Take a break from the Christmas madness to make Christmas Cookies! These sugar cookies are classic vanilla biscuits that are made for cutting out shapes because they hold their shape perfectly when baked.
NO CHILL time, make them soft OR crispy. Ice them my EASY way, dip in chocolate, dust with icing sugar or serve them plain!
Christmas Cookies
What I call “Christmas Cookies” are simply vanilla biscuits cut out in Christmas shapes and iced with colourful festive frosting. They taste like shortbread cookies, but not quite as buttery or crumbly. They are as classic as vanilla biscuits can be.
This particular biscuit recipe is made for cutting out shapes – in this case, Christmas shapes. Most cookies spread snd puff up so they bear little resemblance to the shape you expected!
But these hold their shape perfectly – as you can see by the sharp ridges and corners in the photo below.
What you need for Christmas Cookies
The nice thing about these Christmas Cookies is that they’re made with pantry staples – so there’s no need to add to your ever growing Christmas grocery shopping list!!!
How to make Christmas Cookies
Unlike most cookie doughs suitable for cutting out shape, there’s no chill time required for this recipe. Ain’t nobody got time for chilling during Christmas madness – right??!
Bonus: the dough is easy to handle and can be scrunched up and rolled up again over and over until you’ve used up every scrap.
Because these are sweet vanilla biscuits, they are flavoured enough and sweet enough to serve plain. But if you are inclined to ice them, pop over to my Icing for Christmas Cookies (PS I also share my quick ‘n easy way to ice them!)
So. Many. Cookies.
A sight that will catapult anyone into serious Christmas spirit!!
Make these for Santa, your family, or (if you’re really feeling the holiday spirit) maybe even to gift to someone.
And don’t worry. This is a big batch recipe. Nibble away, no one will miss one or two or five!! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Christmas Cookies (Vanilla Biscuits / Sugar Cookies)
Ingredients
- 225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened (or use salted, skip salt)
- 1 cup caster/superfine sugar (granulated/ordinary white sugar ok too)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (55-60g / 1.9-2oz)
- 3 cups flour , plain / all purpose
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
Icing for Sugar Cookies
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy (1 minute on speed 5)
- Add egg and vanilla, beat until completely combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Start mixing slowly, then beat until the flour is incorporated – it will be clumpy.
- Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Pat together then cut in half, then shape into 2 discs.
- Roll out to 0.3cm / 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 0.6cm / 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies), sprinkling with flour under and over the dough so it doesn't stick.
- Use cookie cutters to press out shapes and use a knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets. (Keep dough that doesn’t fit in the oven in the fridge).
- Bake for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway (Note 2), until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on trays (they will finish cooking on the trays).
Decorating options:
- Icing – see Icing for Christmas Cookies recipe.
- Melt chocolate then dip the surface into chocolate.
- Dot with icing sugar and decorated with silver balls
- Dust with icing sugar
- Serve plain! They are sweet vanilla biscuits so they are wonderful eaten just as they are!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 2019. Reviewed and refreshed as needed every year or so. No change to recipe, it’s a classic!
Life of Dozer
When Dozer got his very own personalised Christmas cookie!!
I just want to wish you and Dozer the merriest of Christmases and hope it’s filled with joy and love.
Linda
Thanks so much Linda, Merry Christmas to you too!!
They look super festive.. Amazing!
Mine expanded in the oven I’m not really sure what I’m doing wrong? Any suggestions would be amazing
And can be adapted to any holiday! Perfection!
Hi Nagi😊 I so want to make your Christmas cookies but reading your directions I have one question. Sorry, I’m a complete novice at baking (or cooking well at that☺️) but what do you mean by “swapping out the cookie trays?”!! Does it mean bake the one cookie tray first then swap out to second tray to bake remainder of time or bake both trays together then swap positions half way through baking the 10 minutes? Stupid question I know but want these holiday cookies to come out right! Thank you♡
I made these cookies, put both trays in oven at same time and then swapped trays at 10 minutes and they were perfect. I’m not a great cook but these cookies have been so popular. I also decorated them and they look great,! Thanks Nagi…. I’m now loving all your recipes and even though I work full time enjoying cooking again after a long break. Wonderful website.
Yep as Tani said 🙂
Hi Doris, This would mean bake both trays at the same time then changing positions in the oven after 5 minutes. Merry Christmas and happy baking.🍪
WOW! These are the prettiest Christmas cookies I’ve seen!! They’re amazing ❤️
Thanks so much Ada – N x
Hi! Are these cookies crunchy? I have a child who likes soft cookies and one who likes crunchy so I’m needing to make both this year so there is no wrong answer 🙂 LOVE the last picture with Dozer. So sweet.
Hi Bryn, they are like shortbread but if you leave them in the oven a couple of minutes longer they will Harden and you’ll please everyone!