Every holiday season needs one signature cookie recipe—the kind that’s soft, buttery, tender, perfectly sweet, and topped with festive frosting. These Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies are exactly that and more. With their melt-in-your-mouth texture, pillowy centers, and creamy vanilla frosting, they’re the cookie everyone reaches for first on the holiday tray.

Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, gifting neighbors, prepping for Santa, or simply craving the nostalgic flavor of bakery-style sugar cookies, this recipe delivers consistent, beautiful results every time.

What Makes These Christmas Sugar Cookies So Soft?

These cookies stay soft for days thanks to a combination of:

• Butter + Sugar for tender crumb
• Eggs for rich chewiness
• Cornstarch for softness
• Chilling the dough to prevent spreading
• Creamy buttercream frosting that locks in moisture

They bake up thick with slightly crisp edges and fluffy centers—the dream texture for sugar cookie lovers.

Ingredients for Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies

For the Cookies

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional but highly recommended)
• 3 tablespoons milk

For the Buttercream Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk or cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Food coloring (red, green, optional)
• Christmas sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough

1. Mix Dry Ingredients
   In a bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Cream Butter & Sugar
   Beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
3. Add Eggs & Flavor
   Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until smooth.
4. Add Dry Ingredients
   Add dry mixture to the bowl and mix until combined.
5. Add Milk
   Mix in milk to soften the dough; it should be soft but not sticky.
6. Chill Dough
   Cover and chill for 1 hour (or 30 minutes in the freezer) to prevent spreading.

Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies

Thick, soft, melt-in-your-mouth Christmas sugar cookies topped with creamy vanilla buttercream and festive sprinkles. Bakery-style perfection for the holidays!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cookies

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Holiday

Calories: 180

Ingredients

  

Cookies

• 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1.25 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.25 tsp almond extract optional
• 3 tbsp milk

Buttercream Frosting

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk or cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• food coloring optional
• Christmas sprinkles

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper

Method

 

1. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract.
4. Mix in dry ingredients, then add milk.
5. Chill dough for 1 hour.
6. Scoop dough, shape balls, and flatten slightly.
7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9–11 minutes.
8. Cool completely before frosting.
9. Beat butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for frosting.
10. Frost cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

Notes

Do not overbake to maintain soft texture.

Bake the Cookies

7. Preheat Oven
   Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Shape Cookies
   Scoop dough into 1.5-tbsp balls. Press gently to flatten slightly.
9. Bake
   Bake 9–11 minutes until edges are set but centers look soft and puffy.
10. Cool
    Cool cookies completely before frosting.

Make the Buttercream Frosting

11. Beat butter until creamy.
12. Add powdered sugar gradually.
13. Add milk and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
14. Tint portions of the frosting red and green if desired.

Decorate

15. Frost each cookie generously.
16. Add festive sprinkles.
17. Allow frosting to set slightly before storing.

Tips for the Softest Cookies

1. Don’t overbake!

Remove cookies while centers still look pale and soft—they’ll finish setting on the tray.

2. Chill the dough.

This keeps cookies thick and prevents spreading.

3. Use cornstarch.

It’s the secret to melt-in-your-mouth softness.

**4. For perfect circles—

Use a round cookie cutter to “circle” the cookies right after baking.

5. Frost generously.

The frosting helps keep cookies soft for days.

Variations

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Chill dough longer and roll to ¼ inch.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Swap ¼ cup butter for cream cheese.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Add crushed candy canes to frosting.

Funfetti Christmas Cookies

Mix sprinkles directly into the dough.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with:

• Hot cocoa
• Eggnog
• Christmas punch
• Warm milk

Add to:

• Holiday dessert platters
• Cookie exchange boxes
• Gift tins
• Santa’s cookie plate

Storage & Freezing

Room Temperature:

3–4 days in an airtight container.

Refrigerator:

Up to 1 week.

Freezing:

Freeze unfrosted cookies up to 3 months.
Frosting also freezes well.