The Ultimate Guide to Baking Soft, Chewy Christmas Sugar Cookies with Easy Buttercream Frosting

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked cookies filling your home, especially during the festive season. Christmas Sugar Cookies are more than just a treat; they’re a cherished holiday tradition in our house, a heartwarming activity that brings the whole family together. This simple yet incredibly effective sugar cookie recipe consistently delivers soft, delightfully chewy, and perfectly cut-out cookies. What makes them even better is how easily they can be transformed into edible works of art with our simple 4-ingredient buttercream frosting.

Looking for more festive inspiration? Be sure to check out our updated collection of BEST CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES here!

Discovering the Secret to the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless sugar cookie recipes, always searching for that perfect balance of flavor and texture. After much trial and error, I can confidently say that this particular recipe stands out as the absolute best. The ingredients are straightforward and readily available, but it’s the inclusion of a special ingredient – sour cream – that truly elevates these cookies. Sour cream is the secret weapon that ensures every batch of these sugar cookies turns out incredibly moist, tender, and soft, preventing them from becoming dry or crumbly. It adds a subtle tang that perfectly complements the sweetness, making for a truly unforgettable cookie experience every single time.

A Beloved Family Holiday Tradition

The magic of these Christmas sugar cookies extends beyond their delicious taste; it’s deeply intertwined with our family’s holiday traditions. Every year, as the festive season approaches, my children eagerly anticipate the day we make these cookies. Their eyes light up as they gather around the counter, ready to help roll out the dough and cut out various festive shapes – stars, trees, gingerbread men, and more. While the baking itself is fun, their absolute favorite part is the decorating. It’s truly amazing to witness their creativity blossom with just a little bit of frosting and a handful of colorful sprinkles. This simple act of baking and decorating isn’t just about making cookies; it’s about creating lasting memories, sharing laughter, and fostering a sense of togetherness that we all look forward to. And once they’re baked and beautifully adorned, these homemade Christmas Sugar Cookies also make for wonderful, thoughtful gifts for friends, neighbors, and teachers, spreading holiday cheer one delicious bite at a time.

Essential Tips for Baking Perfect Christmas Sugar Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality sugar cookies at home is entirely possible with a few key techniques. Follow these expert tips to ensure your Christmas sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and hold their shape beautifully:

• Chill Your Dough Thoroughly: Sugar cookie dough can be quite sticky, but patience is key! Once it’s sufficiently chilled, it becomes much more manageable and easier to roll out. Resist the temptation to add extra flour to the dough before chilling. Adding too much flour can throw off the delicate balance of wet to dry ingredients, resulting in drier, more crumbly cookies that lack that desired soft chewiness. Chilling helps the butter solidify, preventing the cookies from spreading excessively in the oven and ensuring they maintain their intricate cut-out shapes. Aim for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, for best results.
• Always Use Softened Butter: The state of your butter significantly impacts the cookie’s texture. The butter needs to be softened to room temperature, which means it should be pliable enough to leave an indentation when pressed, but not melted. Using melted butter will alter the dough’s consistency entirely, leading to flat, greasy cookies that won’t hold their shape. Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating a light and airy base for your cookies.
• Cream Butter and Sugars Adequately: Don’t rush this crucial step! Spending a little extra time when you mix the butter and sugars together is vital. Creaming them for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy, incorporates air, which contributes to the soft texture of your finished cookies. This process also ensures the sugar crystals are properly dissolved, leading to a smoother dough and a more even bake.
• Preheat Your Oven Properly: A consistently preheated oven is critical for even baking. Placing cookies into an oven that hasn’t reached the correct temperature can cause them to spread unevenly or bake inconsistently. Always allow your oven ample time to reach the specified temperature and stabilize before placing your cookie sheets inside. This will help your cookies turn out perfectly every single time.
• Utilize Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: For hassle-free baking and perfect cookie removal, always line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These tools create a non-stick surface, making it incredibly easy to lift the cookies off the pan without scraping or breaking them. They will simply slide right off, preserving their perfect shape and making cleanup a breeze.
• Maintain Optimal Dough Thickness: When rolling out your dough, aim for a thickness of about 1/4 inch. If the dough is rolled too thin, your cookies will likely become crispy, hard, and easily breakable, losing that desirable soft and chewy quality. Conversely, if the dough is too thick, the cookies may not bake all the way through the middle, resulting in a raw or doughy center. Consistency in thickness is key for uniform baking and texture.
• Avoid Overbaking Your Cookies: This is perhaps the most important tip for soft and chewy sugar cookies! Sugar cookies are often deceiving because they may not look entirely “done” on top when they are actually perfectly baked. The key is to watch the bottoms. As soon as the edges begin to turn a very light golden brown, or the bottoms show a slight browning, remove them from the oven. Even if the tops still look pale, they will continue to set as they cool on the hot baking sheet, resulting in a tender, not crunchy, cookie.

