even coating of sprinkles onto the tops of your cookies, gently lift up each flattened cookie. Put the cookie dough face down into the sprinkle bowl, then gently press down on it to squish even more sprinkles into the dough. Return the cookie to the cookie sheet, extra sprinkle side up.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes, until edges are golden brown but centers look soft.
- Cool completely on the pan for the best chewy texture.
Notes
My baking essentials:
Packaging & Gifting These Valentine’s day Desserts
All of these cookies work beautifully packaged together in treat boxes, bakery boxes, or arranged on a Valentine’s dessert table.
You can:
Buttercream-decorated cookies are forgiving and travel well, which makes them ideal for gifting.
Valentine’s Day treat packaging:
a closer look
happy baking
This Valentine’s Day dessert spread is proof that you don’t need perfection… just a good base cookie, buttercream icing, and a little creativity!
Whether you recreate one design or make a whole mix, these cookies are meant to feel fun, playful, and homemade. The kind of desserts people actually want to eat and admire.
If you’re looking for more Valentine’s day desserts, decorating inspiration, and cozy hosting content, I share a lot more over on Instagram.
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