Marbled Valentine Sugar Cookies (2024)

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by Rachelon Jan 29, 2016 (updated Feb 5, 2024) 80 comments

Classic homemade sugar cookies with a fun marbled twist for Valentine’s Day. A festive treat for the entire family!

Something I never considered before having kids was the major increase in germs I’d be exposed to. Once they go to daycare or school, you’re not safe. There’s no avoiding the germs. There is a commercial I’ve seen that depicts things pretty accurately. What they touch, comes home with them. And no matter how much teachers may sanitize or encourage hand washing, sickness is inevitable. Thankfully we got through this last bout of sickness quickly. A 24 hour stomach bug that only hit one kiddo. It was a true miracle no one else go sick. But chances are good he got the bug at school…which means there’s still a chance it could come home again. I’m keeping my fingers crossed tightly it stays far far away. And wishing again Spring gets here sooner than later.

I’m not really sure why…I’ve never looked into the details of it all, but come springtime, everyone always seems to get healthier again. Maybe it’s the fresh air and ability to run around outside more often…not stuck inside with stuffy and sometimes germ-y air.

I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to cracking the windows open. I wanted to so badly when he came home from school sick the other day, but knew better. The first 50 degree day when I don’t have sick kids at home, I’m cracking the windows wide open to air this place out. I’ll love it. And I know the cats will too. So it’s a big bonus.

2/3 of my kids have their Valentine’s already addressed and ready to go… as of a week ago. They’re just a wee bit excited. Ahh to be a kid again… the excitement over random holidays and class parties. Giving out cute hand written notes and fun treats. It seems forever ago I was doing that very same thing. I wish that childhood joy for holidays would always continue, but my practical side kicked in at some point. Boring, I know. It happens to the best of us.

I fully believe there are different groups people can fall into when talking about Valentine’s day. You either full blown love it or aren’t that into it. In my eyes, this one is definitely a “Hallmark holiday.” The prices for everything are majorly jacked up. The flowers… the candy… the dinners…the babysitters. It’s totally unnecessary.

I do believe it’s the perfect opportunity to make a fun family dinner or festive treats together. I’m absolutely team homemade. And baking makes me happy.

These cookies made me happy. I’d been dreaming about making them for a while, so when the time finally came to create them… I had so much fun. I felt like a kid again. Cookie dough does that to me. It’s like adult Play-Doh, but this is acceptable to eat, which makes it so much better.

I used my absolute favorite homemade sugar cookie dough recipe for these fun Valentine cookies. The bright pink color, marbled in with the regular dough makes for a super fun and festive affect.

Classic homemade sugar cookies with a fun marbled twist for Valentine’s Day! A festive treat, perfect for the entire family! Whip these cookies up for your Valentine celebrations!

5 from 1 rating

Marbled Valentine Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Yield: 12

Classic homemade sugar cookies with a fun marbled twist for Valentine's Day. A festive treat for the entire family!

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Ingredients

▢ 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
▢ 1/2 C granulated sugar
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 tsp salt
▢ 1/2 tsp baking powder
▢ 2 C all purpose flour
▢ Gel food coloring

Instructions

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla, followed by salt and baking powder. Scrape the bowl as needed. Gradually mix in flour, increasing speed as needed until dough is fully combined and no streaks remain.
Divide dough in half, transferring half to a clean bowl, set aside. Add a small amount of dark pink gel food color to the remaining dough. Beat until fully tinted and no streaks remain.
Pinch offgolfball sized portions of dough, rolling into balls. Create a pattern of alternate colored balls of dough on your work station. Gently, knead all dough together until swirls of color are visible. Do not over mix.
Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Cut out desired shapes. Space 2-inches apartprepared baking sheet. Freeze cookies for 15 minutes. Press together remaining dough and scraps, rewrapping in plastic and keeping chilled until ready to roll and cut again.
Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

Recipe yields roughly 2 dozen cookies. This will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter used and thickness of the dough.

An original recipe from Baked by Rachel

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keywords: Cookie, Valentine's Day

Items used in this recipe:

This post contains affiliate links.

Cookies Dessert Nut Free Peanut Free Valentine's Day Vegetarian Winterbaking cookie holiday

by Rachel on Jan 29, 2016 (updated Feb 5, 2024)

80 comments Leave a comment »

80 comments on “Marbled Valentine Sugar Cookies”

Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness — January 29, 2016 @ 5:45 am Reply
It is just like playdoh! I love that! Nothing better than some delicious homemade sugar cookies! Love the ways these look :)
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:57 am
  Thanks so much Taylor!
Catherine — January 29, 2016 @ 7:10 am Reply
Dear Rachel, what a fun and festive cookie for Valentine’s Day..these look so pretty! xo, Catherine
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:57 am
  Thanks Catherine!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life — January 29, 2016 @ 7:13 am Reply
These are so festive.! My kids are older, but maybe I’ll surprise them with these. I’m not much of a baker, so I think they might go into shock…I’m more of a bar cookie mom. But these are just so fun!

