Our Classic Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipes Will Help You Get in the Holiday Spirit

By Kelly Vaughan
Updated October 13, 2020
Credit: Anna Williams

Bring holiday cheer into your home with these beautifully decorated treats.

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Credit: Anna Williams

It's the most wonderful time of the year! While most people look forward to spending time with family and friends during the holiday season, this year's festivities might look a little different due to the coronavirus pandemic. But no matter how big or small your celebration might be, we know it's not a festive gathering without a platter of classic Christmas sugar cookies. Whether you're having a cookie swap with your family or quarantine pod, setting up a decorating afternoon for your kids, or bringing your family together in the kitchen, these sugar cookie recipes are just the thing to make this season extra special. Pro tip: When baking any of these Christmas sugar cookies, remember to sprinkle flour on your cookie cutters to keep the dough from sticking.

Start with a simple but magical recipe—our Ideal Sugar Cookies. All you need are a few basic ingredients—all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, eggs, and vanilla—to make these treats. From here, you can cut them into a variety of festive shapes (think stars, Christmas trees, bells, and ornaments) and decorate them with Royal Icing, sanding sugar, and hard candies. They will help everyone to have a holly, jolly Christmas. Or try our Vanilla-Bean Sugar Cookies; we've taken this classic to the next level by incorporating the seeds from vanilla beans into the dough. Each cut-out cookie is then brushed with egg wash and rolled in colorful sanding sugar; we went with pink and gold sanding sugar, but feel free to do a red and green color scheme for a true Christmas cookie. Another special variation is our Earl-Grey Sugar-Cookie Dough, which is made with finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves for a gentle, earthy flavor that's sure to delight.

No matter how you're celebrating this year, there's no better way to welcome the holiday season than with a batch (or two!) of classic Christmas sugar cookies. Use our recipes to help you make the most delicious treats for your loved ones.

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Stained-Glass Sugar Cookies

Credit: Romulo Yanes
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How pretty are these pastel Christmas sugar cookies? Fruity hard candies are melted onto a freshly baked cookie, which is then sandwiched together with another cut-out cookie for a festive peek-a-boo appearance.

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String-Light Christmas-Tree Cookies

Credit: Ryan Liebe
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Have yourself a merry little Christmas with this adorable sugar cookie recipe. Create the look of individually decorated trees using melted white chocolate and candies for garland and ornaments.

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Vanilla-Bean Sugar Cookies

Credit: Alpha Smoot
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Looking to add even more vanilla flavor to classic Christmas sugar cookies? Use either the seeds from a whole vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste, which will not only add vanilla flavor but also incorporate attractive flecks throughout each cookie.

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Peppermint-Candy Sugar Cookies

Credit: Sang An
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Looking for a way to use up an abundance of candy canes or peppermint candies? Gently crush them with a meat mallet and then fold them into this sugar cookie dough for the perfect Christmas cookies.

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Cutout Cookie Dough

Credit: Johnny Miller
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Use our clever no-frosting technique for colorful Christmas cookies that will surprise and delight everyone on your list.

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Earl-Grey Sugar-Cookie Dough

Credit: Pernille Loof
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Finely ground earl grey tea leaves add notes of bergamot and lemon to these butter sugar cookies. Cut the dough out into spirited shapes or use it to make a classic gingerbread house, as seen here.

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Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Gluten-free flour is used to make these Christmas sugar cookie. We roll the dough and cut it out into the shape of stars, which are then decorated with metallic sprinkles and white royal icing.

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Brown Sugar-Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

Credit: Con Poulos
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A duo of all-purpose flour and cornmeal are used as the base for these crumbly, flavorful cookies that are a unique twist on a classic shortbread cookie recipe. A teaspoon of cinnamon brings out the molasses-y flavor of brown sugar.

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Gingered Sugar Cookies

Credit: Will Anderson
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Ground and finely minced candied ginger add warm, spiced flavor to these delicious Christmas sugar cookies. The dough—which gets even more flavor from honey and molasses—is rolled and formed into candy cane and pretzel-like shapes.

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Hexagonal Sugar Cookies

Credit: Kate Mathis
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We've upgraded this all-purpose sugar cookie recipe for Christmas by cutting the dough into hexagons and decorating each with eye-catching royal icing dyed pink and metallic hues.

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Ideal Sugar Cookies

Credit: Alpha Smoot
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While all of our sugar cookie recipes are perfectly buttery, flaky, and sweet as can be, this one is perhaps the most basic and versatile. A little bit of brandy, vanilla extract, and a stick of butter keep them from drying out.

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Peppermint-Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Credit: Johnny Miller
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Embellish this Christmas sugar cookie dough with chocolate chips and mint extract, then glaze the finished product with creamy icing and crushed peppermint candies.

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Sugar-Cookie Stars

Credit: Emily Kate Roemer
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The whole family will have a ball transforming sugar cookie dough into charming Christmas characters with our holiday cookie templates, a rainbow of royal icing colors, and a little imagination.

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Citrus Sugar Cookies

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Grated lemon zest adds fresh flavor to traditional cut-out sugar cookies. The dough is made in the food processor, so preparation is a breeze.

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Christmas Sugar Cookies

Credit: Minh + Wass
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These cut-out sugar cookies will be the star of your holiday treat offerings. You can make them in varying shapes and sizes, and decorate them to reflect the festive season with sprinkles, edible glitter, and colored frosting or royal icing.

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Christmas Character Sugar Cookies

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This basic, all-butter recipe for cut-out sugar cookies can be cut and decorated however you like. Follow the how-to instructions to create the Christmas-themed cookies shown here, or experiment with your own decorating ideas. The cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.

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Simple Sugar Cookies

Credit: Gentl and Hyers
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These sugar cookies are simple to make, but their flavor is surprisingly complex. The recipe calls for unusual ingredients, including olive oil and orange zest, which are sure to delight your taste buds.

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Crisp Sugar Doily Cookies

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If you seek a thin, delicate, and beautiful cookie, look no further. The elegant design is created by carefully cutting out tiny shapes with an aspic cutter to create a doily pattern, after the dough has been rolled out and chilled. These intricate, crisp cookies are perfect for Christmas gift-giving.

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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

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These big, chewy sugar cookies are made with a simple butter dough that has hints of lemon zest and brown sugar. A double sprinkling of sanding sugar creates a treat with a crackly top perfect for the holiday.

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By Kelly Vaughan