Christmas Cookie (Soft Sugar Cookie with Icing)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Cream 1 cup of softened butter with 1 cup of sugar, beat in 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, then mix in 3 cups of flour with baking powder and salt. Chill the dough 1 hour, roll to 1/4 inch, cut shapes and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Cool fully, then ice and sprinkle.
Christmas Cookie season starts with this one: a soft sugar cookie with crisp edges, thick enough to hold icing and sprinkles without breaking. It is the cookie that fills the jar, the gift box and the decorating table all at once.
Why you’ll love it
- Soft in the center with edges that hold their shape.
- Thick enough to ice without cracking or snapping.
- One dough, one hour of chilling, ten minutes in the oven.
- Kid friendly shapes and decorating for the whole family.
- Bakes ahead and freezes well, so the holiday stays calm.
Ingredient notes
Butter: the tenderness. One cup of softened unsalted butter creamed with sugar for three minutes is what makes the cookie soft instead of tough. Cold butter will not cream, and melted butter makes the dough spread.
Sugar: the sweetness and the structure. Granulated sugar in the dough and powdered sugar in the icing keep the cookie sweet without being heavy.
Egg and vanilla: the bind and the flavor. One egg at room temperature holds the dough together, and two teaspoons of real vanilla are the flavor, since this cookie has nowhere to hide.
Flour, baking powder and salt: the body. Three cups of flour with a teaspoon of baking powder give a cookie that rises just enough, and the salt keeps the sweet tasting rounded.
Icing and sprinkles: the finish. Powdered sugar whisked with milk makes a smooth icing that sets firm, and sprinkles added right away stick before it dries.
The chill rule that makes or breaks it
One rule decides whether this cookie is soft and neat or flat and crisp, and it is the chill. Dough chilled for a full hour rolls cleanly, cuts sharply and holds its shape in the oven. Dough rolled warm spreads before it sets, so rounds turn into puddles and stars lose their points. Chill the cut shapes for 10 minutes more while the oven heats, and they hold even better. The second rule is the pull time. Take the cookies out while the centers still look soft and pale, at about 10 minutes. They finish baking on the hot sheet and stay soft in the middle. One extra minute turns them crisp all the way through.
Variations
- Almond version: swap half the vanilla for almond extract for a bakery style flavor.
- Lemon icing: whisk the icing with lemon juice instead of milk for a bright finish.
- Chocolate dipped: dip half of each cooled cookie in melted white chocolate and add sprinkles.
- Spice version: add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough for a warmer holiday cookie.
What we learned testing it
- Chilling the dough for a full hour beat a 20 minute chill clearly. The hour long batch held sharp edges, while the short chill batch spread wide.
- Pulling the cookies at 10 minutes beat 12 minutes in the same oven. The 10 minute cookies stayed soft in the center, while the 12 minute ones turned crisp all the way through.
- Rolling to 1/4 inch beat a thinner roll for icing. The thicker cookie held the icing without cracking, while the thin one snapped when lifted.
Read how we test recipes.
Christmas Cookie (Soft Sugar Cookie with Icing)
Makes 24 cookies · 1 hr 30 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Mixing bowls · Baking sheets · Parchment paper · Rolling pin · Round cookie cutter
Instructions
-
Cream the butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix, or the cookies turn tough.
-
Chill, roll and cut the shapes
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it well and chill for 1 hour. Roll on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick, cut rounds or holiday shapes and place them on parchment lined sheets. Chill the cut shapes for 10 minutes while the oven heats.
-
Bake until the edges set
Bake at 350 F for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers still look soft and pale. The cookies firm up as they cool, so pull them before they brown. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
-
Ice and sprinkle once cool
Whisk the powdered sugar with milk until it runs in a smooth ribbon, then spread or pipe it over the fully cooled cookies. Add sprinkles right away, before the icing sets. Let the icing dry for at least 4 hours before stacking.
Notes
- Chill the dough every time. Warm dough spreads in the oven and the cookies lose their shape.
- Pull the cookies while the centers still look soft. They finish baking on the hot sheet, and an extra minute turns soft cookies crisp.
- Ice only fully cooled cookies. Warm cookies melt the icing into a puddle and smear the sprinkles.
- Use real vanilla, not imitation, for this cookie. The flavor is simple, so the vanilla shows.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Unsalted butter
- Use salted butter and skip the added salt. The cookies will taste the same, though the dough may be a touch softer to roll.
- Vanilla extract
- Use almond extract at half the amount for a different flavor. Almond is stronger, so 1 teaspoon is enough for the full batch.
- Milk in the icing
- Use lemon juice instead for a bright icing that pairs well with the sweet cookie. Add it a teaspoon at a time until the icing flows.
Storage and make-ahead
Store iced cookies in a single layer, or with parchment between layers, airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before icing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a soft Christmas cookie?
Cream the butter and sugar well, chill the dough for a full hour, roll it thick at 1/4 inch and pull the cookies while the centers still look soft. They finish on the hot sheet and stay soft in the middle.
Why did my Christmas cookies spread in the oven?
The dough was too warm or the butter was too soft. Chill the dough at least an hour, chill the cut shapes for 10 minutes, and bake on a cool sheet.
Can I freeze Christmas cookie dough?
Yes. Wrap the dough disc well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll and bake as usual.
How long does the icing take to dry?
At least 4 hours at room temperature. The icing should feel dry to a light fingertip touch before you stack or pack the cookies.
Can I make these cookies ahead of Christmas?
Yes. Bake them up to 5 days ahead and store airtight, or freeze the undecorated cookies for up to 2 months and ice them after thawing.
