Christmas Sugar Cookies: A Sweet Tradition to Brighten Your Holiday
These buttery homemade sugar cookies are impossibly light, crisp around the edges, and melt in your mouth with every bite. Topped with festive red and green sprinkles, they bring just the right amount of holiday cheer to your dessert table. Perfectly sweet and delicately thin, they’re a treat that’s as nostalgic as it is irresistible.”
Some of my sweetest Christmas memories take me back to the days when my cousin Virginia, who was like a second mom to me, would fill her kitchen with the warm aroma of freshly baked cookies. Her signature treat was a tin full of delicate, buttery lace sugar cookies—thin, crisp, and sprinkled with just the right amount of holiday sparkle. Those cookies weren’t just desserts; they were a symbol of love, family, and the magic of the season.
Virginia’s Christmas sugar cookies were truly something special. My cousin and I would hover around her kitchen table, waiting impatiently as she baked batch after batch, piling the cookies high into Christmas tins. Each bite practically melted in your mouth, leaving behind a burst of sweetness and the happiest holiday memories.
Although I never had Virginia’s exact recipe, this one comes as close to hers as I can find. It’s just as delicious and brings back all those happy memories of holiday gatherings and the simple joy of a perfect sugar cookie. I hope this recipe fills your home with the same sweetness and cheer it brings to mine.
The holidays are a time for traditions, and nothing says “Christmas” quite like the aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies wafting through the house. These delicate, thin cookies with festive red and green sprinkles are the perfect blend of buttery sweetness and holiday cheer. Whether you’re sharing them with friends, leaving a plate for Santa, or enjoying them with a warm cup of cocoa by the fire, these cookies are sure to bring joy to your home.
This year, I set out to recreate cousin Virginia’s magic. I don’t have her exact recipe, but I’ve crafted one that comes pretty close. The key to these lace sugar cookies is getting them thin. They should be delicate enough to feel fancy but sturdy enough to hold their own. Here’s how I make them, using a few of my own techniques inspired by her spirit and those happy memories. 
Ingredients that you will need to make Christmas Sugar Cookies.
- Salted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Whole milk or heavy cream
- All-purpose flour (I highly recommend using White Lily flour for a light and crispy cookie.)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Red and green Sugar crystals for decorating (also red and white sugar crystal
How to make Christmas Sugar Cookies (Be sure to see the full printable recipe below this post)
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla and almond extract and milk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until the dough comes together.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour to make it easier to handle.
- Form and Flatten: Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop small portions of the dough and roll them into balls, about the size of a walnut.
Here’s where the magic happens: I use a special little flat-bottomed glass cup—one that I’ve claimed as my cookie-flattening tool. Generously flour the bottom of the cup to keep the dough from sticking, and gently press down on each ball until it’s as thin as you can get it without tearing the dough. 
The goal is that lacy, delicate thinness that makes these cookies so special. My tip! I flatten as best as I can with the bottom of the glass and once I put the flattened cookie dough on the parchment paper, I gently flatten more with my fingers. Remember the secret to getting the thin lace cookie effect, is to flattened out the dough as thin as possible. Note: Be careful not to use too much flour. If you use too much flour, your cookies will be dry. 
- Decorate: Once flattened, sprinkle each cookie with red, green, and white sugar crystals. This little touch makes them sparkle like Christmas lights and adds a festive crunch.
- Bake and Cool: Bake the cookies for about 6 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn golden. Keep a close eye on them; thin cookies can go from perfect to overdone in moments. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool slightly. These cookies are delicious warm! I promise they will disappear fast!
- Store in Tins: Once cooled, stack them carefully in Christmas tins. These cookies keep wonderfully fresh and make the most delightful holiday gifts. There’s nothing like opening a tin of these delicate, lacy beauties and tasting the love that went into making them.
Bake a batch, pour some hot cocoa, and let the memories flood back. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Pro Tip: Find your own “special glass” for flattening. Mine has a small, flat bottom that’s just perfect for getting these cookies nice and thin. Flour it generously with each press, and it’ll work like a charm. Little tricks like this make the process feel personal—and that’s what makes baking so special.
Can you freeze Christmas sugar cookies?
Absolutely! The uncooked dough freezes well for up to 2 months. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months as well.
Tips for Success:
- Chill the Dough: If the dough becomes too soft while rolling, pop it in the fridge for 10-15
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze them for longer storage.
A Holiday Tradition Worth Sharing!
Happy baking, and may your holidays be filled with sweetness and joy!
Aletia
What are your favorite Christmas cookie memories? Share them in the comments below—I’d love to hear your stories!
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Christmas Sugar Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour of chill time- Cook Time: 5 to 6 minutes
- Total Time: -57826584.5 minute
Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies
Category: Cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These buttery homemade sugar cookies are impossibly light, crisp around the edges, and melt in your mouth with every bite. Topped with festive red and green sprinkles, they bring just the right amount of holiday cheer to your dessert table. Perfectly sweet and delicately thin, they’re a treat that’s as nostalgic as it is irresistible.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, soften
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour (I prefer to always use White Lily Flour.)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sugar crystals for decorating (Red, Green and/or red and white sugar crystals)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla and almond extract and milk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until the dough comes together. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour to make it easier to handle.
- Form and Flatten: Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop small portions of the dough and roll them into balls, about the size of a walnut.
- Here’s where the magic happens: I use a special little flat-bottomed glass cup—one that I’ve claimed as my cookie-flattening tool. Generously flour the bottom of the cup to keep the dough from sticking, and gently press down on each ball until it’s as thin as you can get it without tearing the dough. The goal is that lacy, delicate thinness that makes these cookies so special. My tip! I flatten as best as I can with the bottom of the glass and once I put the flattened cookie dough on the parchment paper, I gently flatten more with my fingers. Remember the secret to getting the thin lace cookie effect, is to flattened out the dough as thin as possible. Note: Be careful not to use too much flour. If you use too much flour, your cookies will be dry.
- Decorate: Once flattened, sprinkle each cookie with red, green, and white sugar crystals. This little touch makes them sparkle like Christmas lights and adds a festive crunch.
- Bake and Cool: Bake the cookies for about 6 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn golden. Keep a close eye on them; thin cookies can go from perfect to overdone in moments. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool slightly. These cookies are so delicious warm! I promise they will disappear fast!
- Store in Tins: Once cooled, stack them carefully in Christmas tins. These cookies keep wonderfully fresh and make the most delightful holiday gifts. There’s nothing like opening a tin of these delicate, lacy beauties and tasting the love that went into making them.
Notes
Do ahead/Freeze Tips: Uncooked cookie dough will freeze well for up to 2 months. Baked cookies will freeze well for up to 2 months as well.
