Christmas Butter Cookies
These tender melt in your mouth Christmas Butter Cookies are my #1 requested cookie recipe. I’ve made these cookies 100’s of times!! They are the perfect cookie to make for the holidays and they get more buttery each day after they’re made.
Oh my heavens….I’ve made these melt in your mouth Butter Cookies a zillion…zillion times over the past 30 years. This is one of my two most requested cookie recipes from all of my friends. These cookies are loaded with butter and then frosted with a rich buttercream frosting. They are even better the day after they are made, and they keep well for several days in an airtight container. I make these wonderful cut out cookies for all Holidays! You will see various cutouts of these cookies posted for different holidays…
I don’t know about you guys, but I LOVE real butter! Butter, butter, butter! Butter makes everything better…well except for my cholesterol. However, I shall not give up butter! If I can’t use the real thing, I won’t waste my time baking my favorite recipes. Nothing compares to the rich pure flavor of butter. Once you try it in a batch of cookies, you will never go back! I think I should probably buy stock in Land O Lakes butter…Trust me when I say that real butter and pure vanilla are the two ingredients that make all baked goods AWESOME!
What I really love about this cookie dough is the fact that you don’t have to refrigerate it before rolling out. However, it can be refrigerated for a few days prior to using.
You can roll this cookie dough as thick or thin as you like. Sometimes I roll it out really thick, other times thinner. It just depends on the mood I’m in at the time.
Tips:
– Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface.
– Use a thin metal spatula to lift cookies.
– Do not over bake the cookies. The cookies should still be very light colored on tops and a very light brown on bottoms.
– Cool completely before removing from cookie sheets. These cookies break easily when warm.
Click here to see my second most popular cookie recipe.
Now go make some Christmas memories in the kitchen!
Print
Christmas Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 to 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These tender melt in your mouth Butter Cookies are my #1 requested cookie recipe. I’ve made these cookies 100’s of times!! They are the perfect cookie to make for the holidays and they get more buttery each day after they’re made.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 cups real unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour, more for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Icing
- 1 pound powdered sugar, maybe more
- 5 1/3 tablespoons (1/3 cup real unsalted butter), softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk, (enough milk for easy spreading consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the Cookies
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar on low speed with a mixer until the sugar is incorporated, then on medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy. Stir in dry ingredients that have been sifted together or mixed well with a fork.
- Working with about 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll dough out to about 1/4″ in thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops are still very light, (not browned at all). Cool on a wire rack and decorate with buttercream frosting.
For the Icing
- Melt the butter in a saucepan or use a microwave. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk and mix it in. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add the second tablespoon of milk as needed for perfect spreading consistency. Beat the icing with a spoon until it’s satiny smooth. If the frosting seems too thick, add a tiny bit more milk, only 1 teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add a little more sugar.
- Frost and decorate the cookies. Let the cookies sit, until the frosting has completely set.
- Store the cookies between layers of wax paper in an airtight container.
Notes
- These cookies keep well for up to two weeks in an airtight container. They also taste more buttery the day after they are baked.
- Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to three months.
Keywords: cookies, butter cookies, Christmas cookies, shortbread cookies, cut out cookies,
I just made these cookies and they’re truly the best cookies I’ve ever made, hands-down. They make amazing holiday cookies, are so buttery, and the frosting is to die for. They are worth it, you should make them. Now that you read my comment, go make them 😉
★★★★★
Does the icing harden enough to put the cookie in a bag as gifts?
Hi Tes, Yes, it does. It takes at least one hour to set up enough for stacking in layers.
I haven’t made them yet. Are they soft or hard cookies?
Hi Irene, They aren’t soft as in little cakes. They are firm but have a melt in your mouth texture. Sort of like shortbread but better. The icing is perfect and they taste more buttery each day they’re stored in an airtight container.
Wonderful Christmas cut out cookies made yesterday to give to family and friends outstanding recipe very tasteful and the frosting is wonderful I baked first patch 13 minutes way to long the rest I backed for 5- 6 minutes rolled out cookies dough thin spread frosting timely for it hardes fast saving recipe for next year yummy good Terri in Aubrey Tx
With the frosting, how much butter -in cups- is needed?
Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Carla, That would be 5 1/3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. However, it doesn’t have to be exact.
Are you sure the measurements of butter in the icing is correct? Wouldn’t it be 1/3 cup and not 1/3 stick?
Hi Amanda, Thanks for catching that. It’s corrected now. Happy Holidays! 🙂
This is an outstanding and so easy. I felt a bit rusty, having not made butter cutouts in years. Every recipe I saw seem to have some very negative reviews, amongst some very excellent reviews. This has confectioner’s sugar, and it give me a great texture. The flavor is of butter is perfect, The dough is very forgiving.. They’re for a good bye party for my cousin/wife and new baby. I will decorate tomorrow. PS I only made 1/2 recipe, as I was skeptical. No more. This is your go-to butter recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Roseanne, I’m so glad you liked them. They are my most popular cookie at Christmas. Happy baking! 🙂
Thank you! I am not a backer but its so simple! I am making those for the 5th time since beginning of 2023. I skip frosting and put nuts on top. Everybody is crazy about them, I need to hide the tin!
Hi Katya, I’m so glad they were a hit. They’re one of my top two cookie recipes.
superb!
★★★★★
Outstanding recipe! This is by far the best recipe for cut outs that I have ever made. The dough came together perfectly and the cookies baked beautifully! And absolutely delicious!
★★★★★