These Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies are a fun treat to make for Valentine’s Day and even better to eat. With a super soft sour cream sugar cookie base and a smooth buttercream frosting, you’re sure to fall in love!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
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This is my absolute favorite sugar cookie recipe! Seriously. I have not eaten a better sugar cookie than these. This one is of course from my momma. I grew up making and eating these for every holiday. My mom never got this fancy but I thought it’s be fun to write on them to make Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies. Let me tell ya, they taste waaaaaay better than those chalky candy hearts.
Why is this the best sugar cookie recipe?
- Two words- sour cream. It’s not just for tacos. The cookie dough call for sour cream which helps create a tender soft cookie.
- These are baked to perfect! Just 10 minutes in the oven is all these guys need. If you see any golden color on the edges you’ve baked them too long.
- They’re topped with the most delicious buttercream frosting that stays soft and creamy. It becomes dry to the touch on top, allowing you to gently stack with a piece of wax paper in between.
- They’re thick! You want to roll your dough to ⅓ inch thick. A thick cookie is a soft cookie and the perfect ratio to frosting.
How to apply the sugar cookie frosting:
- Turn the cookie over and frost the bottom. The bottoms are completely flat, allowing you to frost a more evenly layer of frosting across the entire surface. Also, frosting the bottom seals in the moisture and even softens it a bit which is especially good if you left them in the oven a minute too long.
- Sprinkles should be added right after frosting each cookie, before the surface of the frosting dries. Otherwise, the sprinkles will not stick.
- Pipe on the letters using a piping bag and round tip or a plastic baggie with the tip cut off.
Tips on Rolling out the Sugar Cookie Dough:
- After making the dough, I divide it in two and wrap each in plastic wrap, pressing it into a disc shape so that it’s easy to roll out. You can leave the dough in the fridge for 1 hour to 4 days before rolling out and baking.
- Roll out each dough disc and cut out your cookies. Take the scraps from each and knead them together until dough is smooth again. Roll out into another round and cut out more cookies. Repeat the process until you no long have enough scraps to make a cookie.
- Use as little flour as possible. Just just enough so that the dough doesn’t stick to work surface. When rolling you should occasionally lift and turn the dough to check and make sure it’s not sticking.
- It’s important to spread the shapes of down out evenly on the pan so the heat can be evenly distributed, baking each one to perfection.
These Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies are so fun to make with kids and they’ll love eating them too! Enjoy!
Tools used to make these Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies:
Kitchen Aid Mixer– I LOVE this baby! I use it for cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, doughs… This will become your best baking buddy and will last a lifetime. Did I mention it comes in ever color of the rainbow, plus more!
Measuring Cups– I love these measuring cups! It has every single size measuring cup and spoon. I can’t stand sets that don’t come with 2/3 and 3/4 cups!
Half-Sheet Pan– I LOVE these pans. I’ve had the same 4 pans since I got married (8 years ago) and they are in great condition. I use them all the time for cakes, cookies, roasting vegetables, baking chicken…
More cute Valentine’s Day Treats:
- Valentine S’mores Trail Mix
- Valentine Pretzel Hugs
- Teddy Bear Graham Conversation Hearts
- Chocolate Covered Heart Shaped Strawberries
Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup butter, soft
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 6 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound powdered sugar (about 4-5 cups)
- ¼ cup whipping cream or milk
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Dough:
- In a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add 1 cup flour with salt and soda, mix, and continue to mix and add 1 cup flour at a time.
- Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap, divide dough in two and empty dough onto each piece, shape into disks, wrap up, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Empty dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to ⅓ inch thick.
- Cut dough with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (about 12/sheet). Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Leave cookies on pan for about 5 minutes and then remove and let cool on wire rack or towel. Frost and sprinkle when cool.
For the Frosting:
- With an electric mixer, cream butter. Add half the sugar a little at a time (so you don't get a sugar cloud in your face) and blend well. Beat in vanilla and half the cream. Mix in the remaining sugar and then the remaining cream as needed to get desired consistency.
- Divide into separate bowls add food coloring to reach desired colors. Spread over cookies using a butter knife or cake spatula. Pipe on letters. (It's easier to pipe on the letters right after frosting to the cookie, before the top dries over.)
These sound like the sugar cookies I grew up with too. My mom’s recipe called for sour cream, but I have a sister in law who is a wonderful cook!! She uses cream cheese in her sugar cookies. Sometimes it’s hard to decide which recipe to use!! Lol!!