Traditional Christmas Cookies
Nothing is more fun at the holidays than baking up a batch of Traditional Christmas Cookies! My recipe for Christmas cut-out cookies is the best and has been handed down by generations in my family. The sugar cookie dough is flavored with vanilla and almond and topped with a creamy frosting you can color for a more Christmas-y look!
If you love cutout cookies cook up a batch of these Eggnog Cutout Cookies! But if you’re looking for a simple drop cookie, these Red Velvet Chocolate Cookies are perfect for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love These Cut-Out Cookies!
- Holiday Tradition: Everyone has traditions around the holiday. It’s been a family tradition in our house to make and decorate Christmas Cut-Out Cookies. Turn baking a batch of these cookies into a holiday tradition in your house and bake along with your kids!
- Traditional Family Recipe: You know something is great when it’s been around for a while! This Christmas cut-out cookie and frosting recipe has been passed down through generations of my family.
- Great Flavor! The sugar cookie dough is honestly the BEST but it doesn’t stop there! Then we add the BEST sugar cookie frosting EVER to the cut-out cookies.
- Full of Festivity: Using holiday shaped cookie cutters, coloring the frosting, and adding sprinkles makes fun and festive cookies to add color to your holiday dessert table.
5 Star Review
I make these every year for my friends and family. They always ask me for th recipe because they truly are the BEST Christmas cookies!
~ Erin ~
Ingredients
- Sugar: This Christmas cut-out cookie recipe uses a combination of powdered sugar and granulated sugar. A higher percentage of powdered sugar is our family’s secret ingredient to the best tasting cut-out cookie.
- Egg: Gives the cookies some moisture and also works to find the cookie dough together.
- Flavor: This sugar cookie cut-out cookies recipe uses both vanilla extract and almond extract to give the cookies and the frosting a more distinct flavor. The addition of the almond extract adds more punch than vanilla extract alone. If you prefer to leave it out, increase the amount of vanilla extract to compensate.
- Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter to make Christmas cut-out cookies. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. If your butter is TOO WARM, it will also result in cookies that will SPREAD and won’t hold their shape. So the best thing to do is let the butter sit out on the counter for only an hour before you start baking and it will be perfect!
- Self-Rising Flour: This is another secret ingredient that makes these cookies the best.
- Shortening: Vegetable shortening works great to make a stable frosting for your cut-out cookies. I like to use the butter flavored shortening for a bit more flavor. You can also use unsalted butter but make sure it’s softened before you start mixing.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Adds richness and a bit of liquid to give your cookie frosting the best consistency. Using heavy whipping cream yields a creamier frosting than milk.
- Salt: Just a bit of salt to add to the frosting to season it perfectly.
- Food Coloring: You can use any colored food coloring to tint the frosting or just keep it white.
How To Make Traditional Christmas Cookies
- Make Cookie Dough. Start with beating the powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and softened butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes using an electric mixer or stand mixer. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
- Refrigerate the Dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Flatten it out slightly and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Roll and Cut Out the Cookies. Roll out dough to about an 1/8 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes.
- Bake the Cookies. Place the cookie shapes onto a prepared baking pan and bake. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to let them cool completely.
- Make the Frosting. Beat the powdered sugar, shortening, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt for about two minutes or until smooth.
- Color the Frosting. Scoop small amounts of the frosting into several small bowls. Add food coloring to make the frosting different colors or you can keep the frosting white if you prefer.
- Frost the Cookies. Add the frosting to the cooled cookies and add sprinkles on top. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to harden the frosting so that the cookies don’t stick together when placing the cookies into a plastic container or cookie tin.
Tips & Variations
- Cold Cookie Dough: It’s important to refrigerate the cookie dough for at least an hour before you start rolling out the dough. I actually like to make the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight but if you’re short on time, 1 hour in the fridge will be totally fine.
