How do you make Christmas sugar cookies from scratch?

To make classic Christmas sugar cookies from scratch, start with 2 ½ 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, and optional almond extract for flavor. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add egg and extracts, then mix in dry ingredients gradually. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap, and chill 1-2 hours. Roll to ¼-inch thick on floured surface, cut shapes, and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely before decorating. Yields about 36 cookies. For best results, use room-temperature ingredients and avoid overmixing to keep them tender. Store in airtight container up to 1 week.

What's the best recipe for soft Christmas sugar cookies?

For soft Christmas sugar cookies, use this foolproof recipe: 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cup butter, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 egg, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla. Cream butter and sugar 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, vanilla; beat well. Mix dry ingredients separately, combine gradually. Chill dough 2 hours. Roll ¼-inch thick, cut shapes, bake at 375°F for 7-9 minutes—no browning for softness. Cool on rack. Makes 4 dozen. Key tips: Don't overbake (they firm up cooling), add ¼ tsp cream of tartar to dough for extra chew, and store with a slice of bread in the container to retain moisture. Perfect for holiday gifting.

How do you decorate Christmas sugar cookies with royal icing?

Decorate Christmas sugar cookies using royal icing: Whisk 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp meringue powder, ¼ cup water, and ½ tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form (about 7 minutes with mixer). Divide into bowls; color with gel food coloring (red, green for holidays). Thin outlines with water for flooding. Pipe borders on cooled cookies, let dry 15 minutes, then flood centers. Add sprinkles or details while wet. Dry 4-6 hours flat. For 3D effects, layer outlines. Pro tip: Use squeeze bottles for control, cover bowls with wet towels to prevent hardening. This method gives shiny, hard-set icing that stacks well for cookie platters. Yields enough for 4 dozen cookies.

Can you make Christmas sugar cookies ahead of time?

Yes, Christmas sugar cookies freeze beautifully for make-ahead prep. Bake and cool completely, then layer between parchment in freezer bags up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp 1-2 hours before decorating. Or freeze unbaked dough disks up to 3 months—thaw overnight in fridge, roll, and bake fresh. Decorated cookies freeze 1 week; wrap tightly to avoid moisture. Avoid freezing frosted cookies with soft icing. For best texture, bake from chilled dough and cool fully before storing. This saves holiday time—prep in November for December parties. Label bags with dates. Thawed cookies taste as fresh, retaining that buttery snap.

Why are my Christmas sugar cookies hard or tough?

Christmas sugar cookies turn hard or tough from overmixing (develops gluten—mix just until combined), overbaking (pull at 8 minutes when edges barely color), or too much flour (measure by spooning into cup, not scooping). Other causes: cold butter chunks instead of creamed smooth, or skipping chill time (dough spreads thin). Fix next batch: Use softened butter, cream 3-4 minutes pale, chill 1+ hour, roll precisely ¼-inch, bake lower rack. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch per 2 cups flour for tenderness. Store airtight immediately after cooling to trap moisture. Test one cookie first. These tweaks yield soft, crisp-edged cookies every time.

Best Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe and Easy Icing

Name: Christmas Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 1 h 50 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour – Forms the base structure for sturdy cutout cookies; – 1 tsp baking powder – Helps cookies rise lightly without spreading too much; – ½ tsp salt – Balances sweetness and enhances overall flavor; – 1 cup unsalted butter (softened) – Creates tender, rich crumb essential for holiday sugar cookies; – 1 cup granulated sugar – Provides classic sweetness and crisp edges; – 1 large egg – Binds ingredients for cohesive dough; – 2 tsp vanilla extract – Adds warm, aromatic depth; – Optional: almond extract – Boosts nutty holiday notes; – 3 cups flour – Slightly more for extra softness in soft Christmas sugar cookie recipe; – 1 tsp baking soda – Aids tenderness; – 1 tsp baking powder – Promotes lift; – 1 cup butter – Keeps moisture high; – 1 ½ cups sugar – Increases chewiness; – 1 egg – For binding; – 2 tbsp milk – Adds softness factor; – 1 tsp vanilla – Flavor base; – Optional: ¼ tsp cream of tartar – Enhances chew for best results; – 3 cups powdered sugar – Base for smooth, shiny finish; – 2 tbsp meringue powder – Stabilizes for hard-set icing on iced cookies; – ¼ cup water – Thins to perfect consistency; – ½ tsp vanilla – Flavor enhancer; – Gel food coloring (red, green) – For festive Christmas cutout cookie recipe designs

Description

🎄 Bake up classic Christmas sugar cookies with buttery flavor and perfect roll-out texture—ideal canvas for vibrant icing and holiday shapes that delight all ages.
🍪 Quick easy icing sets shiny without mess, customizable colors for themed platters, freezes dough or baked for effortless holiday gifting.

