Christmas Sugar Cookies – Soft, Buttery & Perfect for Decorating

🎉 Introduction

These Christmas Sugar Cookies are everything a holiday sugar cookie should be — soft in the center, lightly crisp on the edges, perfectly buttery, and sturdy enough for decorating without becoming dry or crumbly. With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and warm vanilla flavor, these cookies bake into beautifully smooth shapes that hold their edges, making them ideal for Christmas trees, stars, stockings, snowflakes, gingerbread men, and more.

Pair them with a creamy vanilla butter icing or a picture-perfect royal icing, and you get festive cookies that look bakery-worthy but taste even better. Whether you’re baking with kids, hosting a cookie-decorating night, or preparing stunning treats for gifting, these Christmas sugar cookies are a holiday classic.

🧰 Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Stand or hand mixer
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters (holiday shapes)
• Parchment-lined baking sheets
• Cooling rack

🛒 Ingredients

Christmas Sugar Cookie Dough

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract (optional but amazing)

Simple Vanilla Icing (for decorating)

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2–3 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: food coloring + sprinkles

👩‍🍳 Directions

Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients

Whisk together:

• flour
• baking powder
• salt

Set aside.

Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugar

Beat butter and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy.

Add:

• egg
• vanilla
• almond extract

Beat until creamy and smooth.

Step 3: Combine Wet & Dry

Add dry ingredients to wet in two batches.

Mix until a soft dough forms.

Divide dough in half and flatten into disks.

Chill 1 hour

This helps cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.

Step 4: Roll, Cut & Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness.

Cut into holiday shapes and place on lined baking sheets.

Bake 8–10 minutes, depending on size.

You want:

• edges set
• tops pale
• centers slightly soft

Let cool on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring to rack.

Step 5: Make the Simple Vanilla Icing

Whisk together:

• powdered sugar
• milk
• vanilla
• pinch of salt

Add more milk for a thinner glaze or more sugar for thick piping consistency.

Separate and tint with food coloring if desired.

Step 6: Decorate

Once cookies are completely cooled, decorate using:

• piping bags
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks for details

Top with sprinkles, sugar crystals, or edible glitter while icing is wet.

Let icing fully dry before stacking.

🍽️ Servings & Timing

• Servings: 24–32 cookies
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour
• Bake Time: 8–10 minutes
• Total Time: ~1 hour 30 minutes

🧊 Storage & Freezing

Room Temp: 1 week
Fridge: 10 days
Freeze baked cookies (undecorated): 2 months
Freeze dough: Up to 3 months

Decorated cookies freeze well once icing is fully hardened.

🥄 Variations

1. Spiced Christmas Sugar Cookies
   Add cinnamon + nutmeg for warmth.
2. Lemon Holiday Cookies
   Add lemon zest + lemon icing.
3. Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies
   Swap ½ cup granulated sugar with brown sugar.
4. Chocolate Sugar Cookies
   Add ½ cup cocoa to the dough.
5. Peppermint Twist Cookies
   Add ½ tsp peppermint extract + crushed candy canes.
6. Almond Snowflake Cookies
   Add more almond extract + pearl sprinkles.
7. Gluten-Free Version
   Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
8. Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
   Add 2 oz cream cheese for ultra-softness.
9. Maple Christmas Cookies
   Add 1 tsp maple extract to dough + maple icing.
10. Marbled Christmas Cookies
    Swirl food coloring into dough before rolling.

❓ 10 FAQs

1. How do I prevent spreading?
   Chill dough properly + avoid warm cookie sheets.
2. Can I skip chilling?
   No — cookies will lose shape.
3. Why almond extract?
   It gives a classic bakery sugar-cookie flavor.
4. Can I make dough in advance?
   Yes — chill up to 3 days or freeze 3 months.
5. Why are my cookies dry?
   Overbaking — pull when tops look pale.
6. Can I make them thicker?
   Roll dough to ⅜ inch for fluffier cookies.
7. Can I use brown butter?
   Yes — gives a nutty, caramelized flavor.
8. How long until icing dries?
   3–6 hours for simple icing, 12+ for royal icing.
9. Can I use royal icing instead?
   Yes — great for intricate decorations.
10. Can I add sprinkles before baking?
    Yes — they bake beautifully into the dough.

🏁 Conclusion

These Christmas Sugar Cookies are buttery, soft, perfectly shaped, and ideal for decorating — the kind of cookies that turn holiday baking into a cherished tradition. With a pillowy texture, warm vanilla flavor, and endlessly customizable decorations, they’re guaranteed to become a yearly favorite.

