Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Decorating the tree is even more fun when you get to eat it afterward! These Christmas tree sugar cookies start with buttery cutout dough and turn into little edible Christmas trees with green royal icing, white accents, and colorful sprinkles. You can keep the decorating simple or give every tree its own combination of ornaments and garlands. They’re a fun baking project for a cozy afternoon with the kids, with plenty of pretty cookies to share afterward.
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Ingredients for Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
You’ll start with a simple sugar cookie dough that you can roll out and cut into Christmas trees. For decorating, tint most of your royal icing green and leave a little white for details. Sprinkles make it easy to add ornaments without piping every decoration by hand.
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the royal icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9–10 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
For decorating:
- Green gel food coloring
- Sprinkles of your choice
Helpful tools:
- Christmas tree cookie cutter
- Piping bags or small icing bottles with small round tips
- Toothpick or scribe tool
- Parchment paper
How to Make Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Make the dough.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Chill and roll.
Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. I use ⅜ inch if I know kids will be helping because it makes the cookies sturdier.
Cut out Christmas tree shapes and carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Take your time lifting the tops and branch tips so they keep their shape. If the dough gets soft or sticky, return it to the refrigerator briefly before continuing.
Step 3: Bake.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
Start checking at 8 minutes, especially if your trees have narrow tips. Thicker or larger cookies may need a little longer.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Make and color the royal icing.
Sift the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for about 1½–2 minutes.
Check the consistency by lifting the whisk. For coating the cookies, the icing should drizzle back into the bowl and smooth into the surface within about 5–10 seconds. Add the remaining water a little at a time as needed.
Set aside a small amount of white icing for decorating, then tint the rest green with gel food coloring. Add the coloring a little at a time until you like the shade.
If you want to pipe white lines or dots that hold their shape, keep that portion a little thicker than the green icing. Keep both colors covered when you aren’t using them so they don’t begin to dry out.
Step 5: Ice the Christmas tree cookies.
Transfer the green royal icing to a piping bag or icing bottle fitted with a small round tip. Outline each Christmas tree, then fill the center with more icing.
Use a toothpick or scribe tool to guide the icing into the branch tips, fill small gaps, and pop any air bubbles. Avoid overfilling the cookies so the icing stays within the edges.
Step 6: Decorate with white icing and sprinkles.
While the green icing is still wet, add sprinkles for colorful ornaments. Decorate one or two cookies at a time so the sprinkles stick before the icing begins to set.
Use the reserved white icing to add dots, garlands, or snowy accents. For a flat design, add the white icing while the green base is still wet. For raised details with more defined edges, let the green icing set before piping the white decorations.
If the green icing has already dried, you can use a small dot of fresh icing to attach individual sprinkles.
Let the finished cookies dry uncovered for at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Thick icing or humid conditions may require additional drying time.
Pro Tips for Pretty Christmas Tree Cookies
- Keep the dough cool. Chilled dough is easier to cut and transfer without stretching the tree shapes. If the branch tips start losing their shape, give the dough another short chill.
- Roll an even thickness. Cookies of similar thickness bake more evenly. A slightly thicker cookie is also easier for little hands to decorate.
- Watch the tree tips while baking. The tops and narrow branches may brown before the centers, so check your cookies early.
- Try dipping for easier icing. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the green royal icing, let the excess drip off, then turn it right-side up. Pop any bubbles with a toothpick and add sprinkles immediately. This is faster than outlining and filling, though the edges may look less tidy.
- Keep the decorations manageable. Green icing, a few white details, and some colorful sprinkles are enough to make each cookie look like a decorated tree. You don’t need a complicated piping pattern.
- Let the icing dry thoroughly. The surface can feel dry before the icing underneath has hardened. Give the cookies plenty of time before stacking them or slipping them into gift bags.
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! Keep the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze it for later. If it’s too firm to roll straight from the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature briefly until workable.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Expect about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your Christmas tree cutter and how thickly you roll the dough. Larger cutters and thicker cookies will give you fewer cookies.
Will one batch of royal icing be enough?
One batch should be more than enough to decorate these cookies, including a green base and some white details. The amount you use will depend on the size of your cookies, the thickness of the icing, and how much excess drips off if you use the dipping method.
Do I need to use two colors of icing?
No! You can decorate your trees with green icing and sprinkles alone. Reserving a little white icing gives you another easy way to add garlands, dots, or snowy details, but it’s optional.
Should I let the green icing dry before adding white decorations?
It depends on the look you want. Add white icing while the green is wet for a smooth, flat design. Let the green base set first if you want the white details to sit on top with more defined edges.
When should I add the sprinkles?
Add sprinkles right after coating each cookie with green icing, while the surface is still wet. If you’re decorating a cookie that has already dried, attach the sprinkles with small dots of fresh royal icing.
How long does royal icing take to dry?
Allow at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Drying time varies with icing thickness and humidity, so check that the icing is fully firm first.
How should I store decorated cookies?
Once the icing has dried completely, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Separate layers with parchment paper and handle the tree tops and branch tips carefully.
Set out the sprinkles and let everyone decorate a few trees their own way. Some can have garlands, others can be covered in colorful ornaments, and they’ll all look festive together on a cookie tray. Once the icing has dried, tuck a few into gift bags for friends or save them for your next holiday gathering. It’s a sweet way to fit a little Christmas creativity into a busy season.
Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies
Equipment
- Christmas tree cookie cutter
- 2 small piping bottles (or bags) with small, round tips
- toothpicks
- parchment paper to make cleanup easier
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
For the royal icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder
- 9–10 Tbsp water plus more as needed
For decorating:
- Green gel food coloring
- Sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
Step 1: Make the dough.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Chill and roll.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. I use ⅜ inch if I know kids will be helping because it makes the cookies sturdier.
- Cut out Christmas tree shapes and carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Take your time lifting the tops and branch tips so they keep their shape. If the dough gets soft or sticky, return it to the refrigerator briefly before continuing.
Step 3: Bake.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- Start checking at 8 minutes, especially if your trees have narrow tips. Thicker or larger cookies may need a little longer.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Make and color the royal icing.
- Sift the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for about 1½–2 minutes.
- Check the consistency by lifting the whisk. For coating the cookies, the icing should drizzle back into the bowl and smooth into the surface within about 5–10 seconds. Add the remaining water a little at a time as needed.
- Set aside a small amount of white icing for decorating, then tint the rest green with gel food coloring. Add the coloring a little at a time until you like the shade.
- If you want to pipe white lines or dots that hold their shape, keep that portion a little thicker than the green icing. Keep both colors covered when you aren’t using them so they don’t begin to dry out.
Step 5: Ice the Christmas tree cookies.
- Transfer the green royal icing to a piping bag or icing bottle fitted with a small round tip. Outline each Christmas tree, then fill the center with more icing.
- Use a toothpick or scribe tool to guide the icing into the branch tips, fill small gaps, and pop any air bubbles. Avoid overfilling the cookies so the icing stays within the edges.
Step 6: Decorate with white icing and sprinkles.
- While the green icing is still wet, add sprinkles for colorful ornaments. Decorate one or two cookies at a time so the sprinkles stick before the icing begins to set.
- Use the reserved white icing to add dots, garlands, or snowy accents. For a flat design, add the white icing while the green base is still wet. For raised details with more defined edges, let the green icing set before piping the white decorations.
- If the green icing has already dried, you can use a small dot of fresh icing to attach individual sprinkles.
- Let the finished cookies dry uncovered for at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Thick icing or humid conditions may require additional drying time.
