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My mom has been making this Christmas sugar cookie recipe for many decades, and itโs one of my absolute favorites. The cookies are buttery and perfectly sweet, and once you try the deliciously rich buttercream frosting, youโll never go back to royal icing. These are easy to roll out and make, and I know itโll become a standard in your family for every holiday, as it has for mine!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- These are the ultimate buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies Christmas treat that hold their shape perfectly while staying impossibly tender (I know, right?!). The secret is in the technique — creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy creates that signature soft texture that’s miles better than store-bought versions.
- Perfect for decorating and gift-giving, these cookies are sturdy enough to handle frosting, sprinkles, and transport without breaking (put your kids to work decorating!). Whether you’re making them for a holiday cookie exchange, decorating with your kiddos, or packaging them up as homemade gifts, they look SO gorgeous and taste even better.
- Here’s the real magic: this dough is incredibly forgiving and beginner-friendly. The 8-hour chill time means you can make the dough ahead and bake whenever you’re ready, making holiday baking so much less stressful. The best part is there’s no complicated rolling technique or finicky temperature requirements to worry about!
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- That 8-hour minimum rest time for the dough isn’t just a suggestion โ it allows the flour to fully hydrate and the butter to firm up, which prevents spreading during baking. If you’re short on time, 4 hours will work in a pinch, but overnight is ideal. The dough keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days, so make it ahead and bake when you’re ready.
- Roll the dough to exactly one-fourth to one-eighth inch thickness for cookies that hold their shape without being too thick or too thin. If the dough gets too soft while you’re working, pop it back in the fridge for 15 minutes. Use a bench scraper to carefully transfer cut cookies to your baking sheet โ this prevents stretching and keeps those crisp edges intact.
- Pull the cookes from the oven at 8 to 9 minutes when they’re just barely starting to turn golden on the edges; while they might look slightly underdone, but they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan as they cool. Overbaked sugar cookies turn dry and hard instead of tender and buttery. Use an oven thermometer to verify your oven temperature — many home ovens run hot, which can ruin a batch in seconds.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting, because if you donโt wait the frosting will turn into a soupy mess instead of that beautiful, smooth finish you’re after. If you’re in a hurry, transfer cookies to a wire rack and pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes to speed up cooling.
Recipe Variations
Make Them Almond-Flavored: Replace half the vanilla extract in both the cookies and frosting with pure almond extract for a subtle almond flavor that’s perfect for wedding cookies or special occasions.
Try Lemon Sugar Cookies: Add two teaspoons of lemon zest to the cookie dough and replace one teaspoon of vanilla extract in the frosting with one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. The bright citrus flavor is perfect for spring gatherings.
Make Chocolate Frosting: Add three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the frosting along with an extra tablespoon of half-and-half to compensate for the dry cocoa. You’ll get rich, chocolatey frosting that tastes like the best bakery cookies.
Create Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace the butter in the frosting with four ounces of softened cream cheese for tangy, rich frosting that pairs beautifully with the sweet cookies. You may need to reduce the half-and-half slightly since cream cheese has more moisture than butter.
Add Spices for Holiday Cookies: Mix one teaspoon ground cinnamon, one-half teaspoon ground nutmeg, and one-quarter teaspoon ground ginger into the dry ingredients for warmly spiced holiday cookies that smell amazing while baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely — wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting. You can also freeze already-cut, unbaked cookies on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag once solid.
To make those decorated Christmas sugar cookies as shown, use piping bags and decorating tips to create dimensional designs — a star tip or leaf tip for textured Christmas trees, and a small round tip for simple zigzag trees on round cookies. Add small candy balls while the frosting is still wet for ornaments. If you prefer simpler decorating, spreading the frosting with an offset spatula and adding sprinkles works beautifully, too!
This usually happens when the dough isn’t cold enough. Make sure you’re working with well-chilled dough and only take out a small portion at a time. Also, check that your butter was properly softened (not melted) when making the dough, and verify your oven temperature with a thermometer. Too-low oven temperature causes cookies to spread before they set.
The key is beating the frosting long enough — a good 2 to 3 minutes after adding all ingredients. This incorporates air and makes it light and fluffy. If you see air bubbles, let the frosting sit for 1 minute, then stir gently one more time. For ultra-smooth application, use an offset spatula dipped in warm water and wiped dry between strokes.
A handheld electric mixer totally works! You can even make them by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon and some elbow grease, though creaming the butter and sugar will take longer. The most important thing is getting that butter and sugar mixture light and fluffy, however you achieve it.
Unfrosted cookies can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature, or frozen for up to 3 months. Frost them 1 to 2 days before your event for the best results. Frosted cookies actually taste better after sitting for a day — the frosting sets up nicely, and the flavors meld together beautifully.
More Sweet Holiday Recipes
- โCranberry Tart
- Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Sweet and Simple Dessert Charcuterie Board
- Easy 4-Ingredient Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Bars
- Christmas Dessert Grazing Board
- Saltine Toffee
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Christmas Confetti Cookies
- Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out or Drop Cookies)
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Sugar Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- rolling pin
- Cookie cutters for various shapes
- Two baking sheets
- parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Ingredients
For the Christmas Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ยฝ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
For the Frosting
- ยฝ cup butter softened
- 16 ounce package powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring optional
- Colored granulated sugar for topping optional
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Cream 1 cup butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar, gradually adding the sugar and beating until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Combine 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, stirring well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Work with one-fourth of dough at a time, storing remainder in refrigerator. Roll dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with assorted cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake at 400ยฐF (205ยฐC) for 8 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies slightly on cookie sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Combine 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons half-and-half and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until frosting reaches spreading consistency.
- Color frosting with food coloring if desired. Spread frosting onto cooled cookies. Sprinkle with colored granulated sugar if desired.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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