Salted vs. Unsalted Butter: A Baker’s Choice for Sugar Cookies

A common question in baking is whether to use salted or unsalted butter, and when it comes to sugar cookies, I have a strong preference. You can absolutely use salted butter for sugar cookies! In fact, I’m a big proponent of using what you have on hand, and in my kitchen, I exclusively stock salted butter. I used to diligently buy unsalted butter specifically for baking, but after much experimentation, I honestly couldn’t discern a significant difference in the final product. It’s simply more convenient for me to keep one type of butter for all my culinary needs.

Some bakers prefer unsalted butter because it gives them complete control over the salt content in a recipe. This is a valid point, as different brands of salted butter can have varying levels of sodium. However, I’m one of those people who believes a good dish or dessert is often enhanced by a touch of salt. When baking cookies, I find that the slight saltiness from the butter creates a beautiful balance with the sweetness of the sugar, enhancing the overall flavor profile. It prevents the cookies from tasting overly saccharine and adds a depth that makes them truly addictive. I’ve served my sugar cookies to countless individuals over the years, and not once has anyone complained about there being too much salt. On the contrary, the balanced flavor is often complimented!

Gather Your Simple Ingredients for Perfect Christmas Sugar Cookies

This recipe relies on basic pantry staples, making it accessible for any home baker. Here’s what you’ll need to create these delightful holiday treats:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Irresistible Christmas Sugar Cookies

Follow these detailed steps for a smooth and enjoyable baking process, resulting in perfectly baked, soft sugar cookies:

1. Prepare Your Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Ensure it’s fully preheated before placing cookies inside for even baking.
2. Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened sugar and butter for a full 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial for incorporating air and creating a tender cookie. Then, beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream until well combined and smooth.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. This ensures that the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until just combined and smooth. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and lead to tough cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
5. Chill the Dough: Place the prepared sugar cookie dough in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This chilling period is essential; it allows the butter to firm up, making the dough much easier to handle and preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking, thus preserving their cut-out shapes. For best results, I often make the dough the day before and let it chill overnight – it works perfectly!
6. Roll and Cut: Once chilled, generously flour your counter surface and your rolling pin to prevent sticking. Take a portion of the dough and roll it out to an even thickness of approximately 1/4 inch. Dip your cookie cutters in flour before each cut to ensure clean, crisp shapes. Carefully transfer the cut-out cookies to your prepared baking sheets (lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat). Gather the dough scraps, gently re-roll them, and cut out more shapes until all the dough is used.
7. Bake to Perfection: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes. Remember, sugar cookies are often subtly browned, if at all, on top. Look for a very light golden edge or slight browning on the bottom. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes. This allows them to firm up before you transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
8. Cool and Decorate: Ensure the cookies are completely cool to the touch before you begin decorating them. This prevents the frosting from melting or sliding off. Now comes the fun part – frost as you’d like! (You’ll find my favorite Buttercream Sugar Cookie Frosting recipe below!)

