Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
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These holiday cut-out butter cookies are a joy to make and even more delightful to eat. With their buttery flavor and festive shapes, they’re the perfect treat to add a touch of sweetness to your holiday celebrations.
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.
“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 lovely almond flavor to the cookies. If you don’t have almond extract, substitute with vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for the cookies; use the spoon-and-level method to measure.
- 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 or up to 4 days. (At this point, you can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months.)
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 until it feels soft and pliable enough to roll. Be 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. 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. For a more home-style look, try vanilla buttercream frosting—it’s easy to spread, deliciously creamy, and perfect for simple, festive designs. Decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, or edible glitter for extra holiday cheer.
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Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) + 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
- 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 (175°C). 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-in (3 and 6-mm) 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 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.
Notes
- To Make Easy Glaze Icing: Combine 2¼ cups (260 g) 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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each dough disk tightly in plastic wrap and place in a sealable bag; thaw on the counter until pliable before baking. Baked cookies are best within a day or two but will keep longer in an airtight container (they’ll soften over time). The baked cookies can also be frozen: cool completely, store in an airtight container with parchment or foil between layers, and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
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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These cookies are wonderful. In fact, I am going to have to make another batch for decorating because we have been “tasting” them since they were out of the oven this morning.
So, I just made this dough and snuck a little taste before I put it in the fridge to chill….it seeemed really salty to me, but I did the 3/4 tsp salt just like the recipe called for.. Will it not be as salty for the finished/cooked product?
Thanks!!
Hi Jamie, There’s a sweet glaze that goes on top of the cookies and that helps to balance out the flavors. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! About to make these – should that butter be softened?
Yes! Thanks for catching that, Amy. It’s been corrected 🙂
Husband loved them!
Hi Jen,
Can I use this icing recipe for decorating gingerbread house? I am trying to find an alternative for raw egg white royal icing. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Lu, Yes, I think it would work well for a gingerbread house. Fun!
Thanks for this recipe, just the best biscuits I think I’ve ever made! The ingredients are simple, but make the dough so silky and soft, and super fast to cook. I’ve made a few of your recipes and they always come out really well, thank you from the UK!
My dough was crumbly during the entire rolling and cookie cutting process. I was able to make cookies with it, but it was much harder to work with than your description led me to believe. The flattened dough had a cracked appearance and did not look smooth like you dough in your photo. What could I have done wrong? Thanks!
Hi Carina, It sounds like your dough was either too dry or too cold. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Did you work the dough with your hands before rolling to make sure it was supple enough to roll?
Thanks for the quick reply! I did use the spoon and level method, but I still must have ended up with too much flour. I’m pretty confident I worked the dough well enough before hand, because the dough was no longer cold even though you said that it should have been. The good news is the cookies still tasted great so I’m going to give this another try. Thanks again!
Okay, lmk how they turn out 🙂
Very easy recipe, but does take some time , so plan for it. Very light crisp cookie. Thank you.
Can these be frozen after baked but before iced?
Yes Katie, that shouldn’t be a problem. I hope you enjoy them!
These cookies are fabulous, but should be eaten fresh (they do last a few days). I placed some of them in the freezer, but when we ate the ones I had frozen, we all felt that they had acquired a bitter taste; my sense is that the almond extract had somehow reacted badly to the freezing process. What do you think, Jenn? However, fresh they are fabulous, and the icing recipe also perfect!
Hi Ilaria, I’ve never had that experience with almond extract!
Jenn you never miss with a recipe! You have great taste and I haven’t made a recipe of yours that was unsavory! I have to say again thanks to my sister-in-law for finding you!