• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Vegetarian Sides
    • Vegan Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Gluten- Free
    • Refined-Sugar Free Desserts
    • 10 Ingredients or Less
    • 30 Minutes or Less
  • Popular Recipes
  • About
    • Discount Codes
    • Lifestyle
  • Work With Me
  • Subscribe

ShortGirlTallOrder logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Popular Recipes
  • Breakfast + Brunch
  • Lunch & Dinner Mains
  • Vegan Desserts
  • Drinks
  • About
  • Work with me
  • Follow ShortGirlTallOrder On:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Cookies + Brownies

    Marbled Rosewater Heart Cookies

    Published: Feb 13, 2023 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    heart cookies with text overlay "marbled heart sugar cookies".

    These Vegan Marbled Rosewater Heart Cookies are so fun to make and are truly the prettiest heart-shaped cookies! Plus, we're using rosewater in the cookie dough and icing for a fun twist on this classic sugar cookie recipe.

    plate of heart shaped red white and pink marble glazed sugar cookies with rose petals.

    To me, Valentine's Day is always the perfect excuse to bake all your favorite desserts and make them extra cute.

    Last year I really leaned into red velvet and made my favorite Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes and Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies. However, this year I wanted to switch it up and make something even more festive. Enter in- the cutest red and pink marbled sugar cookies!

    Ingredients:

    labeled ingredients for rose water cookies on baking tray.

    Ingredient notes:

    • Food coloring: I used Ann Clark Gel Food Coloring in colors Super Red and Bubblegum Pink to decorate these marbled heart cookies. I highly recommend these because they work so well and are also vegan & gluten-free.
    • Vegan butter: My favorite brands to bake cookies with are country crock plant butter with olive oil or earth balance buttery sticks. I highly suggest using these as other vegan butter brands can contain more moisture and the cookies may spread more.
    • Rosewater: I used this Rose Water for this recipe- it's the best! I have also used it in my Cardamom Rose Cupcakes.
    • Flax egg: Is super important to create structure in these vegan sugar cookies and is a mix of ground flaxseed and water. If you can't find ground flaxseed, chia seeds also work as a substitute but will change the look of the cookies.

    How to make marbled heart sugar cookies

    Make the rosewater cookie dough

    First, make a classic shortbread cookie dough. It starts off by creaming vegan butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes which incorporates some air into these cookies and ensures they are not too dense.

    Then, mix in the flax egg, vanilla bean paste, and rosewater. I prefer using vanilla bean paste over vanilla extract for its stronger flavor, but either will work.

    Then, mix in the flour, salt, & baking powder. We are using very little baking powder as we don't want these cookies to rise too much.

    bowl of rosewater cookie dough with electric whisks inside.

    Roll out the cookie dough

    Once you have a firm cookie dough, place it between two layers of parchment paper and roll it out until it's about ⅓-inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookies.

    Continue rolling out the cookie dough scraps and cutting out heart cookies until you have used up all the dough.

    heart shaped cookie cutter cutting out shapes in rolled out sugar cookie dough.

    Add to tray, freeze, & bake

    Add the heart cookies to a parchment-lined tray and then pop them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350F. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking- so don't skip this step!

    Add the tray of rose water cookies to the oven and then bake for 12-14 minutes until they are cooked through and only just beginning to brown.

    heart shaped sugar cookies on parchment lined tray before and after baking.

    Let cool & make the marbled icing

    Move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. It's VERY important not to ice them until they are cooled or the icing will just melt off.

    To make the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, rose water, and water until a thick glaze forms. Then, add 2-3 drops of red food coloring and 2-3 drops of pink food coloring. I recommend using gel food coloring for the best results.

    Then, use a fork to gently swirl the coloring into the glaze to create a marbled pattern. Don't overdo this as you want to make sure some white icing still remains.

    bowl of marbled icing with red and pink swirls.

    When the heart cookies are completely cool, hold the cookie face down and dip the surface of the cookie into the icing so that it covers the top of the cookie.

    Lift the coated cookie over the bowl of glaze, shake slightly, and let any excess icing drip off.

    dunking heart shaped cookie into a bowl of red and pink marbled icing.

    Let icing set, then enjoy!

    Add the cookies to a parchment-lined tray or back to the wire rack and let them rest for about an hour until the icing sets and hardens.

    Once the icing sets, enjoy these delicious rosewater heart sugar cookies!

    plate full of pink and red marbled heart sugar cookies surrounded by rose petals and more cookies.

    FAQ & Tips:

    Can I use a different colored gel food coloring?

    Of course! Feel free to use whatever colors you want. Just make sure not to use too much food coloring. You can even use a differently shaped cookie cutter for other Holidays (like snowflakes for Christmas!)

    P.S.- for the best results you want to use a gel food coloring over one that is more watery.

    How do I store marbled sugar cookies?

    Glazed (or unglazed) heart sugar cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 1 month. I highly recommend storing them between sheets of parchment paper so the cookies do not stick together.

