Add some FLAVOR to your cookie tray this year! Along with my classic sugar cookies and soft gingerbread, you'll find flavored cut out cookie recipes like chocolate, red velvet, chocolate chip, lemon, and brown sugar, plus my favorite icing and frosting recipes too.
These Christmas cut out cookies are all my own recipes, tested in my kitchen, and most are made with no-chill dough that won't spread, so your cookie cutter cookies come out crisp and cute every time.
I'm always inspired by all the pretty decorated cookies out there, but I'm not a professional baker, so I wanted easy rolled cookies for home bakers like me. That meant no-chill dough and edges that stay crisp in the oven. And let me tell ya, it took a lot of testing, and we ate a lot of cookies! I also wanted fun flavors beyond basic sugar cookies, and simple frostings -- many that set firm enough to stack -- so anyone can make super cute Christmas cookies at home.
Below you'll find all my Christmas cookie cut out recipes, the cookie icing and frosting recipes I use, and pictures of holiday cookies for your decorating inspiration.
7 No Spread Christmas Cut Out Cookie Ideas
Haul out the mixing bowl, rolling pin, and your favorite cookie cutters. It's time to make a batch of cut out Christmas cookies! But this time, we're not stopping at sugar cookies. We're going for fun flavors and easy frostings for pretty cookies anyone can make at home.
No Chill No Spread Christmas Sugar Cookies
This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe for decorated Christmas cut out cookies -- and so many readers agree! This sugar cookie dough is easy to work with and roll out, and the cookies hold their shape without chilling (and no cornstarch!) even for intricate cookie cutters like snowflakes. A hint of almond extract gives them great flavor, so they’re just as good plain with a cup of coffee.
Frost them with my simple crusting buttercream or easy cookie icing recipe. Both dry to a firm, stackable finish.
Chocolate Cut Out Cookies (No Chill, No Spread)
If there’s a chocolate cookie on the goodie tray, I’m reaching for it every time! These chocolate sugar cookies are rich, soft, and almost brownie-like, with a smooth surface that’s perfect for icing and sprinkles. They’re one of the easiest sugar cookie ideas for switching things up. Add a little espresso powder for an even deeper chocolate flavor. Decorate with my chocolate cookie icing that hardens to a firm, stackable finish.
Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies
A little cocoa and red gel food coloring turn classic sugar cookies into soft, pretty red velvet cookies. I don’t chill the dough at all, and these rolled cookies bake up with crisp, sharp edges and soft centers. Frost them with cream cheese frosting for that classic red velvet cake flavor or my luscious almond buttercream.
Chocolate Chip Cutout Cookies (No Chill)
This cut-out version of chocolate chip cookies is soft and chewy and tastes just like your favorite cookies. It’s made with mini chips, so the dough works with cookie cutters and cuts cleanly. I like to drizzle them with melted chocolate and add festive sprinkles instead of completely covering the tops with icing or frosting, so everyone knows they’re chocolate chip cookies.
Lemon Cut Out Cookies
Hey, lemon lovers, these are for you! They’re soft, buttery lemon shortbread cookies made with fresh lemon juice and zest, and one of my favorite cut out cookie flavors. They’re perfect plain, or frosted with lemon cream cheese icing for an extra pop of lemon.
3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies
If you’re looking for different cut out cookies to try, it doesn’t get any easier than these. It’s just three simple ingredients: butter, brown sugar, and flour, but browning the butter gives these shortbread cookies a deep, nutty flavor. They’re tender and buttery, and they hold their shape beautifully. Drizzle them with maple icing and serve with a cup of hot cocoa.
Soft Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (No Chill)
Every collection of Christmas cookie cut out recipes needs gingerbread! These soft, chewy gingerbread cookies are full of molasses and cozy spices, plus a pinch of black pepper and cayenne for a little zip. The dough rolls out without sticking and cuts cleanly, so it’s perfect for cookie cutter cookies like gingerbread men, mittens, snowflakes, and any shape you love. Decorate with my simple 2-Ingredient gingerbread cookie frosting.
🖌️Easy Cookie Decorating Ideas
🌀Tips for Perfect Rolled Cookies
- Use butter that's truly room temperature. It should be cool to the touch and leave an indent when you press it, but not soft and squishy. Butter that's too warm makes the dough sticky and can cause it to spread.
- Measure flour carefully. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Too much flour makes cookies dry.
- Roll between sheets of parchment paper instead of rolling the dough out on a floured surface. It keeps the dough from sticking without working extra flour into it.
- Use rolling pin guides or dowels on each side of your rolling pin so the dough rolls to an even thickness.
- Roll to ¼ inch for the cleanest edges. Thicker cut outs are more likely to warp their shape while baking. Thinner dough also works best for intricate cookie cutters.
- Want thicker cookies? Freeze the cutouts for about 15 minutes before baking to keep those sharp edges.
- If the dough gets too soft, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. Warm kitchens and soft butter can make any dough tricky.
- Don't overbake. Most of these bake in just 6 to 8 minutes, so pull them as soon as the edges are set.
🎄Christmas Cookie Frostings Guide
- For firm, stackable cookies, use my crusting buttercream, glossy cookie icing, chocolate cookie icing, and gingerbread frosting. Let the frosted cookies set for several hours (overnight is fine) before stacking.
- Soft frostings like cream cheese frosting and lemon cream cheese icing stay softer and need to be stored in the refrigerator. Cream cheese frosting firms up enough to stack in the fridge but softens at room temperature.
- An easy and pretty drizzle of melted chocolate or maple icing is fast and simple and requires no piping skills.
☑️Make Ahead and Storage
- Make the dough ahead: shape the dough into discs, wrap it, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature until it's soft enough to roll.
- Freeze the dough: store cookie dough in a freezer bag up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge.
- Store baked cookies: keep plain cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies: freeze plain or frosted cookies up to 3 months. For frosted cookies, let the icing set first, then layer them between sheets of parchment or wax paper.
❓FAQs
Not for most of the recipes above. The sugar, chocolate, red velvet, chocolate chip, lemon, and gingerbread doughs can be rolled, cut, and baked right away. The brown sugar shortbread is the exception. It needs a short chill, but that's for a tender, crumbly texture, not to stop spreading.
It comes down to truly room-temperature butter (cool, not greasy) and the right ratio of flour. The sugar cookies also use baking powder instead of baking soda, which gives them lift without spreading.
No. Some recipes use a pretty large amount of cornstarch to control the spread, but I'm not a fan of the texture it gives to cookies. These recipes hold their shape without any added cornstarch.
About ¼ inch gives the cleanest edges and works for every shape, including intricate ones. You can go a little thicker for simple shapes.
Crusting buttercream or a cookie icing that sets firm. Just let it dry completely before stacking.
No. This gingerbread is soft and chewy, perfect for eating but not sturdy enough for building.
Shortbread (like the lemon and brown sugar cookies) has more butter and usually no egg, so it's rich, buttery, and crumbly. Sugar cookies have egg and baking powder, so they're softer and chewier.
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