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!!
Thank you, they taste delicious! All my friends loved them 🙂
Can you put them in the freezer?
Thank you, I love your recipes!
Yes you can freeze them unfrosted! N x
Thanks, this recipe is perfect. I was able to make 48 cookies. They taste amazing too.
Most delicious cookies and super easy to make. Kids had great fun decorating after ❤️
It was my first time making Christmas cookies, easy recipe, and they taste so yummy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Zeinab! N x
Can you use GF flour with this recipe? Thanks
I am not exaggerating when I say this recipe makes the absolute most perfect cookies!! I historically never got along very well with this type out of biscuit, and I just couldn’t believe how simple and wonderful the results are. So beautifully tasty, buttery, soft in the middle but firm. Truly divine! I added a wee taste of cinnamon to mine and it complimented the recipe beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing, this is my new go-to recipe!
Hi Nagi,
Can I refrigerate the dough? if so for how long?
Thank you
Hi Zeinab – I think it would be ok for 1-2 days in the fridge. N x
Hi Nagi,
Do you think this will be a good batch to make for 20-25 people, or would I need to make two?
Hi Nagi!
I am going to make these Christmas cookies but I would like to know, how can I store the cookies after baking them?
See Note 4 under the recipe Shan! N x
Hey Nagi!
I was wondering if these christmas cookies are nut free? I’m planning to make these for my friends and one of them is anaphylaxis.
Thanks!
Hi Kat – yes they are nut free. N x
Hi I love to bake
Hi Nagi! I was wondering how many cookies does this recipe make and how thick does the dough need to be rolled out.
Hi Nagi! Just planning o make these for Christmas. How many cookies does the recipe make.
Awesome recipe! They were easy to make, held their shape well and most importantly… very yummy! 😋 I found I only needed to bake them for 8 minutes at 180C no fan.
Nagi – can I freeze the dough? Thanks!
Hi Jackz – I haven’t tested freezing the dough but I am pretty sure it will be fine. Just defrost in the fridge and roll out as per the recipe. N x
Thanks for the speedy reply, Nagi! 😊
Nagi, I wrapped the dough in clingwrap, put it in a ziplock bag and froze it. I defrosted it in the fridge a few months later and it was perfect. Fantastic recipe – tastes great and perfect for cutting shaped biscuits!
Hi I have just made the dough but its too crumbly. Not sure how to save it once it’s already on the counter all rolled up, but crumbling. Should i put it back in the mixer with a bit more butter ?
Hi Rhonda – Did you roll it out and it’s crumbly? It comes together as you roll it out. If it is still crumbly after rolling out, you might have added a bit too much flour. Try sprinkling a tiny bit of water over the dough (like 1/2 tsp) then working it in to see if the dough comes back together. N x
LOVE THIS RECIPE! Another delicious hit – thanks Nagi!
Question for you – can these cookies be frozen (not the dough, but the cookies after baking) and then defrosted with no consequences? 🙂 Looking to make ahead for a party.
Hi S! I wouldn’t recommend that…the cookies will develop ice crystals in the freezer and will get soggy on thawing. N x
Can’t wait to try these. Can you use this as a base for stained glass cookies as well?
This recipe looks great. Will it work with food colouring?
I am looking forward to making these for friends, for a special celebration 🙂 I want to include their four-legged friends in the gift so will look for a dog biscuit version. I know you have Dozer cake recipes already, so thought I’d add a request for Dozer cookies one day please 🙂
Great idea!! 😄🐾🦴
Can the cookies be frozen so that I can make them soon and keep them til Christmas?
Hi Lynsey, are you wanting to freeze the dough or the cookies themselves? N x
Oh, I’m not sure. I was thinking the cookies, but even freezing the dough might be an option, so I could do some stuff now and minimise the amount needing to be done in the week before xmas. Is either possible?
Can the dough be made the day prior?