How To Make The Best Christmas Cutout Cookies

Christmas Cutout Cookies are one of the most beloved holiday traditions. There is just something about rolling out dough, cutting out festive shapes, and decorating them with icing and sprinkles that brings joy to the season.

But if you have ever tried making Christmas Cutout Cookies at home, you may have run into the common problem of cookies spreading out too much in the oven. Instead of holding their crisp snowflake or tree shape, they flatten into blobs.

The good news is that with a few simple tricks, you can bake cutout cookies that stay crisp and picture-perfect every time. Making Christmas Cutout Cookies is as much about preparation as it is about baking.

The right dough, chilling times, and baking method all come together to create cookies that not only taste amazing but also look just as festive as you imagined. Today I want to share how I make these cookies every year, along with a recipe that will give you soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that hold their shape perfectly.

The Secret To Cookies That Hold Their Shape

The biggest challenge with Christmas Cutout Cookies is preventing them from spreading in the oven. Butter is the reason cookies spread – it melts when exposed to heat.

While you need butter for flavor and texture, the balance of butter, sugar, flour, and chilling time determines how much spreading happens.

Therefore, to keep cookies from spreading, start with a dough that has enough flour to support the fat. Too much sugar can also cause spreading because sugar liquefies as it heats. This is why cutout cookie dough is usually firmer than drop cookie dough.

Another key is to chill the dough, not just once but at several points in the process. Rolling warm dough may feel easier, but it will almost always spread in the oven.

By chilling after mixing and again after cutting, the dough bakes more slowly, giving the flour time to set before the butter melts, resulting in cookies that retain their cut-out shape.

Choosing The Right Ingredients

For the best Christmas Cutout Cookies, the ingredients matter. Butter gives the cookies their rich, classic flavor. However, make sure it is unsalted butter so you can control the salt level in the recipe.

Using pure vanilla extract adds depth and warmth, and a touch of almond extract can elevate the flavor to another level.

The flour should be all-purpose, giving the dough the right structure. Too much flour will make cookies dry and tough, while too little will leave them weak and prone to spreading.

Eggs provide binding and help create a tender crumb. You will want to use large eggs in this recipe.

Finally, powdered sugar is often better than granulated sugar in cutout cookies. It blends into the butter without grittiness and keeps the dough smooth, which is important for rolling and cutting.

The Importance Of Chilling

If there is one step you can’t skip when making Christmas Cutout Cookies, it’s chilling the dough. After mixing, the dough should chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator. This will help the dough bind and prevents excess spreading.

Once the cookies are cut into shapes, chill them again on the baking sheet before putting them in the oven. Even 15 minutes in the fridge can make a big difference in how well the cookies hold their shape.

Rolling Out The Dough To The Right Thickness

Rolling is another step where cookies can go wrong. If you roll too thin, the cookies will bake quickly and may over-brown. If you roll too thick, they can puff up and lose their defined edges.

A thickness of about ¼ inch is just right for Christmas Cutout Cookies. Use a lightly floured surface and rolling pin, but avoid too much flour or the cookies will dry out. If the dough sticks, you can place a sheet of parchment paper on top and roll over it.

Baking Tips For Perfect Cutouts

Even the oven temperature plays a role in how Christmas Cutout Cookies bake. Set the oven to 375°F, which is hot enough to set the edges quickly but not so hot that the cookies burn.

Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to keep cookies from sticking and to help them bake evenly. Watch closely near the end of baking as the cookies are ready when the edges are just turning golden, not when the tops are browned.

If you want cookies with especially sharp edges, try this trick: after cutting your cookies and placing them on a baking sheet, put the sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. The extreme chill gives the cookies extra insurance against spreading.

Recipe For The Best Christmas Cutout Cookies

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing until a dough forms.
4. Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets.
7. Refrigerate the cut cookies for 15 minutes before baking.
8. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden.
9. Cool completely before decorating with icing.

Decorating With Icing

Half the fun of Christmas Cutout Cookies is decorating them. Royal icing is the traditional choice because it hardens as it dries, creating a smooth surface perfect for detailed designs.

However those who have little helpers, buttercream might be a preferred choice as it is easier to spread, has a softer finish, though it won’t harden the same way.

No matter which icing you use, let the cookies cool completely before decorating or the icing will melt.

Decorating can be as simple or elaborate as you like. A drizzle of icing with colored sugar sprinkles makes for quick and festive cookies, while piping bags and tips allow for intricate holiday designs. For kids, part of the joy is simply covering cookies with as many sprinkles as possible.

Making Cookies Ahead Of Time

Another reason Christmas Cutout Cookies are so popular is that they can be made ahead. The dough itself can be made up to three days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze dough for up to two months. Shaped, unbaked cookies can be frozen as well – just bake them straight from the freezer, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Baked cookies store well too. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze them undecorated for longer storage.

If you decorate with royal icing, they can even be stacked once dry without smudging.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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