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!!
Hi!! Can i switch the all purpose flour to protein or almond flour?
No sorry, they will crumble and won’t work at all unfortunately. N x
These are awesome and came out perfectly! In my oven they took just less than 9 minutes so just keep a eye on them 🙂
I made the no chill sugar cookies. The dough was so crumbly it would not hold together. I did exact measurements. What can I do next time when this happens
Hi Lee, sorry you have issues here, sounds like they were dry – did you possibly mis measure with too much flour? N x
very yummy, thanks you for the recipe !
Do u do eggless cake and cookies etc
Hi Gitaben, generally speaking – no I don’t, sorry I haven’t really tried with egg substitutes either! N x
Hi! Can I freeze half the dough for later use?
Made it twice i failed both times, made it for the 3rd time came out perfect. They are delicious. I would recommend to anyone.
I made 2 batches which made 100 of these today. Turned out perfectly. My piping hand is done though!
Is it possible to make using a whisk?
Hi Elysia, not this one sorry – you really need to cream the butter and sugar. N x
I want to make these as gifts but need to know if I can use gluten free plain flour as a direct substitute for the plain flour please?
Hi Ana, I haven’t tried sorry! N x
Hi Nagi,
I just want to say this is the best cookie recipe I have used.. and trust me.. I have used a lot! Every time I make these they turn out perfectly and stick to their shape.. AND they taste delicious! Thank you!
Great recipe, cookies tasted great and kept their shape.Thankyou
I substitute gluten flour for normal flour all the time with similar results. I think you’ll be fine. I’m about to try the same myself today.
Hello Nagi, I wonder what can I use instead of vanilla extract?
I would be glad if you answer.
Hi Ahsen, you could use another extract like almond if you wanted to make almond cookies! N x
Hi, I would like to try these cookies but add ginger and spices and mo=ake another batch as chocolate ones adding cocoa powder, Do you think they will still come out good?
Hi Nagi,
This looks delicious. Looking forward to making a batch with my son over the holidays. Can you tell me the method for dipping these in chocolate.
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
Hi Nagi
Can I used self raising flour? If yes, do I cut out the salt and baking Soda?
Hi Susan, not for this recipe sorry – you need plain flour. N x
Managed to make 150 of these yummy cookies (= 5 batches). Made into circle cookies then topped with a personalised message in fondant for my daughters kindy and childcare friends and all her teachers over the past 4.5 years. I found the salt was noticeable but it complimented the sweetness of the cookie and fondant. Recipe mentions it makes 40 however each batch I only managed to get 34-36 but each cookie was around 7cm across. Highly recommend making these and will be making more in the coming days for Xmas presents.
Hi! Can you please tell me if the cookies in the end are hard or like gingerbread?
Hi Myriam, firm almost like shortbread – N x
Hi Nagi! Do you think I can add lemon zest to this recipe? Am thinking of making one batch vanilla and another batch lemony if you think it would work?
Hi JM, yes 100%! Enjoy!! N x
Loved this recipe although I might have done something wrong, part of the batch did not hold the shape.
Hi Evelyn, the cookie dough should hold it’s shape – did you mis measure anything by any chance? N x