Irresistible Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Add Preferred SourceChristmas Tree Sugar Cookies are fun, festive, and totally customizable for the holiday season. Soft and buttery with colorful frosting and sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for decorating with family or friends. They’ll bring a little holiday magic to any gathering, and they’re easy enough to whip up even on a busy schedule.
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These cookies have become a tradition for me. I’ll make a couple of batches, and then I’ll gift them to my family and friends. They’re bright, festive, and tasty, and they’re real crowd-pleasers. They are a real holiday showstopper but aren’t difficult to make. The kids can even help to decorate them!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to Make Irresistible Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies With Step-By-Step Instructions
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
Don’t worry; these festive cookies are easy to make if you follow my straightforward instructions.
Prep Your Pan
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grab a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, dust the whole pan with a bit of flour, and shake out the extra. This helps the cookies release easily later.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, and baking soda. Set it aside for a bit—you’ll come back to it later.
Cream Butter and Sugar
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will give your cookies that classic soft texture. Once smooth, mix in the egg and vanilla.
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Starbucks Cake Pops
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ Chocolate Mousse
∙ Matcha Tiramisu
...and much more!
Add Flour and Food Gel
With the mixer on low, gradually add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough just comes together.
Add your green food gel and mix until the color is evenly blended. You want a nice Christmas tree green here!
Cream Butter and Sugar
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will give your cookies that classic soft texture. Once smooth, mix in the egg and vanilla.
Add Flour and Food Gel
With the mixer on low, gradually add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough just comes together. Add your green food gel and mix until the color is evenly blended.
You want a nice Christmas tree green here!
Spread the Dough and Bake
Spread the dough evenly into your prepared pan. Make sure it’s smooth and flat—use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to level it out. Bake for about 14–15 minutes until the edges start to turn golden but the center is still soft.
Cool and Shape the Cookies
Let the giant cookie cool in the pan for a few minutes. If the edges puffed up, gently press them down with the bottom of a glass.
Once completely cool, run a knife around the edge to loosen it. Flip the cookie out onto a cutting board and cut it into 8 even triangles (think pizza slices), trimming off the rounded ends to make perfect trees.
Make the Frosting
In a bowl, mix together your powdered sugar, milk, softened butter, vanilla, and a darker shade of green food gel.
Whip it until it’s smooth and ready for decorating. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip snipped off).
Decorate Your Trees
Pipe a fun zigzag pattern over each cookie. Don’t worry about perfection—it’s all about the festive look!
Quickly add your sprinkles while the frosting is still wet, and gently press a pretzel stick into the base of each tree to make the trunk.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Room-Temp Butter is Key: It helps the dough come together smoothly and gives the cookies that soft texture.
- Perfect Green Color: Add food gel little by little until you reach the shade you want—it’s easier to add more than to take out!
- Even Baking: Press down any puffy edges after baking to keep the cookies looking neat and even.
- Cut with Confidence: Use a sharp knife for clean edges when slicing the cookies into triangles.
- Frost Like a Pro: If you’re new to piping, just remember—imperfection adds character! Have fun with the zigzag pattern.
- Fast Sprinkles: Make sure to sprinkle right after piping so everything sticks perfectly to the frosting.
How to Store Leftover Christmas Tree Cookies
You can store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
While they’re best fresh, you can also freeze them before frosting if you want to make them ahead of time. Just wait to add the pretzel sticks until you’re ready to serve.
More Easy Cookie Recipes for You to Try at Home
If you need more cookie inspiration, then take a look at these easy recipes.
- Banana Pudding Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Spiced Apple Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
Equipment
- 9 inch Cake pan
Ingredients
For the cookies
- Butter to grease the parchment paper
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting the pan
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food gel use to your preference of green
For the frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food gel a darker shade than your cookie
- Cookie sprinkles
- Pretzels sticks
Instructions
To make the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper, butter the parchment, and dust the pan with flour. Shake out any excess flour.Butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg, then the vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until the dough forms. Add green food gel until the desired shade is reached.10 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅔ cups granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, Green food gel
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a palette knife. Bake for 14-15 minutes until the edges are golden, but the center remains soft. Once out of the oven, gently press down any puffed edges with the bottom of a glass. Let the cookie cool completely in the pan.
- Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cookie. Invert onto a cutting board if using a cake pan or remove the ring if using a springform pan. Cut into 8 triangles and trim the rounded ends to make tree shapes.
To make the frosting
- For the frosting, mix powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and darker green food gel until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or a plastic bag with the tip cut off.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, 3 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, Green food gel
- Pipe a zigzag pattern on each cookie and quickly add sprinkles. Gently press a pretzel stick into the base of each tree for the trunk.Cookie sprinkles, Pretzels sticks
Notes
- Room-Temp Butter is Key: It helps the dough come together smoothly and gives the cookies that soft texture.
- Perfect Green Color: Add food gel little by little until you reach the shade you want—it’s easier to add more than to take out!
- Even Baking: Press down any puffy edges after baking to keep the cookies looking neat and even.
- Cut with Confidence: Use a sharp knife for clean edges when slicing the cookies into triangles.
- Frost Like a Pro: If you’re new to piping, just remember—imperfection adds character! Have fun with the zigzag pattern.
- Fast Sprinkles: Make sure to sprinkle right after piping so everything sticks perfectly to the frosting.
Nutrition
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Starbucks Cake Pops
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ Chocolate Mousse
∙ Matcha Tiramisu
...and much more!
About the Author
Hey there! I’m Mandy
Mandy Applegate is a home cook, food blogger, and writer who believes the best meals are the ones shared with the people you love.
She’s all about easy recipes that taste amazing, the kind that make ordinary days feel a little more special and remind you why cooking at home matters.
She has been published on NBC, the Daily News, the Boston Herald, and the Chicago Sun-Times, amongst many others.
