• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Toasty Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ

subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ

×
Home » Recipes » Cookies

Soft Frosted Christmas Cookies

Modified: May 16, 2025 · Published: Nov 25, 2018 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1634 words. · About 9 minutes to read this article.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
Soft frosted Christmas cookies recipe.
Soft frosted Christmas cookies recipe.
Soft frosted Christmas cookies recipe.

Make a batch of soft frosted Christmas cookies this holiday season. Thick, soft sugar cookies are topped with a layer of sweet homemade buttercream frosting. The perfect cookie for the holidays, and easy to customize for any time of year.

Used your recipe for my first foray into baking from scratch and they were a big hit at my family’s Christmas cookie baking get together today. Thank you for sharing the recipe for both the cookie and the buttercream. ★★★★★ - Janet

Soft frosted Christmas cookies on a black cooling rack.

Recipe Summary

Flavor: Lightly sweetened, buttery, vanilla cookie base topped with sweet Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Texture: Thick, tender cookie base topped with creamy frosting.

Yield: 36 cookies

Similar to: Grinch Sugar Cookies and Soft Sugar Cookies

Jump to:
  • Recipe Summary
  • Cookie dough ingredients
  • How to make sugar cookies
  • Tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Troubleshooting
  • Recommended
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Cookie dough ingredients

Ingredients on a counter top.

Dry ingredients - You'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt for this recipe. I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. If you have a different flour on hand, I suggest searching for a recipe using your preferred type of flour. Many times it's not an easy 1:1 substitution and it's best to use a recipe that's developed for your preferred flour.

Wet ingredients - Granulated sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract add moisture and flavor to your cookies. Vanilla could be substituted with other flavors like peppermint, maple, or lemon in half the quantity (vanilla has a milder flavor compared to other extracts). Unsalted butter and the listed salt can be substituted with salted butter if desired.

Ingredients on a counter top.

Frosting ingredients - You'll need butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, salt, and optional food coloring to make the frosting. Sprinkles like nonpareils and jimmies are great for decorating.

How to make sugar cookies

Mixing soft sugar cookie dough in a glass bowl.
  1. Cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy and smooth.
  3. Slowly add dry ingredients and use a hand mixer on low to gently combine.
  4. Dough should look thick and barely sticky, but not dry or crumbly.
Rolling dough into balls, baking on a cookie sheet, and frosting.
  1. Roll dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls (or use a medium cookie scoop).
  2. Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake until tops look set and begin to crack.
  4. While cookies bake, prepare frosting and transfer to a piping bag with a Wilton 2D (or similar) tip. Once cookies have cooled, pipe a rosette of frosting on top.

Tips and tricks

Bringing ingredients to room temperature - Slice butter into small pieces or grate with the large side of a box grater. Place eggs in a bowl and cover with warm tap water. Allow your ingredients to set for 10-15 minutes using these methods.

Properly measure your flour - This is the #1 most common issue I see in baking. Adding too much flour to any baking recipe will make your dough dry. To properly measure flour, use a kitchen scale and the gram measurements in the recipe card below. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use a spoon to gently add flour into your measuring cup, then level off with a knife. Do not scoop flour directly from a bin. This compacts the flour into the cup and adds up to an extra 25% flour to your recipe.

Don't overmix the dough - Once the gluten (flour) has been added to the recipe, take care not to overmix the dough. Overworking the gluten can cause your cookies to turn out tough.

Piping frosting - I chose to frost these cookies with a buttercream rosette. Check out this quick video on how to make a simple rosette with frosting. You could also use a knife and spread your frosting onto each cookie. If you'd like more detailed instructions on how to make my buttercream frosting recipe, check out the full post here: Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

A soft frosted sugar cookie with a bite taken out to show the soft center.

Frequently asked questions

What frosting tips do you use?

These cookies are decorated with a Wilton 2D tip. I use this Wilton cupcake decorating set along with this large coupler for easy frosting of cupcakes and cookies.

Can I make these without frosting?

The cookie base is not very sweet on its own and is developed to be paired with a sweet buttercream frosting or icing. If you don't want to add frosting, roll your dough in sugar instead, like in my Soft Sugar Cookies recipe.

How do I keep my cookies soft?

Add a slice of bread to your cookie storage container. This helps keep your cookies soft and moist for up to 5 days. Replace the bread slice as it dries out.

How long do sugar cookies last?

Sugar cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. To help keep your cookies soft, add a slice of bread to the container and replace it as it gets stale. Dough and baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. To thaw baked cookies, place on the counter top and allow to thaw for about 1 hour.