    Keep in mind, the best way to store them is in the freezer or else they lose some of their crisp texture over time.

    heart shaped cookie with a marbled pink red and white glaze on top.

    I can't wait for you to try these pretty AND delicious Rosewater Marbled Heart Cookies! They come out stunning, yet are truly easier to make than most vegan iced cookies. Enjoy these pink & red Valentine's Day cookies!

    -TSG

    More cookie recipes you will love:

    • three jam filled cookies on a plate surrounded by more plates of cookies.
      Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
    • sugar cookies topped with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles.
      Vegan Lofthouse Cookies
    • a pile of earl grey sugar cookies with vanilla glaze and earl grey tea leaves dusted on top
      Vegan Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
    • red velvet crinkle cooking on a wire baking rack
      Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    plate full of pink and red marbled heart sugar cookies surrounded by rose petals and more cookies.

    Marbled Rosewater Heart Cookies

    Perfectly sweet rosewater sugar cookies get topped with marbled rosewater icing for a delicious & stunning heart sugar cookie recipe!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin
    Course: Dessert, Vegan Cookies + Brownies
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Resting time (for glaze to set): 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
    Servings: 16 cookies
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    Rosewater Sugar Cookies

    • ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 flax egg 1 Tablespoon (8 grams) ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tablespoons water, left to sit 5 minutes
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon rose water
    • 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

    Marbled Rose Water Glaze:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon rosewater
    • 1-1 ½ Tablespoons water add gradually until you have a thick but smooth glaze
    • 2-3 drops red food coloring
    • 2-3 drops pink food coloring

    Instructions

    Making the cookies:

    • Before starting, make the flax egg by mixing together the ground flaxseed and water and setting it aside for 5 minutes until thickened.
    • Add the room-temperature vegan butter and sugar to a bowl and use an electric mixer to cream together for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Once creamed, mix in the vanilla bean paste, rose water, and flax egg.
    • Next, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix everything into a thick cookie dough.
    • Remove the cookie dough from the bowl and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the cookie dough between the two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle that is about ⅓ inch thick in height.
    • Once the dough is rolled out, use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Take the cookie scraps and continue rolling them out and cutting out cookies until you have used all of the cookie dough.
    • Add the heart-shaped cookies to a parchment-lined tray making sure to keep about 1 inch of space between each cookie. Add the tray of cookies to the freezer for 10-15 minutes to solidify a bit before baking
    • While the tray of cookies is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Once the oven has preheated, remove the cookies and add them to the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes or until they are cooked through and just beginning to brown on the bottoms.
    • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to continue cooling completely before making the icing (if they are not cooled, the icing will just melt off).

    Icing the cookies:

    • Once the cookies have cooled, make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar, rose water, and water together until you have a thick royal icing. The icing has to be thick to work, so if yours is too thin or runny, just add in a few Tablespoons of additional powdered sugar until it is thick.
    • Add in 2-3 drops of the red food coloring and 2-3 drops of the pink food coloring. Then, use a fork to gently swirl the food coloring around in the bowl. Make sure not to overmix it so you still can see some white and get a marbling effect.
    • Then, dunk the cookies into the glaze one at a time so that the entire top of the cookie is covered in icing. Lift the coated cookie over the bowl of glaze, shake slightly, and let any excess icing drip off. Flip each cookie over and add to a parchment-lined tray or back to the wire rack to set.
    • Let the cookies sit for at least an hour until they are firm to the touch and the icing has set and hardened. Then, enjoy these heart cookies!

    Notes

    • I used Ann Clark Gel Food Coloring in colors Super Red and Bubblegum Pink to decorate these marbled heart cookies- it's vegan & gluten-free and works really well to create marbled icing.
    • Glazed (or unglazed) heart sugar cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    • I highly recommend storing cookies between sheets of parchment paper so they do not stick together. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1medium cookie | Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
    « Birthday Cake Overnight Oats
    Vegan Curry Ramen »

    Sign up for our newsletter!

    And receive our FREE ebook with 6 must make SGTO vegan dinner recipes ready in 40 minutes or less!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    picture of girl with curly hair holding a spoon of food.

    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

    More about me →

    Follow SGTO:

    Citrus Season Favorites:

    • overhead shot of dried citrus wheels including blood oranges, navel oranges, limes, and lemons
      How to make dried/dehydrated citrus
    • Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake with a slice cut out on top of a cake stand with grapefruit glaze and dried grapefruits on top
      Vegan Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake
    • plate of lemon pasta with peas, leeks, and fresh oregano on top
      Vegan Lemon Butter Pasta with Peas & Leeks
    • multiple lemon poppyseed muffins with lemon glaze and fresh lemons
      Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • orange cookies with glaze and orange zest layered on a white wood board
      Vegan Orange Cardamom Sugar Cookies
    • a martini cocktail glass filled with a lemon drop with a dried lemon slice and dried lavender spring as garnish
      Lavender Lemon Drop Martini

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact

    Resources

    • All Recipes
    • Popular Recipes
    • Discount Codes

    Terms & Conditions

    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2023 ShortGirlTallOrder®. All Rights Reserved.