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!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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. 
Hi I made these cookies exactly like the recipe and when I started to roll them out it started to rip in Stick on my rolling pin and every time I try to pick him up from the silicone mat they were ripping I don’t know what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Donna, I wonder if it’s too much flour – check out our post on measuring ingredients for baking which may help. If the dough is dry, it may be excess flour. If it’s too sticky, you may need to dust your surface with some flour.
My dough was crumbling apart and I didn’t even use all the flower it called for
Great !
Fantastic recipe & instructions-first time I have enjoyed making sugar cookies-so easy & come out looking perfect! Have made them 3 times since Christmas! I really appreciated the hint about rolling out on the parchment paper & then putting them in the pan!!! Thank you💕
You’re welcome, Linda! Thank you for your great feedback.
Absolutely love this recipe! Thank you so much 😊 I was always frustrated with sugar cookies and your recipe is perfect!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Hope. I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe.
These cookies turned out delicious! They will be my go to sugar cookie recipe! I just made it today with my 3 yr old and both enjoyed them 🙂 I made them with this recipe for royal icing, which I really liked as well! https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017887-royal-icing
Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with us, Mary! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Thanks,so much for sharing this with us. Looks beautiful. We welcomed our 4th child baby boy on December 25th ,so finaly im back to the kitchen cooking & baking & its my favorite thing to do is being in the kitchen. My older girls r so interested being in the kitchen with me. Im going to try this recipe. May God bless you and your family on this new 2021 new year!!!😊💐💖
You’re so welcome, Olga. Congratulations on your new blessing, your baby boy! Thank you for your good wishes and wishing you and your family the same too!
Hi Natasha,
I sooo wanted to love these because there was no chilling involved, and because I have lived everything I’ve ever made on your blog. However, this dough came out extremely crumbly. I added some water and it made a huge mess. Eventually, it did come together and the outcome was delicious, but we probably spent 15 minutes trying to make the dough smooth enough to roll out. We even made it a second time a few days later because I thought maybe I oversized, but the same thing happened. Any suggestions?
Hi Carla, it sounds like you may have had too much of the dry ingredient. Did you, by chance, scoop your flour? I recommend our post on measuring to make sure you measure your ingredient’s property. I hope this helps.
I just baked these with my grand daughter. I had the same problem and I measured very precisely. I fixed the dough by adding a couple of tablespoons of room temperature butter. Problem solved.
I have never made sugar cookies because I don’t like them. My granddaughter wanted to make them for Santa so I acquiesced. They were actually REALLY good much to my surprise. I followed the instructions to the letter and after 10 min I thought they were not done but they were. Such an excellent recipe Natasha.
I’m so happy you gave these a try! Thank you for this wonderful feedback, Janine!
I can’t bake to save my life and my kids wanted to make xmas cookies this year. I chose your recipe because I love your facebook videos. Well I have to tell you that your recipe is fool proof! The cookies turned out fabulous!!!! Thank you so much!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Shelley!
Love this recipe!!! Easy and simple & they came out really good!
Thank you for your good feedback, Anthony!
Happy Christmas Natasha
I like all recipes 😋🥰😍
Thank you and Merry Christmas too!
I saw you just made these on your Facebook story. Before I make them I wanted to know what specific icing you used for yours. I’m looking for an icing that holds well when the cookies are layered over one another as were yours in the tins, which looked awesome by the way! Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!
Hi Dalia, you would want to use a royal icing (here is a recipe from my friend Sally).
Just made these with my toddler and husband – delicious! Thank you for the great and simple recipe
Such a sweet food memory you’ve created. I’m so glad you all loved the recipe.
I made these sugar cookies yesterday for the first time and they turned out great! I love how easy the recipe is. I’ll definitely be making these again.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi! If we just want to decorate the cookies with sprinkles (no frosting/icing), would we do that before we bake them? Any way to get the sprinkles to stay on without icing?
Hi Maria, you could either press them gently into a plate of sprinkles or sprinkle on the sprinkles and pat them gently into the cookies.
Hey Natasha! My daughter and I are going to make these today for Santa. We are currently quarantined because my husband tested positive yesterday…THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS..Anyway, all I have is salted butter. Will that destroy my cookies?
Hi Whitney! I have made this with unsalted only. I worry it would be too much salt. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that. I hope you all stay happy and healthy!
I dont think these will DESTROY your cookies, it will definitely make them a little saltier to maybe dont add salt to your dough and make your icing a little sweeter to balance it out.
I often bake with salted butter. I just omit the salt from the recipe and everything turns out just fine.
The kids and I made these yesterday and they are delicious!
Thank you for yet another great recipe and Merry Christmas 🎄
Hello Beth, thank you for your wonderful review. I’m happy that you enjoyed these cookies!
My 5 yr old loved helping make these cookies… and of course the best part was eating them! An easy sugar cookie recipe to make, and so delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
That is so cute! I think it’s a great bonding experience to cook with the kids, I’m glad you both enjoyed making this recipe. THanks for your great feedback, Amanda.
So I doubled the recipe while making with my nine year old. I let her count in the sugar and flour amounts and helped her with the mixing things in right order, but I confess I was multitasking instead of keeping eyes on the process. We’ve taken the easiest recipe ever and turned it into a crumbling mess! Any suggestions to save it? I’ve got another block of butter warming to room temperature to see if adding will help.
Thanks
Hi Kim, it may be possible there was too much dry ingredient added. I recommend our post on measuring to make sure everything is measured properly.
I love this recipe! Not only are the cookies delicious, this dough is by far the easiest I have ever worked with. This will be my go to recipe. Any easy frosting I use is 2 T melted butter or marg, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp almond extract, and about 1 T milk. Stir until smooth. Add more milk or sugar for desired consistency. Add color as desired.
Thanks again for this delicious recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!