Ingredients for Delightful Buttercream Sugar Cookie Frosting

This simple buttercream frosting requires just four ingredients for a smooth, spreadable, and delicious finish:

How to Make the Creamy Buttercream Sugar Cookie Frosting

Whipping up this delectable buttercream frosting is quick and easy, perfect for your freshly baked Christmas sugar cookies:

1. Start with Butter: In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until it is completely smooth and creamy.
2. Combine Remaining Ingredients: Gradually add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the butter. Beat all the ingredients together until the frosting is smooth and free of lumps, which typically takes about 2 minutes. If you desire a thinner consistency for easier spreading or piping, add a little extra milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your preferred texture.
3. Add Color and Decorate: If you wish to add festive flair, mix in your favorite food coloring until evenly distributed. Now comes the most exciting part, especially for the kids – decorating the cooled cookies! Let their creativity shine!

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Christmas Sugar Cookies are a necessary holiday tradition at our house! This simple sugar cookie recipe produces soft and delicious cut-out cookies that can be decorated with a simple 4-ingredient buttercream frosting.

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Author: Jessica & Nellie

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Ingredients 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour

BUTTERCREAM SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cream together sugar and butter for 2-3 minutes.  Add egg, vanilla and sour cream.
• In separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beat until smooth.
• Place the sugar cookie dough in a bowl and cover. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. (Sometimes I make the dough the day before and it is totally fine to leave in the refrigerator overnight.)
• Roll and cut with shaped cutters. Make sure to spread flour out on the counter where you are rolling out the dough so that the dough doesn’t stick to your counter! I also like to coat the cutting edge of the cookie cutters and the rolling pin too just to make sure that nothing sticks!
• Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Cool completely and frost as you’d like!

BUTTERCREAM SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:

• Beat butter until smooth.  Beat in remaining ingredients until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add additional milk a little at a time if thinner consistency is desired.
• Add food coloring if desired. Decorate cooled cookies – this is the part that my kids love the most!

Tried this recipe?Mention @familycookierecipes or tag #familycookierecipes!

Can You Freeze Sugar Cookies? Storage Solutions for Holiday Baking

One of the best things about these Christmas sugar cookies is that they are incredibly freezer-friendly, allowing you to get a head start on your holiday baking! You can freeze both the unbaked dough and the baked (unfrosted) cookies with great success.

• Freezing Dough: If you want to prepare ahead, you can make the dough, flatten it into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then proceed with rolling and cutting as usual.
• Freezing Baked Cookies: To freeze baked sugar cookies, ensure they are completely cooled after baking. Stack them carefully in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Alternatively, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a Ziplock freezer bag or a rigid airtight container. They will stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two. Once thawed, you can whip up the frosting and decorate them for a fresh-baked taste!

How Long Do Sugar Cookies Stay Fresh? Optimal Storage Tips

Proper storage is crucial for maintaining the freshness and deliciousness of your homemade Christmas sugar cookies. Here’s what you need to know:

• Unfrosted Cookies: Baked sugar cookies, when stored correctly in an airtight container at room temperature, will remain fresh and delightfully soft for about 1 to 2 weeks. Keep them away from direct sunlight and heat sources to preserve their quality.
• Frosted Cookies: Once decorated with our creamy buttercream frosting, the sugar cookies should ideally be enjoyed within about a week. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s important to remember that this buttercream frosting is wonderfully rich and smooth, but it does not harden like royal icing. This means you won’t be able to stack the cookies in layers or store them tightly packed once they’ve been frosted, as the frosting will smudge. Store them in a single layer or with plenty of space between each cookie. If your home is particularly warm, or if you prefer a firmer frosting, you can store frosted cookies in the refrigerator, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Does everyone else have to endure the traditional “kids on the stairs” photo op on Christmas morning, or is that a unique tradition in our family? Before any of the excited little ones are allowed to rush off and open their presents, they absolutely *must* stop on the stairs and pose for a photo with a big smile. This particular picture is from a few years ago – it’s truly incredible how fast these kids grow up! As you can probably tell, we were having a bit of a challenge getting what you might call a “normal” picture. I think I took about 15 photos during this frantic morning session, and this is the only one where my energetic son wasn’t a complete blur! These moments, filled with a mix of chaos and pure joy, are what make our family holidays so special, just like the tradition of baking our beloved Christmas sugar cookies together.