See Also
The 40 Best Valentine’s Day Cookies to Make with Your Family Valentine’s Day Heart Shortbread Cookies Valentine's Day Cookies · Seasonal Cravings 28 Easy Valentine's Day Cookies to Say 'I Love You' - PinkWhen
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:57 am
  They’d love them! And thanks Michelle!
Sammie — January 29, 2016 @ 9:39 am Reply
Firstly these cookies are absolutely gorgeous and yes, to me Valentine’s Day is showing the people I love, just how much I love them. Cooking heart shaped cookies is one of those ways. We stay in, eat a family meal and enjoy each other’s company. I want Valentine’s Day to me inclusive, so friends will be given cookies as well. Secondly I totally get what you mean about germs. Our eldest started college in September and a whole new bunch of germs have come home with her. I’m looking forward to baking these cookies and cheering everyone, who is feeling unwell at the mo, up! Sammie.
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:58 am
  Thanks so much Sammie. I hope your kids love them! Stay healthy :)
Julie @ Table for Two — January 29, 2016 @ 10:48 am Reply
OMG. I am obsessing over this!!! They’re gorgeous and perfectly marbled!! Ahh, in love!!
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:58 am
  Thanks Julie! :)
Danae @ Recipe Runner — January 29, 2016 @ 11:27 am Reply
These are the perfect Valentine’s Day cookies! I was just starting to think about what cookies to mail to my niece and nephew in a couple weeks and these ones will be perfect! I’m so excited to make them!
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:58 am
  Thanks so much Danae! I bet he’d love them!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee — January 29, 2016 @ 3:28 pm Reply
so pretty!!
And I’ve sorta been sick all winter. I can’t handle the daycare germs!!!!!!!
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:58 am
  It’s the absolute worst! We need to escape to paradise to get healthy.
Megan Keno — January 29, 2016 @ 3:48 pm Reply
I love the marble on these, so adorable! I would love to make these and maybe add a little cream cheese frosting piping around the edges!
- Rachel — January 30, 2016 @ 7:58 am
  Thanks so much Megan!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough — January 31, 2016 @ 9:40 pm Reply
LOVE these pretty cookies! Perfect for V Day!
- Rachel — February 1, 2016 @ 8:39 am
  Thanks Stephanie!
Marie — April 4, 2016 @ 10:05 am Reply
Hi, could the raw cookie dough be frozen and baked a few weeks later? Thanks
- Rachel — April 5, 2016 @ 8:29 am
  I imagine it would freeze just fine. Enjoy! :)
nicola — January 12, 2017 @ 10:16 pm Reply
Hi there…beautiful cookies, thanks for sharing! I am curious how important it is to freeze the cookies prior to baking? Also, is it possible to re-roll dough immediately without refrigerating first?
- Rachel — January 13, 2017 @ 7:05 am
  Freezing the dough prior to baking will help hold their shape and prevent spreading. Whether or not you’ll be able to re-roll the dough immediately will depend on how soft it is. You don’t want to work with super soft room temperature dough. It needs to be firmer for best results. Good luck!
Kristy — January 21, 2017 @ 11:05 pm Reply
Any chance these can be internationally mailed? Aka eaten 3-4 weeks later?
- Rachel — January 23, 2017 @ 7:17 am
  I would not recommend that with standard packaging.
Treasured Chaos — January 29, 2017 @ 11:19 am Reply
Hey! Thanks for the recipe! I uploaded a pic into my media (that’s the url I put in) just to share with you, I didn’t make a post..I don’t own a heart cookie cutter (?!) so we tinted with blue instead and made snowflakes…they were so pretty! Thanks again!
- Rachel — January 30, 2017 @ 7:28 am
  They look fantastic! Thanks for sharing. :)
Treasured Chaos — January 30, 2017 @ 10:16 am Reply
Hello…again! I did end up making your beautiful hearts and included them in a post. I hope I did your wonderful cookies justice!
- Rachel — January 31, 2017 @ 7:37 am
  Thank you. They look fantastic! :)
Les Carnets Sucrés — January 30, 2017 @ 2:09 pm Reply
Wow, these biscuits are gorgeous ! (And seem so delicous !)

