Is there anything more classic for Valentine’s Day than conversation hearts? Spoiler alert: No. These decorated Conversation Heart Cookies are the most festive Valentine’s treat ever–plus, everyone you share them with will be super impressed that you made them yourself. Sweet!
You don’t have to be a professional baker to make these at home, either. Making and decorating V-Day heart cookies is easier than you think! Just start with your favorite sugar cookie or cutout cookie recipe. Then, use my royal icing recipe (included below, with lots of how-to tips) to decorate your cookies. And I promise: Royal icing isn’t as intimidating as it can seem.
This recipe is a fun project you can make with your family, friends, or sweetheart this year for Valentine’s Day! Everyone will enjoy cutting out the hearts, dying the icing shades of pink and purple, and writing love notes on the cookies.
These conversation heart cookies are especially fun to make in pairs for you and your BFF (hello, Galentine’s Day)! Pick two to decorate with the same color, the same sweet message, or both! Then, pass one to your bestie while you enjoy the other. Whether you’re asking someone to “be mine,” or telling your bestie they’re a “cutie,” anyone will love these delicious cookies! And love is the point of the holiday, right? Happy Valentine’s Day to you–and happy baking!
Conversation Heart Cookies
Total prep time: 30-40 min
Serves: 12-24
Ingredients:
- 1 batch of your favorite cut-out cookies, baked and cooled completely.
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 tsp meringue powder (you can find this at stores like Michael’s and Joann’s with the baking supplies, and in some grocery stores in the baking aisle)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 6-9 Tbsp water
Instructions:
Make the royal icing
1. Combine royal icing ingredients in a large bowl, starting with 6 tablespoons of water, and mix on high speed with an electric mixer for 1 and 1/2 minutes.
2. When the icing is the right consistency, you should be able to drizzle some of it into the bowl and watch it sit on the surface of the mixture for 3-5 seconds before melting back in.
3. Divide the royal icing into three bowls (one to make pink icing, one for blue, and one for purple), leaving behind a few spoonfuls worth for the writing on the cookies. The colored icing will be used to flood (completely cover) the heart cookies.
4. Beat the icing left behind in the mixing bowl for 30 seconds or so, until it’s a bit thicker than the other icing. This time when you drizzle it, we want it to sit on the surface for 5-10 seconds before completely melting back in. Place a damp paper towel on the surface of this icing in the bowl, and set it aside.
* Royal Icing Troubleshooting: If your royal icing is ever too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. If it’s too thin, beat it for another 30 seconds to a minute, or add a bit more powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating between each addition.
Color the icing:
5. Use gel food coloring (it provides the best color and you only need to use a drop or two) to color the three bowls of icing. Use a toothpick to add just a dab of coloring– it’s very strong, and you can always add more.
Fill your piping bags:
6. Add each color of icing to piping bags fitted with a Wilton #3 tip. You’ll want a #1 tip for the writing.
7. To easily fill a piping bag, snip the tip of the bag and push the piping tip down through the opening so it’s snug. Then, place the piping bag in a drinking glass, folding the edges over the outside of the glass to hold the bag open while you fill it. Make sure you smush all the icing to the bottom of the bag when you pull it out of the glass, so you don’t have air bubbles while you’re trying to use the icing.
Flood the cookies:
8. Lay your cookies out on a work surface covered with wax paper (for easy clean-up!).
9. Twist the top of the piping bag, above where the icing stops, so that it doesn’t work its way up and out of the bag while you’re squeezing.
10. Outline a cookie and then outline it a few more times, working your way in, and then fill in the remaining space. Use a toothpick to nudge the icing into any gaps, trying to keep it as smooth as possible. Let this layer of icing dry completely before writing on the cookies.
Write on the cookies:
11. Add the reserved icing to a piping bag fitted with a wilton #1 tip.
12. Write your desired messages on the conversation heart cookies. Try things like “xoxo”, “luv u”, “bff”, etc. (Note: Words that have letters made of lines and circles will be easier to pipe, especially for beginners. Things like “s” and “g” are a bit less forgiving, but feel free to give them a try!)
13. Again, let the icing dry completely before storing these cookies. Store in tupperware containers or on a large cookie sheet, in a single layer, and covered tightly with a lid or foil.
Did you make these decorated heart cookies? Show us on Instagram @lulus using #lovelulus–and head to our Valentine’s Shop for sweet outfits to match your treats!
This recipe comes from our food contributor, Stephanie Simmons, of Blue Bowl. Her goal with her kitchen-tested recipes: To get you excited about cooking, show you how good food can taste, and prove that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a good meal.
This post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated with new content.
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