Christmas Sugar Cookies with Icing Recipe
These Christmas Sugar Cookies with Icing are a festive treat perfect for holiday celebrations. Soft, slightly spiced sugar cookies are enhanced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, then decorated with a smooth, sweet vanilla icing. This classic cookie recipe is easy to make and perfect for decorating with family and friends.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes per batch
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: About 24 medium-sized cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅔ cup salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 5 tablespoons + 1 ½ teaspoons water
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room temperature salted butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla. Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix to keep cookies tender.
- Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up for rolling.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll and cut the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of chilled dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut festive shapes and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft.
- Cool the cookies. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the icing. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Add 5 tablespoons of water and whisk until the icing is smooth. If too thick, add ½ teaspoon increments of water until desired consistency is reached for spreading or piping.
- Ice and decorate the cookies. Once cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe the vanilla icing over them. Decorate as desired and allow icing to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- Ensure the dough is well chilled to prevent spreading during baking.
- Use meringue powder in the icing for a stable, glossy finish that hardens nicely.
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove as soon as the edges turn lightly golden.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- These cookies freeze well, both baked and unbaked dough.
Keywords: Christmas sugar cookies, holiday cookies, iced sugar cookies, festive cookies, vanilla icing cookies, spiced sugar cookies