These easy Christmas butter cookies are perfect for the holiday season! Ready in only 20 minutes and made with 6 ingredients! Dipped in chocolate and decorated with Christmas sprinkles!
These Christmas butter cookies are not only easy to make, they only take 20 minutes and call for just 6 ingredients for the cookie!
These are no chill cookies so you can bake them in the oven right away. They bake up in 10 minutes and are ready for decorating with Christmas sprinkles and chocolate once cooled. Simple, easy, and delicious!
Why this recipe works
The flavor and texture of these Christmas cookies is amazing! This recipe is based on my classic butter cookie recipe which recommends European butter and cake flour for this cookie.
Don't worry if you don't have European butter or cake flour, you can substitute regular butter and all purpose flour in this recipe and it will still turn out delicious! I've done this many times and was happy with the results!
To create these beautiful shapes, you'll need to use a piping bag with a pastry tip and coupler. The dough is sticky and needs to be piped to make their signature shapes. I linked the equipment I recommend in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cake flour - creates a delicate texture and even crumb in this cookie. It also has less gluten than all purpose flour which prevents this cookie from getting tough and chewy. All purpose flour can be substituted.
- European style butter is recommended because it has less water and higher dairy fat compared to regular butter. The higher fat content adds richness and less water means that less gluten gets activated while mixing the dough. Regular unsalted butter can be substituted.
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Chocolate Ganache
- Christmas sprinkles
How to Make Easy Christmas Butter Cookies
- Make sure your butter is softened before you begin. I like to leave it out at room temperature or you can cut it into small pieces and microwave it for 5 seconds at a time. Be careful not to melt it.
- Using a hand mixer or whisk, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt. Make sure the sugar granules have dissolved completely. Then the egg and vanilla extract and beat it together.
- Sift in the cake flour and slowly mix together until it's combined, being careful not to over mix the dough. The dough will get sticky at this point.
- Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip and fastened with a coupler. Pipe out different shapes onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Have fun and try out different shapes! Make sure they are roughly the same size so they can finish baking at the same time.
- Bake at 375 degree F for 10 minutes or until the edges turn a golden brown color.
- Let the cookies cool completely before dipping them into the chocolate ganache. Lay the cookies flat on parchment paper after dipping.
- Add the Christmas sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
- Let the chocolate harden completely before serving. Makes about 40 cookies.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- European butter gives the best results because of its higher dairy fat and lower water content.
- Add the holiday sprinkles while the chocolate ganache is still wet.
- Try dipping into melted white chocolate for variation.
- Use cake flour. Cake flour has less gluten than all purpose flour, so these cookies come out delicate with a softer texture.
- Try decorating these with icing or frosting!
- Don't over mix the dough. Over mixing the dough creates gluten, which results in a tough, chewy cookie. These should be delicate and soft, but still have a slight crisp when bitten into.
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter cookies, shortbread cookies, and sugar cookies are different because of the different amounts of butter, sugar, and flour.
Shortbread cookies have the highest ratio of butter to flour ratio which makes them the most crumbly in texture and most brittle.
In comparison, butter cookies are sturdier and don't break apart as easily compared to shortbread cookies. This makes them perfect for packaging up as gifts!
Sugar cookies have the lowest butter to flour ratio which also make them great for packing up as gifts. Sugar cookies are typically rolled flat and used with cookie cutter cut outs to make various shapes. They're great for decorating with icing for the holidays!
They taste best up to a week when stored in an airtight container. Wait for them to cool completely before placing them in the container to avoid any trapped humidity.
Serve these with this amazing creamy hot chocolate recipe and enjoy the holiday season!
More holiday recipes to try:
- Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies with Icing
- 5 Minute Chocolate Ganache for Cakes, Glazes, Dips
- Christmas Yule Log Cake – Buche de Noel
- Rich & Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Giant Flourless Chocolate Cookies
- Butter Cookies – Easy 6 Ingredient Recipe!
- Bakery Swiss Roll Cake Recipe
- Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
- Creamy Panna Cotta Recipe with Cranberry Sauce
Recipe
Easy Christmas Butter Cookies - Ready in 20 Minutes!
