Christmas Sugar Cookies are supposed to be easy, fun, and seriously yummy, right? But sometimes, you’re up to your elbows in flour, your dough is too sticky, the shapes are melting into blobs, and nobody wants to eat an ornament-shaped hockey puck. Been there. Instead of another batch of not-so-great cookies, I figured I’d share my honest-to-goodness favorite recipe for the best holiday treats ever—ones everyone actually gobbles up. I pulled tricks straight from my kitchen disasters and my wins. If you like getting creative, by the way, check out these festive Christmas Cookies or, for a twist, the Deliciously Fun Halloween Pinwheel Sugar Cookies Recipe. Okay, jumping in!
Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookie Recipe
First off, they’re so easy. Like, genuinely “one-bowl, don’t panic” easy. These Christmas Sugar Cookies turn out soft with crisp edges (hello, that’s the dream). Even if you’re a serial dough-ruiner like me, you can handle this.
They also keep their shapes, which is important if you spent $7 on snowflake cookie cutters at that fancy kitchen shop. No more weird unidentifiable blobs on the tray. The taste? Buttery, not too sweet, and honestly they’re even good without frosting (but—frosting is half the fun, right?). People asked me if I bought mine from a five-star bakery once. I wish. If you need the holiday cookie for gifting or leaving out for Santa, look no further.
Oh, and hey, the dough’s forgiving. Missed a step? Forgot to chill it for an hour? It’ll forgive you.
“I’m not a baker, but these cookies came out perfect! Even my picky kids ate them. The dough rolled out so easily. Thank you!” — Jodi G.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Start simple. Grab unsalted butter (room temp is your friend, trust me). Mix it with regular sugar until it looks pale and creamy. Add an egg, a splash of vanilla. Mix again.
Now, flour time. Sprinkle in a bit of salt and baking powder with your flour. Mix it all together, but don’t go bananas—overmixing makes tough cookies, and tough cookies are only good in movies (haha, but really).
Once it’s a ball, split it in two. Flatten each into a disk (like a thick pancake). Chill these for at least an hour. Skipping this is tempting, but the dough will fight you later.
Time for cutouts! Dust your work surface with flour, roll the dough out, and go to town with your favorite cookie cutters. Big snowmen, tiny stars, whatever makes you happy. Place ’em on a cookie sheet with parchment and bake at 350°F. I check mine at 8 minutes. You want just-golden bottoms, not brown tops. Take them out, let them cool. Smells amazing!
Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookies
Okay, here’s where I spill all my secrets. First: don’t mess with butter temperature—cold butter means crumbly dough and hot butter melts everything. Room temp, always.
Roll your dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. No sticking to the counter, way less mess, and you won’t need to use mountains of flour.
If you want cookies that look as good as they taste, put the cut cookie shapes back in the fridge for five minutes before baking. This keeps those fancy edges sharp. Oh, and don’t be shy with the flour when rolling; just brush off excess before baking.
For easy cleanup later, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. No scrubbing.
If you’re getting ambitious with decorations, make sure the cookies are completely cool before icing, or things get wild and messy. You can find fun decoration ideas by browsing Christmas Pavlova Trifle Recipe or even Christmas Funfetti Bread.
How to Store Sugar Cookies
Don’t just toss them in a plastic bag, unless you like stale cookies, which… I guess is fine if you dunk them? Once your Christmas Sugar Cookies are cooled and decorated, here’s what I do:
- Keep them in an airtight tin or container. They stay fresh for about a week.
- Keep iced cookies in single layers, with wax paper between, so they don’t smudge each other.
- Freeze extras, unfrosted, in a zippered freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp (don’t microwave them—just don’t).
- If they start to dry out, put a slice of bread in with the cookies; it’s an old trick, but it works.
Super simple, right?
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
It’s art class, but way tastier. Royal icing is classic for sharp details, but honestly, a mix of powdered sugar and milk works just fine if you’re in a rush. Tint with food coloring; get wild here, my friends.
I use piping bags if I’m feeling fancy, but a zip-top bag with a little hole snipped off works, too. Kids love using spoons, painting with toothpicks, and generally just making mayhem. You can, too. Don’t let anyone tell you your gingerbread dude can’t wear pink pants.
Sprinkles? Yes. Pearls, nonpareils, colored sugar—stir it up. Pro tip: Frost your cookies on parchment to collect all the runaway sprinkles. Oh, and if you prefer less sugar but still want festive, check these Diabetic Friendly Christmas Cookies or these Diabetic Friendly Christmas Cookies 2.
Common Questions
Do I really need to chill the dough?
Absolutely, or your cookies may not hold their shape. Quick chill in the freezer if you’re short on time works in a pinch.
What if my dough is sticky?
Add a little more flour, tablespoon at a time. Don’t overdo it, just enough so it’s easy to roll.
Can I freeze decorated cookies?
I’d say yes, but sometimes the icing may get a little spotty after thawing. Maybe save fancy-decorated ones for the fridge and freeze the naked cookies.
How do you know when they’re done?
The bottoms will look lightly golden, but not brown. Lift a corner and peek. Mine usually take about 9 minutes.
What’s the best way to package these for gifts?
I use cellophane bags and cute ribbons! Tins work too. Stack with parchment or wax paper in between.
Go Make Your Own Cookie Magic
Let’s be real—Christmas Sugar Cookies are about more than eating, right? It’s about getting a little messy, maybe burning the first batch (oops), and making sweet memories. If you ever need more ideas, Sally’s Baking has a killer Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe with Easy Icing, or check my site for brown butter chocolate chip cookies, banana chocolate chip cookies, or even pastel Halloween skeleton sugar skulls cookies. So preheat your oven and just go for it—you’ll end up with something delicious, and maybe a funny story or two along the way.Print
Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious and easy-to-make Christmas sugar cookies that keep their shape and taste buttery, perfect for gifting or leaving out for Santa.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Split the dough into two halves and flatten each half into a disk.
- Chill the disks in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Place cutouts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before decorating.
Notes
For best results, roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. Decorate cookies only when completely cooled.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg