Christmas Cookies: Recipes, Icing Tips & More

October 31, 2023 3 Minute Read

‘Tis the season for Christmas cookies, and we’re making the occasion even sweeter with some of our favorite holiday cookie recipes. But first, check out these essential cookie icing tips and piping bag hacks that’ll make decorating as easy as hanging ornaments. From frosted sugar cookies to traditional gingerbread, it’s time to make and bake some holiday memories.

How to Make Christmas Cookies

Whether you’re looking for the perfect homemade gift or a fun project to do with the kids, decorated sugar cookies are an excellent choice. To begin, simply pick out the cookie cutters you want and decide on a theme – holiday imagery or a festive color scheme are great places to start. You can decorate classic trees, snowmen or festive hats, or have fun turning everyday shapes, such as circles or stars, into jolly fun sweets.

How to Make Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

This easy sugar cookie recipe with buttercream frosting makes for a staple at holiday celebrations. Add the kids who can decorate with fun sprinkles, and it’s a party for the whole family!

View Recipe

How to Make Cookie Icing

The secret to creating professional-looking frosted cookies is in the icing. If you want your sugar cookie icing to dry smooth and glossy, try a glaze icing. For precision or intricate designs, try a royal icing. These icings harden in a way that keeps the designs in-tact and allows your cookies to be stacked for storage, overlapped on the dessert table or wrapped individually for gifts. The best part is that you don’t have to be a trained artist to draw up fun and festive designs – all you need is a piping bag and a little creativity.

How to Make a Piping Bag

If you’ve never used an icing piping bag before, you’ll quickly understand why this tool is essential to adding the finishing touches to your holiday cookies. If you don’t have one on-hand, don’t worry! You can easily make your own icing bag using a resealable plastic bag. Simply fill the bag with as much as icing as you need, seal it at the top then use scissors to snip off a corner. Remember, the size of your cut will determine how much frosting will come out when you squeeze the bag – the bigger the hole, the more icing will come out, which might make intricate designs more difficult.