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Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies Recipe

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4.8 from 80 reviews

These Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies are delightful sugar cookies featuring a soft, gluten-free base topped with intricate royal icing decorations. Perfect for holiday celebrations, they combine the sweetness of almond and vanilla extracts with festive, colorful icing to create charming sweater designs that kids and adults will love.

Ingredients

Scale

Sugar Cookie

  • 1 cup butter – softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2½ cups gluten-free flour blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour)
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (if the blend does not already contain it)

Royal Icing

  • 4 cups powdered sugar – sifted
  • 2 tbsp meringue powder
  • 5 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Flour Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, cornstarch, and xanthan gum. Set aside.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Beat well until combined.
  4. Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the flour mixture in 1/2 cup increments, mixing after each addition. Use the electric mixer for the first two cups, then hand mix the remaining flour to avoid overmixing.
  5. Chill the Dough: Place the dough in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until firm enough to roll out easily. Alternatively, freeze for 10 minutes but avoid longer to prevent difficulty rolling.
  6. Roll and Cut Cookies: Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Use sweater-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and place them on a greased cookie sheet.
  7. Freeze Before Baking: Put the cookie sheet back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm the dough before baking.
  8. Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Edges may brown slightly, indicating doneness. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies soft.
  9. Cool: Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  10. Make Royal Icing: In a mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, combine sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. Mix for 7-10 minutes until icing is well blended with a matte finish. Adjust consistency by adding water or powdered sugar as needed, following the “15-second rule” for flooding consistency.
  11. Decorate Cookies: Using a pastry bag fitted with a #2 or #3 tip, outline each cookie with thick (10-second) royal icing. Flood the outlined area with the same icing and let dry completely.
  12. Add Details: Once the base layer is dry, use stiffer (13-second) icing dyed with colors of your choice to add detailed decorations to resemble ugly Christmas sweaters. Allow to dry fully before serving or storing.

Notes

  • You can substitute 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour blend if desired.
  • Use powdered sugar to dust your rolling pin and work surface to prevent sticking without altering the dough consistency.
  • Royal icing thickness can be adjusted by varying the amount of water. Use the “15-second rule” to determine proper flooding consistency: icing flows back into itself within 15 seconds when drizzled.
  • For best results, allow icing to dry completely to avoid smudging decorations.

Keywords: Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies, Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Royal Icing Cookies, Festive Cookies

Find it online: https://topreci.com/ugly-christmas-sweater-cookies-recipe/