Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies Recipe

Looking for a delicious Christmas treat that will impress your friends and family? Look no further than this incredible Christmas Tree Sugar cookie recipe! These beautiful sugar cookies are perfect for any holiday party or gathering, and they’re so easy to make! Just follow the simple recipe, and you’ll have delicious, festive sugar cookies in no time!

A collection of Christmas tree cookies in the making.

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There’s something special about making homemade sugar cookies; we loved our Christmas tree decoration cookies, but we wanted to make Christmas trees!

Nothing screams Christmas more than Christmas trees – right? We think you’re going to love this Christmas sugar cookie recipe!

Why You’ll Love These Christmas Tree Cookies

  • Festive Flair: Nothing screams holiday spirit quite like Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies. They’re like edible ornaments that brighten up the room.
  • Customizable Fun: Decorating these cookies is an activity everyone can enjoy. From colored sprinkles to edible glitter, the design options are endless.
  • Shareable Joy: These cookies make perfect holiday gifts. Package them up, and you’ve got a personalized treat for neighbors, teachers, or anyone on your list.
  • Easy to make: You don’t even have to use cookie cutters!
  • Memory Maker: Baking and decorating these cookies can become a cherished family tradition. It’s a hands-on way to create holiday memories with the kids.
  • Kitchen Aromatherapy: The smell of baking cookies fills your home with an aroma that’s better than any holiday-scented candle out there.
  • All Ages: Whether you’re hosting a playdate or an adult holiday party, these cookies appeal to the kid in everyone.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

Ingredients needed, granulated sugar, Christmas sprinkles, salt, baking soda or baking powder, powdered sugar, green food gel, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, flour, pretzel sticks, and egg.

Watching the smiles appear on your friends and family’s faces when you hand them these cookies and then they say ‘wait – you MADE these?’ Priceless.

How to Make Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies With Step-By-Step Instructions

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

To make the cookies

Making our Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies is easy if you follow our simple instructions.

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.

Using a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan, line it with a parchment paper round, then butter the parchment paper.

Lightly dust with flour and shake any loose flour out.

Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.
Grenn food gel mixed in with butter, and sugar.
Cream butter and sugar, then mix in egg, vanilla extract, and green food gel.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.

Using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until combined.

Next, mix in the egg, then mix in the pure vanilla extract. Add the flour mix and then add the green food gel (to the desired level of greenness). Scrape down the bowl.

Add the amount of food coloring you are happy with, but remember that you will be icing a darker green color on the cookie dough.

Sugar cookie dough in a cake pan.
Add the cookie mix to your pan and smooth over the top.
Cooked cookie dough.
Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, then leave it to cool completely.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and transfer the cookie dough into your prepared cake pan.

Spread the dough evenly and ensure that it is flat, and then bake for 14 – 15 minutes.

When cooked, remove from the oven; if you find that during cooking, the sides are higher than the middle, gently press the sides down with the bottom of a glass while the cookie dough is hot.

Milk, butter, baking powder, and powdered sugar in a bowl..
Mix powdered sugar, milk, and butter.
Green sugar frosting.
Add vanilla extract and green food gel.
Cookie dough cut into triangles.
Slice the cooled cookie into 8 triangles and slice off the rounded edges to create a Christmas tree shape.

It’s essential to do this while it is still warm and flexible.

Transfer the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

When cool, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cookie and invert it onto a cutting board, or if you used a springform pan, remove the ring.

Then, using a sharp knife, cut the cookie into eight triangles and cut off the rounded edges to form a perfect triangle.

Gently press a pretzel stick into the bottom edge of each cookie to form the Christmas tree trunk.

To Make the Sugar Frosting

Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, mix powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and green food coloring; you’ll want a darker shade of green than the cookies.

Transfer the sugar frosting to a piping bag with a thin piping tip or a freezer bag with the tip snipped off (but not too much; you don’t want it gushing out!).

Insert a pretzel stick trunk into the bottom of the tree shape.
Piping icing on to a Christmas cookie.
Using a piping bag, pipe a zig-zag pattern on the trees.
Decorated Christmas tree cookie.
Decorate with Christmas sprinkles.

Pipe a zig-zag pattern over the cooled cookies; you’ll need to be quick as you’ll be adding sprinkles that need to stick to the frosting.

Use your preference of sprinkles, large stars, hundreds and thousands, sugar pearls, gold balls, or whatever you prefer.

Enjoy your Christmas tree sugar cookies and Merry Christmas!

