The Best Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
This classic Christmas sugar cookie recipe delivers perfectly soft, buttery cookies with a delicate crumb and sweet vanilla frosting. Rolled out and cut into festive shapes, these cookies are ideal for holiday gatherings and decorating sessions with family. The recipe combines cake and all-purpose flours for a tender texture and uses a rich buttercream frosting that spreads smoothly over the cooled cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 44 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Wet Ingredients and Dough
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup butter flavored shortening, softened
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla or vanilla extract
- 4–5 tablespoons heavy cream
Decoration
- ⅓ cup sugar for dusting after baking
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar until evenly combined. Set this aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the sugar, softened butter, and butter-flavored shortening together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the whole egg, then beat again until combined. Add the egg white and continue beating until the batter is smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until fully incorporated with no pockets of flour remaining. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 to 3 hours to firm up.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured surface to about ½ inch thickness. Use floured cookie cutters to cut out festive shapes. Place six cookies evenly spaced on each prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be firm but not browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Then bake the second sheet.
- Prepare Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar. With the mixer running, slowly add the heavy cream to reach a light and fluffy consistency. Add the vanilla and mix well. Adjust cream quantity to get a spreadable frosting.
- Decorate Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, spread the frosting evenly on top and decorate with sprinkles or additional sugar if desired.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier handling and maintaining shape of the cookies while baking.
- For softer cookies, avoid browning the edges; remove them from the oven as soon as edges are firm.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking without altering texture.
- Ensure cookies are fully cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Butter flavored shortening helps with texture but can be substituted with equal parts butter if preferred.
- Sprinkles or colored sugars can be added before or after baking for festive presentation.
Keywords: Christmas sugar cookies, holiday cookies, soft sugar cookies, cut out cookies, homemade frosting
