These Heart-Shaped Shortbread Cookies are a simple homemade treat made with everyday ingredients and a tender, lightly crisp texture. The dough is easy to prepare, rolls out smoothly, and can be cut into beautiful heart shapes for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Mother’s Day, afternoon tea, or homemade edible gifts.

Unlike complicated decorated sugar cookies, these easy shortbread hearts are wonderfully simple. The cookies are delicious plain, but you can also dust them with powdered sugar or dip them in melted chocolate for a more special finish.

This is an easy cookie recipe for beginners and a lovely baking project to make with children. With just a few basic ingredients and a heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can make a batch of homemade cookies that look beautiful with very little decorating required.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔ Easy homemade cookie recipe with simple ingredients
✔ No complicated decorating required
✔ Perfect for Valentine’s Day and special occasions
✔ Great for gifting in a cookie tin or gift box
✔ The dough is easy to roll and cut
✔ Can be decorated in several simple ways
✔ A fun baking project for children and beginners

Heart-Shaped Shortbread Cookies

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings

18 – 24

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients
(Same base as Italian Jam Tart just used differently)

2 large eggs
100 g caster sugar
80 g olive oil
8 g baking powder
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
300 g flour

Directions

Mix the dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sunflower oil, and lemon zest. Add the baking powder and flour gradually, mixing until you form a smooth dough. This pastry is wonderfully forgiving, you can use it straight away without any chilling time.
Roll & Cut
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough to about 5–6 mm thickness. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space between each one.
Gather scraps, re-roll gently, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
Bake
Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the cookies are set and just lightly golden at the edges. They should remain pale on top, classic shortbread style.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serving & Storage
Serve plain, dusted lightly with powdered sugar if desired
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Tips for Perfect Shortbread
Chill the dough well to keep the hearts sharp and defined
Do not overbake, pale cookies = tender texture
For extra elegance, you can dip half of each cookie in melted dark chocolate once cooled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. The dough can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to roll and cut the cookies. Let it soften slightly if it becomes too firm to roll.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes. Wrap the dough tightly and freeze it. Thaw it in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.

Why did my cookies spread?

Cookies may spread if the dough becomes too warm before baking. Chilling the shaped cookies before placing them in the oven can help them keep their defined heart shape.

Can I use a different cookie cutter?

Absolutely. This dough can be used with other small cookie cutters, although baking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the cookies.

How do I make the cookies more festive?

A simple dusting of powdered sugar or a dip in melted chocolate is enough to make these cookies look special without requiring complicated decorating skills.