Christmas Cookies Recipe (One Easy Dough, 4 Festive Cookies)

This Easy Christmas Cookies recipe starts with one simple cookie dough that turns into four festive holiday cookies… buttercream frosted cookies, jam thumbprint cookies, red and green marbled cookies, and warmly spiced Christmas Snickerdoodles rolled in warm spices. It’s perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday cookie boxes, Christmas parties, and filling a cookie tray for family and friends. One batch of dough gives you a whole platter of variety without four separate recipes (or four sinks full of dishes)!

Christmas Cookies Recipe (One Dough, 4 Cookies)

When I was around 12 years old, I asked for a cake decorating kit for Christmas (and thankfully, Santa did not disappoint!). I think that’s part of why holiday baking still feels so special to me… Christmas is really where my love of baking started.

These days the holiday season gets busy fast, and I love any recipe that makes Christmas baking simpler. That’s exactly why this one-dough cookie recipe is such a gem. You mix up one batch of buttery cookie dough, divide it into four portions, and turn each portion into a different cookie. Your cookie platter looks like you baked all week, and nobody has to know it all came from one bowl 🙂

It’s also a wonderful recipe for beginner bakers. The dough comes together quickly, nothing complicated, and all four cookies bake in about the same amount of time… so you’re not juggling a bunch of different bake times while you’re trying to get supper on the table too.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One dough, four cookies. Instead of pulling out four different recipes (and shopping for four different ingredient lists), you make one dough and get four kinds of holiday cookies. It’s the simplest way I know to build a cookie tray with lots of variety.

Soft, tender, buttery cookies. A little sour cream in the dough keeps these cookies soft with a tender center, and they stay that way for days.

Perfect for cookie swaps and gifting. One batch makes 32 to 34 cookies, which is just right for a cookie exchange, a few holiday cookie boxes, or a plate for the neighbors.

Beginner-friendly. There’s nothing fussy here at all. A hand mixer works great (no stand mixer required), and each cookie uses simple techniques anyone can do.

Tools Needed

• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls (one large, one medium, and a couple of small ones)
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Spoon or whisk
• Cookie scoop
• Rolling pin
• Round cookie cutter
• Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need for the base dough and all four cookie variations.

Cookie Dough

• Butter, softened to room temperature
• White sugar
• Large eggs, room temperature
• Sour cream (plain yogurt works too)
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt

Buttercream Frosted Cookies

• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Heavy cream
• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract (or a little extra vanilla if almond isn’t your thing)
• Holiday sprinkles (any festive sprinkles you love!)

Thumbprint Cookies

• Fruit jam (any flavor works… strawberry, raspberry, cherry, whatever your family loves)

Marbled Christmas Cookies

• Red food coloring
• Green food coloring

Christmas Snickerdoodles

• Sugar
• Nutmeg
• Ground cloves
• Ground ginger

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Christmas Cookie Dough

This is the base dough that all four cookies start with.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until everything is smooth.

5. In a small bowl (or right in your flour measuring cup), whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients and mix just until the flour disappears. Don’t overmix!

7. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and continue with the directions for each cookie below.

Want a whole batch of just one kind of cookie? You can absolutely skip dividing the dough and use all of it for your favorite. Just multiply that cookie’s extra ingredients by four… that’s 2 cups of jam for thumbprints, four batches of buttercream for frosted cookies, 4 teaspoons of each food coloring for marbled cookies, or 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of each spice for snickerdoodles. You’ll still get about 32-34 cookies.

How to Make Buttercream Frosted Cookies

These are the classic Christmas cookie… soft round cookies piled with fluffy buttercream and sprinkles.

Want more sugar cookie ideas for your tray? My Snowflake Cookies are decorated with royal icing, and my Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies are a simple everyday favorite.

1. Chill one portion of dough for about an hour.
2. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a round cookie cutter.
3. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
5. While the cookies bake, make the buttercream. Soften the butter in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer.

6. Mix in the heavy cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
7. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until it’s completely incorporated.
8. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat for about 5 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
9. Frost the cooled cookies and top with holiday sprinkles before the frosting sets.

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are always one of the first to disappear from a cookie tray!

Looking for a classic full batch? Try my Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies too!

1. Chill one portion of dough for about an hour, then let it sit out for about 5 minutes.
2. Use a cookie scoop to form dough balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Press each dough ball into a round disk.
4. Press your thumb (or a rounded tablespoon) into the center of each disk to make a little divot.
5. Fill each divot with about a teaspoon of fruit jam.

6. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until just golden brown around the edges. These may need a little longer than the others because of the jam.
7. Cool on a wire rack.

How to Make Christmas Snickerdoodles

These are snickerdoodles with a Christmas twist… instead of cinnamon sugar, they’re rolled in a warm blend of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger that tastes like the holidays.

Love snickerdoodles? Check out my Classic Snickerdoodles recipe here and this amazing Snickerdoodle Bread.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until well mixed.
2. Use a cookie scoop to form dough balls from the last portion of dough.
3. Roll each ball in the spiced sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Press the cookies down slightly and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until just golden around the edges.
5. Cool on a wire rack.

Pro Tips

• Get everything ready before you start. Gather your ingredients and equipment ahead of time, and let your butter and eggs come to room temperature so they cream together easily.
• Don’t skip the parchment paper. It keeps the bottoms of your cookies from getting too dark and makes them easy to slide off the pan.
• Divide the dough evenly. Weighing the dough on a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to get four equal portions.
• Rechill as needed. Rolled-out dough that gets too warm can go back in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.
• Go easy on the jam. A small amount is plenty and keeps it from bubbling over the edges while baking.
• Use a light touch with the marbled dough. Gentle twisting keeps the red and green distinct instead of blending into one color.
• Wear food-safe gloves when you knead in the food coloring (unless you want red and green hands for Christmas!).
• Add sprinkles right away. They stick best before the buttercream sets.
• Press them down a little. Every cookie except the rolled, cut-out cookies needs a gentle press before baking.

Variations

• Peppermint buttercream: Swap the almond extract for peppermint extract and top the frosted cookies with crushed candy canes.
• Different jams: Try a mix of jam flavors on the same pan for a colorful tray of thumbprint cookies.
• New colors: Make marbled cookies in any color combination you like… pink and white are so pretty for a Valentine’s tray too.
• Classic cinnamon: Add a little cinnamon to the spiced sugar for a more traditional snickerdoodle flavor, or try chai spices for a different spin.
• Chocolate dipped: Dip half of each snickerdoodle in melted white chocolate or dark chocolate and let it set on parchment.
• Royal icing: Decorate the round cookies with royal icing instead of buttercream so they stack better in holiday cookie tins.

Serving Suggestions

These cookies are made for a Christmas cookie tray! Set them out at a holiday party with a mug of hot cocoa, or pack them into holiday cookie boxes alongside a few other favorites like my Pecan Sandies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Iced Gingerbread Cookies and Pecan Praline Cookies. They’re also a sweet homemade gift for teachers, neighbors, and friends.

These cookies are made for a Christmas cookie tray! Set them out at a holiday party with a mug of hot cocoa, or pack them into holiday cookie boxes alongside a few other favorites like my Pecan Sandies and Mexican Wedding Cookies. They’re also a sweet homemade gift for teachers, neighbors, and friends.

Storage Instructions

Store your cookies in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator. For the buttercream frosted cookies, store them in a single layer (or with parchment paper between the layers) so the frosting doesn’t smudge.

The cookie dough can be made ahead too. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a couple of days, or freeze it for up to 2 weeks.