See Also
Easy Decorated Valentine Cookies
- Rachel — January 31, 2017 @ 7:36 am
  Thank you! :)
Karly — January 31, 2017 @ 11:20 am Reply
Oh my gosh, TOO. STINKING. PRETTY. Almost too pretty… not sure anyone will believe me that these are homemade! ;) They look totally delicious too, for the record. Definitely saving this one!
- Rachel — February 1, 2017 @ 7:58 am
  Thank you! :)
YaYa24 — January 31, 2017 @ 1:16 pm Reply
These are lovely. How to you keep from overworking the dough? I’ve ended up with some tough cookies (no pun intended) by over mixing in the past.
- Rachel — February 1, 2017 @ 7:57 am
  Only lightly knead together until it just begins to show a marbling effect.
Bethany — January 31, 2017 @ 2:48 pm Reply
Oh! These are so, so pretty! I never would have thought of doing something like this with sugar cookies! Pinning!
- Rachel — February 1, 2017 @ 7:56 am
  Thanks, Bethany!
Armin R. — February 2, 2017 @ 3:18 am Reply
Hi Rachel! I’m not much of a baker… and I would absolutely LOVE to make these for my girlfriend this coming Valentine’s Day. I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to successfully recreate these cookies. Would it be possible to make a video (like Tasty on Facebook) showing me (and other viewers) how to make them?
- Rachel — February 2, 2017 @ 2:32 pm
  I don’t offer videos at this time. But I do think with a bit of patience, you’ll be successful recreating these for your girlfriend. Just remember to properly chill and not to over-mix when creating the marble effect. Good luck!
Andrea — February 6, 2017 @ 11:22 pm Reply
I made these recently and I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It’s a very easy recipe and the cookies turned out absolutely perfect and tasted soooo good. I used a miniature heart cookie cutter and the cookies were almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. Thank you for sharing. This one is a keeper.
- Rachel — February 7, 2017 @ 7:08 am
  So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Andrea! Thanks so much for sharing.
Linda — February 8, 2017 @ 8:52 am Reply
Hello
i would love to make those for my sons. i am a novice baker though and want to know what the difference is between gel coloring and regular as i have a ton of the regular food coloring.
thank you they are beautifuf
- Rachel — February 9, 2017 @ 2:02 pm
  Gel color is a high concentrated thick food coloring, unlike liquid food coloring. This won’t alter the consistency of your dough and a tiny bit goes a very long way! You can easily find gel food coloring at craft stores and many large retailers. Americolor and Wilton will be the brands you’re likely to find. Good luck!
Sarah — February 9, 2017 @ 11:47 pm Reply
These sound great but the kneading dough step confuses me. I’ve only ever kneaded bread dough, which was all one big piece of dough. How do you knead a bunch of little pieces of dough?
- Rachel — February 10, 2017 @ 8:04 am
  It’s a similar process, just don’t knead quite as aggressively as you might with dough. You should only be blending and kneading the dough together until it just begins to show marbling.
Kaleen — February 10, 2017 @ 9:23 pm Reply
Beautiful cookies, Rachel! I was wondering if after dividing the dough and coloring half of it, you could just mix the two halves together by hand to achieve the marbling effect. This would save the time of making individual golf sized balls.
- Rachel — February 11, 2017 @ 7:49 am
  You’re more than welcome to give it a try that way. However, I don’t feel you’ll get the same marbling effect as you would with smaller pieces of dough mixed together. For best results, divide the dough as directed and portion out into smaller balls.
Aiga — February 13, 2017 @ 3:29 pm Reply
Tried to make them with red red colouring instead of pink, not a good idea, maybe for halloween….I ended up dying the whole dough with some extra colouring and will do red valentine hearts and circles with a white chocolate v on them and some extra little hearts glued on top, instead. However, beautiful idea with that marbeling effect as on your pictures, …. thank you for the inspiration.
- Rachel — February 14, 2017 @ 7:19 am
  Thank you, Aiga! Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! :)
Aliyah M — February 14, 2017 @ 7:28 pm Reply
These came out great! I baked mine at 325 for the same amount of time and they were perfect! Thank you for such a great idea!
- Rachel — February 15, 2017 @ 7:30 am
  I’m glad they turned out for you! Thanks for sharing :)
Irene — February 26, 2017 @ 11:17 pm Reply
Stunning cookies! Plan to make these for my niece’s baby shower! ( yes, it’s a girl!)
