Best Christmas Cookies

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Buttery cut-out Christmas sugar cookies that hold sharp edges in the oven, with a simple royal icing made for decorating — the December tradition worth starting.

There are two kinds of Christmas cookies: the ones you eat and the ones you remember making. These are both. The dough is a classic butter-sugar cookie engineered for one job — holding crisp, sharp shapes through the oven so your snowflakes still look like snowflakes.

The decision that makes this recipe work is a full hour of chilling plus rolling the dough between parchment. Cold dough does not spread, and the parchment trick means no extra flour worked into the dough, which is what makes other cut-outs taste dry and dusty by December 26th.

We bake these every year with kids, neighbors, and strong opinions about icing colors. The dough keeps for days in the fridge, the baked cookies keep for weeks, and the decorating session is the actual point — plan for it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick: 25 minutes of active work; the fridge does the rest.
• Easy method: one dough, rolled between parchment — no floury mess, no sticking.
• Texture: buttery and tender with a delicate snap, sturdy enough to hang on the tree.
• Flexible: any cookie cutter works; the royal icing takes gel color beautifully.
• Practical: dough keeps 3 days refrigerated, baked cookies keep 2 weeks — built for the holiday rush.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled for a tender crumb.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder: just enough lift without puffing the shapes.
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt: sharpens the butter flavor.
• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened: properly softened — cool to the touch but dentable — so it creams smooth.
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar: creamed with the butter for structure.
• 1 large egg, room temperature: binds the dough without making it tough.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract: the main flavor; use the good stuff here.
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract: the bakery-secret note that makes people ask for the recipe. Optional but recommended.
• Royal icing: 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder, 9 tablespoons water, plus gel food coloring.

Substitutions: You can skip the almond extract and use all vanilla. For the icing, pasteurized egg whites can replace meringue powder (2 whites per batch) but the icing will be slightly less stable — we have not tested it for intricate piping. Do not use liquid food coloring; it thins the icing.

How to Make Christmas Cookies

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to the butter mixture on low speed just until a dough forms. Do not overmix — overworked dough makes tough cookies.
3. Divide and chill. Split the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 3 days). Cold dough is the entire secret to sharp edges.
4. Roll between parchment. Roll one disk to 1/4-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment — no extra flour needed. Slide the whole sheet onto a tray and chill 15 minutes more so the cut shapes lift cleanly.
5. Cut and bake. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut shapes, transfer to parchment-lined sheets 1 inch apart, and re-chill scraps before re-rolling. Bake 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden — pale cookies are tender cookies.
6. Cool completely. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack. Warm cookies melt icing on contact, so wait until fully cool.
7. Make the royal icing. Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water 4–5 minutes until glossy peaks form. Thin with water a teaspoon at a time: thick for outlining, thinner (honey consistency) for flooding. Tint with gel colors.
8. Decorate. Outline, flood, and let each cookie dry 6–8 hours (overnight is safest) before stacking.

Tips for Success

• Chill twice: once as a disk, once after rolling. The second chill is what keeps intricate cutters crisp.
• Roll evenly: 1/4 inch everywhere. Use rolling pin guides or two stacked rulers if your rolling is uneven — thin spots overbake.
• Do not overbake: the cookies should look barely done. Golden-brown edges mean a hard cookie.
• Icing consistency: outline icing should hold a peak; flood icing should settle flat in about 10 seconds. Test on parchment first.
• Humidity matters: royal icing dries slowly in humid weather. Give decorated cookies a full overnight dry.

Variations

• Spiced: add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the dry ingredients.
• Chocolate cut-outs: replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa.
• Simple glaze: skip royal icing and dip tops in a thin powdered-sugar-and-milk glaze with sprinkles.
• Sandwich cookies: bake plain rounds and sandwich with jam or chocolate ganache.

Storage & Freezing

Store undecorated cookies airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks; decorated cookies keep 1 week once the icing is fully dry. Freeze undecorated baked cookies up to 3 months, or freeze dough disks up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes — it is actually better after a night in the fridge. Dough disks keep 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

Why did my cookies spread and lose their shape?

The dough was too warm. Chill the cut shapes 15 minutes before baking, make sure your oven is fully preheated, and never put dough on a warm baking sheet.

Can I use buttercream instead of royal icing?

You can, but buttercream never hardens, so the cookies cannot be stacked or gifted easily. Royal icing dries firm and is the right choice for anything that travels.

How long does royal icing take to dry?

Surface-dry in 1–2 hours, fully hard in 6–8 hours. In humid weather, allow a full 24 hours before stacking or bagging decorated cookies.

You May Also Like

• Best Chocolate Chip Cookies – the everyday cookie to pair with your holiday baking.
• 25 Best Cookie Recipes – the full cookie collection for every occasion.
• 30 Easy Baking Recipes – more festive oven projects.