Indulge in the classic charm of Traditional Christmas Cookies!
Made with a traditional sugar cookie dough, the cookies are then cut out in holiday shapes and baked to perfection. They have a buttery and slightly sweet flavor that perfectly compliments their festive frosting and decorations.
Get ready to savor the joy and sweetness of the holiday season with this fun cookie recipe!
Check out all the other Christmas Cookie ideas for even more delicious recipes.
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Get into the holiday spirit with a batch of traditional Christmas cookies that are bound to delight both young and old alike.
These delicious cut-out sugar cookies are adorned with cookie frosting and festive sprinkles. There's even sprinkles that look like Christmas tree lightbulbs!
Looking for more Christmas Cookie Recipes? Try my Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies, Italian Christmas Cookies, and even my Christmas Thumbprint Cookies. Yum!
Table of Contents
Recipe Notes
- After mixing the cookie dough, refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight before rolling it out. Chilled dough is easier to handle and helps the cookies retain their shape while baking.
- When rolling out the dough, try to make sure that it's all the same thickness. This will make sure the cookies are perfectly baked!
- Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Too much flour can alter the texture of the cookies, so use sparingly.
- Dip the cookie cutters in flour to prevent them from sticking to the dough.
- Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet. Leave enough space between the cookies to allow for spreading during baking. Bake in batches if needed.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating them. Decorating warm cookies can cause the icing to melt or lose its shape.
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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!
Substitutions and Variations
- To make the cookies gluten free, you can substitute the all purpose flour for gluten free flour.
- Don't have time to cut and bake the cookies? Divide the dough into manageable portions and shape each portion into a log. Roll the log gently on a clean surface to ensure it is smooth and uniform in thickness. After the dough has chilled an hour, simply slice and bake according to the directions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Quick Tip
Make sure your ingredients are room temperature so they blend more easily together.
Step 3: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Step 4: Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture until a dough forms. Add a little milk if needed to bring the dough together.
Step 5: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Baking Instructions
Step 6: Dust a surface with flour and roll the cookie dough out. Use cookie cutters to cut out your favorite Christmas shapes.
Step 7: Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
Decorating Instructions
Step 8: Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Separate the icing into bowls and add food coloring.
Step 9: Ice the cookies and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Allow the icing to set until hardened.
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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!
This can happen if the dough is too warm or if too much butter is used. To prevent spreading, chill the dough before baking and ensure accurate measurements.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freezer: Allow the icing to completely set before adding to an airtight container or zip top freezer bag with wax paper or parchment paper in between each layer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Keep the cookies in the airtight container or bag while thawing. This prevents condensation from forming directly on the icing and making it sticky. Place on the counter and allow to thaw at room temperature for 1-3 hours depending on the thickness of the cookies.
Top Recipe Tip
- Make sure the butter is soft so it whips up light and fluffy with the sugar.
More Recipes You'll Love!
- Check out my other recipe for Italian Christmas Tree Cookies.
- Or you might enjoy this recipe for The Cutest Christmas Lights Cookies.
Christmas Cookie Digital Cookbook BUNDLE with FREE Cookie Exchange Printables BonusMore Information
📖 Recipe Card
Traditional Christmas Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 - 4 tablespoons milk optional
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring optional
- sprinkles or edible glitter optional
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. If the dough is too crumbly, you can add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it's manageable.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and dust it with flour. Roll out the cookie dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use your favorite Christas cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the dough. Carefully transfer the cut-out cookies to the prepared cookie sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet from 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If you want to make different colors of icing, divide the icing into separate bowls and add food coloring to each bowl.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, use a small spatula or a pastry bag to ice the cookies with the prepared icing. Add sprinkles or edible glitter on top of the icing, if desired.
- Allow the icing to set for a few hour or overnight until it hardens.
- Once the icing is set, your Christmas cookies are ready to be enjoyed!
Janet says
Just what we all need for the holidays made simple and easy. These decorative holiday stars with will be dancing before eyes and yummy for the tummy!
Lois says
Thank you Janet!