Easy Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies

Name: Easy Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 162 min
Ingredients: 2 cups flour (plus possibly a few more tablespoons); ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ⅔ cup unsifted powdered sugar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, (cut in chunks (2 ½ sticks)); 1 teaspoon vanilla; ½ tsp of food coloring of your choice (and/or ½ teaspoon of any desired extra extracts); 1 ½ cup holiday sprinkles

Published: Dec 1, 2019 · Modified: Oct 22, 2024 by Lois · As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This site contains affiliate links · 73 Comments

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Soft, buttery, and bursting with color, these Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies are a treat for the eyes and the taste buds.

The secret to their vibrant swirl? Two different colored cookie dough sheets pressed together, rolled up, and dipped in sprinkles before slicing.

Plus, they're incredibly easy to make - perfect for busy holiday baking!

Don't miss out on all the other delightful Christmas cookie recipes we have in store for you!

Have you ever made store purchased slice and bake cookies? Yes, of course we all have.

They're easy way to have cookies fast when you're craving something sweet. Kids love helping putting the cookie slices on the baking trays too.

These versatile cookies can easily be adapted for any occasion! Simply switch up the food coloring in the dough to match your special event or holiday like I did with my Valentine's Day Swirl Cookies or my Colorful Swirl Christmas Cookies.

Table of Contents

Helpful Tips for Preparing the Cookies
Cookie Freezing Tips
How to Slice Cookie Dough Evenly?
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Main Ingredients Needed
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Step-by-Step Directions
How to Form the Green and White Layers
How to Roll the Cookie Dough into a Log Shape
How to Slice the Cookies
Baking Instructions
Before You Begin!
Storing, Freezing, and Thawing Tips
Recipe FAQ's
Looking for More Christmas Cookies?
📖 Recipe Card
💬 Comments

Helpful Tips for Preparing the Cookies

When mixing the dough, if you see it is too "wet" from the food coloring, add another tablespoon of the flour.
After you have both colored layers of dough on top of each other, trim them to make sure they're both the same size. Otherwise the spiral look of the cookies will be off. You can save the excess dough to make extra cookies.
Once you have the dough rolled out, make sure it is chilled before even trying to roll the two layers together.
You can easily change the food coloring and sprinkles for any occasion you're celebrating.
Swap out the vanilla extract for mint or almond extract.
Make sure you chill the dough before slicing and baking. Chilling the dough allows the butter to harden again so the cookies don't spread too much while baking.

Don't have time to bake today? Wrap the cylinder of raw cookie dough in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to three months!

For a quick cookie fix anytime, slice the dough, flash freeze the individual cookies on a baking tray, and then store them in the freezer. Whenever you crave freshly baked treats, simply grab a few, bake as directed, and enjoy!

To slice the cookie dough evenly for these Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies, use a sharp knife and chill the dough log thoroughly before slicing.

I like to use a serrated knife to help give me clean cuts. Try to have slices that are about ¼ inch thick.

After every few slices, give the cookie dough log a quarter turn to ensure even pressure and prevent one side from flattening.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

2-Pack Cooling Racks for Baking Wooden Rolling Pin for Baking McCormick Green Food Color, 1 fl oz Holiday Nonpareils

Main Ingredients Needed

Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!

Ingredients in bowls, flour, sugar, sprinkles, vanilla extract, Christmas sprinkles.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Try adding different flavor extracts to the colored cookie dough. Mint or almond extract pairs beautifully with the green dough, for example.
You can swap rainbow sprinkles for festive holiday sprinkles. Or try rolling the cookie cylinder in mini chopped nuts.
Try dipping half of each cookie in melted chocolate or white chocolate when the cookies have cooled.

Step-by-Step Directions

butter and flour in mixing bowl on top of red checked dish towel.

Step 1: In a stand mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars with paddle on medium until well blended. Add butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball.

Step 2: Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.

2 sheets of cookie dough rolled out into rectangles. One is green, the other is vanilla.

Step 3: Roll out each portions of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until it reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is ¼ inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

How to Form the Green and White Layers

Step 4: Once the dough is chilled and firm, remove the top wax paper sheets. Lightly brush the vanilla dough with water, then flip the colored dough on top, pressing the edges to seal. Trim any uneven edges with a knife.

cylinder of vanilla cookie dough on baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 5: Roll it up tightly from the long side, like a jelly roll. Don't worry about small cracks; just pinch them closed and keep rolling. If you find the dough is getting too soft, place it back in the refrigerator or even freezer to chill it again.

How to Slice the Cookies

cylinder of cookie dough with sprinkles.

Step 6: Pour the sprinkles onto a platter. Carefully roll the dough log in the sprinkles, then wrap in plastic and chill for a few hours. This re-hardens the butter, preventing the cookies from spreading too much while baking.

Baking Instructions

Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies on cooling rack

Step 7: Bake on Parchment Baking Sheets in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn golden brown.

Step 8: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a baking cooling rack to finish cooling.

Before You Begin!

If you make this recipe, please leave a review and star rating. This helps my business thrive and continue providing FREE recipes.

Storing, Freezing, and Thawing Tips

Pantry: Place the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you plan to keep them for more than a few days, you can layer them between sheets of parchment paper in the container to further protect them from sticking together or becoming stale.

Freezer: Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Frozen cookies can be enjoyed for up to 3 months.

Thawing Tips: Allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature before serving.

Recipe FAQ's

To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!

How to keep slice and bake cookies round?

Chill the dough thoroughly for the recommended time, or even longer, as firmer dough holds its shape better when sliced. For extra support and to prevent flattening, chill the log inside a cardboard tube. If not using a tube, rotate the log every 15-20 minutes while chilling to ensure even pressure distribution.

How do you keep cookies from going flat after baking?

Bake the cookies until the edges are just set and lightly golden, even if the centers seem a bit soft. Remember, the cookies will continue to bake on the hot baking sheet even after you take them out of the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This will help them set and retain their shape.

Looking for More Christmas Cookies?

These cookie recipes will be great for hosting a cookie exchange, give away cookies as gifts or just bake for your own family. Check out my Amazon Christmas Shop for ideas on how to package food gifts.

Check out all 12 Christmas Cookies featured this holiday season.
Coconut Washboard Cookies
Date and Walnut Filled Cookies
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies

Colorful Swirl Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies on plate

📖 Recipe Card

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