Christmas Tree Cookies

5 from 2 votes

These Christmas Tree Cookies are soft, buttery, and beautifully decorated—perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and festive baking fun!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Refrigerating Time20

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Lisa Killian

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Butter Cream Frosting

2 cups butter softened to room temperature
10 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs vanilla or almond extract*
10 tbs heavy cream
Pinch of Salt
Food Coloring Gel green, red, etc
Candies and Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, add sugar and softened butter and stir until combined.
1 cup sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter
Add in egg and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. You may need to scrape down the sides at least once.
1 egg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Then add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Divide the dough in half. Take half of the dough and place it between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a flat layer about ~⅛th inch thick. Do the same with the other half. Refrigerate the flattened dough for 20 minutes or up to 1 ½ hours, still pressed between the parchment paper..
Preheat oven to 300°F and line several baking sheets* with parchment paper. Move oven rack to the second-to-lowest position.
Cut out tree cookie shapes and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden. Thickness of the cookies will vary the baking time.
Any scraps of dough leftover can be rerolled and refrigerated while the other cookies are baking. Try to use a cold baking sheet for every new batch.
While cookies are baking and cooling, make the frosting.
In a stand mixer, whip the butter on high until light and fluffy.
2 cups butter
Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar, alternating between the two, until fully mixed in.
10 cups powdered sugar, 10 tbs heavy cream
Add in the vanilla/almond extract, salt, and green food coloring. Before adding the green color, you can reserve a some of the white frosting if you want to use it to decorate.
2 tbs vanilla or almond extract*, Pinch of Salt, Food Coloring Gel
Mix frosting on high for 30 seconds to get light and fluffy.
Frost the cookies when they are cooled completely. I like to use a combination of different piping tips like a dot, leaf, grass tips, or star tip. Add sprinkles as bulbs and a little star on the top!
Candies and Sprinkles for decorating

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks

* I used almond extract instead of vanilla in this batch of frosting, but you can use whatever extract you want.
*Depending on how cold the dough is, it might be hard to lift it off the parchment paper. If that’s the case, use scissors to cut parchment paper around the cookie and place the cookie and parchment directly on the baking sheet.
*If you have a baking sheet without edges, use it! It will allow air to circulate more effectively.
*I recommend using gel food coloring to dye your frosting for a more vibrant color.

Nutrition