Description
Soft in the center, crisp on the edges, and decorated with a glossy easy icing, these Christmas sugar cookies are perfect for holiday trays, gifting, or family baking nights.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cookies:
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla + ½ tsp almond extract)
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the Easy Icing:
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or clear flavoring
- 2–3 tablespoons water (adjust for consistency)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Cream butter & sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg & flavoring: Mix in egg and vanilla (plus almond extract if using).
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add gradually to the wet mixture until a dough forms.
- Chill the dough: Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll & cut: Roll chilled dough to ¼ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters into festive shapes.
- Bake: Place cookies on parchment-lined sheets. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool completely before decorating.
- Make icing: Whisk powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and water until smooth. Adjust consistency as needed.
- Color & decorate: Divide icing, tint with food coloring, and pipe onto cooled cookies. Add sprinkles before icing sets.
- Dry: Let cookies sit uncovered for 4–6 hours until icing hardens.
Notes
- For cleaner edges, keep dough well-chilled.
- Icing too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add a drop of water.
- Cookies keep 5–7 days in an airtight container or up to 3 months frozen.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: Christmas sugar cookies recipe with easy icing, holiday cookies, cut-out sugar cookies, easy cookie icing