These Christmas sugar cookies bake up soft in the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and hold their shape like a dream. They’re the kind you can roll, cut, and decorate without the stress of spreading or puffing.
I’m sharing a reliable dough, an easy icing that actually sets, and a bunch of Christmas decorating ideas, colors, and shapes you can try this season. Pull out your cutters and sprinkles. Let’s bake some memories.
Why these Christmas sugar cookies work
This dough uses a higher ratio of butter to sugar for a tender bite, plus just enough baking powder to lift without warping your shapes. Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour lets the flour hydrate and the butter firm up, which means clean, sharp cookie edges after baking.
I use powdered sugar icing with a touch of corn syrup so it sets with a slight sheen and doesn’t shatter when you bite in. It’s beginner friendly, pipeable, and takes gel colors beautifully. If you prefer a classic royal icing, I’ve included notes to swap it in.
What you’ll need for the cookies and icing
Simple pantry staples make a no-spread cookie base, and a quick icing sets up for clean designs. Use gel food coloring for vibrant holiday reds and greens.
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract, optional but lovely
Easy Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tbsp milk, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp light corn syrup, for shine and set
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- gel food coloring, assorted holiday colors
Decorating
- sprinkles, nonpareils, or sanding sugar
How to make the cookies and decorate
Make the dough, chill, roll and cut, bake, then decorate once fully cool.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until a soft dough forms and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough into two disks, wrap each in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface or between parchment, roll one dough disk to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, transferring them to prepared sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Chill the trays for 10 minutes to help cookies keep their shape.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until edges look set and bottoms are pale golden. Rotate pans halfway through. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust with drops of milk to reach thick toothpaste consistency for outlining; thin a portion to shampoo-like consistency for flooding.
- Tint icing with gel colors. Pipe outlines on cool cookies, then flood inside the lines. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into corners and pop any bubbles.
- Decorate with sprinkles immediately, or add wet-on-wet dots and lines for marbling. Let cookies dry at room temperature until the surface is set, 8 to 12 hours.
SaveStorage, make-ahead, and freezing tips
Unbaked dough keeps well. Wrap as a disk, then chill up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Let frozen dough thaw overnight in the fridge, then soften at room temperature until rollable but cool to the touch.
Baked undecorated cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or 2 months frozen. Once iced, let them dry uncovered until the surface is set, usually 8 to 12 hours, then stack with parchment between layers. Iced cookies keep 1 week at cool room temperature.
If you decorate in stages, store leftover icing covered with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface so it doesn’t crust. Stir and adjust with a drop of water if it thickens.
Common decorating mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the chill: Warm dough spreads and blurs details. Chill at least 1 hour before rolling and again 10 minutes after cutting.
- Overflouring the counter: Too much flour toughens cookies and dulls flavors. Lightly dust, or roll between two sheets of parchment.
- Baking too dark: Overbaked cookies turn dry and brown. Pull them when edges are set and bottoms are pale golden.
- Icing too runny: Thin icing floods the sides and ruins lines. Aim for a toothpaste-thick outline and shampoo-thick flood, adding water by drops.
- Decorating warm cookies: Heat melts icing. Cool completely, about 45 minutes, before you start.
Variations and color ideas
- Classic red and green: Outline with white, flood with red and green, then add white polka dots or zigzags while wet for a neat marbled effect.
- Winter whites: Keep everything white and add sparkle with sanding sugar or a dusting of edible glitter for snowflakes and stars.
- Peppermint twist: Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to the icing. Decorate candy canes with alternating red and white stripes.
- Gingerbread look-alikes: Tint half the icing light brown and pipe dotted borders and lace details on stars and trees.
- Royal icing option: Swap the glaze for royal icing by mixing 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp meringue powder, and 6–8 tbsp water to stiff peaks, then thin for flooding.
- Sprinkle zone: Outline, flood, and while wet, dip the edges in nonpareils for a clean sprinkle border without a full-on mess.
SaveShapes and themes to try this holiday
Start with trees, stars, snowflakes, and stockings. Add candy canes, bells, mittens, and ornaments for a full cookie platter. For easy sets, stick to 3 shapes and 3 colors so the tray looks coordinated.
Try simple designs that look polished: white snowflakes on blue circles, plaid lines on stockings, or garland swags and dots on trees. For kids, pre-outline shapes and set out tiny bowls of sprinkles so they can fill and decorate without piping bags.
Your cookie questions, answered
How do I keep cookie edges sharp and prevent spreading?
Use room-temperature butter, not melted. Mix just until the dough comes together, chill for at least 1 hour, and roll to an even 1/4 inch. After cutting, pop the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes before baking so the shapes set.
What food coloring works best for bright holiday colors?
Gel food coloring gives vivid reds and greens without thinning your icing. Start with a toothpick amount and build up. For rich red, tint the icing a few hours ahead; it deepens as it sits.
Can I make the dough ahead and freeze it?
Yes. Wrap the dough into flat disks, double-wrap, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it rest at room temperature just until rollable but still cool.
How long should icing dry before I package the cookies?
Allow 8 to 12 hours at cool room temperature for the surface to set before stacking. If your icing is thicker, give it the full overnight rest. Layer with parchment to protect any delicate piping.
Do I need parchment paper or can I bake on an ungreased sheet?
Parchment paper is best. It prevents sticking, keeps bottoms from overbrowning, and makes it easy to transfer cutouts to the tray without stretching the shapes.
SaveWhat to serve with your cookie tray
These cookies love hot cocoa, spiced tea, or a small mug of coffee. For a party board, add chocolate-dipped pretzels, clementines, and a few salty snacks to balance the sweetness.
If you’re packaging gifts, let icing dry fully, then layer cookies in tins with parchment. Add a hand-written tag with the flavor notes and storage tips for a thoughtful touch. For new readers, here’s a quick site hello: a little welcome post.
A sweet holiday send-off
I hope these Christmas sugar cookies bring cozy smells to your kitchen and bright colors to your table. Keep the designs simple, enjoy the process, and share a plate with someone who needs a little cheer.
Christmas Sugar Cookies with Easy Icing
Soft-cut sugar cookies that hold their shape, plus a simple icing that sets for decorating. Great for trees, stars, snowflakes, and more.
Ingredients
Easy Icing
Decorating
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until a soft dough forms and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough into two disks, wrap each in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface or between parchment, roll one dough disk to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, transferring them to prepared sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Chill the trays for 10 minutes to help cookies keep their shape.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until edges look set and bottoms are pale golden. Rotate pans halfway through. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust with drops of milk to reach thick toothpaste consistency for outlining; thin a portion to shampoo-like consistency for flooding.
- Tint icing with gel colors. Pipe outlines on cool cookies, then flood inside the lines. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into corners and pop any bubbles.
- Decorate with sprinkles immediately, or add wet-on-wet dots and lines for marbling. Let cookies dry at room temperature until the surface is set, 8 to 12 hours.
Notes
- Roll dough between parchment for even thickness and less added flour.
- If icing gets tiny bubbles, let it rest 5 minutes, then stir gently.
- For crisp shapes, re-roll scraps once; too many rerolls make tough cookies.
- For snowy edges, dip just the wet borders in sanding sugar before drying.
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