Homemade Christmas Cookies Recipe
Christmas cookies are a tradition in my parts of the world and across many cultures that celebrate Christmas, luckily, my family is one of those both celebrate Christmas and enjoyed making these cookies whenever it’s Christmas. That’s exactly how I got to not just love these cookies but also learnt to make them. Over the years and now as an adult, I’ve perfected these cookies and added my own flair to it, which has ultimately made them some of the best Christmas cookies you could ever try.
These homemade Christmas cookies are buttery, soft in the middle, and lightly crisp on the outer edges. And as the season demands, they are decorated with colorful icing and festive sprinkles, which makes them perfect for Christmas celebrations, holiday parties, cookie exchanges etc.
In this my Christmas cookies recipe I use very simple baking ingredients that you most likely know and have in your kitchen, and the steps are easy to follow with nothing complictaed a all.
Without much introduction, I’ll prefer we dive straight into the steps to make the kind of Christmas cookies you’ll truly enjoy.
Homemade Christmas Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rolling Pin
- Christmas cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Small bowls for icing
- Spatula or piping bags
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the icing:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- Christmas sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Mix until everything is well combined.
Combine the dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
Chill the dough
- Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough become easier to roll and keeps the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Roll and cut the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out one portion of dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each one.
Bake the cookies
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden. The centers should remain relatively pale. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Prepare the icing
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Add a little more milk if the icing is too thick or powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- Divide the icing into separate bowls. Add red food coloring to one, green to another, and leave the remaining icing white.
Decorate the cookies
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, spread or pipe the icing over them. Add Christmas sprinkles while the icing is still wet. Decorate with festive patterns, stripes, dots, or simple outlines.
Allow the icing to set
- Place the decorated cookies on a cooling rack and allow the icing to dry completely before serving or storing.
