Nothing says the holidays quite like the warm, sweet aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies. This Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe is my go-to treat every season because it’s soft, buttery, and decorated just right with classic red and green sugars that bring the holiday spirit to life.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made plenty of sugar cookies over the years, but this Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe always stands out for its perfect balance of flavor and texture. It's a recipe that makes holiday baking feel joyful — easy enough for a cozy afternoon but special enough to wow your family and friends.
- Soft, Tender Texture: Thanks to the combination of butter and cream cheese, these cookies practically melt in your mouth.
- Easy Decoration: The red and green sanding sugars add just the right festive sparkle with zero fuss.
- Reliable Chilling Step: Chilling the dough makes rolling and shaping a breeze and helps the cookies hold their shape perfectly.
- Perfect for Gifting: These cookies look gorgeous in a holiday tin or wrapped up in cellophane tied with a ribbon.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe has a role in making these cookies special. I always recommend using the freshest ingredients for the best flavor — like real vanilla extract and good quality butter — so your cookies taste as festive as they look.
- Salted Butter: Softened butter adds richness and moisture, making the cookies tender.
- Cream Cheese: This secret ingredient adds a subtle tang and extra softness that’s hard to beat.
- Sugar: Provides just the right amount of sweetness and contributes to the cookies’ crisp edges.
- Eggs: Bind the dough and help create a nice, soft crumb.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor with warm, sweet notes.
- Almond Extract: Adds depth with a subtle nutty touch — it’s a game changer.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the structure; adding cornstarch keeps the cookies soft and tender.
- Cornstarch: Helps create a delicate texture by reducing gluten formation.
- Baking Soda: Provides just a bit of lift so the cookies aren’t too dense.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Red & Green Sanding Sugar: Classic festive decoration that’s easy to sprinkle on and adds a fun crunch.
Make It Your Way
One of my favorite things about this Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe is how easy it is to tweak to your liking. You can make them as traditional or as unique as you want — whether that’s swapping extracts or getting creative with decorations. I often switch things up depending on my mood.
- Variation: I once added a teaspoon of cinnamon for a warm holiday twist — it was a big hit at my family gathering!
- Dietary Swap: For a dairy-free version, try using vegan butter and cashew cream — it changes the flavor slightly but keeps them wonderfully soft.
- Decorating Fun: Have kids? Let them experiment with edible glitter or colored sprinkles instead of sanding sugars for extra fun.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar Until Fluffy
Start by adding the softened butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat everything on medium-high speed for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial because it incorporates air, giving your cookies a soft, delicate texture. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are really at room temperature to avoid lumps.
Step 2: Mix in Dry Ingredients Gently
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Switch your mixer to low speed and mix until just combined into a soft dough. Overmixing here can lead to tough cookies, so stop as soon as the dough forms.
Step 3: Chill the Dough for Better Results
Cover your dough tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This chilling period firms up the dough, making it easier to scoop and shape. Plus, it helps the cookies hold their shape better while baking — trust me, this is worth the wait.
Step 4: Scoop and Press with a Fork
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place dough balls on the sheet about an inch apart — I find a cookie scoop gives you the most consistent size, so everything bakes evenly. Lightly press each cookie with a fork in a crisscross pattern — it’s the classic look and it also flattens the dough nicely for even baking.
Step 5: Sprinkle and Bake
Sprinkle a pinch of red or green sanding sugar on top of each cookie for that festive sparkle. Bake for 9-11 minutes, but watch closely — the edges shouldn’t brown. You want the cookies to look just slightly underbaked when you pull them out because they’ll firm up as they cool and stay deliciously soft.
Step 6: Cool and Enjoy
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. I always resist the urge to eat them straight away because the flavor really develops once cooled, but if you're in a hurry, warm cookies are fantastic with a glass of milk!
Top Tip
Over the years, I’ve learned a few little tricks that make this Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe foolproof, no matter your experience level in the kitchen.
- Fully Soften Before Mixing: Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature — cold spots create lumps and uneven texture.
- Don’t Skip Chilling: Refrigerating the dough is key — it reduces spreading and gives your cookies that perfect shape and tender crumb.
- Watch the Oven Closely: I’ve burned more than a few batches by leaving them in too long, so set a timer and keep an eye on color. Pull them out early for soft cookies!
- Use Parchment or Silicone Mats: These help prevent sticking and make cleanup a breeze — trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.
How to Serve Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I usually stick with the classic red and green sanding sugar for garnish — it adds just the right pop of color and that satisfying crunch. For a little extra fun, sometimes I sprinkle on edible glitter or use piped royal icing to make snowflakes and holiday shapes. It’s easy to customize depending on your mood or the occasion.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with a warm cup of cocoa or mulled apple cider. They’re also a nice complement to a cheese board if you want a sweet and savory holiday spread. When I bring these to parties, I often fill a festive platter with cookies alongside spiced nuts and fresh fruit.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday gifting, I like stacking these cookies in neat piles wrapped in wax paper and tied with twine inside a pretty tin. Another favorite is arranging them on a decorative plate with fresh pine sprigs and cranberries sprinkled around — it instantly feels festive and inviting on the dessert table.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay wonderfully soft and fresh for 5 to 7 days. Sometimes I place a slice of bread in the container to help maintain moisture — that little trick works every time!
Freezing
I often freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container layered between parchment paper to prevent sticking. They freeze well for up to 3 months. When I’m ready to enjoy, I thaw them on the counter for a couple of hours — just like freshly baked!
Reheating
To bring out that fresh-baked taste and softness, I pop the cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. It’s the perfect way to warm them without drying them out. If you have an oven handy, a quick 2-minute heat at low temperature works too.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! The dough can be made 2-3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Just thaw before baking for the best results.
The cream cheese in the dough helps a lot with softness, as does chilling the dough before baking. Also, make sure to slightly underbake the cookies—they firm up off the heat and stay tender inside.
Yes! You can simply leave out the almond extract or replace it with an additional ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. The flavor will still be delicious and festive.
Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is key to preventing excess spreading. Also, make sure your baking soda is fresh and your oven isn’t too hot. Using parchment paper or silicone mats helps cookies bake evenly too.
Final Thoughts
This Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe isn’t just another cookie—it’s a little holiday tradition baked into every bite. I love how easy they come together and how much joy they bring to my kitchen every year. Give them a try, and I’m sure you’ll find yourself reaching for this recipe season after season, sharing smiles and sweet memories with every batch.
Print
Festive Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 21 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Classic Christmas Cookies are soft, flavorful treats made with a rich blend of butter, cream cheese, sugar, and warm vanilla and almond extracts. These cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations, decorated with festive red and green sanding sugar for a delightful seasonal touch.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decoration
- Red & Green Sanding Sugar
Instructions
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add softened butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer to a low speed and blend until a soft dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours to firm up and develop flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: After chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart to allow for spreading.
- Create Pattern and Decorate: Using a fork, press lightly into each dough ball to create a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle the tops with red and green sanding sugar for festive decoration.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes. Be careful not to overbake; cookies should not brown on the edges and will appear slightly undercooked when removed.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
- Reheat cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds for a warm, soft texture.
- Baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Dough can be made 2-3 days in advance and kept refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Ensure butter and cream cheese are fully softened to prevent lumps in the dough.
- Remove cookies from the oven slightly underbaked; they will firm up as they cool for a perfect soft texture.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure evenly sized, round cookies.
- Line baking pans with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
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