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Easy and infinitely adaptable, these are the best Christmas cookies to bake for the holiday season! One cookie dough gives you endless possibilities, from roll out butter cookies to thumbprint cookies to slice and bake cookies. Decorate with white chocolate, red and green sprinkles, or icing sugar!
I’m so excited to be sharing a recipe from my cookbook “Home for the Holidays” with you today! I’ll be sharing 5 recipes from the book with you this week, all which are perfect for the holiday season! And today we’re kicking things off with CHRISTMAS COOKIES!
Before I had kids my favorite Christmas cookie… was chocolate chip! But now that I have two little ones, I love baking them these festive and beautifully decorated Christmas cookies. Seeing their eyes light up taking in the exciting colors and textures is so magical, and puts me in the holiday spirit.
They’re also so fun to make and decorate together as a family! And did I mention they’re super easy?! Because they are! But perhaps my favorite part about this recipe is that one batch of dough can make 4 different types of Christmas cookies!
Cookies You Can Make with This Dough
- Cut-Out Cookies: If you like traditional roll-out sugar cookies, you can roll this dough out and cut it with cookie cutters. They’re sweet and buttery and fun to decorate!
- Slice and Bake Cookies: Instead of rolling the dough out, you’ll form it into a log before chilling. Then you’ll use a sharp knife to slice it into rounds before baking. You can dip the cookie rounds into melted dark or white chocolate and decorate with red and green sprinkles. Or crushed candy canes, nuts, etc.
- Thumbprint Cookies: Instead of chilling, you can simply scoop the dough into tablespoon sized portions. Then use your thumb to press an indentation in the middle of each round. Partially bake, then fill with jam or Nutella and continue baking.
- Sandwich Cookies: This method is similar to making sandwich cookies, but you’ll roll the dough slightly thinner. Once you bake the cookies and cool them, spread on side with jam, jelly, or Nutella, then press another cookie on top.
Christmas Cookie Dough Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter is my preference but in a pinch, use salted butter and omit the salt called for.
- Granulated Sugar: I don’t suggest subbing brown sugar as it will change the color and texture of the cookies.
- Eggs: This recipe uses whole eggs and
- Vanilla: Adds rich vanilla flavor. Use pure vanilla, not artificial vanilla.
- Flour: This recipe has tested only with all-purpose flour. For best results, use all-purpose flour and weigh it using a digital kitchen scale.
- Salt: A small amount of salt balances sweetness and enhances the other flavors in the cookie dough.
How to Make Christmas Cookies
- Cookie Dough: Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the flour and salt. The dough should be stiff.
- Knead: You’ll only need to knead it for 30 seconds or so, just until it comes together.
- Chill: Divide the dough in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Prep: 30 minutes before you plan on baking, preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to ¼” thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out as many shapes as you can. Then place the shapes to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden.
- Cool: On the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once the cookies are cool, decorate them to your hearts delight!
Christmas Cookie Tools & Decoration Ideas
- Rolling Pin: It doesn’t need to be fancy, but you will need a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough.
- Cookie Cutters: Use any shapes you’d like, such as snowflakes, mittens, angels, stars, Christmas trees, or candy canes.
- Candy Canes: I love using crushed candy canes to decorate wet chocolate. You could also mix crushed candy canes and mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough and make thumprints.
- Nuts: Pistachios, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or whatever nut floats your boat.
- Sprinkles: Use whatever color sprinkles get you excited, red and green, blue and silver, or all white.
- Nonpareils: Red and green nonpareils look so cute sprinkled on top of these cookies and add a delicious crunch.
- Jam: If you are making slice and bake cookies or sandwich cookies, you can fill them with raspberry jam, apricot jam, or Nutella.
- Icing: A combination of confectioner’s sugar and water creates a simple and easy to use glaze. You can dip the cookies in the glaze or pour it into small bottles and pipe it on the cookies.
Tips for Working the Cookie Dough
- If the cookie dough is too sticky, place it back in the fridge to chill for another 30 minutes.
- Roll the cookie dough out on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking. Or, roll it out on parchment paper or a silpat nonstick mat.
- Don’t roll the cookie dough too thin. You want it around a 1/4-inch. This makes it easy to transfer to the baking sheet. And creates beautifully thick cookies.