- Number of Cookies Varies: The number of cookies you get from this recipe will depend on the size of your cookie cutters. For Christmas, I usually TRIPLE this recipe which makes about 60 cookies using a mix of big and small cookie cutters.
- For Easier Cutting! Spray your cookie cutters with butter flavored non-stick cooking spray, so the dough doesn’t stick to the cookie cutter and the shapes come out perfect every time.
- Change the Flavor. While I love the simple flavors of this Christmas cut-out cookie recipe you can easily add some other flavors to the cookie such as citrus zest, use different extracts such as peppermint or coconut, or add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove for a bit of spice.
What To Serve With Christmas Cookies
Appetizers. These Christmas cookies make the perfect party dessert for the holidays! Enjoy them with other snacks and appetizers such as Ranch Pretzels, Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms, Pulled Pork Sliders, and Easy Veggie Dip.
Drinks. For more holiday feels enjoy your cookies with some Holiday Punch, Cranberry Holiday Punch, and Instant Pot Apple Cider.
Main Course and Sides. Enjoy these Christmas cut-out cookies after a delicious holiday dinner of Roasted Turkey or Bottom Round Roast, Sweet Potatoes Casserole with Canned Yams, Cheesy Potato Casserole, and Blanched Green Beans.
Dessert. Enjoy your traditional Christmas cookies with other holiday favorites such as Holiday S’mores Bars, Christmas Crack, and Sugar Cookie Puppy Chow.
Storing & Freezing
- Make-Ahead. I always like making the dough one day and then baking and decorating another day. Just make the dough, divide it in half, form it into disks, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Freezing the Dough. You can also freeze the dough. Just place the wrapped disk in a ziploc freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, roll it out, and bake.
- Freezing the Cookies. You can freeze them with or without frosting. If you frost the cookies, let the frosting set before freezing. Store in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag (with parchment paper between the layers if they are frosted). The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Store. Cut-out cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days before they start losing their freshness. Cookies should be stored in single layers, or with parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers if you have to stack them.
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Traditional Christmas Cookies
Nothing is more fun at the holidays than baking up a batch of Traditional Christmas Cookies! The sugar cookie dough is flavored with vanilla and almond and topped with a creamy frosting you can color for a more Christmas-y look!
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Ingredients
COOKIES:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 sticks
- 2 ½ cups self rising flour
FROSTING:
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup shortening, butter flavor
- 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- food coloring
Instructions
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and softened butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten the dough out to make it easier to roll out the dough once it's chilled. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes.
- Place cookie shapes onto prepared baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before icing and decorating.
MAKE COOKIE FROSTING
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat powdered sugar, shortening, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Scoop small amounts of frosting into several small bowls, use food coloring to make frosting different colors or just keep the frosting white. Frost cookies and add sprinkles on top.
- Place frosted cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes if you want the frosting to harden so that the cookies don't stick together when placing the cookies into a plastic container or cookie tin.
Notes
- Make-Ahead. I always like making the dough one day and then baking and decorating another day. Just make the dough, divide it in half, form it into disks, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Freezing the Dough. You can also freeze the dough. Just place the wrapped disk in a ziploc freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, roll it out, and bake.
- Freezing the Cookies. You can freeze them with or without frosting. If you frost the cookies, let the frosting set before freezing. Store in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag (with parchment paper between the layers if they are frosted). The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Store. Cut-out cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days before they start losing their freshness. Cookies should be stored in single layers, or with parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers if you have to stack them.
Calories: 364kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 24mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 39g, Vitamin A: 320IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.2mg
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I Absolutely love this recipe! Made it with my kids earlier. The cookies turned out soft and kept form very well! I used granulated sugar, since that’s all I had on hand. Thanks for posting!
One of the cutest Christmas Cookies recipes I tried! They’re very easy to make and satisfyingly good. I’ll definitely add this again for our Christmas treats. Exciting!
Our favorite recipe! My kids love to help too! Thank you.