Christmas Cookies

Before We Get Rolling—Let Me Tell You About These Cookies

So look, Christmas cookies have always had this magical hold over my kitchen in December. I remember the first time I made them—well, honestly, tried to make them—back when I had no patience and even less attention span (let’s not discuss the flour explosion that never really left the grout). And you know, now it’s just tradition: as soon as the tree goes up, someone—invariably me—“has” to bake a double batch because my sister claims she doesn’t remember the smell of Christmas without a tray of Cookies in the oven. Funny how nobody helps clean up the sprinkles though. Typical.

Why Do I Love Making These (Every Single Year)?

I break these out whenever I want to show off a tiny bit at a party (no shame). Actually, it’s become a bit of an armistice tactic in our not-so-little family—bad mood? Someone’s sulking? Just pull out a tin of these, and suddenly everyone’s nicer. Sometimes I even bake them when I’m in a mood myself. The best part—besides licking the spoon (which I definitely do, even though I shouldn’t)—is the way the house smells. Oh, and they look fancy enough, even though they’re secretly pretty easy. My family gets all misty-eyed about the red and green sugar, but frankly, I’m in it for the doughy middle bits that never seem to bake quite the same twice.

What You’ll Need (and What I Usually Improvise)

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (If you’re out—I’ve snuck in half whole wheat, it’s a smidge nuttier)
• 1 tsp baking soda (generic is fine; my grandmother was certain only Arm & Hammer would do, but any works)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (that said, I’ve used salted and just skipped the salt—no disaster)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar (sometimes I’ll use a mix of brown and white just to see what happens)
• 1 egg (large if you have it, but it’s worked with a medium in a pinch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (real is best, but imitation honestly does the trick if that’s all you’ve got)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Colored sugar, sprinkles, or whatever festive nonsense you fancy (sometimes I go wild with chocolate chips, but only when feeling reckless)

Let’s Make Christmas cookies—My Way

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). I always forget to do this first, so if you do too, no worries—yours might just take a minute longer in the oven.
2. In a largish bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. I use a hand mixer, but actually, a wooden spoon and some elbow grease will do if the electricity’s on the blink.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla. If your vanilla pours a bit heavy, that’s fine—it just smells extra festive, right?
4. In another bowl (or honestly, just pile it on top, but that’s risky), whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Chuck it into the wet mix gradually—I found dumping in all the flour at once leads to a snowstorm on the counter.
5. Mix until it just comes together. If you overwork it, the Cookies will get all tough, so really, stop when it’s still a bit shaggy. This is where I always steal a nibble, and somehow survive.
6. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. If you don’t have baking sheets (which happened at my cousin’s once), I used a pizza pan—worked!
7. Smoosh the tops a little with your palm, then go wild with colored sugar or sprinkles. Sometimes the kids fight over who gets what color—just roll with it.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just barely golden around the edges. They always look too pale in the middle, but they’ll finish firming up as they cool, promise.
9. Let them cool on the sheet for a couple minutes, because moving them too soon means you’ll get at least one impromptu cookie crumble (which is tasty with ice cream, just saying). Then move to a rack or plate.

Lessons Learned (with a Sprinkle of Chaos)

• Chilling the dough is “technically” best for shape, but I skip it unless I’m trying to impress my mother-in-law.
• If you bake them too long, they’ll be crunchy—some people (okay, my uncle) like this, but I think the magic is in the chewy centers.
• I once tried melting the butter to save time—don’t. They ended up as sad flat disks. Just let it soften naturally or microwave in 3-second bursts if you’re impatient (but not much longer, trust me).

If You’re Feeling Adventurous: Variations I’ve Tried

• Swapped half the white flour for oat flour—nice and hearty, but a bit crumbly; not my fave but folks liked it.
• Lemon zest in the dough—it was a bright twist!
• One year I tried adding chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, and honestly, it turned out like something form a fancy coffee shop.
• Tried using almond extract once… and regretted it. Honestly, unless you love marzipan, maybe skip that experiment.

Tools & Terrible Substitutes

• Mixing bowls—at least two (or use the same one, less washing up!).
• Hand mixer is great; for years I did it with a big fork—my arm disagreed, but it worked fine.
• Baking tray (though, as above, a pizza pan or even a roasting tray’ll work in a pinch; just watch for hotspots!)
• Cooling rack, though I’ve used an upside-down muffin pan—bit wobbly, but it does the trick.

Storing These Beauties (Or Trying To)

Keep them in an airtight tin or box at room temp—they’ll stay good for about a week, if you can make them last. In my house, honestly, a day is a stretch before someone sneaks the last one. You can freeze the dough balls too (just toss straight in the oven from frozen, add a minute or two to baking time).

