Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
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These holiday cut-out butter cookies are a dream to make, and they’re as delicious as they are pretty!
Photo by Suzana Marinkovic
I usually think of cut-out sugar cookies as something to admire rather than eat, but this easy sugar cookie recipe from King Arthur Flour is different. The cookies are buttery and tender-crisp, and the frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness. They’re also a dream to make—the dough is super easy to roll out and cut, and the cookies won’t puff up or spread in the oven, so go ahead and break out all those ornate cookie cutters!
If you’re on the lookout for more fun holiday baking projects, be sure to check out my Christmas wreath cookies, gingerbread cookies, and linzer cookies. They’re just as easy to make and will add a festive touch to your Christmas cookie spread.
Table of Contents
“I just made these cookies for the first time and loved them!! The dough was easy to work with and the cookies taste so good!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens the dough. The cornstarch in confectioners’ sugar gives the cookies a wonderfully tender texture.
- Butter: Adds moisture and helps create a flavorful cookie. Bringing the butter to room temperature makes it easy to combine with the other ingredients.
- Egg Yolk: Contributes to the dough’s structure and adds richness.
- Almond Extract: Adds a distinct, aromatic flavor to the cookies. If you don’t have almond extract, substitute with vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for the cookies; to ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing, or Store-Bought Icing: Used for decorating the cookies and adding a sweet, decorative finish. The recipe for easy glaze icing can be found below.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the confectioners’ sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt, and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat until smooth.
Add the flour.
Mix on low speed until well combined. The mixture will seem dry at first but don’t worry, it will come together.
Scrape the dough onto a work surface (if it’s sticky, dust very lightly with flour).
Knead into a ball and then cut it in half.
Shape the dough into 2 discs, then wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Work it with your hands for a minute or so, until it feels soft and pliable enough to roll. Be careful not to overwork it; it should still feel cool.
Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough and rolling pin as well. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll to between 1/8″ and 1/4″ thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut shapes, then use a thin metal spatula to lift the dough off of the counter and onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets (they can be close together; they don’t spread). Re-roll and cut the dough scraps.
Place the cut-out cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until they’re set and have slightly crisp edges. Note that the bake time will vary depending on the thickness and size of the cookies. Very small cookies might be done in 8 minutes.
Let cool, then ice the cookies with royal icing, glaze icing (recipe below), or store-bought icing.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
The cookies are best eaten within a day or two when they are perfectly tender and crisp. They’ll keep much longer stored in an airtight container, but they’ll soften up.
The cookie dough can be made up to 4 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each dough disc securely in plastic wrap, and place in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the disks from the freezer, thaw on the counter until pliable, and proceed with the recipe. The cookies can also be frozen after baking. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
These holiday cut-out butter cookies are a dream to make, and they’re as delicious as they are pretty!
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups Confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with knife
- Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing (see recipe below), or store-bought icing, for decorating
Instructions
- Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt, and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed at first to incorporate the sugar, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and mix on low speed until well combined. The mixture will seem dry and crumbly at first, but don't worry—it will come together into a cohesive dough.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Scrape the dough onto the work surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cut the ball in half and form 2 discs, then wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften on the countertop for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
- Begin with one disc of dough, kneading it with your hands for about a minute until it becomes soft and pliable, similar in consistency to play dough. Remember, the longer the dough has been refrigerated, the more kneading it may require. Aim for a dough that’s neither crumbly nor cracking at the edges, yet be cautious not to over-knead; it should retain a cool temperature. If it becomes too warm or soft at any point, feel free to pop it back in the fridge for a bit.
- Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour as well. Roll to between ⅛" and ¼" thick, sprinkling more flour over and under the dough as needed so that it doesn't stick. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cut dough off of the counter and onto the prepared baking sheets (they can be close together; they don't spread). Re-roll and cut the dough scraps, dusting more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, until they're set and barely browned around the edges. (Note that the cook time will vary depending on the thickness and size of the cookies. And mini cookies might be done in as little as 8 minutes.)
