Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe, Made EASY!

These recipes are illustrated to make them easy to follow. Just follow along and your friends and family will think you are a cookie master! The recipes follow at the bottom of this page.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Decorated Tree Cookies

This easy and basic rolled cookie dough recipe can be doubled, and can be refrigerated for up to three days. To freeze the dough,wrap it in plastic wrap to exclude any exposed surfaces and place in a ziploc closure freezer bag. When you want to use it, defrost it in the refrigerator 24 hours. Mix and match the decorating ideas that follow below!

• 150 g or 1.5 cups icing sugar
• 1 cup soft margarine or butter (2 sticks, about 225 grams)
• 8 g or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 375 g or 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 g or 1 teaspoon baking soda (soda of bicarbonate)
• 5 g or 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Decorating materials

1. In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar and margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon, until smooth.
2. Break egg into a small bowl and beat slightly with a fork.
3. Add egg to sugar mixture and stir in vanilla extract.
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
5. For best results, cover the dough and refrigerate for about two hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375F.(or 190 C)
7. Lightly flour counter or use a dough board. Place half of dough on surface and form a ball. Rub some flour on the rolling pin and roll dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.
8. Using a Christmas tree cutter cut out several cookies. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. If using egg yolk paint, decorate before baking.
9. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool completely before using frosting or glaze to decorate or it will melt.


One cookie contains 60 calories; 3 g fat; 5 g cholesterol (if using butter); 60 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 1g protein.

Easy Cookie Decorating Ideas

Snowy Sugar Glaze

Use the snowy sugar glaze to cover the cookies first, then use coloured glaze on top to decorate in straight lines, drizzles, squiggly lines, dots and other patterns. Let the glaze dry (usually 5 to 10 minutes in a warm, low humidity room) and harden to create a perfect work surface. Do not use egg yolk on cookies after they have been baked, as it may contain salmonella!

• 200g or 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3g or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 24g or 2 tablespoons skim milk
• *Few drops green food colouring

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure cookies are completely cool then coat each cookie with the white glaze.
2. To make colours, remove one of tablespoon glaze to several custard cups. Add 1 or 2 drops of food colouring to each. Make some tints and some darker colours for creative decorating. Use a small brush or toothpick to swirl colours into desired patterns on cookies.
3. To use the same recipe as frosting, simply add a little more powdered sugar to thicken.


*Food colouring comes in two forms; paste or liquid. The paste makes the most vivid and varied colours, but liquid can also work well. Start with a tiny amount of food colouring and add more until desired colour is reached.

Egg Yolk Paint

Adult supervision suggested. Do not eat raw egg yolk paint. Paint cookies before baking for food safety reasons. Raw eggs/yolks can cause foodborne illness. Wash hands after using raw egg yolk paint.

Empty Styrofoam egg carton
1 egg yolk
3g or 1/2 teaspoon water
1 package assorted food colours


1. Stir together egg yolk and water. Divide yolk and place in compartments of empty Styrofoam carton or several custard cups.
2. Tint with food colour to desired brightness.
3. Using a small paintbrush or toothpick, decorate cookies before baking. Paint may dry out during sitting time, cover and add a few more drops of water to keep moist.

Milk Paint

Sweetened condensed milk
Assorted food colours
Empty Styrofoam egg carton

1. Place 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk in each compartment or container.
2. Add a few drops of different colour to each. Paint on cooled, glazed cookies.
3. Allow to completely dry before storing.

Tinted Coconut

Place one can flaked or shredded coconut in a zip closure bag or jar with lid. Make sure you leave 3 inches of space in the top of the container for shaking. Add a 2 to 3 drops food colour. Zip the bag or seal the jar and shake the container. Add more food colour for darker colours.

Coloured Sugar

Measure 50g or 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Place sugar in a jar with tight fitting lid. Add a few drops liquid food colouring and shake jar. Add more food colouring to get desired colour for sugar. Sprinkle sugar on warm cookies or glaze, then sprinkle with coloured sugar.

Decorating Tip-Use a muffin tin to assemble all the decorations tinted coconut coloured sugar, sprinkles, and candy balls