Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are a classic holiday treat. Soft buttery sugar cookies topped with an irresistible powdered sugar frosting are always a hit on the dessert table. These beautifully decorated cookies are surprisingly easy to make, even if you’ve never decorated a single cookie! Rumor has it that these just might be Santa’s favorite cookie!

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are a must-make Christmas cookie classic.
Easy decorating! Even if cookie decorating isn’t your thing, don’t worry – you’ve got this! While these cookies may look picture perfect, they are incredibly easy to make.
Traditional flavors. A simple sugar cookie with a powdered sugar frosting is a recipe that many of us grew up making with our mothers and grandmothers.
These cookies are not overly sweet. Most of the sweetness from these cookies comes from the frosting. If you like your treats a bit less sweet, you can go easy on the frosting.
Put your own spin on these cookies by using different color frostings or sprinkles. These look so pretty with white frosting or even a pale pink.

Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

When you think of Christmas Cookies, sugar cookies are always high on the list. While I love sugar cookies, truth be told I don’t necessarily love the decorating aspect as it can be a bit tedious. Part of what makes these cute little tree cookies so great is that they are an absolute cinch to decorate.

Using just one color of frosting, with a quick and easy piping application, you can decorate a batch of these cookies in no time at all. With or without sprinkles, they have a beautiful presentation.

How To Make Christmas Sugar Cookies

Let’s discuss the ingredients you’ll need, and the steps you’ll take, to make these sweet little Christmas trees. If you want to skip my discussion, tips and answers to frequently asked questions, just scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe.

Ingredients

Flour – All-purpose flour works best. When measuring flour, make sure to give the flour a quick stir with a spoon to aerate. Measure by spooning flour into the measuring cup, then leveling. Do not measure by scooping the flour with the measuring cup. This will result in too much flour, which can lead to dry cookies.
Salt – Table salt or Kosher salt.
Baking powder – Make sure that you are using baking powder, not soda, and that it hasn’t expired.
Butter – While I personally prefer salted butter, whichever butter you keep on hand will work.
Granulated sugar – Your standard white sugar.
Eggs – Make sure to use large eggs. If you can have them at room temperature, that’s preferred but not required.
Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is always the way to go.
Powdered sugar – Also called confectioners sugar.
Milk – Whatever milk you keep on hand will work.
Green coloring – A liquid or a gel food coloring will work. You can use as little or as much as you like.

Directions

Cookies

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well, then add vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture,and mix until combined, but do not overmix.
Shape the cookie dough into a ball, cover it tightly and place in refrigerator to chill for one hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Remove dough from refrigerator and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it is soft enough to roll.
Roll the dough out a well-floured surface. It should be approximately ¼ inch thick. Using a lightly floured tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until small cracks appear all over the tops of the cookies. Watch them carefully and make sure to pull them out before the edges brown, unless crispy cookies are preferred.
Place the cookie sheet onto wire cooling rack and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy, then add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix well. Next, add a few drops of milk and beat well. If a thinner consistency is desired, add more milk, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, add food color and mix until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl to get all frosting colored.
Pipe frosting onto cookies using an open star piping tip starting at the base of the tree, then working your way up. To get the look of tree branches, make sure to overlap the layers. Add sprinkles if desired.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

No Rolling Pin? No Problem. If you don’t have a rolling pin, don’t despair. A smooth water bottle or even a tall drinking glass could be used to roll out the cookies.

When To Take Out Of The Oven: If you want soft cookies, take care not to overbake. Make sure to remove them from the oven before they start to brown. Carry over cooking from the heat of the cookies and pan will continue to bake them even after removed from the oven. If you like a nice crispy sugar cookie, bake until the edges start to turn brown.

Storage: Store your cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. Place wax paper between the layers to prevent cookies from sticking together. To keep longer than a few days, place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or they may be frozen for up to 6 months. If storing for an extended period of time, it’s ideal to freeze cookies unfrosted, then frost after cookies have thawed.

Softening Hardened Cookies: A great way to help soften cookies that have started to harden is to place a piece of simple sandwich bread in the container you are storing the cookies in. You’ll be amazed how the cookies soften up.

Can I make other shapes than trees? Of course, you can use this cookie recipe to make any shape you like!

Do I have to chill the dough? For this recipe, it really helps the cookies to hold their shape. If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to chill, try my Cut Out Cookie recipe instead.

Tools Used In This Recipe

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I love to hear from readers like you! If you’ve tried this, please leave a comment and review below. If you have photos, tag me @lovefromtheoven #lftorecipes on Instagram and Pinterest. Thanks!

Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe