Swedish Fish Heart Cookies

Swedish Fish Heart Cookies are buttery thumbprint cookies dipped in sprinkles and topped with a heart shaped Swedish Fish candy.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away, so I wanted to get a jump start on some fun treats for the holiday. I love these Swedish Fish Heart Cookies because they are so colorful and cute. They're also very tasty! And the kids really like them.

I'm pretty sure you can buy Swedish Fish in a heart shapes during the Valentine's Day season, but I thought it was fun to make my own hearts from Swedish Fish. That way, you can make these cookies anytime of year.

The cookie itself is a pretty standard butter cookie. Start by beating butter, sugar and flavorings together for 3 minutes. The butter gets nice and fluffy.

Then you add in your dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until a dough forms. Knead it in the bowl with floured hands for a few turns.

Then shape the dough into 24 (1-inch) balls. Dip the balls in sprinkles. I used non-pareils which are so colorful and pretty but I have no idea how to pronounce the name. Anyone?

Next step is to crack open a fresh bag of Swedish Fish. I bought a large bag which I found at my local grocery store on the candy aisle. I had to hide them until it was time to bake these cookies because the people in my house are big fans. Especially my husband who actually found the bag and ate quite a few before I could stop him. Luckily, I had enough left for the cookies.

If you can't find the candy in stores, here it is on Amazon (affiliate):

I cut the "fish" in half on the diagonal. Then I used just the "heads" and put two together to form a heart. They stick together very well when you press the cut sides together.

Here's a photo to show you how I cut the Swedish Fish.

Press a heart into the top of each cookie ball. Then slightly flatten the cookie with the palm of your hand.

Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet or half-sheet pan like this one. Bake at 375°F. for 10-13 minutes.

Here is a half-sheet pan like the one I used from Amazon (affiliate):

Let cookies cool completely before serving.

Aren't they cute! Swedish Fish Heart Cookies are perfect to make for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. They would also be nice for a birthday or bridal shower or anytime you wanted to make a special treat for someone you love.

Swedish Fish Heart Cookies

Swedish Fish Heart Cookies are buttery thumbprint cookies dipped in sprinkles and topped with a heart shaped Swedish Fish candy.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 ½ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting fingers
• ▢ 1 ½ cups Swedish Fish or 48 candies
• ▢ 2 ounces non-pareils (sprinkles)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper (I like to used 13"x18" half sheet pans with a raised edge, so cookies don't slide off). Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add butter, sugar and flavorings. With an electric mixer, beat until low until combined, then turn up to medium and beat for 3 minutes. With mixer on medium low, gradually add flour and salt. Once the flour and salt are added, turn mixer up to medium and mix completely. With floured hands, knead dough for a minute and form into a ball (in the bowl).
• Shape dough into 24 (1-inch) balls. Dip balls in sprinkles and place on prepared pans. Cut the "heads" off of the Swedish Fish candies at an angle. Press two "heads" together to form a heart. You can use the tail too, but it's not as rounded. Make 24 hearts and press into cookie balls. Slightly flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand.
• Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes or until they are just starting to turn a light golden brown on the edges. Let cool. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for several weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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