Santa Sugar Cookies

4.6
(7)

These Santa Claus cookies are super cute, easy to make, and so much fun to decorate with the kids!

3
Three Santa sugar cookies on a green plate.
3
3
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Additional Time:
2 hrs
Total Time:
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings:
20

You can make bakery-worthy Santa cookies at home and it's easier than you think! You'll come back to this Santa cookie recipe year after year.

Santa Cookies Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need to make this fun, festive Santa cookie recipe:

· Flour: This cute Santa cookie recipe starts with all-purpose flour.
· Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a leavener, which means it helps the cookies rise.
· Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, but it won't make them taste salty.
· Sugar: You'll need 1 ½ cups of white sugar.
· Butter: Two sticks of butter add moisture and richness.
· Eggs: Eggs lend even more moisture. They also act as a binder, which means they help hold the dough together.
· Extracts: Vanilla and almond extracts enhance the overall flavor.
· Cooking spray: Make sure to spray your baking sheet with cooking spray so the cookies don't stick.
· Icings: You'll need red and white cookie decorating icings.
· Candy: Make Santa's eyes with mini chocolate morsels and his nose with red candy-coated pieces.
· Whipped topping: Use a can of store-bought whipped cream to make Santa's beard.

How to Make Santa Cookies

You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make these Santa cookies:

1. Make the dough: Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, cover, and chill.
2. Roll and cut the dough: When the dough is firm enough to handle, roll it out on a floured surface. Use a prepared cookie cutter to cut the dough into Santa shapes.
3. Bake the cookies: Transfer the shaped dough to a prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown.
4. Decorate the cookies: Follow the detailed instructions below to decorate the cooled cookies with the icings, candies, and whipped toppings.

How to Store Santa Cookies

Since these cookies are decorated, you'll need to store them in a single layer. Place them in a shallow, airtight container and store them at room temperature for about three days. To ensure the cookies stay soft, add a slice of white bread to the container. It'll absorb the dry air instead of the cookies.

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 20 servings

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

  • Non-stick cooking spray

  • 2 (7 ounce) pouches red decorating cookie icing

  • 2 (7 ounce) pouches white decorating cookie icing

  • 22 red candy-coated chocolate pieces

  • 44 semisweet chocolate morsels

  • Whipped Topping

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    all ingredients gathered to make Santa sugar cookies

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

    flour, baking powder, and salt combined in a mixing bowl

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

    wet and dry ingredients combined in a mixing bowl

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Divide dough into 3 portions; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until throughly chilled and firm enough to handle.

    dough divided into three portions and wrapped in plastic wrap

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray baking sheets and 5-inch Santa face cookie cutter with cooking spray; set aside.

  6. Roll out one portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out cookies with the prepared cutter; transfer them onto prepared baking sheets using a metal spatula, placing them 1-inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, spraying the cutter with additional cooking spray as needed.

    dough rolled out and cut into Santas

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

    cookies baked until edges are slightly golden-brown

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Use red icing to fill in the hat, leaving the tip of the hat blank. Use white icing to fill in the tip of the hat, the brim of the hat, the beard and to make 2 dots in the center of the face for the eyes. Place a red candy centered between the eyes at the top of the beard for the nose and a mini morsel on each white dot to make eyes.

    Santa cookies decorated

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  9. Top beard with whipped cream just before serving. Serve and enjoy!

    Three Santa sugar cookies on a green plate.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Tips

Royal Icing may be used in place of the purchased cookie icing, if desired. To make the icing, stir together 2 tablespoons meringue powder and 1/4 cup warm water until powder dissolves; mix in 3 cups confectioners' sugar. Tint with food coloring for desired color. Icing may be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

32 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

547 Calories
28g Fat
77g Carbs
5g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 20
Calories 547
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28g 35%
Saturated Fat 15g 73%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 232mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 77g 28%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 58g
Protein 5g 9%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 238mg 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.