Ingredients

– 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour – Forms the base structure for sturdy cutout cookies

– 1 tsp baking powder – Helps cookies rise lightly without spreading too much

– ½ tsp salt – Balances sweetness and enhances overall flavor

– 1 cup unsalted butter (softened) – Creates tender, rich crumb essential for holiday sugar cookies

– 1 cup granulated sugar – Provides classic sweetness and crisp edges

– 1 large egg – Binds ingredients for cohesive dough

– 2 tsp vanilla extract – Adds warm, aromatic depth

– Optional: almond extract – Boosts nutty holiday notes

– 3 cups flour – Slightly more for extra softness in soft Christmas sugar cookie recipe

– 1 tsp baking soda – Aids tenderness

– 1 tsp baking powder – Promotes lift

– 1 cup butter – Keeps moisture high

– 1 ½ cups sugar – Increases chewiness

– 1 egg – For binding

– 2 tbsp milk – Adds softness factor

– 1 tsp vanilla – Flavor base

– Optional: ¼ tsp cream of tartar – Enhances chew for best results

– 3 cups powdered sugar – Base for smooth, shiny finish

– 2 tbsp meringue powder – Stabilizes for hard-set icing on iced cookies

– ¼ cup water – Thins to perfect consistency

– ½ tsp vanilla – Flavor enhancer

– Gel food coloring (red, green) – For festive Christmas cutout cookie recipe designs

Instructions

1-First Step: Gather all tools and ingredients for this Christmas cookie recipe. Preheat oven to 350°F for classic or 375°F for soft Christmas sugar cookies. Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Measure flour by spooning into cups for accuracy, avoiding tough dough.

2-Second Step: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar with a mixer on medium for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. This creaming step traps air for tender holiday sugar cookies. Add 1 large egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and optional almond extract; mix until smooth. Room-temperature items blend best.

3-Third Step: Whisk 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add dry mix to wet on low speed, mixing just until dough forms. Avoid overmixing to prevent gluten development and tough Christmas cutout cookies. Dough should be soft but not sticky.

4-Fourth Step: Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and chill 1-2 hours. Chilling firms butter for clean edges on roll out Christmas sugar cookies. For no chill sugar cookie dough, add 1 tbsp cornstarch and bake immediately, though chilling yields best shapes.

5-Fifth Step: On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to ¼-inch thick. Use festive cutters for Christmas shapes. Dip cutters in flour to avoid sticking. Place cutouts 2 inches apart on sheets. Re-roll scraps once for max yield, about 36 cookies.

6-Sixth Step: Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. For soft version (3 cups flour, etc.), bake at 375°F 7-9 minutes no browning. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks. Cookies firm as they cool.

7-Seventh Step: Whisk 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp meringue powder, ¼ cup water, and ½ tsp vanilla 7 minutes to stiff peaks. Divide, color with gel (red, green). Thin some for flooding. Pipe outlines on cooled cookies, dry 15 minutes, flood centers, add sprinkles. Dry 4-6 hours.

8-Final Step: Let iced cookies set fully before stacking. Serve on platters for holiday fun. Adapt for dietary needs: use vegan swaps in creaming step. This easy Christmas sugar cookies recipe yields festive treats everyone loves. Total time: 3 hours including chill and dry.

Notes

🎄 Chill dough thoroughly for clean sharp cookie cutter edges.
❄️ Use room temp butter for creamiest dough texture.
🌈 Thin icing gradually—too much milk makes runny designs.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling + Drying: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 140 kcal
Sugar: 16g
Sodium: 65mg
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 20mg

Keywords: christmas sugar cookies recipe, easy icing sugar cookies, holiday cutout cookies, festive christmas treats