Baking Christmas cookies with my daughters is one of my favorite holiday traditions. We always make a huge mess but the fun and memories make the clean-up worth it! Even at 2 and 4 years old, they can help measure, crack eggs, stir, and roll out the dough. And, of course, everyone’s favorite part, decorate the cookies!
Want to know the secret ingredient for delicious cut-out Christmas cookies? It’s sour cream! Adding sour cream makes your cookies softer and almost cake-like. And the best part about this recipe is you don’t have to wait for the dough to chill before rolling it out. My crew doesn’t have the time or patience for that!
How to Make Cut-Out Christmas Cookies:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- Buttercream frosting
- Food coloring of choice
- Sprinkles
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using a mixer, mix together butter and sugar. Stir in egg and sour cream. Add baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in flour until the dough becomes too difficult to stir.
- On a floured surface, knead dough in flour until it’s no longer sticky. Roll the dough out to ¼-1/2-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into Christmas shapes.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool. While cooling, create different frosting colors by mixing frosting and food coloring in small bowls.
- Once the cookies are cool, decorate with frosting and sprinkles to create fun and festive cookies!
Don’t forget to embrace the joy and mess of the holiday season. Santa doesn’t care what the cookies look like, as long as they’re paired with his favorite yuletide fuel–ice-cold milk!
Caroline Pullen, MS, RD, LDN
Caroline is a Registered Dietitian and has practiced nutrition for over 10 years. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nutrition at the University of Alabama and completed her Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prior to starting her own private practice, Caroline worked at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
Caroline believes all foods fit and can be enjoyed in a healthy diet. She enjoys working with patients to help them create a nutrition plan that works for their lives and goals.
She lives in Nashville, TN, with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.