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Note: The cookies are best eaten within a day or two, when they are perfectly tender and crisp. They'll keep much longer stored in an airtight container, but they'll soften up.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be made up to 4 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each dough disc securely in plastic wrap, and place in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the disks from the freezer, thaw on the counter until pliable, and proceed with recipe. The cookies can also be frozen after baking. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
- To Make Easy Glaze Icing: Combine 2¼ cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir with a spoon to make a thick but spreadable glaze. If the glaze is too thin, add additional confectioners’ sugar. If it's too thick, dribble in additional milk ½ teaspoon at a time. (You'll know the consistency is right when a ribbon of glaze dribbled from the spoon will sit atop the glaze in the bowl briefly, before settling and disappearing. Be careful not to make it too thin, or it will drip right off the cookies and make a sticky mess.) Using a small spoon, dollop the icing on the center of the cookies and use a spoon, knife, toothpick or your finger to spread it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with colored sugar or other sugar decorations while the icing is still wet. Allow the glaze to harden before storing the cookies.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 82
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Cholesterol: 12mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thank you once again, Jenn! I made a batch of these cookies today with my six year old grandson. We had a blast! The dough was easy to work with and the cookies were absolutely delicious. I used the recipe for the easy glaze icing and that turned out to be so much fun to work with. The cookies look so pretty, and they taste great too! This will definitely be an annual holiday tradition for us!!
I just mixed this cookie dough and realized I did not put in the extra 2 TBS of butter. Should I take it out of the frig and try to mix it in, throw away this batch, or bake them? What are your thoughts?
Thank you, Paula
Hi Paula, I hate when I do that kind of stuff! I’d leave the dough as is — it shouldn’t impact the cookies too significantly.
Perfection!
I read all the comments and so happy that I didn’t adjust the recipe at all. I have been making sugar cookies with my boys for 20 years and tried several recipes. This is by far THE BEST!! Mine came together perfectly with no dryness, they cut so easily and cooked beautifully!
Thank you again for a great recipe!
I am a fan of UOAC which is why I am so disappointed in this recipe. This was a huge waste of time and, sadly, ingredients. I followed the recipe exactly. I rested the dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours. I set out the disks for ~20 minutes then tried kneading. It was still cold. Terrible! The dough crumbled into chunks. I gathered it all together and rolled it out and it again crumbled into chunks. I struggled to roll out 1 cookie at a time and made 15. They baked as the recipe instructs. The taste is good, but the rolling and cutting is a failure. I made a double batch of dough and threw out most all of it.
I’m sorry you had a problem with these cookies! I have always had good luck with this dough, but some people seem to have issues with it. After re-testing it several times, I think the issue is not kneading the dough enough after resting it in the refrigerator. I have updated the instructions to be more specific about the consistency of the dough before rolling. So sorry for the frustration!
Hi Dolce –
I know what you are talking about. I made the dough Thursday and then rolled them out yesterday with similar experience in the firmness and desire to crumble. It isn’t pie dough.
I pushed on the dough disk on and off for an hour and then on and off pushed with the rolling pin. Eventually, it rolled out to the thickness I wanted (1/4) though some of the edges of the dough sheet were slightly cracked. Did wave one of cut outs no problems. Gathered up the leftover edges and rolled them again and it was much easier. Did wave two of cut outs – mine were larger than two inches, and then rolled the left over bits out once more and it was even easier- finally ‘play dough’ texture. I noticed when I made the dough and dumped it on the counter to knead and make discs that it was already ‘playdough’. Next time, I am going to roll the disc out right then and refrigerator the dough sheet and come back later. A ‘youtube’ Cooks Illustrated Test Kitchen Christmas Cookie video recommended this approach saying it is a bit to hard to roll it out after refrigeration. So, you were 90% of the way there!! To OUC, great dough, great cut outs. Thank you……….time to decorate these guys….
These came out perfect, they even taste yummy plain. Thanks!!
Hi Jenn…We’re going to make these cookies this weekend but I want to freeze them afterwards for a couple of weeks. Will that work? Is it okay to roll out the dough and then refrigerate them overnight before I cut the shapes?
Hi, Wendy, you can definitely freeze the cookies after baking them. If you’d like to refrigerate the dough overnight, I’d recommend keeping it in one large piece so it doesn’t dry out. When you’re ready to make the cookies, you can take it out of the fridge and roll it out. See the bottom of the recipe for more detailed make-ahead/freezer-friendly instructions. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
If you use the Easy Glaze Icing, do you have to refrigerate the iced cookies, since they contain a little milk? Thanks
No, you don’t need to refrigerate the cookies. 🙂
Hi Jenn! I would like to make these cookies. What roller pin do you recommend to get the same thickness? Also, what cookie cutters do you like to use? Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, any rolling pin will do – it doesn’t matter what brand it is. And regarding the cookie cutters, I have so many I’ve collected over the years and I honestly have no idea what brand they are — I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Very good cookies for Christmas!!!
Followed the recipe as it’s written. Cookies were absolutely wonderful!