These soft Christmas sugar cookies are no-roll, no-fuss sugar cookies with plenty of happy, festive color! They’re always a hit with kids and adults alike during the holidays.
Easy No-Roll Christmas Sugar Cookies
Baking sugar cookies is a long-standing Christmas tradition in my household. However, I’m the first to admit that I don’t have much talent for cookie decorating, so I prefer to make these no-roll sugar cookies with festive holiday sprinkles!
Soft Christmas sprinkle sugar cookies are simple drop cookies with wonderful flavor. The addition of cream cheese to the dough elevates everyday sugar cookies into something special. Then, of course, all those sprinkles make them fun and festive!
While the cookies you see here are filled and decorated with lots of Christmas sprinkles, they can easily be made for any occasion you like. Change the color of the sprinkles to fit another holiday, school colors, or anything else you’re celebrating. Or, just stick with multi-colored sprinkles for those no-ocassion times when you just want some fun cookies!
(Looking for more easy sugar cookie recipes? Try these drop sugar cookies, these frosted sugar cookie bars, these sugar and spice cookies, or these brown butter sugar cookies!)
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
Christmas sugar cookies are completely irresistible! Here’s why I think you’ll love this recipe just as much as I do:
- Super soft. These sugar cookies have the best texture. They’re ultra-soft with just the slightest golden crisp on the bottoms!
- Simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients used here are baking basics – you probably have most of what you need in the pantry already.
- A classic cookie. If you’re hosting a holiday party this year, you definitely have to have some Christmas sugar cookies on your dessert table!
- Customizable. As mentioned above, feel free to switch up the sprinkles and make these for any holiday/event that you like.
What You’ll Need
You won’t need much beyond the basics for these sugar cookies. Just grab your favorite holiday sprinkles and some cream cheese! (For exact ingredient amounts and the full set of directions, check out the recipe card below.)
- All-purpose flour – Measure this by weight or use the spoon and sweep method.
- Baking powder & baking soda – These two ingredients will give your sugar cookies a little bit of lift, and they’ll help create that perfectly chewy texture too.
- Salt – You can use kosher salt, sea salt, whatever you like.
- Butter – Set out the butter about half an hour before beginning to bake.
- Cream cheese – Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so it will mix smoothly.
- Sugar – This recipe simply calls for granulated sugar.
- Egg – Let this come to room temperature as well.
- Vanilla extract – Try using almond extract or a combination of vanilla and almond for something a little different.
- Sprinkles – Avoid the really hard sprinkles that are often in cute shapes, as these tend to melt when baked. Learn more by reading up on types of sprinkles.
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies
These cookies are so simple! You’ll only need a couple of mixing bowls, a hand or stand mixer, and your trusty sheet pans to make them.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is lightened and fluffy. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add the sprinkles. Mix in 1/3 cup of sprinkles, stirring just until the sprinkles are distributed evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to overnight. After longer chill times, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to handle.
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking pans with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Portion the dough. Using 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the cookies into balls. Place these on the prepared pans, leaving about 3 inches between the cookies. Next, flatten the tops of the cookies slightly, and add more sprinkles to the tops.
- Bake. One pan at a time, bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the tops appear set.
- Cool the cookies. Place the pans on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to the wire racks to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Easy peasy, right? I have a few more tips and tricks on this Christmas sugar cookie recipe to share with you, and then you’ll be all set to get started!
- Don’t skip the chilling time. It gives the dough time to rest and will keep the cookies from over-spreading.
- Leave plenty of room between the cookies on the pan. Even with the chill time, these cookies spread quite a bit.
- Chill the dough again after rolling if necessary. If your kitchen or your hands are particularly warm, chill the dough again after you’ve placed the balls of dough on the pans.
How to Store
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to place wax paper between layers of the cookies to help keep them looking their best. Stored properly, the cookies should keep up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
To freeze baked cookies, place your completely cooled sugar cookies between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They should keep up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature before enjoying them again.
To freeze unbaked cookies, follow the recipe through portioning and shaping the dough. Place the balls of dough on a lined rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until solid (2 to 3 hours); then place the frozen dough balls in a freezer-safe bag or container. Stored properly, the frozen cookie dough should last up to 3 months.
When it’s time to bake the frozen cookies, there’s no need to thaw them if you’re not adding more sprinkles. Just add a couple more minutes to the baking time. If you want to add more sprinkles to the tops of the cookies, let the cookies sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then add more sprinkles and bake as normal.
More Sugar Cookie Recipes
You can never have too many sugar cookie recipes in your recipe box! Here are a few more to try.
- Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
- Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies
- Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
- Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- M&M Sugar Cookie Bars
Soft Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
These no-roll Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies are wonderfully easy to make, amazingly soft and chewy, and so very festive!
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sprinkles, divided
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain.
- Stir in 1/3 cup sprinkles.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Using 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the cookies into balls.* Place the cookies on the prepared pans, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Flatten the top of each slightly. Top with more sprinkles.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the centers appear set.
- Cool on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*If you chilled the dough longer than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes until it's easier to handle.
Yield: About 36 cookies.
To store: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to place wax paper between layers of the cookies to help keep them looking their best. Stored properly, the cookies should keep up to 3 days.
To freeze baked cookies: Place your completely cooled sugar cookies between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They should keep up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature before enjoying them again.
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