Christmas Sugar Cookies

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Our classic sugar cookies are getting a holiday glow up this year! A buttery slightly chewy cookie gets a roll through Christmas sprinkles for a little extra crunch and holiday cheer. 

If you’re looking for a Christmas sugar cookie that checks all the boxes, you’re in the right place. These cookies are soft, buttery, slightly chewy and totally irresistible. Every bite tastes like a cozy winter night wrapped in nostalgia of Christmas’ past.

These holiday sugar cookies are perfect for a fun bake night with friends, holiday cookie exchanges or for gifting coworkers or neighbors. They’re fun, simple and look like holiday magic. They’re a classic staple that will immediately be in your yearly rotation of Christmas treats. Let’s dive into the sugary-sweet details!

Why You’ll Love these Christmas Sugar Cookies

• They’re festive and nostalgic. As soon as you smell these cookies baking in the oven, you’ll be transported to Christmas’ past. They smell like grandma’s house or cookie baking on Christmas Eve. And when they come out of the oven speckled with festive sprinkles, they’re irresistibly eye-catching.
• They’re sharable (if you want to share)! This recipe makes a large batch of cookies, making them the perfect dessert or holiday Christmas parties or baking for family on Christmas Eve. 
• They are soft and chewy. There is nothing like a soft chewy sugar cookie straight from the oven. We sought out to make a sugar cookie that wasn’t cake and didn’t become too crunchy. These cookies check all the boxes – buttery soft center and slightly crisp edges.

How to make Christmas Sugar Cookies: Step by Step

Step 1: Cream butter and sugars.

First step is to always cream butter and sugar together. This step is important because it whips air into the cookies, making them fluffy, so you don’t end up with a flat cookie. You will whip the butter and sugar together until it is smooth and creamy. It’s important the butter is evenly mixed into the sugar. 

Step 2. Mix in dry ingredients.

Before you mix in your dry ingredients, make sure you whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. This will allow each ingredient to blend more evenly into the creamed butter.

Pour the flour mixture into the creamed butter and mix until incorporated. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl for any loose flour. 

Step 3. Scoop, roll and chill dough for 10 minutes.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough balls and roll in Christmas nonpareil sprinkles (these are the tiny ball sprinkles). Place the sprinkle-coated dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the cookies have been scooped and rolled, chill for at least 10-15 minutes. 

Chilling the dough will help the dough solidify so it doesn’t spread too much while baking.

Step 4. Bake, cool and enjoy!

After the dough balls have chilled, place 4-6 dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF, for 15-18 minutes. Make sure the are separated with a couple inches between each one. When the cookies are nice and golden on the edges, they are done!

Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes before enjoying. Repeat this step for the rest of the cookies and enjoy!

Tips for Baking Chewy Cookies Every Time

• Cold butter! This is essential. If your butter is too warm, the cookies can spread too much when baking.
• Room temperature eggs. Make sure to set your eggs out ahead of time to get to room temperature. They will blend easier into your batter.
• Chill the cookie dough. A little extra chill of the cookie dough is an extra step we never skip! Even if it is just chilling for 10 minutes, it helps to solidify the dough. Chilled dough helps to reduce the spread of the cookies. If your dough is too warm, the butter will melt and your cookies will spread.

How to get perfectly round cookies every time.

No more wonky shaped cookies! Use this tried-and-true trick to make sure all our cookies look perfectly rounded every time.

It’s important to do this immediately when you pull them out of the oven, or else they will cool and won’t be pliable.  

You an either use a large circle cookie cutter, a larger glass or a small bowl. Place whatever device you choose to use around the shape of the cookie. It may take some gentle molding to fit.

Quickly but gently move the cookie cutter or class in a circular motion until the abstract edges become more rounded. 

How to Store Christmas Sugar Cookies

• Freeze uncooked cookie dough: Scoop cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough for about 15-20 minutes to harden a bit before you store the dough in freezer safe storage bags or an airtight container. Uncooked frozen dough is good for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to cook, bake as directed in recipe.
• Storing baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag in a cool, dry place. They will be good for 3-4 days.

Looking for more Holiday Recipes? We’ve got you covered from breakfast to dinner and in-between!

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