Linzer Heart Cookies
These Valentine Linzer Heart Cookies are a sweet and charming treat perfect for Valentine’s Day! This recipe features tender cream cheese sugar cookies cut into hearts, with a cute heart-shaped window revealing a vibrant pink jam buttercream filling.
These Valentine Linzer Heart Cookies put a delightful American spin on the classic Austrian Linzer torte, turning it into adorable sandwich cookies that are as stunning as they are scrumptious—perfect for gifting, holiday parties, or just sharing some love! These charming heart-shaped sandwich cookies feature a tender cream cheese sugar cookie base paired with a luscious jam buttercream filling. A sweet cutout heart window reveals the vibrant pink jam beneath, making them irresistibly cute and ideal for Valentine’s Day celebrations.
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This Valentine’s Day, spread the love with these adorable Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies—tender cream cheese sugar cookies sandwiched with a luscious jam buttercream filling and finished with a sweet heart-shaped cutout that reveals the vibrant pink jam inside. They’re as cute as they are delicious, making them perfect for Valentine’s parties, thoughtful gifts, or simply sharing some homemade sweetness with someone special. This recipe yields 24 charming heart sandwich cookies—plenty to share (or keep all to yourself!).
What is a Linzer Cookie?
A classic Linzer cookie is a delicate, buttery sandwich cookie with a sweet jam filling in the center, finished with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. These cookies are not overly sweet and traditionally feature a subtle nutty almond flavor, with a decorative cutout in the top cookie that beautifully reveals the vibrant jam beneath. They trace their roots back to Austria, inspired by the famous Linzer Torte—a rich, nut-based pastry filled with jam and topped with an elegant lattice crust. Our Valentine Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies put a fun, American twist on this timeless treat! We’ve created a tender cream cheese sugar cookie base (instead of the traditional nutty dough) and paired it with a luscious jam buttercream filling. The result is an irresistibly cute, heart-shaped sandwich cookie that’s every bit as delicious as the original—maybe even more so!
Linzer Heart Cookies Recipe:
Ingredients for the Cookies
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
For the Jam Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 drop red food coloring (optional)
Equipment Needed:
- Mixing Bowls
- Clear Wrap
- Pastry Mat, optional
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- 3-inch Rectangle Cookie Cutter
- 1-inch Heart Cookie Cutter
- Cookie Cooling Rack
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough thoroughly– After mixing the cream cheese sugar cookie dough, divide it into two disks, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This firms it up, making it much easier to roll out without sticking and helps the cookies hold their heart shape beautifully during baking.
- Cut and re-roll scraps efficiently– Roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thick, then use a 3-inch heart cutter to cut out 48 cookies. For the top cookies, use a 1-inch heart cutter to remove the centers (these small hearts can be baked separately as cute extras!). Gather the scraps, re-chill briefly if needed, and re-roll to use every bit of dough without toughening it.
- Assemble with the right filling consistency– For the jam buttercream, beat strawberry preserves with softened butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and a splash of milk until smooth and spreadable. If you want a bolder pink hue, add a drop of red food coloring. Pipe or spread a generous dollop on the bottom cookie, then gently press on the top cookie with the heart window—chill the assembled sandwiches briefly to set the filling before serving or gifting.
These tips will help you achieve tender, picture-perfect cookies every time!
How to make these Valentine Linzer Cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Mix on low speed (or by hand with a spatula) just until a thick, cohesive dough forms—avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- After the dough comes together, divide it into two equal portions and shape each into a ball.
- Flatten the balls into disks (about ½-inch thick), then wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) to firm up the dough—this makes it much easier to roll out and helps the cookies hold their shape perfectly during baking.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats) for easy release.
- Remove one chilled dough disk from the refrigerator and unwrap it.
- On a lightly floured surface or pastry mat, roll the dough out to an even ⅛-inch thickness.
- Use a 3-inch rectangle cookie cutter to cut out 48 cookies.
- Place 24 of the 3-inch heart-shaped cookies (the solid bottoms) on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Take the remaining half of the cookies (the tops) and use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center of each one, creating a window.
- Gently remove the small cutout hearts and set them aside—these can be baked separately as adorable mini heart cookies!
- Arrange the window cookies on the baking sheets as well.
- Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. (The cookies will firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking.)
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with any remaining dough (re-chilling scraps if needed) until all cookies are baked and cooled.
How to make the Jam Buttercream:
- While the Linzer heart cookies cool completely on the wire rack, prepare the jam buttercream filling.
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, vanilla extract, and strawberry preserves together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well combined (about 1–2 minutes).
- Add the powdered sugar and milk, then beat on medium speed until the jam buttercream is smooth, creamy, and spreadable (about 1–2 minutes).
- If the filling seems too thick, add a tiny splash more milk; if it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches the perfect piping or spreading consistency.
- Once the Linzer heart cookies have cooled completely, flip the solid 3-inch heart cookies (the ones without the center cutout) so the flat bottoms face up.
- Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, spread a generous layer of the jam buttercream filling onto the flat side of each cookie. Aim for an even, slightly mounded layer that will fill the heart window nicely when assembled.
- Gently place one of the 3-inch heart cookies with the center cutout (the “window” top) on top of each jam buttercream-covered bottom cookie.
- Press lightly so the filling peeks beautifully through the heart-shaped window, creating your perfect Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies.
- For the best presentation and to help the filling set, chill the assembled cookies in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes before serving or packaging.
These adorable Linzer Heart Cookies with their luscious jam buttercream filling make a thoughtful homemade gift for your sweetheart or a show-stopping treat at any Valentine’s party.
Note: Store the assembled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To prevent them from sticking together, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each layer. Enjoy every tender, jammy bite!
Other Valentine Recipes:
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
- Clear Wrap
- Pastry Mat optional
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
For the Jam Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 drop red food coloring optional
Instructions
For the Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed (or by hand with a spatula) just until a thick, cohesive dough forms—avoid over mixing to keep the cookies tender.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats) for easy release.
- Remove one chilled dough disk from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface or pastry mat, roll the dough out to an even ⅛-inch thickness.Use a 3-inch rectangle cookie cutter to cut out 48 cookies.
- Place 24 (half) of the 3-inch heart-shaped cookies (the solid bottoms) on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Take the remaining half of the cookies (the tops) and use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center of each one, creating a window. Gently remove the small cutout hearts and set them aside—these can be baked separately as adorable mini heart cookies!
- Arrange the window cookies on the baking sheets as well.Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. (The cookies will firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking.)
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with any remaining dough (re-chilling scraps if needed) until all cookies are baked and cooled.
- While the Linzer heart cookies cool completely on the wire rack, prepare the jam buttercream filling.
For the Jam Buttercream
- Add the powdered sugar and milk, then beat on medium speed until the jam buttercream is smooth, creamy, and spreadable (about 1–2 minutes).
- If the filling seems too thick, add a tiny splash more milk; if it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches the perfect piping or spreading consistency.
- Once the Linzer heart cookies have cooled completely, flip the solid 3-inch heart cookies (the ones without the center cutout) so the flat bottoms face up.
- Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, spread a generous layer of the jam buttercream filling onto the flat side of each cookie. Aim for an even, slightly mounded layer that will fill the heart window nicely when assembled.
- Gently place one of the 3-inch heart cookies with the center cutout (the “window” top) on top of each jam buttercream-covered bottom cookie.
- Press lightly so the filling peeks beautifully through the heart-shaped window, creating your perfect Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies.
- For the best presentation and to help the filling set, chill the assembled cookies in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes before serving or packaging.
Nutrition
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