Measure out all your ingredients so everything is ready to go.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Pro Tip: I like to soften butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes—it blends easier and makes the cookies super tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Set aside for later.

Pro Tip: Whisk continuously to make sure the baking soda is evenly distributed; this helps the cookies rise evenly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (or hand whisk) to cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy—about 2–3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Pro Tip: Don’t rush this step; the fluffier the butter-sugar mixture, the softer your cookies will be.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula.

Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see flour streaks.

Pro Tip: Overmixing here can make the cookies tough, so gentle folding is best.

Add the chocolate chips and fold them evenly into the dough using a spatula.

Make sure every scoop of dough has some chocolate chips for that perfect bite.

Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin.

Roll dough to about ¼-inch thickness.

Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

Pro Tip: If the dough gets too soft while rolling, pop it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes—it makes cutting cleaner shapes easier.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Rotate the baking sheet halfway through for even baking.

Pro Tip: The centers may look slightly soft when you take them out—that’s perfect! They’ll firm up as they cool.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Once cooled, sprinkle with colored sugar, add extra chocolate chips, or drizzle icing for a festive Valentine’s Day touch.