You don't need a stand mixer, a cookie press, or any fancy equipment to make good Christmas cookies. This guide is for people who want to bring something homemade to a party without spending a whole Saturday in the kitchen. Every recipe here uses basic ingredients you probably already have.
The One Sugar Cookie Recipe You Need
This is a chill-and-cut recipe, but it's forgiving — even if your shapes are ugly, they taste great.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix just until it comes together — don't overmix. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.
Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick, cut into shapes, bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until the edges just start to brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then move to a rack.
For icing: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tbsp milk, a splash of vanilla. Add food coloring if you want. Drizzle or spread. Let set for an hour.
Thumbprint Cookies That Look Fancier Than They Are
These look like you tried hard. You didn't.
Same dough as above, but roll into 1-inch balls. Press a thumbprint into each one. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. While warm, press the thumbprint again to deepen. Fill with a half teaspoon of jam — raspberry or blackberry works best. Let cool.
You can also fill with a Hershey's kiss, pressed in right when they come out of the oven. Classic and people love them.
Chocolate Crinkles Without the Hassle
These look like snow-dusted chocolate rocks. They're moist and people think they took all day.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
Whisk the dry stuff. In another bowl, beat the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the dry until just mixed. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours — this is important, otherwise it's too sticky.
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Roll into 1-inch balls, roll in powdered sugar, and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. The cracks happen on their own.
Shortbread, Three Ingredients, Done
This is the easiest cookie in the world and it tastes expensive.
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream butter and sugar. Stir in flour until it forms a dough. Press into an 8x8 pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake at 325°F for 35-40 minutes until pale gold on top.
Cut into squares while warm. Let cool in the pan. These keep for a week in a tin and they get better after a day.
You can dip half in chocolate, or add a pinch of cardamom, or add chopped candied orange peel. But the plain version is perfect.
Tips That Save You Grief
Don't skip the chilling step when a recipe says to chill. Warm dough spreads into flat puddles. Trust the chill.
Use parchment paper on the pans. Saves cleanup, saves the cookies.
Cool the cookies completely before icing or they melt the icing into a puddle.
Store cookies in a tin, not a plastic bag. Soft cookies get soggy in bags.
Bring cookies to a party in a paper bag with a handwritten tag. Don't overthink the presentation — people just want a good cookie.