Make a heart-shaped cookie cake without a pan! With some aluminum foil & my homemade cookie cake recipe, you can make the cutest giant heart with a few simple supplies that you probably have at home!
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Supplies for Valentine heart cookie cake:
I'm a big believer that you don't need to buy 28 different shaped cake pans to be able to make the cutest homemade cookie cakes! So today I'm sharing with you a simple tutorial for making a DIY heart-shaped cookie cake pan using aluminum foil!
- Homemade Cookie Cake Recipe (or any of my other cookie cake flavors!)
- Large cookie sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Parchment paper
- Free printable heart cookie cake template
- Scissors & tape
How to make a heart cookie cake without a pan!
Step 1: Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Whip up a batch of my Homemade Cookie Cake Recipe (recipe below!) or any of my other cookie cake flavors like Red Velvet Cookie Cake or Chewy Funfetti Cookie Cake!
Make it gluten-free! You can also make a gluten-free heart cookie cake using my Chewy Gluten-Free Cookie Cake recipe!
Step 2: Cut Out Template
Print off my free printable heart cookie cake template on 8.5x11" paper, cut out, and then tape together to form a heart. Place template on cookie sheet and top with a piece of parchment paper.
Step 3: Press Dough Into Heart & Add Foil Strip
Using the heart template as your guide, press the cookie dough into a heart. Remove the paper heart template before you bake.
Roll out about 4 feet of aluminum foil and fold the long edge into a strip. Spray the foil strip with nonstick cooking spray, then wrap it around the heart cookie dough (gently press it to "adhere" to dough). This will be the barrier that will help prevent your cookie from spreading.
Tip: For a video tutorial, watch me make this on TikTok!
Step 4: Bake
Remove the paper heart template before you bake. Bake the heart cookie cake for 16-18 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the foil ring (if it's sticking, use a knife to loosen).
Tip: Because we don't have the heat of a metal pan, this is a bit longer than using a pan. If using a real metal pan, bake for 12-14 minutes.
Step 5: Decorate
Cool cake completely before decorating. To decorate, I like to pipe a border using a large star tip and bright pink frosting (formula below), then finish it off with some Valentine-themed sprinkles.
How to Make Bright Pink Frosting
To get this vibrant pink frosting, I simply added 1 drop of Wilton Red food coloring gel to the buttercream! If you want to use a pale pink color, learn my toothpick trick in How to Make Light Pink Frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The Ateco #849 is my favorite large star tip to create a simple cookie cake border. You can also just use a ziploc bag and cut off the top for a large dot border.
If using my template, the cookie will measure about 10" tall and 11" wide.
If you're using a metal heart pan and my Homemade Cookie Cake Recipe, bake for 12-14 minutes. If using the DIY foil pan hack shown in this post, bake for 16-18 minutes.
Yes! You can make this Valentine cookie cake using my Red Velvet Cookie Cake, Chewy Funfetti Cookie Cake (with Valentine sprinkles!) or even use Valentine M&M's to make my Chewy M&M Cookie Cake. Move on over Great American Cookie...we're making homemade this year!
Valentine Heart Cookie Cake (without a pan!)
Ingredients
Cookie Cake Recipe
- ½ cup unsalted butter You will be melting this
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Chop ½ cup and keep ½ cup whole
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of Salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Food coloring if desired
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Make DIY foil pan according to step-by-step instructions in post above.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) for 20-30 seconds until JUST melted.
- Add in granulated sugar (¼ cup) and light brown sugar (½ cup) and use a spatula to stir until combined (do not use a mixer!). Add in egg (1 large) and vanilla extract (1 ½ teaspoons), then mix. Next, add in baking soda (½ teaspoon), baking powder (¼ teaspoon), and salt (¼ teaspoon) and mix again. Add in all-purpose flour (1 ½ cups) and mix until all the flour disappears into the dough.
- Add ½ cup of chopped chocolate chips and ½ cup of whole chocolate chips into the dough and mix.
