Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
These Christmas frosted sugar cookies are made with soft, chewy vanilla cookies topped with smooth vanilla buttercream and a generous sprinkle of holiday cheer. They’re simple, sweet, and perfect for gifting, parties, or a cozy night of Christmas baking.
Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
These Christmas frosted sugar cookies feel like the kind of treat Kevin McCallister would pile onto a plate before taking on the Wet Bandits.
These cookies are made with soft, chewy vanilla sugar cookies packed with sprinkles, topped with creamy vanilla buttercream frosting and finished off with even more Christmas sprinkles.
They’re easy, festive, and full of that warm VHS-tinted nostalgia we all crave this time of year. With every buttery bite, you’ll swear you’re hearing Wham!’s “Last Christmas” playing in the background.
If you want a cookie that looks magical and tastes even better, this is the one.
If you can’t resist sugar cookies, check out my Christmas frosted funfetti cookies, classic sugar cookies, and sugar cookie bars.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and easy steps make these cookies perfect for any skill level.
- Soft & chewy: The classic soft and chewy sugar cookie texture.
- Creamy vanilla frosting: Smooth vanilla frosting adds the perfect sweetness and creamy texture.
- Fun & festive: Perfect for holiday parties, cookie boxes, and cookie decorating parties.
- Customizable: Change up the sprinkles and extracts to create your own Christmas cookie magic.
Ingredients for Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda + baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor.
- Christmas sprinkles – Use jimmie sprinkles for the best results.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
Make the sugar cookie dough and mix in the Christmas sprinkles.
Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop and chill for 30 minutes.
Place the chilled cookie dough balls on baking sheet pans.
Bake the cookies and then cool to room temperature.
Make the vanilla buttercream frosting.
Frost the cookies and decorate with Christmas sprinkles.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Bring the chilled ingredients (butter and eggs) to room temperature before making the cookie dough. This helps the ingredients combine well and creates the perfect chewy texture.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough to create round and uniform-sized cookies.
- Use jimmie sprinkles in the cookie dough for the best results. Nonpareil sprinkles can bleed color into the cookie dough and larger sprinkles won’t melt nicely into the cookie dough while baking.
- Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough. Chilling helps to control the spreading while the cookies are baking and helps to create that classic chewy sugar cookie texture.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon or a large round cookie cutter to gently shape the cookies into perfectly round circles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to make the cookies half the size. The baking time will be a few minutes less—about 10-11 minutes. The yield of the recipe will double.
Most jimmie-style sprinkles hold their shape and color well. Avoid nonpareils, as they tend to bleed into the dough and make it look gray.
Absolutely! Add gel food coloring to create festive designs or match any Christmas theme. You could also replace the vanilla extract with almond, peppermint, or other extract flavors if you want to switch up the flavors.
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Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (40 g) Christmas sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
Additional Ingredients
- ¼ cup (40 g) Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
Christmas Sugar Cookies
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together. Fold in the Christmas sprinkles until they are well dispersed throughout the cookie dough.
- Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Chill the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet pans, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 13-14 minutes until the edges are set and the centers are slightly underbaked. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until fully combined with the butter. Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Decorating the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the vanilla buttercream frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cookies and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Decorate the cookies with the additional Christmas sprinkles.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerator (cookie dough): Chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a resealable storage bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bake as directed.
- Refrigerator (frosted cookies): Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer (cookie dough): Store the portioned cookie dough in a resealable storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw the cookie dough for an hour and bake as directed.
- Freezer (frosted cookies): Store the baked and frosted cookies between sheets of parchment paper in a storage bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Saw this on Instagram, and so glad I did, it is the PERFECT Christmas cookie and great to make with kids. If you dont like a sweet frosting like my family, you can make a cream cheese frosting and it pairs so well with the light airy cookie. Definitely a keeper
So glad you loved the recipe, Brooke! Thanks so much for the review!