These Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies are the best sugar cookie cut outs you’ll ever make that are rich, buttery and decorated with royal icing for the perfect holiday cookies!

Easy Christmas Cookies

These are seriously the easiest Christmas sugar cookies to make and the tastiest. I’m not one for complicated recipes and this is by far from that. There are so many sugar cookie recipes out there but this one is hands down the best. I love making these cookie cut outs ahead of time usually right before Thanksgiving and then freeze them. They freeze nicely in an airtight container. When it comes time to eat just thaw out in the fridge overnight.

Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies

The key to the best sugar cookies is using real unsalted butter (no substitutes) at room temperature and refrigerating the dough before you cut out the cookies. To get the perfect shaped cookie, you want to make sure the dough is thin and flat by rolling it out with a rolling pin. And the icing is what makes the cookies. Royal icing is the best for sugar cookies but you can also decorate with tempered white chocolate. 

Christmas Sugar Cookies Ingredients

Makes 20-30 cookies

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing or White Chocolate to decorate

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

If you want to decorate with royal icing beat together 1/4 cup water and 1/8 cup meringue powder until combined. Then, beat in 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If it’s too runny you can add a little more sugar and beat again.

How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies

In a large bowl using a hand mixer beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be soft.

Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a cookie cutters in the picture, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.

Bake for 10-12 mins. Once baked, place the cookies on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or tempered white chocolate.

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Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies

Yield: Makes 20-30 Cookies

These Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies are the best sugar cookie cut outs you'll ever make that are rich, buttery and decorated with royal icing for the perfect holiday cookies!

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Ingredients

• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing or White Chocolate to decorate

Instructions

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely  smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.  
2. Add the egg, vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.  Dough will be soft.  
3. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.  Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).  Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  
4. Using a cookie cutters in the picture, cut the dough into shapes.  
5. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.  
6. Bake for 10-12 mins. Once baked, place the cookies on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
7. Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or tempered white chocolate.