Troubleshooting

Why did my cookies turn out dry and bland?

If your cookies turned out dry and bland, it sounds like too much flour was added to the dough. Extra flour (caused by scooping and compacting flour into a measuring cup) dilutes the flavors in the cookie dough (butter, sugar, salt, vanilla) and creates a dry, crumbly texture. Make sure you're using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method (described in the recipe card).

Why aren't my cookies spreading in the oven?

The dough may be coo told (left in the refrigerator too long), or too much flour was added to the dough. Leave your dough balls on the counter to warm up before baking. This will help them spread more in the oven. If your dough looks very crumbly and dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and mix to help bring your dough back to a slightly sticky consistency.

Why are my cookies spreading too much in the oven?

This can happen when your dough is too warm or your baking sheet is greased instead of using parchment paper. Put your cookie dough back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking to help them spread less in the oven.

Recommended

  • A stack of soft sugar cookies, one with a bite missing.
    Soft Sugar Cookies
  • Christmas snickerdoodles on a cooling rack.
    Christmas Snickerdoodles
  • Square white plate filled with Christmas tree brownies.
    Christmas Tree Brownies
  • 45 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

📖 Recipe

Soft frosted Christmas cookies on a black cooling rack.
Print Recipe
4.78 from 74 reviews

Soft Frosted Christmas Cookies

Make a batch of soft frosted Christmas cookies this holiday season. Thick, soft sugar cookies are topped with a layer of sweet homemade buttercream frosting. The perfect cookie for the holidays, and easy to customize for any time of year.
Prep Time15 minutes minutes
Cook Time10 minutes minutes
Resting Time30 minutes minutes
Total Time55 minutes minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 179kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

Sugar cookies

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, measured properly*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Buttercream frosting

  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups (284 g) confectioner's sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • food coloring & sprinkles, optional
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Sugar cookies

  • In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about a minute. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, about a minute.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir (or use a mixer on low speed) dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
  • Cover bowl and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Refrigerating allows time for flavors to meld and also creates a firmer dough that's easy to roll into balls.
  • Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator. Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls.
  • Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. As is, dough balls bake into thick, rounded top cookies (as shown in photos). Optionally, flatten balls slightly using your hands or the bottom of a glass dusted with flour (to prevent sticking). This helps your cookies spread more and makes a flatter top for frosting.
  • Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until tops look set and edges barely begin to brown (times will vary based on your own oven and size of cookies). Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttercream frosting

  • In a medium bowl, add room temperature butter, confectioner's sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Whip until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add more heavy cream as needed to achieve desired consistency.
  • Spread frosting with a knife onto completely cooled cookies (warm cookies will melt frosting). Or, use a piping bag with decorating tip. Cookies shown are piped with a rosette using a Wilton 2D tip.

Equipment Recommendations

  • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
  • Kitchenaid Hand Mixer
  • Nordic Ware Half Baking Sheet
  • Nicewell Digital Kitchen Scale

Notes

  • * How to measure flour properly: For most accurate results every time, use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
  • Frosting alternatives: If you don't want to add frosting to your cookies, roll them in granulated sugar instead. The cookie base is lightly sweetened on its own and is meant to balance with the sweetness of the frosting. 
  • Storing dough: Cookie dough will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer. 
  • Storing cookies: Cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the freezer for 3 months. Add a slice of bread to the cookie container to help keep cookies moist. Replace as needed (bread will dry out). 
  • More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

More Cookie Recipes

  • Cookies on a cooling rack with lemons nearby.
    Frosted Lemon Cookies
  • Sorghum spice cookies on a cooling rack.
    Sorghum Spice Cookies
  • Grinch sugar cookies on a cooling rack.
    Grinch Sugar Cookies
  • A plate of snowman cookies.
    Snowman Cookies

Share this post:

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.78 from 74 votes (68 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Julie R.

    January 01, 2025 at 5:56 pm

    Very good soft cookies, close to my Aunt's SIL's cookies.

    Reply
  2. Zoey laffoon

    December 21, 2024 at 6:54 pm

    We don’t have confectioners sugar can I use granulated with a bit of confectioners sugar? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 22, 2024 at 8:37 am

      Confectioners sugar must be used for the frosting. Granulated sugar will add a very noticeable, grainy, and unpleasant texture.

