Sweethearts candies, or conversation hearts, are some of the most quintessentially cute Valentine’s Day treats. But so many people don’t actually want to eat them! That’s where these mini conversation heart sugar cookies come in!

These tiny treats are inspired by the classic candy and coated with royal icing in those iconic Sweethearts colors. But instead of a slightly chalky candy, they’re soft, buttery, and delicately sweet.

These cookies are perfect for tucking into little jars for gifting or lining up on a dessert table. You can even write messages on them with an edible marker to make them look just like the real thing.

As a French-trained pastry chef, I love recipes like this: simple dough, classic technique, and just enough room to get creative. These Sweethearts sugar cookies are fun to make, easy to decorate, and guaranteed to make people smile.

Ingredients for Sweethearts Cookies

These mini sugar cookies are so easy to make, and the ingredient list is even simpler than the recipe itself! Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Cookies:

• Unsalted butter: Provides richness and that classic soft sugar cookie texture. Using unsalted butter gives you full control over the flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps create crisp edges with a tender center.
• Egg: Binds everything together and adds structure so the cookies hold their shape.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth, making the cookies taste like more than just sugar. Try making your own vanilla extract at home with my recipe!
• All-purpose flour: The foundation of the dough, giving the cookies structure while keeping them tender. If you’re an expat baking in France, explore our guide to French vs American flour.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.

For the Royal Icing:

• Egg white: Whipping this creates the base of the icing, giving it structure and a smooth, glossy finish. If you don’t want to use raw egg, you can use meringue powder instead. Just follow the directions on the box.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the icing so it sets beautifully on the cookies.
• Food coloring: Used to create classic Sweethearts colors like pink, yellow, purple, and green.
• Sanding sugar (optional): Adds sparkle and texture, especially around the edges.
• Edible glitter (optional): Totally optional, but very fun!

How to Make Mini Conversation Hearts Sugar Cookies

Making these mini heart sugar cookies at home is surprisingly easy, if a bit time-consuming. But it’s a fun Valentine’s Day project that is almost as sweet as eating them.

Step One: Start by creaming the butter and sugar together until smooth and well combined. I recommend doing this in a KitchenAid mixer if you have one. Add the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed so everything mixes evenly. (Pro tip: they make KitchenAid mixer attachments with built-in scrapers to make this even easier!)

Step Two: Slowly add the flour and salt and mix just until the dough comes together. As soon as it does, stop mixing. Overworking the dough can make the cookies tough, and we want these soft and tender.

Step Three: Divide the dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and gently press each one into a disc. Chill the dough for at least an hour.

Step Four: When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Roll the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness and cut out small heart shapes. Anywhere from ½ to 1 inch is perfect, but the smaller the cookie cutter, the cuter the cookies.

Step Five: Place the conversation heart cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until they’re just set and barely starting to turn golden at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before decorating.

Step Six: While the cookies cool, whisk together the egg white and powdered sugar to make the royal icing. You’re looking for a thick consistency. When you drizzle icing back into the bowl, it should slowly disappear into the other icing after about 15 seconds. If it’s too runny, whisk in a bit more powdered sugar.

Step Seven: Divide the icing into bowls and tint each one with food coloring to create your Sweethearts-inspired palette.

Step Eight: To decorate, dip the top of each cookie into the icing, letting the excess drip off. If you like, dip the edges in sanding sugar for sparkle, then place the cookies on a tray to dry. Sprinkle with edible glitter if using, and let them set for at least four hours. Letting them dry overnight is even better.

This recipe makes about 240 mini cookies, although the actual amount depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use.

Extra Tips for Making the Best Conversation Heart Cookies

• Want to take this treat to another level? Once the icing is completely dry, you can write messages on the cookies with an edible marker, just like the classic Sweethearts candies!
• Don’t need hundreds of mini cookies? You can easily cut this recipe in half to make a smaller amount.
• Cute packaging makes these extra special! I used small Bonne Maman jars, which are just the right size and look adorable filled with cookies. If you’ve been here for a while, then you might remember I’ve used these jars to carry my mini chocolate chip cookies around in my bag!
• These cookies are an excellent make-ahead treat! Once baked and fully decorated, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Undecorated cookies can also be baked ahead and frozen, then thawed and decorated closer to Valentine’s Day.

Make Your Own Mini Conversation Heart Cookies

Whether you’re baking for kids, friends, or just for fun, these Valentine’s Day conversation heart cookies are guaranteed to bring a little extra joy to the season. If you make them, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram or TikTok so I can admire your Sweethearts colors and messages!