Italian Heart Cookies with Jam are delicate sandwich cookies made with traditional pasta frolla, the classic Italian sweet shortcrust pastry used for crostata and many beloved home-style desserts. Buttery, fragrant and gently crumbly, pasta frolla gives these heart-shaped cookies their characteristic tender texture and rich flavor.
Prepared with simple ingredients such as flour, butter, sugar and eggs, this dough is a staple of Italian baking. It rolls out easily and bakes into cookies that are lightly crisp at the edges while remaining soft and melt-in-your-mouth in the center. After baking, the cookies are paired and filled with jam, creating elegant jam sandwich cookies with a beautiful heart cut-out that reveals the vibrant fruit filling.
You can choose strawberry jam, raspberry jam, apricot jam or even chocolate cream. The contrast between the buttery pastry and the sweet, slightly tangy jam makes these cookies irresistible and perfectly balanced.
Simple yet refined, these Italian heart cookies are ideal for coffee time, festive cookie trays or homemade gifts throughout the year. They bring the authentic flavor of Italian pastry into a charming and versatile treat that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cooling Time: 1 Hour | Cook Time: 12 Min | Servings: About 20 Heart Cookies
To make these Italian heart cookies with jam, you will need the following ingredients.
FOR THE PASTA FROLLA (ITALIAN SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY)
- 250 g (about 2 cups) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 120 g (½ cup) unsalted cold butter
- 1 medium egg, at room temperature
- A pinch fine salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean seeds or the zest of ½ organic lemon (optional)
- Powdered sugar, for decoration
FOR THE FILLING
- 4 to 5 tablespoons fruit jam, such as strawberry jam, raspberry jam or apricot jam
Optional variations:
2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread
2 tablespoons white chocolate cream spread
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
To prepare these Italian heart cookies with jam, you will need a rolling pin and a lightly floured pastry board or work surface to roll out the pasta frolla evenly.
You can mix the dough by hand, as traditionally done in Italian home baking, or use a stand mixer for convenience. I used a stand mixer to make the pasta frolla, but both methods work perfectly well.
To shape the cookies, you will need heart-shaped cookie cutters in two sizes: a larger one for the base and a smaller one to cut out the center of the top cookie, creating the classic heart window that reveals the jam filling.
If you plan to package these cookies as a gift, simple cookie boxes or cookie bags are ideal for storing and wrapping them neatly. In Italy, homemade cookies are often prepared for special occasions and given as thoughtful, handmade gifts, and these heart cookies are perfect for that purpose.
Instructions
Make the Pasta Frolla
Step 1) - In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cold butter cut into small cubes, sifted flour, sugar, egg, baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest or vanilla seeds, if using.
Step 2) - Mix for a few seconds with the paddle attachment until the ingredients start to come together. Switch to the dough hook and knead just until a compact dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.
Step 3) - Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a smooth, firm ball with your hands. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
After resting, roll out the pasta frolla on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about ½ cm (0.2 inch).
For more detailed tips and step-by-step photos, see the Pasta Frolla Recipe (Italian Sweet Shortcrust Pastry).
Cut out the Cookies
Step 4) - Using the larger heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible from the rolled dough.
Step 5) - With the smaller heart cutter, remove the center from half of the cookies to create the top layer.
Note: The small cut-out hearts can also be baked. They make lovely mini cookies on their own.
Bake
Step 6) - Arrange all the cookies, both whole and cut-out, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
Step 7) - Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. Spread about 1 teaspoon of jam (or chocolate spread if you prefer) over each whole cookie, being careful not to overfill.
Step 8) - Gently place the cut-out cookies on top of the filled ones, aligning the edges so the jam shows through the heart-shaped center. Your Italian heart cookies with jam are ready to serve.
Storage
You can prepare the pasta frolla 2 to 3 days in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
The dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap it well and place it in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.
Once assembled, the Italian heart cookies with jam can be stored at room temperature for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. Keep them in a cool, dry place to maintain their texture and freshness.
If you prefer, you can also store the baked, unfilled cookies in an airtight container and fill them with jam just before serving.
Variations
These Italian heart cookies with jam are easy to customize while keeping the same simple pasta frolla base.
THE FILLING: For the filling, in addition to strawberry or raspberry jam, you can use apricot jam, fig jam or any fruit preserve you like. If you prefer a creamier center, try chocolate hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, white chocolate cream or extra dark chocolate spread. Each option gives the cookies a different character while preserving their delicate texture.
THE FLAVORING: You can also flavor the pasta frolla in various ways. Lemon zest and vanilla are the most traditional choices, but a pinch of cinnamon or a few drops of almond extract can add a pleasant aromatic note. For a more distinctive flavor, you can incorporate about 2 to 3 tablespoons of anise liqueur or limoncello into the dough, slightly reducing the egg quantity if needed to maintain the right consistency.
THE PASTA FROLLA: If you enjoy chocolate, prepare a cocoa version of pasta frolla by replacing a small portion of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. You can even combine classic and chocolate dough to create two-tone heart cookies.
More Italian Desserts Made with Pasta Frolla
If you enjoy baking with pasta frolla, try these traditional Italian desserts:
- Canestrelli, delicate Italian butter cookies dusted with powdered sugar
- Crostata, the classic Italian tart made with sweet shortcrust pastry and jam
- Italian Almond Tart (Crostata di Mandorle), a rich and fragrant almond-filled tart
- Chocolate Raspberry Heart Cake, a rich and elegant dessert perfect for special occasions
Recipe Card
Italian Heart Cookies with Jam
Ingredients
For Pasta Frolla (Italian Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- 250 g 00 flour or all-purpose - about 2 cups
- 100 g granulated sugar - ½ cup
- 120 g unsalted cold butter - ½ cup
- 1 medium egg - at room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean seeds or the zest of ½ organic lemon - optional
- powdered sugar - for decoration
For the Filling
- 4-5 tablespoons fruit jam, such as strawberry jam, raspberry jam or apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread - Optional Variation
- 2 tablespoons white chocolate cream spread - Optional Variation
Instructions
Make the Pasta Frolla
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cold butter cut into small cubes, sifted flour, sugar, egg, baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest or vanilla seeds, if using.
- Mix for a few seconds with the paddle attachment until the ingredients start to come together. Switch to the dough hook and knead just until a compact dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a smooth, firm ball with your hands. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
- After resting, roll out the pasta frolla on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about ½ cm (0.2 inch).
Cut Out the Cookies
- Using the larger heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible from the rolled dough.
- With the smaller heart cutter, remove the center from half of the cookies to create the top layer.Note: The small cut-out hearts can also be baked. They make lovely mini cookies on their own.
Bake and Serve
- Arrange all the cookies, both whole and cut-out, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of jam (or chocolate spread if you prefer) over each whole cookie, being careful not to overfill.
- Gently place the cut-out cookies on top of the filled ones, aligning the edges so the jam shows through the heart-shaped center. Your Italian heart cookies with jam are ready to serve.
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