Vanilla sugar cookies are a timeless Christmas baking favorite. These cut-out sugar cookies are buttery, soft, and chewy, yet sturdy enough to hold their shape in the oven. They work beautifully for simple cookie cutters as well as more detailed holiday designs. The easy icing is made with powdered sugar and a small amount of liquid, but it can still be piped neatly for decorative finishes. With basic pantry ingredients and a little chilling time, this classic sugar cookie recipe is simple, reliable, and perfect for festive baking.
The Best Sugar Cookies
It is the most wonderful time of the year, and few treats feel more festive than soft and chewy Christmas sugar cookies. This recipe is a dependable holiday classic: easy to prepare, simple to decorate, and delicious enough to make year after year.
The dough comes together with everyday ingredients, so there is no need for anything complicated or hard to find. It is smooth, workable, and ideal for rolling and cutting into shapes. Once baked, the cookies stay tender in the center with lightly golden edges, and they spread very little. That makes them especially useful for cut-out cookies, whether you are making stars, snowflakes, candy canes, Christmas trees, or any other seasonal shape.
These vanilla sugar cookies are also a great choice for decorating with kids, gifting in holiday cookie boxes, or preparing ahead for parties. The flavor is simple and classic, with buttery vanilla notes that pair well with icing, sprinkles, or a plain finish.
How to Make Sugar Cookies from Scratch
The full printable-style recipe is included below, but here is a clear overview of the process. The most important steps are creaming the butter and sugar properly, rolling the dough before chilling, and keeping the cut cookies cold before baking so they hold their shape.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat them together until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until the wet ingredients are fully combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix just until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Roll the dough on parchment paper. Rolling the dough while it is still soft is easier than rolling chilled dough, and it helps prevent cracking.
- Chill the rolled dough. Transfer the parchment and dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. This makes the dough easier to cut cleanly.
- Cut out the cookies. Use your favorite cookie cutters, then arrange the shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill the cut cookies until firm. A short freeze before baking helps the cookies keep crisp edges and detailed shapes.
- Bake and cool completely. Let the cookies cool to room temperature before decorating. Warm cookies will melt the icing and make the design messy.
- Prepare the icing. Whisk together powdered sugar and your chosen liquid until smooth.
- Decorate the cookies. Pipe, dip, or spread the icing as desired. The icing will be soft at first, but it firms up after sitting uncovered for a few hours.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing
This simple sugar cookie icing uses only powdered sugar and a small amount of liquid. Water, milk, or heavy cream can be used. Heavy cream gives the icing a whiter, more opaque look, while milk and water create a slightly more translucent finish. If you plan to tint the icing with food coloring, any of the three options will work.
For piped designs, the key is to use as little liquid as possible. A thick icing holds its shape better and creates more defined lines, dots, branches, borders, and raised details. If you want a smooth glaze for dipping cookies, add more liquid until the icing is thinner and easier to spread.
If the icing becomes too runny, whisk in more powdered sugar until it thickens. If it is too stiff to pipe or spread, add a very small splash of liquid and mix again. Food coloring may loosen the icing slightly, so adjust with extra powdered sugar as needed.
Decorating Sugar Cookies
A thicker icing is best for detailed piping, especially if you are using a piping bag. The warmth from your hands can soften the icing as you work, so starting with a slightly thicker consistency helps it stay manageable. If the icing becomes too loose, place the piping bag in the refrigerator for a short time to firm up. If it still feels too soft, mix in more powdered sugar.
For a simpler decorating method, thin the icing slightly and dip the top of each cookie into it. Let any excess drip off, then place the cookies on a rack or parchment paper until the icing sets. This creates a clean, smooth finish and is a quick option when decorating a large batch.
You can also keep the cookies plain or add sprinkles before the icing dries. However you decorate them, make sure the cookies are fully cooled before adding icing so the finish stays neat.
Storing Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies store well, which makes them ideal for holiday baking, cookie exchanges, and make-ahead dessert trays.
Storing sugar cookies at room temperature:
Place the baked cookies in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag. Stored properly at room temperature, baked sugar cookies can keep well for 1 to 2 weeks.
Freezing sugar cookies:
To freeze baked sugar cookies, let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible before sealing. Baked sugar cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. For the best results, freeze the cookies plain and decorate them after thawing, because decorated cookies may smear as they defrost.
Storing Sugar Cookie Dough
Sugar cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking. Keep it well covered so it does not dry out or absorb fridge odors.
To freeze raw cookie dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag, and seal well. Remove as much air as possible before freezing to help preserve the dough.
When you are ready to bake, transfer the frozen dough to the refrigerator and let it thaw for several hours, or until fully defrosted. Once thawed, roll, cut, chill, and bake as directed.
How to Freeze Raw, Cut Sugar Cookies
To freeze shaped sugar cookies before baking, arrange the cut dough pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover and freeze until solid, then transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer bag. Store them in a single layer when possible, or separate stacked layers with wax paper to prevent sticking. Raw cut sugar cookies can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
Frozen cut-out cookies can be baked straight from the freezer. Arrange them on a baking sheet with space between each cookie and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
More Christmas Recipes to Try
• Cranberry White Christmas Cake
• Christmas Tree Shortbread Sticks
• Candy Cane Cookies
• Gingerbread Cookie Bars
• Giant Sugar Cookie Cake
• Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
If you make these vanilla sugar cookies, leave a comment and review with your thoughts. It is always wonderful to hear how the recipe turned out for you.
Classic Sugar Cookies
No reviews
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 55 minutes + 1 hour chilling
- Yield: 28 cookies (approx.)
Description
These classic vanilla sugar cookies are buttery, soft, chewy, and perfect for cutting into holiday shapes. The dough holds its shape well with minimal spreading, and the simple powdered sugar icing can be used for piping, dipping, or decorating. This easy Christmas sugar cookie recipe is great for cookie trays, gifting, and festive baking.
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 2 ¾ cups (355g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 2 cups (220g) powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water, milk, or heavy cream, see notes
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with a beater attachment, or a wooden spoon, cream until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and fold together until a soft, smooth dough forms with no dry streaks remaining.
- Place a large sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Transfer the dough onto the parchment and lightly flour the top.
- Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick.
- Lift the parchment paper with the rolled dough onto a large baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough feels firm.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut out your desired shapes.
- Arrange the cut-out cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Gather the scraps, reroll, and continue cutting shapes until all the dough is used. If the dough becomes too soft, return it to the refrigerator until firm enough to handle.
- Place the baking sheet with the cut cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies feel firm. While they chill, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and lightly browned around the edges. The tops will remain fairly pale.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely to room temperature before decorating.
Make the icing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, milk, or heavy cream, and food coloring if using. Adjust the consistency as needed. Add more liquid for a thinner icing, or more powdered sugar for a thicker icing.
- Decorate the cooled cookies with the icing. Depending on your decorating style, you may need to make a double batch of icing.
- Serve the cookies right away if you do not mind soft icing, or leave them uncovered at room temperature for a few hours so the icing can set and firm up.
Notes
Water, milk, or heavy cream can be used to thin the icing. Heavy cream gives the icing a whiter and more opaque finish. Milk makes it slightly more translucent, and water makes it the most translucent.
If you only have one baking sheet, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and lift the parchment with the dough onto your table. Line the baking sheet with fresh parchment, then cut and arrange the cookies. If baking multiple batches on the same sheet, let the baking sheet cool completely before adding the next batch so the cookies do not spread too much.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Enjoy!