Christmas Sugar Cookies: Easy Cut-Out Recipe

I stood elbow-deep in flour at 9 PM on a Tuesday, wearing reindeer pajama pants and questioning every life choice that led me to attempt cut out sugar cookies for christmas on a school night. My kitchen looked like a powdered sugar crime scene, and I had exactly one working cookie cutter because the star-shaped one vanished last December. These christmas sugar cookies come from my coworker Anita, who has made them for almost fifty years without a failed batch.

This easy christmas sugar cookie recipe from scratch uses butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and flour. You chill the dough for at least 1 hour, roll it to 1/4 inch thick, cut out shapes, and bake the cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Frost the cooled christmas sugar cookies with icing for a cookie exchange, Christmas morning, or a holiday cookie platter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fifty years of proof: Anita has made this recipe hundreds of times over five decades.
• No chilling gymnastics: The dough comes together quickly and rolls out without becoming sticky.
• Kid-approved chaos: Sturdy cookies survive little hands pressing cookie cutters at odd angles.
• Budget-friendly: Butter, sugar, flour, and eggs create the cookies.
• Cookie exchange ready: Iced christmas cookies disappear before store-bought cookies get unwrapped.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• Rolling pin: Roll the dough evenly. A clean wine bottle works in a pinch.
• Cookie cutters: Use stars, trees, snowmen, or any shape you like.
• Stand mixer or hand mixer: Cream the butter and sugar easily.
• Baking sheets: Use light-colored sheets for even browning. Watch dark sheets closely because they brown faster.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened – Softened means you can press a fingerprint into it without effort. If it is still cold, you will be creaming butter and sugar until next Christmas.
• 1 cup granulated sugar – Standard white sugar. Nothing fancy needed.
• 1 large egg – Room temperature if you remember, straight from the fridge if you do not. It will still work.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Real vanilla makes a difference here. Imitation works but tastes a little flat.
• 2 teaspoons baking powder – This is what gives you that soft, slightly puffy texture instead of a flat cracker.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt – Do not skip it. Salt is what keeps these from tasting like sweet cardboard.
• 3 cups all-purpose flour – Plus extra for rolling. You will use more than you think, and that is normal.

How To Make Christmas Sugar Cookies

Set aside an afternoon, put on some music, and embrace the fact that your kitchen will look like a flour bomb went off. It is part of the experience.

1. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. If it looks a little grainy, keep going. You want it pale and airy, not dense and sad.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, because there is always a pocket of butter hiding down there.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This step takes thirty seconds and prevents clumps of baking powder from ruining a whole batch. Trust me, I learned that one the hard way.
4. Combine everything: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it feels too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together.
5. Chill the dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I know, I know. You want cookies now. But warm dough sticks to everything and rolls out like a nightmare. Give it the hour. You can read about sugar cookies while you wait.
6. Roll and cut: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes and place them on an ungreased baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. If the dough gets soft while you are working, pop it back in the fridge for ten minutes.
7. Bake: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will look slightly underdone. That is exactly what you want. Pull them out and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
8. Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, frost with your favorite icing. Royal icing, buttercream, or a simple powdered sugar glaze all work. I usually make a big mess with the piping bag and then eat the evidence.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with basically any excuse to eat a cookie before noon.

• A cold glass of milk balances a sweet sugar cookie.
• Hot cocoa with extra marshmallows turns dipping a soft christmas sugar cookies with icing into an experience.
• Christmas morning coffee becomes the official breakfast for opening presents.
• A potluck cookie exchange gains colorful iced christmas cookies beside store-bought options.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

These christmas sugar cookies combine 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, vanilla, 2 teaspoons baking powder, salt, and 3 cups flour into a soft cut-out cookie dough. You chill the dough for at least 1 hour, roll it to 1/4 inch thick, cut out shapes, and bake the cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Make these christmas sugar cookies for a cookie exchange, Christmas morning, or holiday cookie platter when you need an easy christmas sugar cookie recipe from scratch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 28 minutes mins

Servings: 30 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 202

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups (345 g) butter (3 sticks at room temperature )
• 2 cups (390 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 cups (650 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Equipment

• Rolling Pin
• Cookie cutters
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Baking sheets

Method

 

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar

   In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and noticeably paler in color. If the mixture still looks grainy, continue beating until it becomes soft and airy. Properly creaming the butter and sugar helps create tender cookies.
2. Add the Wet Ingredients

   Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the butter is incorporated into the mixture.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. This helps distribute the baking powder throughout the flour and prevents clumps from forming in the dough.
4. Combine the Ingredients

   Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing. The dough should feel soft and manageable without being sticky. If it feels too sticky to handle, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency.
5. Chill the Dough

   Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling firms up the butter, making the dough easier to roll and cut. Warm dough tends to stick to the counter and rolling pin, making it harder to work with.
6. Roll and Cut the Cookies

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to approximately 1/4 inch thick, then cut out your desired shapes. Arrange the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each one. If the dough becomes too soft while working, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before continuing.
7. Bake the Cookies

   Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. The centers may still look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Decorate

   Once the cookies have cooled completely, decorate them with your favorite icing. Royal icing, buttercream, or a simple powdered sugar glaze all work well. Allow the icing to set before serving or storing the cookies.

Recipe Notes

Sugar Cookies: You can also use our soft sugar cookie recipe made with sour cream for a tender, soft texture.

Butter: I used salted butter for this recipe. If you use unsalted butter, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Sugar Cookie Icing: Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth.

Buttercream Frosting: Beat 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until creamy and fluffy.

You can also use cream cheese frosting as another delicious decorating option.

Freezer Instructions: I recommend freezing the cookies before decorating them. Arrange the cooled cookies on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container, stacking them once frozen. Store for up to 3 months. Thaw before decorating.