These soft, chewy sugar cookies are filled with Christmas jimmies and a hint of cinnamon, making them a festive addition to any holiday cookie tray. They have lightly crisp edges, soft centers, and plenty of classic vanilla flavor. Rolled in granulated sugar before baking, they have just the right amount of sparkle without needing frosting or icing.
They’re simple to make, full of Christmas cheer, and perfect for adding a little color to your holiday cookie lineup.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Soft and chewy: These cookies have soft centers and lightly crisp edges.
- They’re big!: I use a 3-tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop to get large cookies.
- Classic vanilla flavor: A hint of cinnamon adds warmth without overpowering the vanilla.
- Festive and colorful: Christmas jimmies add a pop of color to every cookie.
- No chilling required: Mix, roll, and bake without waiting for the dough to chill.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies their structure.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Work together to give the cookies lift and help create their soft centers and lightly crisp edges.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Use butter at cool room temperature so it creams properly without becoming too soft.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and is also used to coat the cookies before baking.
- Egg and egg yolk: The egg provides structure, while the extra yolk adds richness and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Vanilla extract: Adds classic vanilla flavor.
- Cinnamon: A small amount adds warmth without overpowering the vanilla.
- Christmas jimmies: Add festive color throughout the cookies. Jimmies work best here because they hold their shape better than nonpareils when mixed into cookie dough.
- Granulated sugar, for rolling: Coating the dough balls in sugar gives the cookies a delicate, sparkly exterior.
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Mix the dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms.
Step 2: Fold in the Christmas jimmies
Gently mix the sprinkles into the dough until evenly distributed.
Step 3: Shape the cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat, then place it on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each.
Use the back of a measuring cup to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle a few extra jimmies on top, then flatten slightly again just to make sure they stick.
Step 4: Bake
Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Use cool room-temperature butter. The butter should be soft enough to mix but still slightly cool to the touch. If it’s too warm, the cookies may spread more than expected.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing to help keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Use Christmas jimmies. These longer sprinkles hold up well when mixed into cookie dough and give the cookies their festive pops of color.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should look set around the edges but still soft in the centers when you take them out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Roll the dough in sugar before baking. This gives the cookies a little sparkle and a delicate sugary coating.
How to Store Christmas Sugar Cookies
At room temperature: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to keep them soft and chewy.
In the freezer: Once completely cooled, place the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Freezing the dough: Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them in a single layer until firm. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls in granulated sugar and bake, adding a little extra time as needed.
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup Christmas-colored jimmies
For rolling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms.
- Gently mix the sprinkles into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat, then place it on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each.Use the back of a measuring cup to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle a few extra jimmies on top, then flatten slightly again just to make sure they stick.
- Bake for 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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