Someone holding gift wrapped Christmas tree cookies.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

  • Measure Accurately: When it comes to baking, precision is key. Consider using a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements to get a consistent dough.
  • Quality Extracts: Opt for high-quality vanilla or almond extract for the best flavor. It really does make a difference.
  • Frosting: We’ve used sugar frosting, but if you prefer, you could use royal icing; we prefer the softer texture.
  • Cool Before Decorating: Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before you start with the fun part—decorating!
  • Experiment: Play with flavors and colors, and make your Christmas sugar cookies your own!
  • Storage Smarts: If you’re making these cookies in advance, store them in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking.

How to Store Leftover Cookies

Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

They will also freeze for up to three months, but we recommend removing the pretzel sticks as they will become soggy when thawing.

Gift wrapped Christmas tree cookies.

More Easy Cookie Recipes for You to Try at Home

If you love our Christmas tree sugar cookies, then why not try these tasty treats?

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Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies Recipe

These Christmas tree sugar cookies are the perfect addition to any holiday party! They're easy to make, look amazing, and are so delicious – your family and friends will be asking for the recipe.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings8
Calories318
Course: cookies
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • Butter to grease the parchment paper
  • 1⅓ cups All purpose flour plus extra for dusting the pan
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Baking soda
  • 10 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • cups Granulated sugar
  • 1 large Egg
  • tsp Vanilla extract
  • Green food gel use to your preference of green

For the frosting

  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp Milk
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • Green food gel a darker shade than your cookie
  • Cookie sprinkles
  • Pretzels sticks

Instructions

To make the cookies

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
  • Use a 9 inch cake pan or a springform pan and line it with parchment paper then butter the parchment paper. Lightly dust the pan with flour and shake any loose flour out.
    Butter
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.
    1⅓ cups All purpose flour, ¼ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Baking soda
  • Using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until combined. Next, mix in the egg, then mix in vanilla extract. Add the flour mix and then add the green food gel (to the desired level of greenness). Scrape down the bowl.
    10 tbsp Unsalted butter, ⅔ cups Granulated sugar, 1 large Egg, 1½ tsp Vanilla extract, Green food gel
  • Transfer the dough into your prepared pan and using a palate knife spread the dough so it rests evenly. Bake for 14 – 15 minutes.
  • When cooked, remove from the oven, if you find the sides are a little higher than the centers, use the bottom of a glass to gently flatten them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan.
  • Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cookie that is still in the pan to loosen it, invert the cookie onto a cutting board if you used a cake pan, or remove the ring of the springform pan. Then, cut the cookie into 8 triangles and cut the rounded ends off.

To make the frosting

  • Using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, mix powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla extract and green food gel, you'll want the green to be a shade darker than the cookie color. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a thin piping tip or a freezer bag with the tip snipped off.
    1 cup Powdered sugar, 2 tsp Milk, 3 tbsp Butter, ½ tsp Vanilla extract, Green food gel
  • Pipe a zig zag pattern over the cooled cookies, you'll need to be quick when adding the sprinkles to the piped icing. Use large star sprinkles, hundreds and thousands, sugar pearls, gold balls, or whatever you prefer. Gently press a pretzel 'trunk' into the bottom of each cookie. Enjoy your cookie and Merry Christmas!
    Cookie sprinkles, Pretzels

Notes

  • Measure Accurately: When it comes to baking, precision is key. Consider using a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements to get a consistent dough.
  • Quality Extracts: Opt for high-quality vanilla or almond extract for the best flavor. It really does make a difference.
  • Frosting: We’ve used sugar frosting, but if you prefer, you could use royal icing; we prefer the softer texture.
  • Cool Before Decorating: Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before you start with the fun part—decorating!
  • Experiment: Play with flavors and colors, and make your Christmas sugar cookies your own!
  • Storage Smarts: If you’re making these cookies in advance, store them in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My Girls Scout Troop made these Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies and they loved them!! We will be making this again and again!!

  2. 5 stars
    These are super fun and tasty! We made some Halloween style, but I’ll be making these adorable trees for Christmas with the kids! Love it!

  3. 5 stars
    These are fantastic, I am excited to make them over the holidays. I have tagged this recipe to make for later.

  4. 5 stars
    These are adorable! My kids loved helping to put them together and have asked me to make a batch for their upcoming school xmas picnic!

    1. That sounds like a wonderful way to spend some quality time with your little ones. They must have been so proud of their creations.