Rachel, what size cookie cutter did you use for the cookies that were pictured for the estimate of roughly 2 dozen in the recipe? Thanks so much!
- Rachel — February 27, 2017 @ 6:44 am
  I believe it was roughly 3 inches at it’s widest point.
Courtney — March 17, 2017 @ 12:44 pm Reply
Wow!! Made these last night and I as well as all of my friends are huge fans!! There’s a local bakery where I’m from and we always bought cookies just like these. So glad I know their secret and can make my own now!!! LOVE THEM!!
- Rachel — March 20, 2017 @ 7:46 am
  So glad to hear everyone enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing, Courtney! :)
Amy — February 3, 2018 @ 5:24 pm Reply
I just made these and they came out of the oven SHINY and very chewy. The flavor, however, is excellent.
Any idea what I did wrong?
- Rachel — February 4, 2018 @ 8:05 am
  I can only guess about the shiny part but I’ve never experienced that myself. It could be from the food coloring, if you used too much or if it was a different brand. I’m glad you still enjoyed them!
Terry — February 6, 2018 @ 2:55 pm Reply
Making these cookies for my son who is coming to visit on Fri. The dough is in the fridge chilling. I will let you know how they turn out. The dough was very easy to make.
- Rachel — February 7, 2018 @ 7:37 am
  I hope you both enjoy them! :)
Gabrielle — February 13, 2018 @ 7:45 pm Reply
Hi! These look so great. Wondering if you can chill the dough for more than an hour? Like overnight ? And then make the next day?
- Rachel — February 14, 2018 @ 6:56 am
  Absolutely. You will need to let it warm up a bit on the counter before you can properly roll it though as it will firm up quite a bit overnight.
Yelena — February 14, 2018 @ 6:46 pm Reply
How exactly do you twist/mold together the marble effect?
- Rachel — February 18, 2018 @ 8:14 am
  This is mentioned in the directions. :)
Michele — November 18, 2018 @ 10:55 am Reply
These are really beautiful cookies Rachel!
How many balls each of pink and white to you form before kneading them together?
I was trying to count from the photo…
Thanks!
- Rachel — November 18, 2018 @ 6:45 pm
  There isn’t a set number. Just be sure to shape them roughly into golfball sizes and alternate the colors prior to blending.
Holly Campbell — February 12, 2020 @ 2:59 pm Reply
These cookies are beautiful, it’s the most fun I’ve had making cookies in a long time! I wish I knew how to attach a picture. Thank you!
- Rachel — February 13, 2020 @ 7:25 pm
  So glad to hear this, Holly! Baking should always be fun! Thank you for sharing! :)
Gale — February 13, 2020 @ 12:56 pm Reply
Made these cookies very easy dough to work with!
- Rachel — February 13, 2020 @ 7:24 pm
  So glad to hear you had success! Thanks for sharing, Gale! :)
Mary — February 26, 2020 @ 8:37 pm Reply
Made these four Valentine’s Day for my grandson’s school party. They turned out great. I substituted Bob’s Red Mill egg replacement, since he is allergic and they still were perfect! Thanks so much for the Recipe.
I used cookie stamp letters and they looked so professional.
- Rachel — February 27, 2020 @ 7:06 am
  So glad the egg replacement worked for you without issue! Thanks so much for sharing, Mary! :)
Jas — January 28, 2021 @ 8:05 am Reply
Hi! Im looking into making these for Valentines this year, but have a question …
Are these softer cookies, or are they thinner and rather hard?
They are beautiful!
- Rachel — February 5, 2021 @ 10:07 am
  I’d say they’re in the middle. If you prefer a crisper cookie, bake a little longer. You can always test with a single cookie first and decide if you want to adjust the bake time (more or less). Enjoy! :)
Karl — February 12, 2021 @ 7:08 pm Reply
Seems very dry.
- Rachel — February 13, 2021 @ 12:27 pm
  Be sure to measure your ingredients correctly, especially your flour. If you scoop and level without properly fluffing or spooning the flour, you’ll have too much flour in your mixture, creating a dry dough.
appke — February 12, 2021 @ 10:13 pm Reply
really good!
- Rachel — February 13, 2021 @ 12:25 pm
  So glad you enjoyed them!
Nancy — February 11, 2022 @ 2:44 pm Reply
These are beautiful! I just made them and they came out perfectly beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
- Rachel — February 12, 2022 @ 8:52 am
  So glad to hear this, Nancy! Thanks for sharing!
Barbara Mauro — February 9, 2023 @ 11:48 am Reply
I made these today and they are good. The only thing I would do next time is mixing less pink dough. Also, I will mix the color’s together as I roll them out because by the time I was to the last dozen or so the dough was completely pink.
- Rachel — February 10, 2023 @ 5:54 am
  So glad you enjoyed them, Barbara! Rolling definitely can be tricky as you get to the end of the dough.