This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
With an easy decorating technique, these delicious, Christmas Shortbread Cookies look like they came from a fine bakeshop!
Are you in the mode? Or the mood? Or whatever you want to call this getting-ready-for-the-holidays frame of mind. There's a lot to do, isn't there? Decorating, preparing for guests, making lists, checking them twice, shopping, baking. Baking... that's my sweet spot this time of year. But with everything else to do, it seems there's just not enough time. That's why these Christmas Shortbread Cookies have been a perfect way to create a delicious, festive holiday stash, without spending hours in the kitchen.
It's unusual, but Scott and I actually had the tree up, the house all decorated and most of the shopping done (thanks to Amazon) before the calendar ever flipped to December. We're usually scurrying around until the last minute, trying to check all the boxes, yet always feeling behind schedule. This year has been a little different.
We had plans to spend Thanksgiving in Memphis with our children and grandchildren and were super excited. With our daughter Cait, living in London for the past seven years, it was the first time in many years that we would have all been together for this special celebration of thankfulness. Things don't always go as planned though. Scott's dad got sick about a week before Thanksgiving and, at 95, started slipping downhill quickly. We canceled our trip in order to stay close to home.
Scott and I spent time each day with Pops (our children's name for Scott's dad) and had some sweet and tender conversations. He slept about twenty-three and a half hours a day, but whenever we visited, he would try to arouse a bit and converse with us. He rarely complained and was very gracious and thankful, even for the small things.
The weekend of Thanksgiving, we knew Pops was getting close to the end. We spent time with him each day and read to him from The Jesus Story Bible (a beautiful book for all ages). On Sunday, Scott sang Amazing Grace and Pops actually tried to join in the song a few times. When we left that day, his last words were, "I love you too". A few hours later we got a call that he had peacefully passed away, a kind hospice nurse at his side.
So, although the house is all decorated (we had lots of extra time over the long Thanksgiving weekend), it's a bittersweet holiday season for us. Pops was our last living parent. A friend of mine said something that so resonated with both Scott and me. She said that when you lose your last parent, no matter what age you are, somewhere deep inside, you feel a bit like an orphan. And now we know it's true.
It's also true that life is too short to not appreciate and cherish opportunities to spend time with loved ones. So, although baking is a favorite part of the holidays for me, I like to keep things simple. With an easy decorating technique, these fun, delicious Christmas Shortbread Cookies look like they came from a fine bake shop. Though they appear festive and professional, they are truly easy, with no fancy decorating skills necessary.
You'll need a rolling pin, a small (Wilton Number 5) round decorating tip, green food color and your choice of decorative sprinkles. The ingredient list for the cookies is short: flour, sugar and butter. That's it.
The cookies are stirred up in a bowl (no mixer needed), rolled, cut and then chilled for several hours before baking. The chilling is one of the secrets to cookies with nice crisp edges. A stint in the refrigerator helps the dough keep its shape while baking.
Another secret? Corn starch. It might sound strange, but replacing a small portion of the flour in this recipe with corn starch gives the cookies a crisp, light texture and keeps them from spreading in the oven.
The icing technique is fun and simple, making it a great project to do with kids. The tops of the delicious, buttery cookies are dipped into an icing made with powdered sugar, milk and peppermint extract.
After dipping, the cookies are allowed to dry. Later, a pretty, but simple Christmas tree is added with a piping bag and tip. It's basically just a squiggle of lines that get progressively bigger.
Add a sprinkle of nonpareils and the squiggle lines are transformed into a festive Christmas tree!
The idea for these Christmas Shortbread Cookies is not original. I was looking for some inspiration for Christmas baking back in November and came across these really cute cookies on Pinterest. When I clicked on the link, it took me to Etsy where these cookies were actually for sale. When I looked at the price, I did a double take; $36.00 for a dozen! And honestly, the cookies didn't really look super tasty.
I decided to apply the decorating idea to my favorite buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie recipe and made a delicious mint glaze, instead of the royal icing used on the Etsy cookies. A whole batch of these Christmas Shortbread Cookies costs less than $3.00 (that's with ingredients priced on the high side). I think I'll make my own, thank you! You can too and they'll just look like they came from a fine bake shop! You and your wallet will be secretly smiling...
P.S. If you're looking for other fun and easy cookies to make, we've got a plethora of them, just check out our cookie archives.
Café Tips for making these Christmas Shortbread Cookies
- Don't roll these cookies too thin, otherwise, they will be difficult to dip into the glaze when decorating. I roll mine to a ⅜-inch thickness and use an adjustable rolling pin. How do you roll them to the desired thickness? This reasonably priced rolling pin is a super easy way to achieve the same perfect thickness in all your cookies. It has 1/16, ⅙, ¼, and ⅜-inch removable discs, making it easy to flatten your dough to a uniform thickness. Have a baker on your shopping list? This would make a lovely gift that would be used year round.
- Because there's no mixer used, the butter needs to be very soft when mixing up these Christmas Shortbread Cookies. That can be difficult at this time of year, even if you let the butter sit out for hours. A short stint in the microwave on power level 10 (10%) works like magic to soften butter. You'll need to experiment a bit with your microwave though, as they're all different. Start with 20 or 30-second increments at power level 10 until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft but not melted.
- I love to have a supply of these super sturdy decorating bags. They're not expensive and a box will last forever. The bags come in a nice flat box so they're easy to store. I used to buy my bags at the local craft store and got about 10 bags for slightly less than this whole box of 100 bags! Definitely a wonderful deal.
- Make a fun holiday project for kids with these Christmas Shortbread Cookies. You could make it simple by preparing the cookies ahead of time. Then just set up a station for decorating with fun sprinkles and tubes of icing. Or do it in two stages; mixing, rolling and baking the cookies and then decorating them later after they're cooled.
- I like to use several size cookie cutters for this recipe. It helps to utilize the rolled dough better. When you can't cut any more large cookies, sometimes you can use the smaller one on the scraps.
- A few tips on rolling and cutting out cookies:
- Keep your work surface and rolling pin lightly dusted with flour.
- I like to also rub the cutting edge of my cookie cutter in a little flour in between each cookie.
- Press fairly firmly when cutting out the cookies, but don't twist the cookie cutter as the shape will get distorted.
- If you don't have room in your refrigerator to chill the cookies on two sheet pans, just transfer all of them to one pan after cutting. Then later, once they're chilled, you can divide them between the two pans for baking.
- When re-rolling the scraps, incorporate as little of the flour on the work surface as possible.
- Occasionally some of the cookies will be slightly puffed on the top when removed from the oven. You can give them a nice flat top by pushing on the top gently with a metal spatula.
- Peppermint extracts are not all the same. Start with ¼ teaspoon in the glaze and taste. Add more as needed to achieve a nice minty flavor.
- Use any type of sprinkles you like for these Christmas Shortbread Cookies. I really like the tiny round balls called nonpareils. I find really pretty ones at Homegoods. Walmart will usually also have a nice seasonal collection, as will the big box craft stores. You can also find nonpareils online.
- One important last note: nonpareils can be like insidious little runaways and you'll find them all over your kitchen before you can blink an eye. I found that sprinkling them onto the cookies over the sink or over a large baking or sheet pan will help corral the little wandering rascals!
Another fun and easy Christmas cookie recipe. I like to call them my Snowy Night Christmas Cookies:
Snowy Night Easy Decorated Christmas Cookies
With an easy decorating technique, these fun, festive and super delicious, Christmas Shortbread Cookies look like they came from a fine bake shop!
- 8 ounces butter 2 sticks
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons half and half (or milk) maybe more
- ¼-1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon very soft butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½-2 tablespoons half and half (or milk)
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3-4 drops green food coloring
-
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
-
Place soft butter in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until nice and smooth. Add sugar and vanilla. Mix together by hand for about 1 minute, until fluffy and well blended.
-
Add the flour and cornstarch. Stir until flour is incorporated and the dough is shaggy. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and press dough in a ball. Knead a few times until fairly smooth then form into a ball again and press with your hands into a flat disk.
-
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a ⅜-inch thickness. Keep work surface, dough and rolling pin lightly (not too much) dusted with flour. Cut desired shapes and place on prepared pans. Re-roll scraps as many times as needed to use up the dough.
-
Place cutouts in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
-
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350˚F. Remove cookies from refrigerator and bake for 12-16 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Rotate pans halfway through for even browning. Cool completely before icing.
-
For the mint glaze, combine powdered sugar, half and half and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract in a medium-size bowl. Mix until smooth. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add a little more half and half if too thick. Taste the glaze and add more peppermint extract, if needed (see note above in post).Transfer the glaze to a shallow bowl.
-
To glaze the cookies, holding onto the edge of a cookie dip the top surface into the glaze, being sure all of the surface touches the glaze. Pull cookie up and out of the glaze. Allow excess glaze to drip back into the bowl. When glaze stops dripping, quickly flip the cookie right side up and give it a gentle jiggle to allow the glaze to flow evenly over the surface. Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow glaze to dry for 15-30 minutes.
-
For the buttercream piping, place butter in a medium-size bowl and stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons half and half and mint extract and stir vigorously until smooth, adding a bit more half and half if needed to achieve a thick but smooth consistency. Add food coloring, a drop at a time, to reach desired shade of green.
-
Place buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a small round icing tip (I used a Wilton #5 round tip). Starting at the upper edge of one cookie, pipe the Christmas trees by making lines that are increasingly larger, stopping about ¼-inch above the lower edge of the cookie (see pictures above). Immediately sprinkle with sprinkles of choice. Set aside to dry.
See Café Tips above for lots of extra tips and instructions.
Recipe makes a dozen large (3-inch) or two dozen smaller (2-inch) cookies.
Megan says
Do you have to put in the fridge before baking?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, I would definitely chill them if you want pretty cookies that don't spread in the oven.
Christy says
I am confused because all the reviews are so good and I followed the directions but mine spread out and flattened into an unrecognizable crispy mess. Any ideas?? I refrigerated for at least 3 hours before baking.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Christy, I'm so sorry you had trouble with these cookies. It's hard to say without having been in the kitchen with you. It could be a measuring error (I do that fairly often) or perhaps butter that has too much water in it. But I have made this recipe dozens of time and they have never spread. It seems that others too, have had really good success with this recipe. Again, I'm sorry you had problems.
Gabriella M Lester says
Does this icing harden?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Gabriella, yes this icing will harden if you let the cookies sit out for a few hours.
Anna says
This looks wonderful. I have a question about the buttercream piping--does it actually harden?
Lulu says
Hi! Just wondering if you can use caster sugar instead of powdered sugar?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lulu, no, caster sugar would give different results.
Stephanie says
Hello! Has anyone tried to make these cookies gluten free with bobs red milk gluten free 1to1 baking flour??? If so how did they turn out? I’m doing a test run right now before the holidays but have a bad feeling they won’t come out well. Afraid they might be too crumbly...
Tips and tricks appreciated!! Hey thanks 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Stephanie, I'm not an expert with GF but hopefully, there will be some readers who can come to the rescue!
Bon Albers says
I have used Bob Mills gluten free 1 to 1 with all of my baking. No one can taste the difference, so I think you'd be okay using it. Just don't bake them too long.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much, Bon, for taking the time to share this information! I know it will be very helpful to others! Merry Christmas!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Bon!
Jenn says
These cookies are beautiful and seem much simpler than traditional cut-out cookies. I’m curious about the texture of the shortbread though - are they crispy throughout or crispy edges with a soft middle?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jenn, as long as you don't underbake these cookies, they're nice and crisp all the way through.
Steve Gilliland says
Love these! I made a "practice run" and now I'm moving forward with the "real thing" for a party, which will require 4-5 batches. So, two questions: first, can the recipe be doubled (or tripled) with no adverse effects? Perhaps that much dough can't easily be managed? And second, can my stand mixer be used? Wasn't sure if there was a reason for hand mixing. Thanks for what you do!!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Steve, I'm so happy you've enjoyed these fun cookies!
To answer your questions, yes the recipe can be doubled or tripled. I would keep the amount of dough that you roll out though about the same. It can get cumbersome if it's too big. Just keep the surplus dough wrapped in a piece of plastic wrap.
You can definitely use a mixer for these cookies. Just don't mix too much. I like doing them by hand because it's so easy for me (not having to pull out extra equipment) plus a lot of people don't have a mixer so this makes the recipe doable for just about anyone.
Hope this helps and Merry Christmas!
Tia says
Oh thank goodness! I will definitely be using a mixer for this in the future! I have arthritis in my hands and this recipe almost took me out tonight. These cookies are amazing! I have made them with birthday cake extract and they were delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed them, Tia! You can definitely use a mixer!
Taylor says
I baked them for 12 minutes and they came out burned???? Why would the lowest suggested time burn them?? And no, they were not small in size, they were about 3 inches wide. Very disappointed. Will not be making again from this recepie.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Taylor, from the overwhelmingly positive response I've had on these cookies and the number of people who have had great success, I suspect that your oven temperature may not be calibrated correctly. It's always a good idea to set your timer for a few minutes less than the recommended time as oven temperatures can vary. Perhaps this will help you when you try another recipe.
Kind Regards, Chris
Robin U says
I made these for the first time 2 years ago and they are amazing! Best and easiest shortbread recipe I have tried and they were beautiful. One of my favorite cookie recipes ever but what really sold me was the glaze (sans extract, did not want flavoring). It was perfect, just the right amount of shine and easy to use (I even made a second batch to use on my gingerbread cookies). Last year, however, I encountered a problem with the glaze turning very cloudy and crackly when dried, totally ruining the look of all the cookies and wasting my batch for gift giving. I did everything the same, double checked myself, but for the life of me can't figure out what went wrong. Im getting ready to start my baking this year and I'm filled with anxiety. Will they be perfect again or go in the trash? I was hoping you, or others, might have some insight on how I got such drastically different results and what I might be able to spo to avoid this catastrophe. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
I Robin, I honestly have never encountered this problem. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the cookies got too hot or too cold after glazing.
Robin U says
Thanks for the reply. Im baking the cookies tonight and glazing them tomorrow. Temperature shouldn't have been an issue but I saw a suggestion that I might have just gotten unlucky with a bad batch of confectioner's sugar that had a higher amount of corn starch. I have all new fresh ingredients this time so hopefully it works out. I can't wait to try the starry night ones this year!! They are beautiful 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you had awesome results, Robin!
Misty Seale says
I plan on making these cookies tomorrow for a cookie swap party. Do I need to mix by hand for reason, or will my stand mixer do just as well?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Misty,
You can definitely use a mixer. Just don't mix them too much, just until the ingredients are combined. I don't use a mixer because it's so easy to mix them up by hand and lots of people don't have a mixer - but it will work fine to use your mixer.
Misty Seale says
Thank you!
Sarah says
Thank you for this recipe, the cookies are so delicious!
We gifted some with melted white chocolate drizzle and crushed freeze dried raspberries & blueberries.
Chris Scheuer says
That sounds wonderful Sarah!
Tina says
I have made these the last two years and it has become my favourite christmas cookie recipe. Made them for an Alzheimer fundraiser and they were a huge success. Easy, beautiful, and yummy. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Tina! I'm so happy they were used for such a great cause. Thanks so much for sharing your results. I have some new ones coming up, the same wonderful shortbread cookie recipe but a new, fun decoration! Coming up soon! 💕
Barbara Hajduk says
Hi, This recipe sounds awesome !! can I use chocolate sprinkles instead of frosting ?
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! They will be delicious!
Lorraine Beavis says
I plan to give these as Christmas presents but they will be presented in a glass cookie jar which means they will be one on top of the other. Is there a risk that the buttercream will be spoiled as presumably it will stay soft? Would royal icing perhaps work better in these circumstances?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lorraine, the buttercream gets pretty firm and I have stacked them without a problem. Just let them sit out to dry for 12-18 hours before stacking.
mary mcmahon says
Hello! These cookies look so delicious and beautiful.I would like to make them for my cookie exchange party which is in its 37th year! Could I use almond flavoring instead, and do they freeze well?....thanks for your reply in advance!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mary, you could definitely use almond extract. That would be delicious!
And yes, the cookies freeze well. I like to freeze them on a cookie sheet and then once they are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. That way they don't get smushed. Use parchment paper or wax paper between the layers.Enjoy!
Jean Commerford says
I don't like mint so thought maybe I could use lemon extract? Would you suggest I use the same amount as your mint?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jean, lemon would be delicious. Start with 1/2 teaspoon, taste and then add more if needed. Enjoy!
Brooke Scharff says
I love these! I've made three batches because I intend to give them as gifts, but my family keeps eating them! They're simple (they do take some time due to chilling, cooling, and letting the glaze set, but hands-on time isn't ridiculous for scratch-made iced cookies) and they come out gorgeous - they definitely look and taste like they've been purchased from a professional (I make sure to make some of the Christmas trees a little crooked once in a while, just to make it convincing that I really did make them myself!) They stay soft for DAYS, the longest any of them lasted was five days and they were still just as light and airy as the day I made them.
My only advice for people trying it out for the first time is to chill the dough a little bit before you try to roll it. My butter must have been too soft the first batch I tried, the dough kept sticking to my rolling mat no matter how much I floured it, and every time I cut a cookie and tried to lift it, it got smushed or torn in half. With my next batch, I let the dough ball chill for a bit (maybe half an hour) until it was slightly firm but still workable and I didn't have a problem at all. (On the third batch I ended up leaving it in the refrigerator for too long, but working it with my hands a bit warmed it up enough to roll out without getting sticky again.)
Thanks so much for the excellent recipe! I'll definitely be adapting the design and icing flavoring for various occasions throughout the year!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your detailed comment, Brooke! I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies and thanks for your notes on it. I haven't had to chill the dough but that's good to know if someone else runs into the same problem.
Cathy says
Wow!!! I never liked making cut out cookies because the cookie dough was awful to work with. I was amazed at your dough, how soft and fluffy it was and a dream to work with! Your cookies were the best! Rolled, cut and baked beautifully! My family loved the flavor too! I will be making these cookies every holiday from now on. THANKS!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay, so happy you enjoyed them, Cathy! Thanks for your review!
Lorraine Beavis says
Can you tell me how long these would keep in an air tight container please (before or after icing).
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lorraine, I've kept them for a few weeks both iced and un-iced and they keep well
Lynette says
I refrigerated my cutouts for a couple of hours. I then popped the entire pan of cutouts straight into the hot oven. I'm not a very experienced baker, so I'm wondering if I should have transferred them to a non-refrigerated pan, first. They are taking for-e-ver to look done.
This is actually my second time to bake these. My kids proclaimed them the best cookies EVER, so I'm baking another batch. I want to perfect my technique, though.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lynette, no you're doing it right! The cookies don't get very brown at all. You just want them slightly golden at the edges. So happy you've enjoyed them!
Gayle says
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Gayle, I use salted butter.
joy says
Hey! Do you have to refrigerate them before baking?
Chris Scheuer says
Not the dough, just the cutouts. An hour is fine but really longer the better!
Amy says
I used this glaze icing with my grandkids Christmas cookie party and it worked perfectly for this event. This will be a keeper..thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Amy!
Jeannine Bianchi says
I had to triple the buttercream frosting as I tripled the cookies for a cookie exchange. I had a little trouble with the buttercream, when I tripled it. It began to "melt" in the piping bag probably from my hands or temperature in the room? Should I just do smaller batches of the buttercream next year? Or use smaller piping bags? I had a regular size one with a #5 tip, as you suggested. Otherwise they came beautiful. I love the appearance of the glaze first. Very professional looking. I used a 2" bisquit cutter. Worked perfectly. Have a Happy!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jeannine,
Yes, if you put too much buttercream in a piping bag, the heat of your hands will melt the icing. You can use the same size bag, just put a small amount in at a time (about 1/2-3/4 cup) and refill the bag when needed. I'm so happy the cookies came out well for you. Hope they're enjoyed at the cookie exchange! Merry Christmas!
KATHLEEN SAAL says
Hi Chris and Jeannine, I usually have several piping bags ready and keep a small cooler handy to swap the bags as they get too warm to work with.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Kathleen!
Jenna says
Hello, do you have the amounts of your ingredients in grams, cups are very confusing for me. These do look great would really like to try them. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jenna, I've added the metric conversion to the recipe. So sorry, I usually include that but somehow it was omitted in this recipe. Merry Christmas, enjoy the cookies!
Twila Salek says
I printed both this recipe and your recipe for the Easy Decorated Christmas Shortbread Cookies (which is the one with blue glaze and white tree) and this recipe has to bake at 375 and the other recipe has 350 even though the recipes are exactly the same with the exception of the color glaze and frosting trees. Which one is correct?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Twila, you're very observant!
My recipes are ever evolving and I decided this year when making the cookies that 350˚F worked better. I didn't have to watch them quite as carefully at the end. I will change the one from last year. Thanks for pointing that out!
Isabella says
Hey I’m going a a mission trip this coming spring and I am selling these cookies this Christmas for a fundraiser. How long do you think they will stay good ?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Isabella,
Once they harden, they should be good for a week or two. How exciting to be going on a mission trip! Best regards!