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 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 out in the oven, so go ahead and break out all those ornate cookie cutters!
If you’re looking for another delightful holiday baking project, be sure to check out the Christmas wreath cookies. They’re equally fun to make and add a charming touch to your holiday dessert spread.
“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. Confectioners’ sugar is used instead of granulated sugar as it gives the cookies a wonderfully tender texture.
- Butter: Adds moisture and helps create a flavorful cookie.
- 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: Provides 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 refrigerate 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-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 barely browned around the edges. Note that the cook 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.
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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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Several years ago I found a sugar cookie recipe that made a huge batch of dough so that I could actually divide it into 5 discs – froze each- which made about 2 dozen cookies. I cannot find the recipe. Could this particular recipe be multiplied without losing the quality?
Yes, I think you could get away with that here. Happy Holidays!
The NYT just ran an article about those little silver decorator balls not being edible! I’m afraid to put them on cookies, since that seems to suggest they are for eating. What do you think?
I agree, Jenn – I guess that’s new – Good thing there are lots of other things to decorate cookies with!
I noticed a few people have had issues with altitude. I lived in Colorado for 15 years and never had problems baking. I used the high altitude flour and followed the general guidelines to adjust the recipe to elevation. Usually less sugar, baking powder or soda and increase of liquid.
We are having a cookie decorating kids party. I am wondering if I can make the icing ahead of time so minimize the chaos! If I make it mid day, will it harden before using at 6:00pm? How would I store it? I have some plastic squirt bottles, ideally I would put in those and make different colors. Would that work?!
Love your site and so many of the recipes!
Thank you
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, It should be fine in sealed squirt bottles at room temp. You can also keep it in bowls covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the icing.
I made these cookies and everyone raved about them. So yummy and easy to make.
Everyone loved the cookies. I too had some helping hands to make them. We’ll make them again.
This is the second year I have made theese and they turn out great both times,
Is this recipe available with grams converted to cups?
If so, please provide. Thank you. Liz
Hi Liz, this recipe has both imperial and metric measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope you enjoy!
I really should have written to you before, but being a grandmother of 4 under the age of 3…..well, I don’t have the free time as much. ANYWAY, I have now made these cookies for special occasions 5 times since reading about it in December/16. I have tried so many cookie cut outs, including my sister-in-laws (who claims to have the best from her farm raised mother…) and these, well, I’ve given the recipe out at least 4 times per occasion are really the best! People are shocked at how good these are…not just pretty to look at! You gave me confidence to bake cookies again. AND…I have since used many other recipes and have not been disappointed!! Thank you for making me a better cook!!!!!!
What is the difference between salted butter and unsalted butter when baking cookies?
Hi Kitty, While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can reduce the added salt in the recipe as needed.