These tiny Valentine's shortbread cookies are perfect to gift for a Valentine's Day treat. We call them Cupid Bites because you'll easily fall in love with these munchies!
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These Valentine's shortbread cookies are another variation of my festive shortbread cookie bites. You saw them first as "BOO! Bites" during Halloween, then "Jingle Bell Bites" for Christmas. We even have Leprechaun Bites now!
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I absolutely love making these because they are super quick and totally fun to gift when you bag them up and stuff them into a cute mug. We gifted these to Judah and Simon's teachers in years past. (Picture the cookies in clear baggies inside the mugs.)
We love to gift sugar cookies. Have you tried my sugar cookie hearts decorating tutorial? Follow me on Instagram (@seededtable) for more family recipe inspiration!
🧾 Grocery List
You will need the basic ingredients for sugar cookies, plus nonpareils (the hard beady kind of sprinkles). I do not recommend using jimmies because the color sometimes bleeds into the dough -- but others have had success with them.
Ingredients for Valentine's Shortbread Cookies:
- All-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups)
- Unsalted butter (½ cup)
- Granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- Vanilla (or almond) extract (¼ teaspoon)
- Salt (¼ teaspoon)
- Nonpareils (4 tablespoons)
Make sure your nonpareils are Valentine's Day colors. Grab all pink, all red, or a combination of both. A mixture of pinks and purples and whites will work, too.
Click here for full recipe ingredients and instructions.
👩🏽🍳 How to Make Cupid Bites
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare 8-inch pan.
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Beat butter, sugar and extract at until creamy.
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Add the flour and salt.
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Mix on low speed until a dough forms.
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Stir in the nonpareils until evenly distributed.
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Transfer dough to prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom.
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Slice the dough into ½-inch square pieces.
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Place the squares on baking sheet.
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Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until bottoms just begin to brown.
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for full detailed instructions.
🍪 Variations
PRINT this recipe or PIN it to save for later. Made this recipe? Leave a star rating and tag me on Instagram @seededtable so I can see. I love hearing from you!
This recipe was originally published February 11, 2015.
Recipe Card
Cupid Bites - Valentine's Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (plus more to butter the pan)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons Valentines colored nonpareils
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch pan, then line with parchment paper, pressing the sides and corners to stick.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and extract at medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a dough forms. It will be crumbly at first, but keep beating. Stir in the nonpareils until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the dough to the lined pan and press evenly into the bottom. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the dough into ½-inch square pieces (a pizza cutter works well). Place the squares ½-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet; discard parchment paper. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until bottoms just begin to brown.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Too soft, and the cookies will spread. Too cold and the dough will be too dry.
- Mix the dough until it JUST holds together. If it doesn't hold together within a few minutes, add a little more liquid -- milk or water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Do not over mix -- more than 5 minutes might be too much.
- These are teeny tiny bites, only ½-inch squares. You can make them bigger without much of a difference in baking time. Just watch it until they start to turn golden, then they're done.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only.
Nutrition
Amanda says
Hi!! Thought I would make these for Easter using spring colored sprinkles. I followed the recipe exactly, but the dough remained powdery...it never solidified. I'm not sure what to do.....
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Amanda, It takes a while for the dough to combine but if it just never did for you, add just a drop of vanilla or milk and keep mixing until it comes together. 🙂
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
These are so sweet! Love the way you put them in the cute mugs too.
sheila says
I am not so sure I would be up for binging on Parenthood. I watched a couple times and could not get into it....there I said it. I feel like such a freak. Now Downton Abbey on the other hand, I live for that show. That and American Idol. LOL!
Nikki Gladd says
haha! Thanks for being honest, Sheila! xoxo
Sue Gladd says
Cute and delicious!
Emily @ Life on Food says
These are so cute!! I thought they were little chocolates at first but am even more thrilled with little shortbread.