Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe!

Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe! Easy Sugar Cookies from Scratch for Christmas Parties, Cookie Exchanges, and Fun Holiday Desserts!

The best Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe for Christmas!

You will be OBSESSED with these Sugar Cookies as much as I am! So easy to make and the perfect cookies for Cookie Exchange Parties or Holiday Desserts for Christmas Parties and Dinners! 

So much fun to make and easy to decorate! 

Plus, here are even more AMAZING Christmas Cookie Recipes! 

• Triple Chocolate Cookies Recipe
• Funfetti Christmas Sugar Cookies
• Easy Hot Chocolate Cocoa Cookies Recipe

I love baking at Christmastime! I mean, Hallmark Movies and Christmas Baking pretty much go hand in hand for my this time of year! I love being in the kitchen and sharing goodies with my friends and family!

Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe

Here’s What You Need:

Cookie Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 Stick) – softened
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg white
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour + extra for rolling cookies
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Holiday sprinkles (about 2 tablespoons for cookie dough and 1-2 tablespoons for garnishing)

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together.
Add sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
Next, add in the egg, egg white, and vanilla and combine (scrape down sides of bowl as needed).
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well on a low speed until a soft dough forms. Dough will be sticky.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Once dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Fold in holiday sprinkles into cookie dough before you roll into balls.
Scoop dough into 1” cookie balls – you will need to put some flour on your hands to help you roll the dough into balls. (I used a cookie scoop to make the cookie balls the same size).
Place the cookie dough balls about 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until the tops of the cookies start to brown.
Let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
While the cookies cool, mix all of the frosting ingredients (butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt) together until smooth.
Once the cookies are cooled completely, frost the cookies and garnish with holiday sprinkles.
The frosting will cool and set over time, but if you want the process to go faster, put the cookies in the refrigerator to cool completely.

*Scroll down for step by step photos and directions! 

How do I know when sugar cookies are done?

You want your cookies to start to gain some color around them (slightly browned), but not too much color. Look for the center to be set and the edges and tops start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack. 

How do you make sugar cookies from scratch?

I like to use a hand mixer for my cookies, but you can also use a stand mixer or a fork. In a medium sized bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. This could take up to 2 minutes. 

Add the egg, egg white, and vanilla and mix well. You may need to scrape down the bowl as needed if you are using a hand or stand mixer. 

When you add the dry ingredients your dough will get pretty thick. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well until a soft dough forms, it will be thick but sticky. 

Pop the dough into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or over night. Once dough is chilled, pre-heat the oven, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

I like to wait till this moment to add my holiday sprinkles. If you add them before you refrigerate the dough, the warm dough will cause the sprinkles to bleed and the colors will run. 

Using your hands, Roll dough into cookie balls. You will need to put some flour on  your hands to help roll the cookies since the dough is pretty sticky. 

Place the cookie balls about 2″ apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies start to brown. 

Letting the cookies cool completely after the come out of the oven is SO important. Especially if you don’t want your frosting to melt and run off the cookies. 

Buttercream Frosting 

While your cookies cool, whip the frosting together by combining the ingredients in the order listed until smooth. 

Frost cookies and garnish with holiday sprinkles! The frosting will need some time to harden since you just whipped it together.

YUM!!! So good and PERFECT for Christmas!

If you are looking for another easy Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe, these Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are SO good and perfect for the holidays!

 

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