Classic, festive, and absolutely delicious.

Christmas Sugar Cookies – Soft, Buttery & Perfect for Decorating

These Christmas Sugar Cookies are everything a holiday sugar cookie should be — soft in the center, lightly crisp on the edges, perfectly buttery, and sturdy enough for decorating without becoming dry or crumbly. With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and warm vanilla flavor, these cookies bake into beautifully smooth shapes that hold their edges, making them ideal for Christmas trees, stars, stockings, snowflakes, gingerbread men, and more. Pair them with a creamy vanilla butter icing or a picture-perfect royal icing, and you get festive cookies that look bakery-worthy but taste even better. Whether you’re baking with kids, hosting a cookie-decorating night, or preparing stunning treats for gifting, these Christmas sugar cookies are a holiday classic.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 20 Cookies

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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Ingredients

  

Christmas Sugar Cookie Dough

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract optional but amazing
• Simple Vanilla Icing for decorating
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 –3 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: food coloring + sprinkles

Get Our Best App for Daily Great Recipes 🍽️

Discover warm, delicious, home-style meals — fresh recipes added every day inside Jacky’s Kitchen.

Coming Soon

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Stand or hand mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Cookie cutters (holiday shapes)
• Parchment-lined baking sheets
• Cooling rack

Method

 

Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients

1. Whisk together:
2. flour
3. baking powder
4. salt
5. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugar

1. Beat butter and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy.
2. Add:
3. egg
4. vanilla
5. almond extract
6. Beat until creamy and smooth.

Step 3: Combine Wet & Dry

1. Add dry ingredients to wet in two batches.
2. Mix until a soft dough forms.
3. Divide dough in half and flatten into disks.
4. Chill 1 hour
5. This helps cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.

Step 4: Roll, Cut & Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness.
3. Cut into holiday shapes and place on lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 8–10 minutes, depending on size.
5. You want:
6. edges set
7. tops pale
8. centers slightly soft
9. Let cool on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring to rack.

Step 5: Make the Simple Vanilla Icing

1. Whisk together:
2. powdered sugar
3. milk
4. vanilla
5. pinch of salt
6. Add more milk for a thinner glaze or more sugar for thick piping consistency.
7. Separate and tint with food coloring if desired.

Step 6: Decorate

1. Once cookies are completely cooled, decorate using:
2. piping bags
3. squeeze bottles
4. toothpicks for details
5. Top with sprinkles, sugar crystals, or edible glitter while icing is wet.
6. Let icing fully dry before stacking.

Notes

🧊 Storage & Freezing

Room Temp: 1 week
Fridge: 10 days
Freeze baked cookies (undecorated): 2 months
Freeze dough: Up to 3 months

Decorated cookies freeze well once icing is fully hardened.

🥄 Variations

Spiced Christmas Sugar Cookies
Add cinnamon + nutmeg for warmth.

Lemon Holiday Cookies
Add lemon zest + lemon icing.

Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies
Swap ½ cup granulated sugar with brown sugar.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Add ½ cup cocoa to the dough.

Peppermint Twist Cookies
Add ½ tsp peppermint extract + crushed candy canes.

Almond Snowflake Cookies
Add more almond extract + pearl sprinkles.

Gluten-Free Version
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Add 2 oz cream cheese for ultra-softness.

Maple Christmas Cookies
Add 1 tsp maple extract to dough + maple icing.

Marbled Christmas Cookies
Swirl food coloring into dough before rolling.

❓ 10 FAQs

How do I prevent spreading?
Chill dough properly + avoid warm cookie sheets.

Can I skip chilling?
No — cookies will lose shape.

Why almond extract?
It gives a classic bakery sugar-cookie flavor.

Can I make dough in advance?
Yes — chill up to 3 days or freeze 3 months.

Why are my cookies dry?
Overbaking — pull when tops look pale.

Can I make them thicker?
Roll dough to ⅜ inch for fluffier cookies.

Can I use brown butter?
Yes — gives a nutty, caramelized flavor.

How long until icing dries?
3–6 hours for simple icing, 12+ for royal icing.

Can I use royal icing instead?
Yes — great for intricate decorations.

Can I add sprinkles before baking?
Yes — they bake beautifully into the dough.

🏁 Conclusion

These Christmas Sugar Cookies are buttery, soft, perfectly shaped, and ideal for decorating — the kind of cookies that turn holiday baking into a cherished tradition. With a pillowy texture, warm vanilla flavor, and endlessly customizable decorations, they’re guaranteed to become a yearly favorite.

Classic, festive, and absolutely delicious.