Nothing says Christmas quite like a batch of soft, buttery, and beautifully decorated Christmas Cut Out Cookies. With a dough that rolls out easily and frosting that sets to a shine, these cookies are perfect for holiday parties, gifting, or setting out for Santa.
Baking Christmas cookies has always been one of my favorite holiday traditions. From Christmas cookie bars and Christmas wreath cookies to classic sugar cookies, each recipe brings back joyful memories of cheerful moments in the kitchen with friends and family.
But this sugar cookie recipe holds a special place in my heart, it’s the classic Christmas cookie. The dough is easy to work with, holds its shape well, and can be re-rolled for extra shapes and cookies, making it perfect for holiday designs like stars or trees. Wash down these cookies with a fun green Christmas drink or cranberry mocktail for the ultimate holiday experience.
Why you'll love these Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Easy to decorate: The smooth and firm sugar cookie frosting hardens just enough to stack the cookies while keeping the texture irresistible.
- Perfect texture: These cookies are the perfect mix of soft and chewy.
- Kid-friendly dough: The dough is easy to roll and cut, making this a great recipe for kids to get involved in, just like in my Christmas tree sugar cookies!
- Freezing option: You can bake ahead of time and freeze as needed to save time during the busy holiday season.
What you need to make Christmas Cut Out Cookies
For the cookies
- Butter, sugar, and eggs: The basics of every holiday cookie recipe. Softened butter works best.
- Flour: All purpose flour works great. If you're gluten free, feel free to swap for a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour.
- Baking soda and tartar: Work together to give the cookies a light rise with chewy texture.
- Vanilla and almond extract: Classic holiday cookie flavors, leaving you reaching for seconds.
For the frosting
- Cream cheese and butter: Creates a creamy, flavorful base for the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: The same as confectioners sugar, sweetening the frosting and keeping it smooth.
- Vanilla
What if I don’t have cream of tartar?
You can swap cream of tartar with the same amount of lemon juice or white vinegar. It works just as well to keep the cookies soft and helps prevent them from spreading.
How to make Christmas Cut Out Cookies
The wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then beat until incorporated.
The dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar until evenly mixed.
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Combine the dough: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a dough forms. Avoid over-mixing, as this will effect the cookies texture.
Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least two hours.
Roll and Cut: On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.
Bake: Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and make for 8-10 minutes or until the sides are golden brown.
The frosting: While the cookies are baking, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until your desired texture is reached.
Frost: Once the cookies have cooled completely, frost them how you'd like.
How do I prevent sticking when rolling the dough?
Lightly flour your rolling pin, work surface, and cookie cutters to prevent sticking. If it's still sticking, you may need to chill the dough for longer or you can also roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper for easier cleanup.
Why did my cookies spread in the oven?
This can happen if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Chilling allows the butter to harden again, which keeps the cookies from spreading. Make sure to chill the dough for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days before baking.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container or ziplock baggie at room temperature for up to a week. Separate layers of cookies with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking.
Freezing: Freeze cookie dough by wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe container. Thaw at room temperature before baking. Freeze unfrosted cookies or frosted cookies by letting them cool (and set) completely before placing in a freezer safe bag.
More Christmas recipes you'll love
- Homemade gingerbread house
- Christmas crack Chex mix
- Easy Christmas popcorn
- Christmas Oreo truffles
- Copy cat York peppermint patties
- Gingerbread House Frosting
Christmas Cut Out Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups butter softened
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 7 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons almond extract
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 16 ounces confectioners sugar 1 package
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid over-mixing to ensure the cookies stay tender.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out festive shapes.
- Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden. Cool on a wire rack completely before decorating.
Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until the frosting is fluffy and at your desired consistency.
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies, and add sprinkles or other decorations as desired.
Chandice Probst says
These are the perfect and quintessential Christmas cut out cookies. They turn out great every time and have that classic sugar cookie flavor with the perfect frosting on top.