These chocolate filled Valentine heart cookies are a sweet and special treat to serve to your loved ones. Pretty pink hearts are naturally dyed and so beautiful!
Disclosure: Thank you to PASCHA Chocolate for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so let’s talk sweets.
I love to make homemade desserts for Valentine’s Day. I love to bake, and I especially love to make something extra special for my family and friends on February 14. I love all the pink, and hearts, and especially the chocolate. :)
Whether it’s chocolate cake or chocolate candy, chocolate and Valentine’s Day just go together.
And you know how it goes when you have food allergies…you go into Target and see the Valentine section, and there are alllll the treats. All the pretty pink and red boxes and bags filled with chocolates and sweets that are made in facilities that contain nuts or peanuts or eggs or whatever it is you’re allergic to. And maybe you start to feel a little left out.
At least that’s how I feel. Just like any holiday, when all the treats and things show up in the stores, it reminds me that holidays can be so tricky for those of us with food allergies in our family. That’s why I’m so grateful for PASCHA Chocolate. Not only is PASCHA Chocolate organic and free from the top 8 allergens, it is made in a dedicated allergen free facility.
These cookies were a big hit! We’re having a little Valentine exchange party here next week, and I think I’ll be making these again – they’re so festive. If you try them, please let me know!
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Ingredient Notes
- Beets – Beets are an awesome way to turn pretty much anything pink, including these chocolate filled Valentine heart cookies. Simply put cooked beets in the food processor with a little water, and you will have a beautiful beet puree. You don’t need to add much to make the cookie dough a beautiful shade of pink.
- Vegan Buttery Spread – I like Earth Balance Soy Free vegan Buttery Spread for baking. You could also use the baking sticks if you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar – Use any brand of powdered sugar that works for your dietary needs.
- PASCHA Chocolate Chips – Melted chocolate chips make the chocolate filling extra rich. It’s delicious when sandwiched between these pretty heart cookies.
Step by Step Instructions
- Make the beet puree. Boil the beets until tender, then let them cool before pureeing them in the food processor.
- Mix up the cookie dough – it will be a beautiful shade of pink! Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.
- Roll out the cookie dough and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F, then let them cool on the cookie sheets. While they are cooling, make the chocolate filling. Use a piping bag and tip to pipe some frosting on every other cookie.
- Place another cookie on top of the frosted cookies. Enjoy!
Special Equipment
I used a Wilton heart-shaped cookie cutter that is a little more than two inches across. If you use a smaller or larger cookie cutter, your baking time may vary.
Parchment paper is very helpful when baking gluten free cookies – it keeps the cookies from sticking to the pan.
I used a piping bag and tip to fill the cookies, but if you don’t have those, you could also just frost the cookies with a knife or offset spatula.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare these ahead of time if you like. Just bake the cookies the day before you need them, and then frost then the day you plan to serve them.
Store the cookies in an airtight container until you are ready to frost them.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Chocolate Filled Valentine Heart Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ¾ cup vegan buttery spread
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 3 Tablespoons beet puree*
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour ** I used Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- ⅝ cup PASCHA 55% Cacao Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips
- ¼ cup vegan buttery spread
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅝ cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
- 1-2 Tablespoons dairy free milk I used coconut milk
Instructions
- Place the vegan buttery spread and the sugar in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the beet puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the gluten free flour and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
- Pat the dough into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle gluten free flour on a rolling pin and rolling surface.
- Remove one disc from the refrigerator, unwrap it, sprinkle with gluten free flour, and roll into out until it is about ¼ inch thick. Cut out hearts and place on the cookie sheet. Press dough scraps together and roll again, then cut out more hearts. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- Repeat step 5 with the other disc of cookie dough.
- While the cookies cool, make the filling. Place the PASCHA Chocolate Chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir the chocolate chips and if they are not fully melted, microwave for 15 more seconds or until melted. Set aside to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
- Once the chocolate is no longer hot, place it into a mixing bowl along with the vegan buttery spread. Mix together on medium speed. Add the cocoa powder and the sifted confectioner’s sugar. Drizzle the non-dairy milk in a little at a time until a thick filling forms.
- Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a #12 round tip. Pipe the filling onto half of the cookies, and place another cookie on top.
- Enjoy! These cookies should be stored in the refrigerator if not eaten within a few hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Preslava
Hello, why didn’t the red color remain when the cookie was broken?Thank you!
Skim
Hello,
So excited to try these! Is there a substitute for beets? Maybe strawberries?
Thank you!
Jacquie
Artificial dye free and yummy, what’s not to love!
Dee
So yummy and I love that they are dyed naturally.
Kortney
These are so pretty! I am excited that Whole30 will be done in time for Valentine’s day! We think gluten may be something to keep an eye out for after Whole30, so these are the perfect reintroduction treat.
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
These look gorgeous for valentine’s day!
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry
These are seriously gorgeous, Kelly! Anything to do with hearts, chocolate and pink is an instant win with me, and the fact that these are naturally coloured with beets just makes me love these even more! I don’t think I could ever bring myself to use artificial food colouring!
Bethany
These cookies are SO pretty!
Kelly
Thank you, Bethany!
Kristy @ Southern In Law
These are so sweet! And I bet they’re absolutely delicious too!
Kelly
Thank you!
Summer Daisy
These look so cute and delicious ♥
summerdaisy.net
Kelly
Thank you!
Rachel
Looks delicious! What a fun V-Day treat!
Kelly
Thanks, Rachel!
Sammi @ Grounded & Surrounded
These cookies are gorgeous! What a fun and “healthified” Valentine’s Day treat :)
Kelly
Thank you!
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life
I’ve got to get my hands on some of that chocolate! It looks amazing! Also, I love the valentine’s day treats – they’re all so cute!
Kelly
Thank you! Yes, try to find some PASCHA Chocolate, you won’t regret it!