New: Meal Planner
Plan your weekly meals instantly from anywhere on the web
Try the Meal Planner!
Christmas Tree Cookies – Buttery, crumbly, and delicious! These frosted Christmas tree cookies are ideal for a holiday snack, cookie swap, or gift to your loved ones! The Christmas cookies recipe comes with easy-to-find ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Feel free to flavor or color the glaze with anything you like! Kids love to help make these easy Christmas tree cookies. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the Christmas sugar cookies recipe
- 8 ounces (225g) unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons half-and-half (or milk), maybe more
- 1/4-1 teaspoon peppermint extract (or vanilla extract), optional
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Christmas sugar cookies
These festive Christmas sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas potlucks, holiday cookie exchanges, or gifting. Kids will love helping you cut the tree shapes out of the flattened cookie dough and dipping the cookies into the frosting. While the frosting is still wet, you can add sprinkles, crushed peppermint, etc… But we kept the Christmas sugar cookies recipe simple for clarity.
How to make Christmas cookies
The recipe for these holiday cookies is very simple. It starts with an easy sugar cookie dough that your roll out and then cut with your favorite cookie cutter. Then bake for 12 to 16 minutes while making the icing once the cookies are done and chilled. Dip each cookie in the icing and let dry up before storing. Easy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1. To make the Christmas sugar cookies: Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and set them aside.
2. Place softened butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until nice and smooth. Add sugar and vanilla. Mix by hand for about 1 minute until fluffy and well blended.
3. Add the flour and cornstarch. Stir until flour is incorporated and the dough is still a little coarse. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough is fairly smooth. Form into a ball and press with your hands into a flat disk.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 3/8-inch thickness. Keep working your surface, dough, and rolling pin lightly dusted with flour. Cut the tree shapes using a cookie cutter and arrange them on the prepared sheet pans. Re-roll scraps as many times as needed to use up all the dough.
5. Place the cookie cutouts in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
6. Preheat your oven to 350˚F (180ºC) when ready to bake. Remove the Christmas tree cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12-16 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the icing
1. Combine powdered sugar, half-and-half, and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (if using) in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until smooth. The icing should be thick but still pourable. Add a little more half-and-half if too thick. Taste the cookie icing and add more extract if needed. Transfer the glaze to a shallow plate.
2. To apply the icing to the Christmas sugar cookies: Hold a cookie onto the cookie’s edge, and dip the top surface into the icing. Make sure that all of the surfaces of the cookie touch the icing Pull the cookie up and out of the icing and allow the excess icing to drip back into the plate. When the icing stops dripping, flip the cookie right side up and give it a gentle jiggle to allow the icing to flow evenly over the surface.
3. Repeat with the remaining cookies and allow the icing to dry for 15-30 minutes. Keep your frosted Christmas sugar cookies in a tin box for up to one week until they’re all gone – which shouldn’t take long. Enjoy! ❤️
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the Christmas sugar cookies recipe
- This recipe makes between 10 and 20 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
- These easy Christmas cookies make an excellent base if you’d like to decorate them with icing or dip them in chocolate!
How to store the Christmas sugar cookies?
Store the Christmas tree cookies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. But we’re pretty sure they won’t last that long!
Can we use salted butter to make the Christmas sugar cookies?
Yes, you can. But different butter brands will add different amounts of salt, so you’re better off using unsalted butter than adding the amount of salt you want to avoid any bad surprise when you finish baking the Christmas cookies.
More Christmas cookies recipes you might like
- Easy Peppermint Christmas Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cookies (low carb, Keto-friendly)
- Raspberry and Peach Sugar Cookies
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
