Fall in love with these irresistible Valentine’s Day cookies that come together in just 25 minutes. These heart-warming treats strike the perfect balance of sweetness and buttery goodness, making them ideal for sharing with someone special.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or trying your hand at holiday treats, this foolproof recipe delivers delightfully tender cookies that are sure to make hearts flutter. At only 225 calories per serving, they’re a delicious way to show you care.
Sweet Valentine Cookie Ingredients
- Butter & Shortening: 1/4 cup each, unsalted, at room temperature for best blending
- Peanut Butter: 1/2 cup creamy style, adds rich nutty flavor
- Sugars: 1 cup granulated (divided), 1/2 cup light brown, creates perfect sweetness
- Vanilla Extract: 1/2 teaspoon for aromatic enhancement
- Eggs: 2 large, room temperature for better mixing
- Flour Mix: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
- Special Topping: 12 oz Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts for decorative finish
Baking Instructions
- Prep Time: Heat oven to 375°F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Cream Base: Mix butter, shortening, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy (2 mins)
- Wet Mixture: Add eggs one at a time, blend in vanilla until smooth
- Dry Addition: Combine flour, baking soda, salt, then gently mix into wet ingredients
- Shape Time: Roll dough into balls, coat in remaining sugar
- Baking Magic: Bake 7-10 minutes until barely set, keeping them pale for perfect texture
- Final Touch: Cool briefly, then press Reese’s heart in center of each warm cookie
- Storage Tips: Keep at room temperature or freeze for later enjoyment
Baking Tips for Perfect Cookies
These peanut butter cookies need a gentle touch! The secret to their amazing texture is not overmixing the dough and taking them out when they still look slightly underdone. They’ll keep cooking on the hot baking sheet – trust me on this one! A light golden color around the edges is your signal they’re ready to come out.
Smart Substitutions
No Crisco? You can use all butter instead of the butter-shortening mix – your cookies will spread a bit more but taste just as yummy! For the peanut butter hearts, regular Reese’s cups work great too. If you’re making these when it’s not Valentine’s Day, try mini peanut butter cups or even Hershey’s Kisses!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
These cookies are super freezer-friendly! Once they’re completely cool, pop them in a freezer bag and they’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. At room temperature, keep them in an airtight container and they’ll be good for about 5 days.
Want to plan ahead? You can freeze the dough balls (before rolling in sugar) for up to 2 months – just add an extra minute to the baking time when you’re ready to bake them.
Serving Ideas
These cookies are best served just slightly warm, when the chocolate is still a tiny bit soft! They’re perfect with a cold glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee. For a fun dessert party idea, sandwich some vanilla ice cream between two cookies – it’s like a homemade ice cream sandwich with a peanut butter twist!
Valentine’s Day Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounce Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add and eggs, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine. Don’t over-mix. The dough will be very soft.
- Pour remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough into balls and then roll in sugar. Bake for 7-10 minutes, just until set. They will be pale, and look just barely set. Don’t over-bake them or they will be hard once cooled.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to cooling rack. Press an unwrapped Reese’s heart to the center of each warm cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Store leftover cookies in a container at room temperature, or they freeze very well.
