Everyone needs an Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe! These are buttery and literally melt-in-your-mouth delicious and my go-to sugar cookie dough. You can bake them soft or crisp. These Christmas Sugar cookies have been part of my holiday cookie-decorating tradition for years!
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I love festive holiday treats like melt-in-your-mouth Snowball Cookies, soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, and of course Baklava. These beautifully decorated sugar cookies are a beautiful addition to the Christmas cookie platter.
Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
I love simple dishes that use minimal ingredients. During the holidays, I love baking, but I don’t love the cleanup afterwards. This recipe for Christmas sugar cookies gives me the best of both worlds — perfect cookies and an easy clean-up. You also don’t have to chill the dough so you can cut and bake the cookies right away, saving you time. I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is cookie decorating, and my family has been doing this since the kids were tiny. The kids love the creative freedom to do what they want with their cookies, and of course, they are even more excited to eat them!
Whether you are planning a cookie-making party for your Christmas party or for the holiday cookie platter, you need a sugar cookie recipe that you can rely on. These cookies taste amazing, keep their shape, and are perfect for eating plain or decorating them with sugar cookie icing from our Easter Sugar Cookies Recipe and sprinkles. Let’s get started!
Tips For The Best Christmas Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies may seem simple, but there are a lot of bad recipes out there! After much trial and error, I feel confident that I have mastered the art of the sugar cookie. Here are all the best tips and tricks I have gathered throughout the years to get the best flavor and texture:
Tip #1: Soften your butter
Butter should be softened at room temperature. If the butter is too soft or partially melted, you will end up with a sticky dough that is difficult to roll out.
Tip #2: Rolling Out Sugar Cookies Dough
Roll your dough out directly on a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper so you do not have to transfer your delicate shapes onto a baking sheet later. You can cut your shapes out right atop the mat and make your life a bit easier.
Tip #3: How Thick Should Sugar Cookies be Rolled Out?
Roll your dough out to about ¼-inch thick. This is the sweet spot. You’ll have cookies thick enough to keep their shape, while also thin enough to promote even baking.
Tip #4: Avoid Crumbly Dough
Crumbly dough makes for misshapen cookies that are prone to uneven baking. To prevent this, don’t overmix your dough. You want the dough to be as smooth as possible. However, if you do get a crumbly texture, add ½ tbsp of water, or milk to the batter and incorporate it until it remoistens the dough.
Tip #5: Avoid Overbaking
10 minutes might seem like a very short baking time for cookies. But, trust me, do not overbake them! At around 10 minutes, the edges of the cookies should just start to turn golden brown. This is the time to pull them! If you continue baking, you risk compromising that signature tenderness of a perfect sugar cookie.
How to Make Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Combine your flour, baking powder (make sure to use aluminum free baking powder) and salt together in a small bowl and set the dry mixture aside.
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream together your butter and sugar then add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour to the butter mixture in thirds, mixing until incorporated between additions.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and dust your work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking. You can also dust the top of the dough lightly. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece to an even ¼-inch thickness. Lift the dough gently to ensure it’s not sticking to your counter before cutting out shapes.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out your favorite shapes or freeze your dough for later use. Note that larger cookies will take slightly longer to bake. Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet, keeping them 1 inch apart (they do expand a bit in the oven).
- Bake the cookies at 350˚F for 10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. That’s your cue to pull them out. Let the cookies cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes so they are easier to move without cracking then transfer to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Storing Sugar Cookies
The great part about this recipe is that it can be made a couple of days in advance and the cookies will still retain their freshness. Below, I will share how you should store them and also how you can freeze your dough or baked cookies for later munching!
- Storing Cookies at Room Temperature: Store baked sugar cookies on the counter in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a week. Remember, if you have decorated your Christmas Sugar Cookies, let the frosting firm up, and then store them between layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking and/or destroying your designs.
- To freeze baked sugar cookies: allow cookies to cool completely, then stack the cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper. Freeze cookies for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat them, thaw at room temperature.
- To freeze your sugar cookie dough: roll it into a ball or a log. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. The dough will keep for up to 2 months before you need to use it. When you are ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bring it to room temperature for 1 hour before you shape your cookies and bake them.
How to Decorate Christmas Cookies
To decorate sugar cookies, I love to use our 3-ingredient cookie icing from our Gingerbread Cookie Recipe, or you can make a royal icing, and add food coloring. To pipe the frosting, transfer to a squeeze bottle or little zip bags (handy and inexpensive for cookie decorating parties).
If you prefer, you can purchase an icing decorating kit with pre-made frostings in a variety of colors, which makes it easy. Don’t forget the Christmas sprinkles and crushed candy canes.
Decorated Christmas cookies have a way of making the holidays more merry and bright, even if you aren’t the best at decorating. The perfectly imperfect ones are the most endearing anyway.
Christmas Sugar Cookies make my heart so happy because they unlock sweet memories over the years, like the cookie decorating party in the photo above when my husband and I hosted the family Christmas Eve party.
