Christmas Cookie Recipes
When December gets busy, the last thing you want is a cookie dough that needs hours of chilling before you can even roll it out. The best Christmas cookie recipes are the ones that fit into real holiday schedules: simple doughs, pantry staples, and cookies that come out looking like the shapes you cut.
This guide compares three Christmas cookie recipes that are especially useful for holiday baking. There is a no-chill vanilla biscuit dough made for cutting out Christmas shapes, a sugar cookie with easy icing, and a soft cut-out cookie for cookie boxes and cookie exchanges. Follow each linked source recipe for its complete ingredients and method.
Three Christmas cookie recipes to compare
Compare a no-chill vanilla dough, sugar cookies with easy icing, and soft cut-out cookies. Each option links directly to its original recipe so you can check the quantities and baking steps before choosing.
1. Christmas Cookies (Vanilla Biscuits/Sugar Cookies)
These cut-out vanilla biscuits are the workhorse of a holiday cookie plate. They are made with pantry staples, so you do not need to add specialty ingredients to your Christmas grocery list. The dough is easy to handle and can be scrunched up and rolled out again until you have used every scrap. Best of all, this recipe requires no chill time, which means you can mix, roll, cut, and bake without waiting around.
Once baked, the cookies are iced with colorful festive frosting. They taste like shortbread, though not quite as buttery or crumbly, and they are as classic as vanilla biscuits get.
- No chill time required
- Holds its shape when baked
- Made with pantry staples
- Iced with colorful festive frosting
2. Christmas Sugar Cookies with Easy Icing
These cut-out Christmas sugar cookies are another fan-favorite for decorating. The recipe promises soft, thick centers, slightly crisp edges, and flat tops that make icing easier. The dough is described as holding its cookie cutter shape in the oven, so your snowflakes and ornaments stay recognizable.
Instead of royal icing, these cookies are decorated with an easy glaze cookie icing. It is unfussy and low maintenance, which is a relief if you are baking several batches in December. The dough does need to chill for 1–2 hours, or up to 2 days, so plan ahead if you choose this recipe.
- Soft, thick centers with slightly crisp edges
- Flat tops for decorating
- Holds its cookie cutter shape in the oven
- Easy glaze cookie icing instead of royal icing
- Dough chills for 1–2 hours, or up to 2 days
3. Soft Christmas Cookies
For a pillowy soft cut-out cookie, this soft Christmas cookie recipe is a strong contender. The dough is rolled out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, then cut with Christmas cookie cutters. You can sprinkle the shapes with colored sugar before baking, or frost them with icing once they are cool.
These cookies are described as great for cookie exchanges and likely to become a holiday tradition. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. If you want to get ahead, the dough can be shaped into one or two flat disks, wrapped in storage wrap and foil, and frozen flat for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge, then roll, cut, and bake.
- Soft cut-out sugar cookies
- Rolled to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with Christmas cookie cutters
- Can be sprinkled with colored sugar before baking or frosted when cool
- Great for cookie exchanges
- Unfrosted cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week
- Dough can be frozen flat for up to three months
More Festive Cookies and Holiday Treats to Bake
If you enjoy baking cookies with kids, our cookie recipes to bake with kids has easy projects for little hands. For a cozy dessert table beyond cookies, see our cozy fall dessert recipes. And if you love a sweet-salty combination, try our salted brownie cookies.
Whether you bake one recipe or a whole tray of different cookies, the goal is the same: a plate of Christmas cookies that looks festive and tastes like the holiday.