☑ Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup cake flour - (200g)
- ½ cup white sugar - (100g)
- pinch of salt - (2g)
Wet Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter - (140g) - ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons, softened at room temperature
- 1 large egg - (60g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - (1g)
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate bar
- ½ cup heavy cream - - Optional: additional 1 – 3 teaspoons depending on desired thinness
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Make Butter Cookie Dough
- Cream butter and sugar: Cream together the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat together until incorporated, about 1 minute.½ cup white sugar, pinch of salt, 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour: Next, sift the cake flour and add it in three parts, mixing after each time until it's fully incorporated. The dough will be thick and sticky. Be careful not to over-mix the dough as you want to minimize gluten development. Note: if the dough feels too thick to pipe, add in a few drops of milk.1 ⅔ cup cake flour
Pipe Cookie Shapes
- Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip for easier piping. I use Ateco piping tips. I recommend Ateco 846 or Ateco 844. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pipe 2-inch cookies in rosettes, straight lines, or any preferred shape. Note: If you have difficulty piping, gently knead the dough in the piping bag with your hands to soften and warm it up.
Bake
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Let them completely cool before dipping in chocolate.
Decorate
- Make the ganache: Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and add them to a microwave-safe bowl with the heavy cream. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring after each time. When the chocolate pieces are mostly melted, keep stirring until you have a silky, smooth chocolate ganache. Makes ¾ cup of chocolate ganache.4 oz bittersweet chocolate bar, ½ cup heavy cream
- Dip each cookie into the ganache and lay it flat on parchment paper. Add sprinkles before the chocolate sets. Otherwise, decorate with Christmas cookie icing. Enjoy!Christmas sprinkles
✎ Recipe Notes
- Makes about 30 to 40 cookies based on 2 inch length cookies.
- Storage - wait for the cookies to cool completely then store them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for up to 7 days.
- Edible gifts - these cookies are sturdy and package well for edible gifts. When the cookies and ganache have completely set and cooled, add them to goodie bags and seal them tightly. If the cookies are still warm, it will cause condensation inside the package.
- Use cake flour for a softer, more uniform crumb. Cake flour has less gluten than all purpose flour, so these cookies come out delicate with a finer texture.
- Don't over mix the dough. They shouldn't be chewy at all, so the less gluten that gets created, the better. Butter cookies should be soft, yet have a subtle crisp when bitten into.
- European butter gives the best results because of its higher dairy fat and lower water content.
- Freeze - You can definitely freeze these cookies but I would recommend freezing them without the chocolate. Let the cookies cool completely and then wrap them in parchment paper in a single layer. Store them in an airtight plastic bag or freezer safe container. They should be good for up to a month.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Marilyn
These cookies came out delicious. But, I did have to add a couple of drips of milk to make them easier to come out the pastry bag. My family was very impressed, thanks for the recipe! Everyone loved them!
Jamie
I'm so glad to hear that Marilyn! Thanks for trying the recipe! 🙂
Biana
Love how festive these cookies look and how easy it is to make them!
Jamie
Thank you! They're great for decorating during the holidays!
nancy
Christmas baking is stressful, thank goodness for this 20 min recipe!
Jamie
Thank you! So glad you enjoy these!
Sharon
These turned out so beautifully! I never knew you could make these butter cookies at home. They are wonderful for the homemade cookie tins I give as gifts. Thanks!
Jamie
That's great to hear Sharon! I'm so glad you loved it, thanks for trying the recipe!
Colleen
We loved these cookies and it was fun making different shapes and decorating them with the kids. Will make another batch because they didn't last long!
Jamie
So glad to hear that Colleen! Thanks for trying the recipe! 🙂
Beth
So festive and delicious. I just love these Christmas cookies. My all time favorite. Don't forget to use good quality butter.
Adrianne
These cookies are SO cute! It's fun trying out all of the shapes and I love the swirl effect. These are putting me in the Christmas spirit, thanks!
Jamie
Thank you so much Adrianne! I'm glad you enjoyed these!
Heather
These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies! It's quick and easy and tastes so much better made from scratch!
Maria
Christmas is near and these cookies are perfect! I've been practicing the shapes for a cookie exchange later this week. Thank you!
Brianna
Loved the texture of these cookies! Butter and light; I also love how they hold their shape.
Jamie
Glad to hear it Brianna! Thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Genevieve
I can't believe Christmas is coming up! The seasons go by too fast now. These look delicious!
Kim
Outstanding! 8500 ft 10 minutes 375 degrees, added 1 extra tablespoon of cake flour. Perfect! Used Ateco #869 for these beauties! Thank you for the time saving delicious recipe!
Jamie
That's great to hear Kim! I'm so glad you loved them. Thanks for trying the recipe! 🙂
Jessie
I love how simple yet tasty these sound! These are going to be a great addition to my holiday cookie boxes.
Brittany
These butter cookies are one of my all time favorites especially for the holidays! So easy and always a hit at our gatherings! So delicious and very yummy!
Jamie
Thank for sharing Brittany! That makes me so happy! 🙂
Andrea
A perfect cookie for the holidays. Will bookmark for later in the year.
Jamie
Hope you enjoy these for the holidays!