The Best Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
These classic Christmas sugar cookies are soft in the center with slightly crisp edges, making them ideal for decorating with your favorite icing and sprinkles.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes per batch
- Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: About 36 cookies, depending on cutter size 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
For the Icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and sour cream until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Chill the Dough:
- Divide the dough into two equal parts, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Roll and Cut:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use holiday-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes, placing them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake:
- Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Icing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Add more milk as needed to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- If desired, divide the icing into separate bowls and add food coloring to each.
- Decorate:
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the icing onto each cookie.
- Add sprinkles or other decorations as desired.
- Allow the icing to set before storing or serving.
Notes
- For best results, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
- Chilling the dough is crucial for maintaining the shape of the cookies during baking.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.