I’d love to hear about your special Christmas traditions around cookies in the comments below.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
These are our best-loved (and reviewed) Christmas cookies to fill up your holiday cookie tray. These are well-loved by all ages and you’re sure to find some new favorites in this list. Looking for more Christmas recipes and inspiration? Check out our Christmas archives here.
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Meringue Shell Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Madeleine Cookies
- Polish Cookies (Kolaczki)
- Gingerbread Man Cookies
- Angel Wing Cookies
Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, (large)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (measured correctly)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder, (use aluminum free)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F with a rack in the center. Whisk together flour with baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Using a stand-up or handheld mixer, beat the butter together with sugar. To the mixture add vanilla extract and egg and beat to combine.
- To the butter mixture, add flour in 3 parts until fully incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll into ¼-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out your favorite shapes.
- Bake cookies on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet at 350˚F for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.
- Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely and decorating with cookie icing.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Was a little dry, was way too crumbly. I thought I measured correctly. Added extra butter and it stuck together perfectly!!
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Kim. Glad to hear the extra butter helped yours come together, that’s a great tip for anyone whose dough feels too dry. If the dough is too dry, it’s likely due to using too much flour. Be sure to Measure correctly . You would need to add more liquid to help it hold together.
I love these!
Can you use a cookie press versus rolling and using a cookie cutter?
One of our readers shared this comment “I followed receipe exactly as it was. Cookies turned out amazing. I however did use cookie press. Thank you Natasha . All the best !!”
I have been using your recipe for the past 3 years. Love the way they come out.
Hi Natasha and Merry Christmas!
I plan on making these cookies before our get-together on Christmas Eve. Are these a soft cookie, that is what my family likes.. not so much with crunchy.
Thanks, Patti Farnum
Hi Patricia! Yes, they are not hard and crunchy. Just make sure to not over-bake. I hope you love them. Merry Christmas!
Can I substitute some of the sugar for unsweetened applesauce? Any recommendations for other ingredients I would need to adjust if I do this?
Hi H! Without testing that, I can’t say what the results would be. Please let us know if you experiment.
Great recipe. The cookies stayed the same size and didn’t need refrigeration!!! My favorite cut out recipe !
Hi Linda, I’m so happy to hear that you love my sugar cookies recipe! Merry Christmas!
Dough not holding together. Maybe too much flour. How can I get it to stick together enough to roll out dough?
Hi Wendy! If the dough is too dry, it’s likely due to using too much flour. Be sure to Measure correctly . You would need to add more liquid to help it hold together.
Do you recommend refrigerating the dough prior to rolling out and cooking or even overnight? I remember this being a thing my mom would do when making butter cookies. Thanks! Excited to try this recipe.
Hi Abbey! This does not need to be refrigerated, but you can do so if you’d like, especially if you notice your dough is softer or if it gets too warm.
Way too much baking soda, which is all I can taste in the cookies. Waste of ingredients and time 😭
Hi Emma! We use baking powder in this recipe, not baking soda. Also, be sure to use aluminum free.
Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar if I don’t have any on hand?
Hi Daniela, I can’t say that will work here without trying it myself. If I had to guess, you can probably use if you don’t have granulated sugar on hand, but it will chnage the cookie outcome and texture quite a bit. Brown sugar has molasses in it so the cookie will be softer, darker and less crisp.
Can you use baking powder that contains aluminum. Wasn’t able to find it without?
Hi Marta! It will work, but can leave a metallic aftertaste.
What is the point of the baking powder and salt mixture you mentioned it in the 1st point but not again im assuming I’d add it with the flour but its confusing that you don’t mention it after the first point
Hi Courtney, in step 1 I mention whisking together flour with baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. It’s now part of your flour mixture which is added to the creamed butter, sugar, and eggs in step 3.
I live in a country try where I cannot buy aluminum free baking powder, can I reduce the amount a little?
Hi Tina! If you can’t get aluminum-free baking powder, you can reduce the amount slightly to minimize any aftertaste.
I have dairy allergies in my family. Will this recipe work with dairy free/plant based “butter” or will the cookies spread too much?
Thanks!
Hi Janice, one of my readers has tried that successfully, here’s what they said “Made your recipe with vegan butter because of a dairy intolerance and they turned out perfect. I thought maybe they would spread but the edges were nice and crisp and the cookies tasted delicious.” I hope this helps.
What if I do not have aluminum free backing powder
I prefer using aluminum free baking powder to be sure.
First time to make this recipe- are they supposed to be so dry that you have to press sections of the dough together to make it into a ball and they’re still dough is still dry and flakey
That’s the most common reason for dry/crumbly cookie dough. I have a How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEO here. You may try letting it sit at room temperature for a little bit to see if once it softens it holds together better.
I have a question do you have to use unsalted butter or can you use salted butter and omit the salt? Thanks
Hi Karen, I have only made this with unsalted butter. I worry it would be too much salt, omiting or reduced the added salt in the recipe would be best.
How long do these last if baked already?
Hi Emma, great quesiton, I address this under the “Storing Sugar Cookies” section of the recipe post.
Great Christmas Cookies they were a hit with the grandkids. Thank You for sharing
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad these cookies were a huge hit!