My old fashioned butter cookies are tender, buttery cut-out cookies made with just 6 simple ingredients, shaped into Christmas trees and little presents, then decorated with red and green royal icing.
The dough is plain and classic, the way holiday cookies used to be, so the butter and vanilla really shine. It only needs 1 hour in the fridge, and the cookies bake in 10 to 12 minutes, so you can bake and decorate in one afternoon.
A Little History of Christmas Butter Cookies
Butter cookies are an old European Christmas tradition. In Germany, families still bake Ausstecherle, rolled butter cookies cut into stars, trees and hearts, during Advent, and similar cut-out butter cookies are baked all over Central and Eastern Europe. The tradition crossed the ocean too.
Christmas cookies in America go back to Dutch settlers in the early 1600s, and in the late 1800s inexpensive German cookie cutters reached American stores, many shaped to hang on the Christmas tree.
My recipe is that same simple European-style dough: butter, sugar, an egg, flour and vanilla, rolled thin and cut into trees and presents.
Butter cookies always make me think of my grandpa, who was from Denmark. He always had a blue tin of Danish butter cookies around, and we all loved them. At Christmas, our family makes spritz, but these rolled butter cookies have that same rich, buttery flavor I remember from Grandpa's tin.
There's something so cozy about rolling out dough at the kitchen table and filling the counter with trees and presents. These are one of the simplest cookies on my old-fashioned Christmas cookies list, and they're right at home with my vintage cookie recipes.
What to Know About Old Fashioned Butter Cookies
- Just 6 dough ingredients - flour, butter, sugar, an egg, salt and vanilla. No baking powder, so the shapes stay sharp.
- Only 1 hour of chilling: the dough firms up quickly and rolls out without sticking.
- Bakes at 350°F - 10 to 12 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden.
- Two easy shapes: a Christmas tree cutter for trees, and a knife for rectangles that turn into little wrapped presents.
- Let the icing set - give decorated cookies 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, before stacking.
Ingredients for Easy Christmas Butter Cookies
- Unsalted butter - soft, room-temperature butter creams up light and keeps the cookies tender.
- Sugar: just enough to sweeten the dough and give the edges a little crispness.
- Egg and vanilla - the egg holds the dough together, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla gives it that classic bakery flavor.
- Flour and salt: spoon and level the flour so the dough isn't dry or crumbly.
- Egg whites and powdered sugar - that's all it takes for a glossy royal icing that dries hard and smooth.
- Gel food coloring: water-based red and green gel colors give bright icing without thinning it out.
You'll also need a Christmas tree cookie cutter and piping bags. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Christmas Butter Cookies
Step 1: Make the dough
Cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scrape down the bowl, then add the flour and mix just until it comes together.
Step 2: Chill
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 3: Roll and cut
Roll the dough about ⅛ inch thick on a lightly floured counter. Cut out trees with the cookie cutter, and cut rectangles with a knife for presents.
Step 4: Bake
Bake on baking sheets lined with parchment or a silicone mat at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden. Let them cool completely.
Step 5: Make the icing and decorate
Beat the egg whites and powdered sugar until glossy, then divide the icing and tint it red and green. Pipe on your designs, and let the cookies sit for 6 to 8 hours or overnight so the icing sets.
Grandma's Tips for the Best Butter Cookies
- Roll evenly. Cookies that are the same thickness bake at the same speed, so none burn on the edges.
- Cover your icing. Royal icing dries out fast, so keep a damp towel or plastic wrap over any bowl you're not using.
- Cool them all the way. Icing on warm cookies melts and runs.
- Reroll the scraps once. Press the leftover dough together, chill it briefly and cut a few more.
How to Make Ahead and Store Christmas Butter Cookies
- Make the dough ahead: keep it wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 1 month.
- Storing - keep decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: freeze them plain, layered between parchment, for up to 2 months. Thaw them before you decorate.
Modern Updates
- Almond butter cookies - swap the vanilla for almond extract.
- Meringue powder icing: use meringue powder instead of raw egg whites, following the package directions for royal icing.
- Sprinkles and sparkle - add sanding sugar, nonpareils or gold sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
- More holidays: the same dough works with hearts, stars or bunnies all year.
What to Serve With Christmas Butter Cookies
I like these on a Christmas cookie tray with a bowl of vintage holiday punch. They make a pretty finish to an old-fashioned Christmas dinner alongside a few retro holiday desserts, and they're sweet with coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.
FAQs
Are these Danish butter cookies?
No. These are rolled, cut-out butter cookies, closer to German Christmas butter cookies, and they're iced. Danish butter cookies, like the ones in the blue tin, use a soft dough that's piped into rings and swirls and baked crisp, with no icing.
What's the difference between butter cookies and sugar cookies?
Butter cookies lean on butter for flavor and usually skip baking powder, so they're richer and hold their shape. Many sugar cookie recipes use baking powder and more sugar, so they puff and spread a little more.
Why did my butter cookies spread?
The dough was too warm. Chill it for the full hour, and if your kitchen is warm, pop the cut cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
Can I make these without icing?
Yes. Sprinkle them with colored sugar before baking for a simple, classic look.
More Holiday Recipes
- Vintage Candy Recipes
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Classic Trifle and Layered Desserts
- Vintage Cakes
- Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Easy Christmas Butter Cookies with Royal Icing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cream the butter, salt and sugar with a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla while mixing. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out trees with the cookie cutter and cut rectangles with a knife for presents.
- Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges just turn golden brown. Cool completely.
- For the icing, beat the egg whites and confectioners' sugar until glossy. Divide among small bowls and tint with the gel food coloring. Keep any icing not in use covered with plastic wrap.
- Transfer the icing to piping bags and decorate. Let the cookies sit 6 to 8 hours or overnight until the icing sets.
Notes
- Yield is about 30 cookies with a 3-inch cutter.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at 10.
- Chill the dough at least 1 hour, then let the icing set 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- Use gel coloring so the icing doesn't get watery.
- Dough keeps in the fridge up to 2 days or the freezer up to 1 month.
- Store decorated cookies airtight at room temperature up to 5 days. Freeze plain cookies up to 2 months and thaw before icing.
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