If you love a good chocolate kiss cookie, these Chocolate Sprinkle Heart Cookies are going to be your Valentine’s Day go-to. They’re made using my classic chocolate sprinkle kiss cookie dough, but instead of a traditional Kiss, each cookie is topped with a chocolate heart and rolled in festive Valentine’s Day sprinkles.
They’re soft, rich, and just sweet enough, with a fun pop of color that makes them perfect for Valentine’s Day parties, cookie boxes, or gifting. Best of all, this dough comes together quickly and bakes up beautifully every single time.
What Makes These Different
The dough and baking method are exactly the same as my Chocolate Sprinkle Kiss Cookies, no changes needed. The Valentine’s Day twist comes from two simple swaps:
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles instead of classic nonpareils
- Chocolate hearts pressed into the warm cookies instead of Kisses
Same soft centers, same slightly crisp edges, just dressed up for the holiday.
Let’s Talk Sprinkles
I tested these cookies rolled in three different Valentine’s Day sprinkles, and all of them worked great:
- Nonpareils – classic look and even coverage
- Valentine’s Day jimmies – slightly softer texture with bold color
- Mini heart sprinkles – super cute, but best used lightly
For the best results, I split the dough evenly and rolled:
- ⅓ in nonpareils
- ⅓ in Valentine’s Day jimmies
- ⅓ in small heart sprinkles
The key with heart sprinkles is not overloading the dough, too many can prevent the cookies from spreading evenly. If you want the hearts to really stand out, roll the dough lightly and press a few extra sprinkles onto the outside by hand.
RECIPE TIPS
These extra details help guarantee thick, soft, bakery-style cookies:
Use a #40 cookie scoop (medium scoop): This keeps every cookie the same size and ensures even baking. I like to use a medium 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop for these. You could even make them a little cookie scoop, about 1 tablespoon of dough, and you’ll get more cookies out of it!
Use a baking sheet: I like to use cookie sheets that don’t have the edges so the cookie bake evenly.
Don’t over bake: Pull them when the tops look just set, they will continue to firm up as they cool.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES
To get perfectly round cookies every time, use a large round cookie cutter or a bowl and gently swirl it around each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. This “cookie scooting” technique pulls in any uneven edges and shapes the cookies into smooth, uniform circles while they’re still soft. That way when you press the kisses into the cookies they will spread a little but not too much!
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze well without the chocolate hearts — just add the hearts after thawing for best texture.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day
These Chocolate Sprinkle Heart Cookies are festive without being fussy, and they’re easy enough to bake with kids or make ahead for parties, teachers, or friends. Same dependable dough, same great texture — just a fun Valentine’s Day upgrade.
Chocolate Sprinkle Heart Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp corn starch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup sprinkles nonpareils, jimmies
- 24 Hershey Hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a bowl, whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Mix until a soft dough forms. Scoop dough into 24 even dough balls. Roll each in Valentine's nonpareils or any type of classic sprinkles.
- Place on the baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart and bake 9 minutes, until edges are set but centers still look soft. Once they come out of the oven use a round cookie cutter or bowl to gently scoot into a perfect circle and press a Hershey’s Heart into the center of each cookie. Let cool completely so the Heart sets. Enjoy!