      Reply
  3. Emily H

    December 17, 2024 at 2:50 pm

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it with my kids today and we loved it! The only thing I changed was to split the vanilla in half and add an equal amount of almond extract because we love almond. To me, this type of cookie is the perfect sugar cookie! They were so soft and buttery. 😍

    Reply
  4. Amanda

    December 17, 2024 at 11:44 am

    I can't wait to make these cookies! I only have salted butter. Will that work? I could just omit the salt? Thank you for this delicious recipe!

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 17, 2024 at 11:46 am

      Hi Amanda, yes! From the post above: "Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter (you'll want to omit the salt listed in the recipe)."

      Reply
  5. Janet Dery

    December 15, 2024 at 9:24 pm

    Used your recipe for my first foray into baking from scratch and they were a big hit at my family’s Christmas cookie baking get together today. Thank you for sharing the recipe for both the cookie and the buttercream.

    Reply
  6. Christine

    December 10, 2024 at 9:49 pm

    Delicious! My husband ate 3/4 of the 1st tray- and I hadn't even iced them yet.

    Reply
  7. Terri Christensen

    December 28, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    I’m making these tomorrow. I’m so excited to try them. Will follow up

    Reply
  8. Cindy Larkin

    December 23, 2023 at 5:56 pm

    These are awesome!!! My new favorite sugar cookie recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 23, 2023 at 5:57 pm

      Hi Cindy, so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  9. Aimie Peterschick

    December 18, 2023 at 3:05 pm

    Can I freeze or refrigerate only the dough? For how long? TIA

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 18, 2023 at 3:26 pm

      Cookie dough will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

      Reply
  10. Katie

    January 21, 2023 at 11:17 am

    I followed the recipe exactly as written, but the cookies didn't puff up or spread out at all. They just look like slightly-flattened (because I flattened them some with my hand before baking) dough balls. Maybe I should skip refrigerating the dough next time?

    Reply
    • Heather

      January 21, 2023 at 11:38 am

      Hi Katie, I just added a section to this post about dough spreading issues. The dough may be coo told (maybe left in the refrigerator too long), or too much flour was added to the dough. Leaving your dough balls on the countertop to warm up slightly will help them spread more in the oven. If they're not puffing up at all, I'd also recommend checking the expiration date on your baking powder just in case. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Katie

        January 21, 2023 at 12:10 pm

        Thanks! Baking powder doesn't expire for a year, so I'm guessing I just didn't need the refrigerator step. Will try again another time!

        Reply
        • Heather

          January 21, 2023 at 12:28 pm

          Before refrigerating, the dough should feel slightly sticky and difficult to roll into balls. The refrigeration step is included in the recipe not only to allow the flavors to meld, but also to thicken the dough slightly and make it easier to roll into balls. If you're able to skip this step, it sounds like too many dry ingredients (or too few wet ingredients) were added to the dough, so they may taste floury when baked.

          Reply
  11. Paula Bogan

    December 10, 2021 at 7:05 am

    Can I roll the dough and make.cut out cookies?

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 10, 2021 at 7:54 am

      This dough puffs up when baked, like a drop cookie, so it would be too sticky to roll out and wouldn't hold its shape when baked. Here's a great cutout cookie recipe I recommend: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/christmas-sugar-cookies/

      Reply
  12. Archana

    December 12, 2020 at 11:05 am

    Will this frosting harden? I need to be able to place the cookies in a ziploc baggie as treats for my daughter's daycare teacher and don't want the icing to get ruined....

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 12, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Hi Archana! This frosting will form a crust on the outside, like frosting on a cupcake, if left out to dry for several hours. However, the frosting stays soft in the middle so with a bit of force (several cookies stacked on top of each other, or pressing down with your finger) the frosting will get misshapen.

      Reply
      • Archana

        December 12, 2020 at 11:27 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
  13. Silpa

    November 27, 2018 at 1:24 am

    Looks amazing.Can't wait to try.

    Reply
    • Heather

      November 27, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

Read more

Reader favorites

  • A metal fork in a bowl of cheesy rice.
    Cheesy Rice

  • Whipped buttercream frosting recipe.
    Whipped Buttercream Frosting

  • Beef roast in a large slow cooker.
    Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

  • Pouring gravy over a bowl of mashed potatoes.
    How To Make Gravy Without Drippings

Parties & Potlucks

  • Two glasses of punch.
    Spring Party Punch

  • A mint chocolate chip mini cheesecake unwrapped on a cutting board.
    Mint Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes

  • A stack of birthday cake rice krispies treats.
    Birthday Cake Rice Krispies Treats

  • A stack of birthday cookie bars.
    Birthday Cookie Bars

Footer

featured on:

decorative image of website logos.

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Image Copyright
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 The Toasty Kitchen®

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.