- Re-roll scraps of cookie dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Then use as directed. This allows you to get so many more cookies from this recipe!
Watch the Bake Time
Bake times are always just estimates! Bake time can vary for various reason, so always keep an eye on your cookies. As soon as they are lightly golden brown, I suggest pulling them out of the oven.
More Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Special Edition Christmas Cowboy Cookies
- Brown Butter Gingerbread Men
- Santa’s Favorite Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Iced Lemon Sugar Cookie Hearts
- Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
The Best Christmas Cookies Recipe
Easy and infinitely adaptable, these are the best Christmas cookies to bake for the holiday season! One cookie dough gives you endless possibilities, from roll out butter cookies to thumbprint cookies to slice and bake cookies. Decorate with white chocolate, red and green sprinkles, or icing sugar!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (199g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 and 1/4 cups (380g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Easy Glaze:
- 1 cup (114g) confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (28ml) milk
Chocolate Coating:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
Garnish Ideas:
- crushed candy canes
- chopped pistachios
- sprinkles: red and green, blue, silver, white, gold, etc
- red and green nonpareils
- raspberry jam
- Nutella
- confectioners' sugar
Instructions
For Roll-Out Cookies:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-speed until combined. Increase to medium-high speed and continue beating until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Reduce to medium-speed, then add in the egg, and egg yolks, beating until well combined, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
- On low speed, gradually add in the flour and salt, and beat until combined. Your dough should be stiff.
- Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour on a clean work surface. Scrape the cookie dough onto the surface and gently knead for 30 seconds. Divide the dough in half, (443 grams each disc). Press each portion of cookie dough into a 6”-inch disc.
- Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or up to 2 days).
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working with one disc at a time, unwrap the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the disc out to ¼” thickness. Then use cookie cutters to cut out as many shapes as you can.
- Carefully transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1” between cookies. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Any dough scraps can be chilled and carefully rolled out again.
- Once the cookies are cool, glaze and decorate!
Glaze:
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until well combined. You’re looking for a thick but pourable consistency.
- Dip the top of a fully cooled cookie into the glaze, allowing excess glaze to drip back into the bowl before transferring it to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes, nuts, or sprinkles. Repeat with as many cookies as desired. Allow the glaze to set for at least 1 hour before serving.
Chocolate Coating:
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using the microwave method, place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in the microwave, on low power, in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, before transferring it to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes, nuts, or sprinkles. Repeat with as many cookies as desired. You can also dip the top fully in chocolate for a different look.
- Allow the chocolate to fully set before serving, about 1 hour.
Slice & Bake Cookies:
- At step 4, roll each portion of dough into a log that’s roughly 2”-inches in diameter.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or up to 2 days).
- Use a sharp knife to slice the logs of cookie dough into 1/4" rounds. Place the cookies 1/2" apart on the prepared baking sheet, and bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate coating, if desired, and sprinkle with candy, sprinkles, or nuts.
Thumbprint Cookies:
- After making the dough, use a small spring loaded spoon to scoop out a heaping Tablespoon (about 30 grams) of the dough. Roll it into a ball and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all dough, leaving 2-inches between each cookie for spreading.
- Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and fill each indentation with a teaspoon of jam, then bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool for at least 1 hour on the baking sheet before serving.
Sandwich Cookies:
- Follow instructions for slice and bake cookies, but roll the dough out slightly thinner, getting it to ⅛” thickness. Use round or scalloped round cookie cutters to cut out an even amount of rounds.
- Carefully transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1” between cookies. Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 30 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, spread one cookie with a teaspoon or two of nutella or raspberry jam. Sandwich another cookie on top and lightly press together. Repeat with all cookies.
Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature
So buttery and delicious! Didn’t spread too much like other cookies.
I cheated and used this cookie dough to make heart cookies for a bridal shower. So easy and they tasted delicious! Will definitely use again for Christmas cookies.
I have your cookbook and can vouch for these cookies! They’re so buttery, crispy, and easy to make. My personal favorite way to use the dough is to make cut out cookies but the slice and bakes are also really good!
I have your cookbook and can vouch for these cookies! They’re so buttery, crispy, and easy to make. My personal favorite way to use the dough is to make cut out cookies but the slice and bakes are also really good.