Easy Christmas tree sugar cookies recipe with NO cookie cutters needed! Moist baked sugar cookie you’ll love any time of year.
These Christmas tree sugar cookies are so easy to make! All you need is a knife to create this classic shape, then sprinkle on your “ornaments” and enjoy. One of our quick easy dessert recipes. (affiliate links present)
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Decorating Ideas
Yes we have made a lot of fun Christmas cookies over the years. Anything that tastes great AND is “cute” wins at our house. I mean, I have 3 girls so it has to look good too. 😉 I am not into complex with a lot of hard to find ingredients though either. SO skip the cookie cutters this year and make these tree cookies here.
These are fabulous when you have little hands at home that aren’t going to be able to decorate with accuracy. Even if the green isn’t a perfect zig zag it will resemble the same branches idea. Abstract but everyone will get the gist of this seasonal cookie.
You really don’t need “all the things” when you’re making homemade shortbread cookies. Think about it, sprinkle balls look very similar to ornaments on the tree when they’re this small. You can go a step further and get gold and silver edible balls too.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Powdered sugar aka confectioners sugar
- Butter or plant based dairy free alternative
- Vanilla extract and/or almond extract
- Salt, just a pinch to enhance the sweetness
- Candy melts melted for decorating
- Sprinkle balls to look like ornaments on top
Beyond that you’ll want 2 pie plates, a fork, parchment paper and a sharp knife. Want to layer all the flavors, we have used this base for our pecan shortbread bars too.
No Cookie Cutters Christmas Tree Cookies
It’s quite simple really to make homemade sugar cookies like this. I mean, the basic recipe is pretty much the same all across the web. It’s how you cut and decorate them that makes each one different.
Peanut butter blossoms are top on the list, followed by sugar cookies and then I’d say gingerbread / molasses.
We will show you how here! You can make them into trees or just scoop into balls and bake at 375 for 8 minutes instead. If baked round remove when outside edges are firming but middle is a bit wet.
Allow to cool on sheet completely before removing to keep as moist and chewy as possible.
1/4″ inch thick is most ideal. Remember that they will rise when baking too so in the end will become thicker than this.
The key to these Christmas sugar cookies is to cut the circle when it’s still warm. If you don’t it will crumble and won’t keep the triangular shape.
No Cookie Cutter Christmas Cookies Recipe
Here is a quick step by step but the entire recipe is in a printable card below for your convenience.
Time needed: 30 minutes
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- Prepare
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray non stick spray in two 9″ pie pans and line with parchment paper.
- Mix
In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) add confectioners sugar, softened butter cut into chunks and mix until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt and mix until well incorporated.
- Get ready to bake
Divide dough in half, place into pie pans and spread dough out evenly. No real need to roll the dough out for this. Use a fork to poke the top of the flat cookie dough pieces.
- Bake
Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully lift parchment paper with cookie on it on to a cutting board.
- Slice
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter works well (while still warm or it will break) and slice circle in half, then cut in half again and again so you have 8 equal triangular pieces. Allow to sit and cool completely.
- Decorate
Melt candy melts for 30 second increments stirring in between in the microwave. Pour into piping bag or freezer bag with small tip cut off and pipe on in a squiggly pattern. Sprinkle on sprinkles to signify ornaments too if desired. Allow to dry and cool.
with cake mix
If you wanted to start from a box you could make the dough for 3 ingredient cake mix cookies and then follow this same technique. Instead of drop cookies you would form into the round pan to bake into one large one. Slice, cool and then let your kids decorate them this way for added fun.
Homemade Sugar Cookies
Of course decorate them as you wish, and use whatever melts you wish. Green of course works for these tree shaped treats. Alternatively you could use royal icing like we did when our gingerbread dough was cooked. Make homemade or mix store bought frosting with green food coloring.
Use a thin piping bag and squeeze on top. Rainbow sprinkles will signify Christmas lights / ornaments.
How do you keep sugar cookies fresh?
Do not refrigerate them. In a freezer bag or airtight container stack them with wax paper in between each one. Make sure all air is out and then seal tight. That is how I save all of treats. From these to microwave peppermint fudge they all need to stay away from air as it will dry them all out.
How do you store decorated sugar cookies?
I would recommend if you’re just making these for yourself, to leave them plain until you eat them. They are easier to store without the frosting on top quite frankly. If you do them all though:
Use a shallow storage container so they’re not overlapping and ruin the design. Get as much air out as possible and store in a shady area of your countertop.
Looking to add another Christmas dessert to your baking rotation? We have a few others you might enjoy like our Lebkuchen German spice cookies or Grandmas fruitcake!
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 2 pie plates with parchment paper
- 1 Pizza Cutter or sharp knife to cut into triangles
- 1 Bowl to melt green chocolate melts
Ingredients
- 1 c powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 c butter, unsalted, softened
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 c candy melts, green
- sprinkles, silver or gold edible balls to look like ornaments
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray non stick spray in two 9" pie pans and line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl add powdered sugar, softened butter cut into chunks and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add flour, salt and mix until well incorporated
- Divide dough in half, place into pie pans and spread dough out evenly. Use a fork to poke the top of the flat cookie dough pieces so they don't really rise much.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully lift parchment paper with cookie on it on to a flat cutting board.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter is better (while still warm or it will break) and slice circle in half, then cut in half again and again so you have 8 equal triangular pieces.
- Allow to sit and cool completely.
- Melt candy melts for 30 second increments stirring in between. Pour into piping bag or freezer bag with small tip cut off and pipe on in a squiggly pattern. Sprinkle on sprinkles to signify ornaments too if desired. Allow to dry and cool.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
