Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies
These Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies are without a doubt the cutest, most delicious cookies you could possibly make for your Valentine! These cookies are made with a buttery, tender cookie dough and filled with a perfectly tart and sweet strawberry jam filling. The first time I made these cookies, I decorated the tops with extra cookie dough, sealing in the jam center. Something just wasn’t right. That’s when I had the idea to give these cookies a lattice topping to mimic pie. What’s better than a combination of cookies and pie?! I truly hope that you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did and share it with your family, Valentine, Galentine friends, etc.
How To Make Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies
The cookie dough recipe itself is extremely easy to make. I’ve used this vanilla sugar cookie recipe for so many other creations, and it’s easily become one of my favorites. I will say that the lattice pattern on top can be a bit tedious, but it’s so worth it! Let’s break down this recipe some more, shall we?!
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy, and creamy (about 2 minutes)
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms
- Divide the dough in half and roll each portion thin between parchment paper
- Chill the dough for at least one hour so it’s easy to work with
- Cut heart shapes from one half of the dough and place them on a baking sheet
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of each heart, leaving space around the edges
- Cut the remaining dough into thin strips and create a lattice pattern
- Cut lattice hearts and place them on top of the jam-filled hearts
- Gently seal the edges with a little water
- bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes until lightly golden
- cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and enjoy
More Valentine’s Day Recipes You Might Enjoy!
Valentine’s Day Snoopy Brownies
Heart Shaped Jelly Donuts
Valentine’s Day Pinwheel Cookies
Valentine’s Day M&M Cookies
Copycat Lofthouse Cookies
Mini Valentine’s Day Message Heart Sugar Cookies
What jam is best for baking?
When it comes to baking jam cookies, thicker jams work best. Strawberry jam is a classic Valentine’s Day choice thanks to its color and flavor, but the texture matters more than the flavor for sure. You can also use a flavor jam that you prefer, like raspberry! Look for jams that are:
- thick and spreadable, not runny
- made with real fruit
- labeled as preserves or fruit spread rather than jelly
Jams that are too thin can bubble over during baking and make the cookies sticky or misshapen. If your jam seems loose, you can stir it well or chill it slightly before using :)
How to store Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies
These cookies store beautifully, making them great for gifting or prepping ahead! :)
- store the fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
- layer parchment paper between cookies to prevent sticking
- refrigerate for up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm
- freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months
If freezing, let the cookies thaw at room temperature before serving for the best texture!
Ingredient alternatives
This recipe is flexible and easy to adapt based on what you have on hand! That’s why I love this recipe so so much!
- butter: plant-based butter works well for a dairy-free option
- sugar: Try half granulated sugar and half powdered sugar for a softer cookie
- jam: raspberry, cherry, or mixed berry jam are great alternative
- vanilla extract: almond extract adds a subtle bakery-style flavor
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes – and they’re perfect for that! This cookie recipe, because it’s so easy to make, is the absolute perfect make-ahead treat for Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day :)
- prepare and chill the dough up to 48 hours in advance
- cut and assemble the cookies, then refrigerate them overnight before baking
- freeze unbaked cookies and bake straight from frozen (add 1–2 minutes to bake time)
Tips for making Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies
- keep the dough cold – warm dough spreads more and loses its shape. It’s also so much easier to handle dough that’s been chilled so that it doesn’t fall apart.
- chill the cookies again after assembling if your kitchen is warm
- don’t overfill the jam center – a little goes a long way
- use parchment paper for easy cleanup and even baking
- rotate the baking sheet halfway through for even color
Valentine’s Day Jam Cookies
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10-12
servings30
minutes40
minutesHere’s a link to a cookie cutter you can use for this recipe!
Keep the screen of your device on.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
strawberry jam
Directions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and creamy – about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix.
- Add in the egg and vanilla. Continue to mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is combining evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a nice, soft dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and let the dough mix a few seconds longer to ensure that everything has been combined evenly.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll out both halves thin (I like to roll my dough between two sheets of parchment paper for easy movement. Place both sheets of dough on a cookie sheet, then in the fridge. Let it chill for at least one hour.
- Use one half of the dough and cut out as many about 4″ hearts as you can. Re-roll the scraps to cut out more hearts until all of the dough is used up.
- Use the other half of the dough to cut it into 1/4″ strips.
- Place the hearts onto a cookie sheet about 1 1/2″ apart. Place about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of these hearts, spread it on top of the heart, leaving a little bit of empty space along the edges. Place these in the fridge to chill while we make the lattice top.
- To create the lattice, overlap the dough so that every other strip of dough overlaps every other strip. I did this in small sections to cut out 1-3 hearts at a time. Use the same heart cookie cutter that we used earlier to cut out lattice hearts to place on top of the cookies. Chill the dough if it starts to become too soft to work with.
- Dab a little bit of water along the edges of the jam-filled dough, then place the lattice heart on top. Gently press the edges together. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Enjoy!
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