Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe

Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe tastes buttery, tender, and slightly crisp at the edges with a bright, fruity jam center that feels like a tiny stained-glass window. This recipe suits beginner and experienced bakers who want a cute, giftable cookie in about 1 hour total time, including chilling. I bake these every February for my family, and my kids now judge all other cookies against “the heart jam ones.”

Why Choose This Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe

This Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe gives you a bakery-style look without fancy skills or equipment. The dough rolls easily, holds its shape, and bakes into cookies that taste like a cross between shortbread and sugar cookies.

You can customize the jam flavor, color, and even the size of the hearts. The recipe uses simple pantry staples, so you probably own everything you need already.

“These heart shaped jam cookies look like they came from a boutique bakery, but the dough mixes up faster than my coffee brews. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
  • Use a standard unbleached all-purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
  • Avoid cake flour, which makes the dough too soft and fragile.
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • This keeps the cookies slightly tender without puffing too much.

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • I like a good-quality butter such as Kerrygold or Plugrá for richer flavor.
  • If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to a tiny pinch.
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Use real vanilla, not imitation, for the best flavor.
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • This gives a classic bakery cookie vibe, especially with raspberry jam.

Jam filling

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • Raspberry gives that classic red heart look and a nice tart contrast.
• Optional jam alternatives:
  • Strawberry jam for a sweeter, kid-favorite version.
  • Apricot jam for a golden, slightly tangy cookie.
  • Mixed berry jam for a deeper color and flavor.
• If your jam feels very loose, stir it in a small bowl and chill it 10 to 15 minutes to thicken.

Optional finishing touch

• Powdered sugar, for dusting the tops after baking
  • Sift it so it sprinkles evenly and does not clump.

Equipment list

• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
• Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
• Rubber spatula
• Plastic wrap or reusable silicone wrap
• Rolling pin
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter, about 2 to 3 inches
• Smaller heart-shaped cutter, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches, for the “window”
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Cooling racks
• Small spoon or piping bag for the jam

Tips & Tricks

• Chill the dough at least 30 minutes so the cookies keep their shape and bake evenly.
• Use cool room temperature butter that yields slightly when pressed but does not feel greasy.
• Mix the dough just until it comes together so the cookies stay tender, not tough.
• Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin, and dust off excess flour from the cut cookies.
• Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness for sturdy cookies that still feel delicate.
• Cut an equal number of solid hearts and “window” hearts so you can sandwich them neatly.
• Keep the cut cookies in the fridge while you roll the next batch so they stay firm.
• Stir the jam to smooth it, and do not overfill the centers or it will bubble over the edges.
• Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for the most even color.
• Let the cookies cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar or adding jam, or the sugar melts and the jam runs.
• Use a small piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped to add jam neatly.
• If the dough cracks while rolling, gently press it back together with your fingers instead of re-kneading it.

How to Make Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe

Mix the dough

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set the bowl aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, and beat until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions.

5. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and the dough starts to clump together.

6. Use a spatula or your hands to press the dough into a smooth ball, then flatten it into two disks.

Chill and prep

7. Wrap each dough disk in plastic wrap or reusable wrap.
8. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
9. When you feel ready to bake, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Roll and cut the hearts

10. Work with one dough disk at a time and keep the other in the fridge.

11. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

12. Use the larger heart-shaped cutter to cut as many hearts as you can. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie.

13. Gather the scraps, press them together gently, and roll again to cut more hearts.

14. Decide which hearts will be the tops and which will be the bottoms.

15. On the top cookies, use the smaller heart cutter to cut out a heart “window” from the center of each cookie. Remove the small center hearts and bake them as mini cookies if you like.

16. Place the trays of cut cookies in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes so they firm up before baking. This helps them keep sharp edges.

Bake the cookies

17. Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes.

18. Watch the cookies closely and pull them when the edges look set and just start to turn light golden, while the centers still look pale.

19. The smaller “window” hearts will bake faster, so check them at about 7 to 8 minutes.

20. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

21. Keep the tops and bottoms in separate groups so you do not mix them up.

Fill and assemble

22. Once the cookies cool completely, dust the top cookies (the ones with heart cutouts) with powdered sugar if you want that classic look.

23. Stir your jam until smooth. If it looks very loose, chill it briefly so it thickens.

24. Place the bottom cookies on a clean surface. Spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each bottom cookie, staying slightly inside the edges.

25. Gently place a powdered sugar dusted top cookie over each jam-covered bottom cookie.

26. Press very lightly so the jam spreads to the edges of the cutout without squeezing out the sides.

27. Let the assembled cookies sit for about 15 minutes so the jam sets slightly before serving.

What to Serve with it?

Serve this Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe with hot chocolate, chai, or a simple cup of coffee for a cozy treat. Kids love these cookies with cold milk or a fruity herbal tea. You can add them to a dessert board with fresh berries, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a small bowl of extra jam. They also look great in treat boxes for birthdays, baby showers, or Valentine’s Day gifts.

Storage Options

• Store the assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, layering them between parchment to prevent sticking.
• If your kitchen runs warm, keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days and let them sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the texture softens.
• Freeze unfilled baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature and fill with jam just before serving.
• Freeze the dough disks tightly wrapped for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.

Heart Shaped Jam Cookies Recipe

Heart Shaped Jam Cookies are buttery, tender sandwich cookies with a crisp edge and a bright, fruity jam center, perfect for gifting and celebrations.

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 24

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2–3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

• powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears and the dough starts to clump together.
5. Press the dough into a smooth ball with a spatula or your hands, then divide and flatten into two disks.

1. Wrap each dough disk tightly in plastic wrap or reusable wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. When ready to bake, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

1. Work with one dough disk at a time, keeping the other in the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
2. Use a larger heart-shaped cutter (about 2 to 3 inches) to cut as many hearts as possible and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between cookies.
3. Gather and gently press together the scraps, then reroll and cut more hearts as needed.
4. Designate half of the hearts as bottoms and half as tops. On the tops, use a smaller heart cutter (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches) to cut out a heart window from the center of each cookie. Remove the small center hearts and place them on the sheet to bake as mini cookies if desired.
5. Chill the trays of cut cookies in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes so they firm up before baking.

1. Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and just start to turn light golden while the centers remain pale.
2. Check the small cutout hearts early, at about 7 to 8 minutes, as they bake faster.
3. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely, keeping tops and bottoms in separate groups.

1. Once the cookies are completely cool, dust the top cookies (with the heart cutouts) lightly with powdered sugar if desired.
2. Stir the raspberry jam until smooth. If it seems very loose, chill briefly to thicken.
3. Arrange the bottom cookies on a clean surface and spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each, staying slightly inside the edges.
4. Gently place a powdered-sugar-dusted top cookie over each jam-covered bottom cookie and press very lightly so the jam spreads to the edges of the cutout without oozing out the sides.
5. Let the assembled cookies sit for about 15 minutes so the jam can set slightly before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 cookie (about 24 cookies total): 150 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 5 g; carbohydrates 18 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 8 g; protein 2 g; sodium 70 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact cookie size, jam type, and brands used.

Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days and bring to room temperature before serving. Unfilled cookies and dough disks can be frozen for up to 2 months.