I have always really loved baking and crafting little gifts for Valentine’s Day. It makes me happy to treat the people I love with some fresh baked goodies, a cute, personalized card, and maybe another surprise or two. Maybe a card from the cats as well. I try not to go too crazy because didn’t we just have Christmas? But I can’t help it sometimes! 🙂
Whoopie pies are a favorite in my household and these heart shaped whoopie pies are an adorable, delicious way to surprise your own loved ones with a festive treat for the holiday. Whether you’re baking for your partner, your kids, your friends, or yourself (because self-love is important too), these sweet little cakes will be loved by everyone! Wrapped up in parchment and tie them up with a cute ribbon or decorative twine, they are a perfect addition tucked into a lunch or little basket of Valentine’s Day gifts. They’d also work well as party favors for all ages if you are hosting a Valentine’s Day gathering.
Before you get started, take a look at a few tips that might be helpful! And if you have any questions or need help, feel free to reach out or leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help!
Recipe Suggestions and Tips
- Roll the edges of the assembled whoopie pies in Valentine’s Day-themed sprinkles for extra flair – this is my favorite way to decorate these! You can also add some edible glitter if you’re feeling fancy.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted white chocolate or candy melts for an elegant touch.
- Use gel food coloring for a more vibrant red hue without thinning the batter.
- Try a marshmallow fluff filling for a lighter, sweeter alternative to cream cheese.
- Use flavored buttercream, such as strawberry or raspberry, for a fruity variation.
- For uniform hearts, use a stencil under your parchment paper or trace heart shapes and pipe over them.
- Keep the batter thick for well-defined shapes but avoid overmixing to prevent spreading.
- Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking for consistent results.
- Chill the cream cheese filling for 10-15 minutes before assembling if it becomes too soft to spread or pipe.
- You can also chill your baking sheets with the piped batter for 10 minutes before baking to help the cakes keep their shape in the oven.
- To make a flax seed egg substitute, simply whisk together 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water to equal one egg.
- If you’re avoiding or just out of eggs, Ener-G Egg Replacer is still my go-to after coming up on 20 years (wow!) and works great in baked goods.
I opted to use a stencil to keep my whoopie pies uniform in shape, and you can download it free below to use too! I used a Wilton 1A piping tip to trace the outline of the hearts, then used a small spatula to spread the batter around to fill in the middle. I found that this method kept my heart shape from spreading too much and also kept the cakes from getting too thick.
If you are not comfortable piping the batter, do not have the piping supplies to shape the batter that way, or find that your batter is spreading too much and you’re having troubling fixing it, you can also use a heart-shaped silicone baking mold like this one. I tested this method out as well and it works great! Just fill the molds with a very small amount of batter – 1/4 to 1/3 of the mold – so it will still make a good sandwich when you add your filling.
Just be aware that your cakes will have flat sides that will look more like the edges of a brownie rather than the more rounded edges shown in my photos here. Either way is fine, especially if you already have the heart mold on hand!

Storage Instructions
- Store assembled whoopie pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Place wax or parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- You can freeze the unassembled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before filling.
- Assembled whoopie pies can also be frozen, but the filling may change texture slightly upon thawing. Wrap each pie individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
Avoiding food dyes? No problem!
You don’t have to miss out on tasty, festive looking treats just because you’re avoiding synthetic dyes or baking for someone with food sensitivities or allergies. Here are a few natural food color options that would work great for this recipe:
- You can definitely just skip the red dye in the batter altogether – the whoopie pies will still taste amazing without it!
- If you want to keep the red tint to the cakes, ENCO natural food colorings are made without synthetic dyes.
- Supernatural brand Unicorn Tracks sprinkles are free of artificial dyes and would look super cute on your festive Valentine’s Day treats!
Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the whoopie pies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg or egg replacer, see recipe notes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp red food coloring
For the cream cheese filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream 1/2 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
- Mix 1 tbsp red food coloring into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and 1 cup of buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or use a spoon. Pipe or spoon heart shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them for spreading. See my notes above about how to best shape the batter – I use a large piping tip, trace the outline of the heart, then smooth in the center with a small spatula.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies spring back when gently touched. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets before removing.
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat 8 oz of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup of softened butter until smooth.
- Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, beating until light and fluffy.
To Assemble
- Spread or pipe a layer of the cream cheese filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

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