Serving Suggestions: Our Traditions

Big fan of dunking these into hot cocoa—bonus points if you use the festive mugs nobody lets you touch the rest of the year. Sometimes I’ll sandwich two cookies together with a bit of Nutella or peanut butter. At Christmas morning breakfast, my mum insists everyone gets one on their napkin; it’s become a sweet little rule, like eating dessert before lunch (just this once).

Pro Tips I Honestly Learned the Hard Way

• Letting the butter soften naturally is worth it—I was always in a rush, but microwaved butter gets weird and separates.
• I used to rush stacking still-warm cookies—don’t, unless you like them mashed together in a sort of cookie monolith.
• Don’t skip the pinch of salt. I tried once (whoops), and every batch tasted off; apparently, it really does make everything else pop.

Questions I Get All The Time (Let Me Clear These Up)

Are these chewy or crunchy?

Mostly chewy if you pull them out before they look totally done! But, if you forget and leave them in, they’ll go crisp. My cousin likes to eat them half-and-half, which just baffles me.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Absolutely. Either make the dough a day ahead, or bake and freeze. Sometimes I find they taste even better the next day, if you manage to save some.

Do I really need colored sugar?

Not at all! It makes them look festive, but I’ve baked ‘em completely plain (or with cinnamon and a dusting of regular sugar) plenty of times.

I don’t have vanilla. What now?

No disaster, honestly—try almond or lemon extract (a teensy bit), or just leave it out. They’ll still taste nice, but not quite like Christmas at my place.

Baking for a crowd—can I double this?

For sure! I just use two bowls and do the flour first in one, then the wet stuff in another, otherwise my counter gets buried, and I lose track. But it’s doable, and then you have plenty for trading with neighbors (or just hoarding, no judgment).

Random note: One year we did a competition for who could ice the wildest design, and there are still tiny streaks of green food dye in the kitchen tiles—the gift that keeps on giving. Merry Christmas, mate. May your cookies be soft, your sprinkles many, and your floor only lightly dusted with flour.

★★★★★ 4.60 from 45 ratings

Christmas Cookies

yield: 36 cookies

prep: 20 mins

cook: 10 mins

total: 30 mins

Classic, buttery Christmas cookies perfect for the holiday season, decorated with festive sprinkles or sugar and guaranteed to bring cheer to any table.

🖨️ Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (If you’re out—I’ve snuck in half whole wheat, it’s a smidge nuttier)
• 1 tsp baking soda (generic is fine; my grandmother was certain only Arm & Hammer would do, but any works)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (that said, I’ve used salted and just skipped the salt—no disaster)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar (sometimes I’ll use a mix of brown and white just to see what happens)
• 1 egg (large if you have it, but it’s worked with a medium in a pinch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (real is best, but imitation honestly does the trick if that’s all you’ve got)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Colored sugar, sprinkles, or whatever festive nonsense you fancy (sometimes I go wild with chocolate chips, but only when feeling reckless)

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). I always forget to do this first, so if you do too, no worries—yours might just take a minute longer in the oven.
2. 2
   In a largish bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. I use a hand mixer, but actually, a wooden spoon and some elbow grease will do if the electricity’s on the blink.
3. 3
   Beat in the egg and vanilla. If your vanilla pours a bit heavy, that’s fine—it just smells extra festive, right?
4. 4
   In another bowl (or honestly, just pile it on top, but that’s risky), whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Chuck it into the wet mix gradually—I found dumping in all the flour at once leads to a snowstorm on the counter.
5. 5
   Mix until it just comes together. If you overwork it, the cookies will get all tough, so really, stop when it’s still a bit shaggy. This is where I always steal a nibble, and somehow survive.
6. 6
   Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. If you don’t have baking sheets (which happened at my cousin’s once), I used a pizza pan—worked!
7. 7
   Smoosh the tops a little with your palm, then go wild with colored sugar or sprinkles. Sometimes the kids fight over who gets what color—just roll with it.
8. 8
   Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just barely golden around the edges. They always look too pale in the middle, but they’ll finish firming up as they cool, promise.
9. 9
   Let them cool on the sheet for a couple minutes, because moving them too soon means you’ll get at least one impromptu cookie crumble (which is tasty with ice cream, just saying). Then move to a rack or plate.

CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO ↑

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 120 caloriescal

Protein: 1gg

Fat: 6gg

Saturated Fat: 0g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg

Potassium: 0mg

Total Carbs: 16gg

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 0g

Net Carbs: 0g

Vitamin A: 0

Vitamin C: 0mg

Calcium: 0mg

Iron: 0mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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