Description
These soft Christmas cookies are tender, chewy, and full of festive flavor. Perfect for decorating, gifting, and sharing during the holiday season, they’re a cozy tradition that everyone will love.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120 g) sour cream
Optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract
For the Icing (Optional):
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
2–3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel food coloring
Sprinkles or edible glitter
Instructions
Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in egg, vanilla, sour cream, and almond extract (if using).
Combine: Slowly blend in dry ingredients until just combined. Dough will be soft.
Chill: Wrap dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Shape: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop dough into balls, place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
Bake: Bake 8–10 minutes until edges set but tops remain pale. Cool on rack.
Decorate: Mix icing ingredients, color as desired, and decorate cooled cookies with sprinkles. Allow to set before storing.
Notes
Chill dough for fluffier cookies.
Do not overbake—cookies should look slightly underdone when removed.
Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning icing.
Freeze undecorated cookies up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert, Holiday Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: best soft Christmas cookies, chewy Christmas cookies, holiday cookie recipe, soft holiday cookies, festive cookies