Name: Heartbreak Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature); 1 cup white granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup cocoa powder (sifted); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 3/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted); 2 large egg whites; 1/3 cup water (plus more later on in the recipe); red or pink heart sprinkles

These Heartbreak Cookies are delicious chocolate sugar cookies that are topped with royal icing. They’re perfect to express your detest with Valentine’s Day.

For the broken hearted! Or the people who have had a rough few months on The Tinder.

These cookies are dedicated to my former single self who sort of hated Valentine’s day and would vom a little bit when she’d see cute couples at the grocery store buying groceries to cook dinner with each other. So much side-eye but only because I was really lonely and isolated. Looking back I should’ve learned to enjoy that time so much more.

I say enjoy being single. Learn to be ok with being all alone. I wasn’t so great at it; I wish I was better at it.

These cookies might be a good first step in that direction. Also, they’re sort of fun to make even if you’re not single. The chocolate cut out cookies are super tasty. Very chocolate-y and the royal icing tastes good!

Here’s where I got the heartbreak cookie cutter from (the shipping is super fast) and they have basically any cookie cutter you’ll ever need.

How to Make Heartbreak Cookies

Beat the sugar and butter together until nice and fluffy.
Crack in the egg. And then pour in the vanilla.
Sift together the dry ingredients. I usually skip this step but in this recipe, we don’t want any clumps and baking cocoa can be a bit lumpy. As a result, we want a smooth cookie dough.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix.
Let the cookie dough chill in the fridge.
Stamp out the cookies and let them chill.
Make the royal icing by beating together the egg whites, powdered sugar and water.
Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag OR you could actually smear it on. Place heart decorations onto the cookies surface.

Cookie Cutter
Wilton Heart Sprinkles

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Heartbreak Cookies Recipe

Author: Adrianna Adarme

These Heartbreak Cookies are delicious chocolate sugar cookies that are topped with royal icing.

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American, Valentine's Day

Keyword: chocolate sugar cookies, heartbreak cookies, valentine's day

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Serving Size: 40 cookies

Ingredients

Chocolate Sugar Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Royal Icing & Add-ons:

4 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup water plus more later on in the recipe
red or pink heart sprinkles

Instructions

To Make the Cookies:

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a large mixing bowl (using an electric hand mixer), add the butter and sugar. Beat them together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix again for a few seconds. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat once more until combined.
Sift in the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder and salt. This step is unfortunately necessary because cocoa powder is often times lumpy.
Cover the sides of the bowl with a towel so the flour won’t escape. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Remove the tea towels and continue to mix for another 30 seconds. The dough will be ready when all the flecks of flour disappear and it begins to clump around the mixer.
Divide the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Press the dough down and wrap it in plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the first sheet of dough from the fridge. If the dough is too stiff/cold to roll out, let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, until it’s rollable. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using your cookie cutter, stamp out cookies. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes (this helps the cookies keep their shape when baked). Repeat the rolling out and stamping out process with the second sheet of dough. Repeat chilling process too.
Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the center of the cookie no longer looks wet. The baking time will vary depending on the size of your cookie.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating

To Make the Icing:

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a medium bowl with an electric mixer, add the sugar and egg whites. Mixing on low speed, add 1/4 cup water and mix until it’s a smooth, somewhat thick consistency. Add a few tablespoons of icing to a piping bag with a small round tip attached. Stencil the outsides of the hearts and allow to dry completely.
Add a teaspoon more of water to the royal icing and mix until it’s a much looser consistency, adding more water, as needed. Add the royal icing to the center of the cookies, spreading it around, until it reaches the outside stencil, using a toothpick. I found it easiest to work in batches of three because the icing can dry out and be hard to spread. Allow the cookies to dry completely, an hour or so. Then eat them!