Jolly Festive Christmas Tree Cookies Recipe: Sweet Holiday Magic

Festive baking takes a delightful turn with these charming Christmas tree cookies that sparkle with holiday cheer.

Sugar-coated and delicately decorated, the Christmas tree cookies bring a touch of magical sweetness to your seasonal celebrations.

Green-tinted frosting and sprinkle embellishments create a whimsical forest of edible delights that dance with festive spirit.

Each cookie tells a story of winter wonder and culinary creativity.

Decorating these treats becomes a joyful ritual that connects generations of bakers.

Crisp, buttery, and beautifully crafted, these cookies promise to become the star of any holiday dessert spread.

Gather your baking tools and let the Christmas magic begin.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Calories: 174 kcal

Servings: 24

Gather These to Make Christmas Tree Cookies Happen

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the sturdy base for crisp and delicate cookie structure, choose unbleached flour for best texture.
• Baking Powder: Helps cookies rise and become light, ensure it's fresh for maximum leavening power.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness, use fine table salt for even distribution.

• Butter: Creates rich, tender cookies with deep flavor, select high-quality unsalted butter at room temperature.
• Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps cookies brown beautifully, granulated white sugar works perfectly.
• Egg: Binds ingredients and provides structure, use fresh large eggs at room temperature.

• Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, classic cookie aroma, choose pure vanilla for authentic taste.
• Almond Extract: Provides delicate nutty undertone, optional but adds elegant complexity to Christmas cookies.

Gear You Need for Christmas Tree Cookie Perfection

• Medium bowl: Perfect for mixing dry ingredients.
• Large bowl: Essential for creaming butter and sugar.
• Whisk: Helps blend flour, baking powder, and salt smoothly.
• Electric mixer or hand mixer: Makes creaming butter and sugar effortless.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Ensures precise ingredient quantities.
• Rolling pin: Helps roll out cookie dough evenly.
• Cookie cutters (tree-shaped): Creates festive Christmas tree shapes.
• Baking sheets: Provides surface for baking cookies.
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat: Prevents cookies from sticking.
• Wire cooling rack: Helps cookies cool evenly after baking.

Follow These Steps to Prepare Christmas Tree Cookies

• Create Cookie Dough

Blend soft butter and sugar until they transform into a creamy, cloud-like mixture. Crack in a fresh egg and splash of vanilla, stirring until everything looks smooth and inviting.

• Shape Christmas Magic

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, transforming it into a delicate canvas. Use festive tree-shaped cookie cutters to craft adorable holiday shapes that sparkle with seasonal cheer.

• Decorate with Festivity

Transfer your delicate tree cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once baked to golden perfection, let them cool completely. Then unleash your creativity with royal icing, sparkling sprinkles, and edible glitter to make each cookie a miniature winter wonderland.

• Bake to Perfection

Slide your cookie sheet into a preheated oven. Bake until the edges turn a beautiful golden brown, typically around 810 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent over-browning and maintain that perfect, delicate crispness.

• Cool and Serve

Gently transfer cookies to a wire rack, allowing them to cool and set. These delightful treats are ready to become the star of your holiday dessert table, promising smiles and sweet memories for everyone who takes a bite.

Creative Twists for Your Christmas Tree Cookies

• Perfect Piping Technique: Use a steady hand and consistent pressure when piping the green frosting to create realistic tree branches, ensuring each cookie looks professionally decorated.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare the cookie dough up to 3 days in advance and store it wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, which helps develop deeper flavor and makes holiday baking less stressful.
• Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap traditional wheat flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make these festive cookies accessible for those with gluten sensitivities, maintaining the same delicious texture.
• Flavor Twist Options: Experiment with different extract combinations like peppermint instead of almond, or add a touch of orange zest to the dough for a bright, unexpected holiday flavor profile.
• Decorating Alternatives: Replace green frosting with royal icing for a more precise tree design, or use crushed candy canes, edible glitter, or small sugar pearls to add extra festive sparkle to your Christmas tree cookies.

Ways to Share and Enjoy Christmas Tree Cookies

• Tree-Topped Holiday Platter
• Festive Cookie Gift Packaging: Package these delightful cookies in clear cellophane bags tied with red or green ribbons, creating charming edible gifts for neighbors, teachers, or holiday party hosts.
• Dessert Pairing Magic: Serve alongside warm hot chocolate or creamy eggnog for a classic Christmas treat combination that fills the room with cozy seasonal cheer. Garnish the drink's rim with crushed cookie crumbs for an extra special touch.
• Decorative Display Idea: Stand cookies upright in a tall decorative tin or glass jar, allowing their tree-like shapes to create a whimsical holiday centerpiece that doubles as a delicious treat for guests to enjoy.

Planning Ahead with Christmas Tree Cookies

• Fridge Fresh Storage: Keep unbaked dough sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 days, maintaining its delightful texture and flavor.
• Cookie Cooldown Technique: Allow baked Christmas tree cookies to completely cool on a wire rack before stacking, preventing moisture buildup and preserving crispness.
• Freezer Friendly Approach: Wrap individual cookie batches tightly in plastic wrap, then place in freezer-safe containers. These festive treats can stay frozen for 2-3 months without losing quality.
• Smart Separation Strategy: Layer cookies between parchment paper sheets when storing, preventing delicate decorated edges from sticking together and maintaining their beautiful Christmas tree design.

Festive Christmas Tree Cookies Recipe

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4.6 from 34 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 25 1x

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Description

Festive Christmas tree cookies bring holiday cheer with delightful pine-shaped treats. Crisp sugar cookie bases decorated with green frosting and sprinkle ornaments create a merry dessert perfect for seasonal celebrations.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 ¾ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites or 3 tbsps meringue powder + 6 tbsps water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
• ¼ tsp salt
• Green gel food coloring
• Assorted sprinkles
• Edible glitter
• Nonpareils
• Star-shaped candies or sprinkles for tree toppers

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Instructions

1. Preparation: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl to distribute dry ingredients evenly.
2. Creaming: Use an electric mixer to blend butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume.
3. Wet Ingredients: Incorporate egg and flavor extracts (vanilla and almond) into the butter mixture, mixing until completely smooth.
4. Dough Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, creating a cohesive dough without overmixing.
5. Chilling and Setup: Encase dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour to solidify and enhance flavor melding. Meanwhile, preheat oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
6. Shaping: Roll chilled dough on a floured surface to uniform thickness, using festive tree-shaped cookie cutters to create holiday-inspired shapes.
7. Baking: Arrange cookie cutouts on prepared baking sheets with adequate spacing, then bake until edges turn golden brown and achieve a crisp texture.
8. Finishing: Transfer cookies to wire racks, allowing complete cooling before decorating or serving to preserve their delicate structure and maximize flavor development.

Notes

• Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate for at least one hour to prevent cookies from spreading during baking and enhance flavor development.
• Flour Surface Wisely: Use minimal flour when rolling to prevent tough, dry cookies and maintain delicate texture.
• Watch Baking Closely: Monitor cookie edges for golden-brown color, as ovens vary; remove immediately to prevent burning and maintain crisp texture.
• Decorate Creatively: Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating with royal icing or festive sprinkles to ensure smooth, precise designs.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 25
• Calories: 160
• Sugar: 14 g
• Sodium: 50 mg
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 22 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 25 mg