Dessert

Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Recipe

ByJeannette Jaeger December 5, 2025December 5, 2025

Introduction

These Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are classic, tender, and perfect for festive decorating. With a buttery, lightly sweet dough and a simple glaze, they make delightful treats for holiday gatherings or gifting.

This image shows a group of colorful Christmas cookies on a wooden surface. There are cookies shaped like Santa faces, each with red hats, white fluffy beards and mustaches, and black eyes and nose dots. Snowman cookies have white bodies with black eyes and buttons, orange noses, red scarves, and black hats with green holly and red berries on top. There are also yellow bell-shaped cookies with green holly and red berries decorating the front, and round cookies half white and half yellow with white polka dots and green holly. Green Christmas tree cookies have white icing as snow with red and yellow round ornaments. Rectangular stocking cookies come in red, green, or yellow with white polka dots, decorated with green holly and red berries at the top. The whole scene is on a white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

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 a knife
Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing (recipe below), or store-bought icing, for decorating

Instructions

Step 1: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt, and almond extract. Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then increase to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the flour and mix on low speed until well combined. The dough will be dry and crumbly initially but will come together as a cohesive dough when kneaded.
Step 3: Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Scrape the dough onto it and knead into a smooth ball. Divide into two discs, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 4: When ready to bake, let the dough soften on the countertop for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and position oven racks in the center.
Step 5: Knead one disc by hand for about a minute until soft and pliable, similar to play dough. If it becomes too warm, chill it briefly. Dust your work surface, dough top, and rolling pin lightly with flour.
Step 6: Roll the dough to between ⅛” and ¼” thick, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Use cookie cutters to create shapes, then transfer them with a thin metal spatula to the baking sheets. Re-roll scraps and cut more cookies.
Step 7: Bake cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, until set and just beginning to brown at the edges. Smaller cookies may take as little as 8 minutes.
Step 8: Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
Step 9: Decorate with Royal Icing, the Easy Glaze Icing (recipe below), or store-bought icing. Allow icing to harden before storing or serving.

Easy Glaze Icing

Combine 2¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl.
Stir to create a thick but spreadable glaze. If too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar; if too thick, add milk ½ teaspoon at a time.
Use a spoon to dollop and spread the glaze over the cooled cookies. Sprinkle decorations while icing is wet.
Let the glaze harden completely before storing cookies.

Tips & Variations

Use almond extract for a subtle nutty flavor, or substitute with vanilla extract for a classic taste.
Chill dough longer for easier rolling and cleaner cut shapes.
To prevent sticking while rolling, dust dough and rolling pin lightly with flour and add more as needed.
Decorate with colored sugar, sprinkles, or edible glitter for festive flair.
For a crispier cookie, roll dough thinner and bake a bit longer, watching carefully.

Storage

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days to enjoy their perfect tender and crisp texture. For longer storage, keep them airtight but note they may soften over time. Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months. Baked cookies can also be frozen; thaw at room temperature before serving.

How to Serve

A close-up of various Christmas-themed sugar cookies laid out on a white marbled surface, each cookie decorated with smooth, colorful icing. The circular cookies show Santa faces with red hats, white textured beards, small black eyes, and beige noses. There are snowman-shaped cookies with white bodies, black hats adorned with green holly and red berries, small black buttons, red textured scarves, and orange noses. Green Christmas tree-shaped cookies feature layers of green icing, white textured garlands, and red and yellow round ornaments. Bell-shaped cookies are iced in yellow with green holly and red berries, and round cookies are half yellow with white polka dots and half white decorated with red holly berries and green leaves. Stocking-shaped cookies have green bases with white polka dots and white cuffs decorated with green holly and red berries. All cookies show detailed, bright, and festive colors with smooth and textured icing layers. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use vanilla extract instead of almond extract?

Yes, vanilla extract is a great substitute and will give the cookies a classic, familiar flavor. Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in place of 1 teaspoon of almond extract.

How thick should I roll the dough for cut-out cookies?

Roll the dough to between ⅛ inch and ¼ inch thick. Thinner dough creates crispier cookies, while thicker dough results in softer, tender cookies. Adjust thickness based on your preference and baking time.