Go Back
25 Fun & Easy Christmas Cookies to Make with Kids

Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies

A reliable, kid-friendly cut-out sugar-cookie recipe with buttery flavor, soft centers, and lightly crisp edges. The dough is easy to roll, cut, bake, and decorate once completely cool.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sugar Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 large Large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (313 g) All-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until evenly combined.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix only until a soft dough forms.
  3. Divide the dough into two portions, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and helps the cookies hold their shapes.
  4. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Roll one dough disk to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, then cut Christmas shapes and arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and only very lightly colored. Cool the cookies briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a rack.
  6. Wait until the cookies are completely cool before decorating with royal icing, glaze, sprinkles, or colored sugar. Add sprinkles while icing is still wet so they adhere.

Notes

If the dough becomes soft while rolling or cutting, refrigerate the cut shapes briefly before baking. Do not overbake; the centers firm as the cookies cool. For children, divide icing among small bowls and use squeeze bottles or piping bags.