- Place a piece of parchment on top of the printable heart template. Press cookie dough into heart shape, then wrap with greased foil strip (see instructions in post above). Remove the paper heart template from underneath the parchment paper before you bake.
- Bake at 350℉ for 16-18 minutes (12-14 minutes if using a real metal pan). Do not overbake or your chocolate chip cookie cake will not be soft.
- After baking, cool for 5 minutes then remove foil strip. Cool completely before decorating.
- To decorate: Using a large star piping tip, pipe around the edges then immediately add sprinkles (the frosting will start hardening quick, so add sprinkles right away!).If you're feeling fancy, you can double the frosting recipe to have enough to pipe phrases like "Happy V-Day" on the top.
To Make Frosting:
- Beat the softened unsalted butter (¼ cup) on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed then add the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time (1 ¼ cups total). You may need to stop and scrape down sides. Add vanilla extract (¾ teaspoon) and a pinch of salt and turn mixer to medium speed. One tablespoon at a time, add milk (1-2 tablespoons total). Beat on high for 2-3 minutes until creamy and the frosting is at a good consistency to pipe. If it looks too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it looks too stiff, add a tiny bit of milk until you get to the desired consistency.This will make just enough frosting to pipe a border along the edges. If you would like more frosting to cover the top or to write words on top, simply double the frosting recipe!
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make these (keyword), be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
Amazing recipe! Made for my partner for Valentine’s and he absolutely loves it. Says it’s one of the tastiest cookies he’s ever had. Used white chocolate chips instead and halved the amount as they are much sweeter. Doubled the buttercream recipe to make a black square in the middle, to place moulded chocolate letters onto and dusted with lustre powder - looks really good if I do say so myself! Foil pan was flawless and actually used the same method to make heart shaped red velvet pancakes this morning!
Yay, so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Lakshmi! I really appreciate it!
I made these more of little mini cookie cakes and they were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Vanessa!
I've made a lot of cookie cakes and this is by far my favorite!!!
Loved that I was able to use melted butter and cookie held it's shape.
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Stephanie!
I used it for the frosting and thank you! Exactly what I wanted.
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Bri!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just tried it using you heart foil method. I think it actually turned out great!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Melissa!
I made this for my daughter on Valentine's Day. It turned out so yummy!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Jennie! I really appreciate it!
I made this for Mother’s Day and my mom absolutely loved this cookie cake!
Yay, so glad to hear your mom loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Looks great! Will make for Valentine Day. What size heart pan for cookie cake?
Something around 11-12" would be perfect! If it's a little smaller, just bake a little longer.
Came out absolutely perfect!
LOVE IT🍪 i made a double batch and cooked it for the same amount of time as regular and it worked perfect! i only used about half of the second batch and made normal cookies with the rest of the dough, was for my sisters bday and was so good, very chewy and moist so good i saw on her tik tok page that she adds cornstarch to make them more chewy but in this recipe there was no cornstarch so i also added 1/2 tsp and i don’t really know if it did anything but was absolutely delicious! i would recommend for sure!
Wow, you baking queen! So glad you loved this recipe, Grace! I love adding cornstarch to cookies as it makes them chewier. 1/2 teaspoon likely didn't change much of the texture, so I'd recommend using at least 1 tablespoon next time to see a change!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – I appreciate it so much!
My family and I have always loved great American cookie cakes, and it’s been our favorite, until I tried this recipe! I was SO happy how it turned out, and it is now my favorite one I’ve tasted!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear! Move on over Great American Cookie ;)
Thank you for leaving a review - I appreciate it so much!
My family said it’s the best thing i’ve baked so far, and i bake a lot! Super soft in the middle.
Wow that makes me so happy! So glad you all loved them. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review - I appreciate it so much!
Absolutely delicious! My daughter, who is a dessert afficionado, said this was one of the best things I've ever made! Thank you for the recipe.
I'm so glad you all enjoyed the cookie cake, Nichole! Thanks so much for leaving a review!