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Use one sugar cookie dough recipe to make 3 different Christmas Sugar cookies! These easy ideas are perfect for kids because they can make them all by themselves.
Pretty sugar cookie cups, decorated with Christmas sprinkles, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer cookies, and Christmas Light Cookies – all three are simply decorated and perfect for the holidays.
I’m doing EASY Christmas this year. No cards, shopping online, and easy and fast cookie recipes to gift. I just don’t have the time or brain space this year to plan all the things and do all the entertaining. I want to enjoy Christmas, not be a basket-case on the 25th because I’m exhausted.
My favorite cheater way to make anything is to start with a box mix or refrigerated dough. Add a little custom decoration or homemade frosting and no one is the wiser! That’s why these Christmas Sugar Cookies are perfect for my easy Christmas – it’s one dough decorated 3 ways.
You can start this recipe using a roll of refrigerated cookie dough or use the break-n-bake ones. You can also use a sugar cookie mix or use my homemade sugar cookies which would be perfect for this recipe.
As for frosting, save yourself time and use the can, or make a homemade frosting (in the recipe card below). It’s my favorite cookie frosting and it’s super versatile. These decorations are so easy the kids can do them, leaving you more time for online shopping or eggnog drinking.
I love these easy sugar cookies, made three different ways:
- Rudolf Cookies
- Christmas Light Cookies
- Cookie Cups (surprise inside!)
(BTW, all the products I used to make these cookies are linked just above the recipe, in case you need to find them.)
I think the Rudolf cookies are the best. I made these cookies way back when Jordan was in Kindergarten, and have loved making them ever since. I had some of those candy eyeballs leftover from my pudding cookie monsters, so I used those for eyes. I always think those candy eyes are hilarious. Anyway, if you don’t have them, chocolate chips work too.
To complete Rudolf’s face, use a red M&M and two chocolate covered pretzels. You can use regular pretzels too, but they go stale faster. The chocolate covered ones last several weeks without getting stale…and they taste better!
After Rudolf, I love these next ones: Christmas lights!
These sugar cookies are so simple to put together: simply drizzle a chocolate light strand over the cookie (or you can use licorice strings) and add some chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the light bulbs. Festive and fun!
Christmas Sugar Cookies are easy and fun for all especially when made three ways!
Last but not least are the easiest of the three: simple Christmas Sugar Cookie cups. I love making cookie cups because they’re so easy. Simply bake the cookies in a mini muffin tin. Let them cool, then frost and sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles or candy. I guarantee everyone loves them!
I did these one further – I filled the cookie cups with mini M&M’s for a surprise inside cookie cup!
I hope these Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipes make your life easier this holiday!
Other cookie recipes you’ll love to make:
- Cute Christmas Cookies from Living Locurto
- My collection of Christmas Cookies
- Snowballs
- Gingerbread Cookie Sticks
Tips for decorating Christmas Sugar Cookies:
- If you’re baking the cookie dough in mini muffin tins, be sure to grease them well or spray them with cooking spray so they’ll come out easy.
- For piping the chocolate light strand, place melted chocolate chips in a sandwich sized bag and cut off a tiny piece of one tip to pipe. You can also use chocolate frosting, or a licorice string if that’s easier, or even colored vanilla frosting.
- These cookies freeze well, even frosted. They’re also easy to make and the kids can decorate them by themselves!
Products used in this recipe:
- Candy eyes
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Candy coated sunflower seeds
- Christmas Sprinkles
- Cookie sheets
- Mini Muffin Pan
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Christmas Cookies 3 Ways
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 package sugar cookie dough break-and-bake squares
- 1 tub vanilla frosting or use homemade (see note)
Rudolph Cookies
- Red M&Ms
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Eyeball candies or chocolate chips
Christmas Light Cookies (aka Stranger Things Cookies)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips Or use frosting
- Candy-coated sunflower seeds
Cookie Cups
- Christmas sprinkles or mini M&Ms
Instructions
- For cookies: bake according to package or recipe directions on a cookie sheet.
- For cookie cups: spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place one break-n-bake square (or about 1 tablespoon cookie dough) in each muffin cavity.
- Bake 8-12 minutes, or until done. Cool completely.
- To make Rudolph: frost with vanilla icing. Place two eyes (or chocolate chip eyes), an M&M red nose, and two chocolate covered pretzel antlers on each cookie.
- To make Christmas Light cookies: Frost with vanilla icing. Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave (about 1-2 minutes, stirring each 30 seconds). If the mixture is too thick, add a drizzle of oil to thin. Place in a ziploc bag and cut off one tip. Pipe the light strand on the cookie. (You could also use a licorice rope for this.) Place candy sunflower seed "lights" on the strand.
- To make the cookie cups: frost with vanilla frosting and sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles or candies.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Check out all of my Christmas Cookie Recipes as well as some other ones I love:
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Last Updated on March 4, 2023
Thank you for making my holiday cookie exchange so easy! Â Everyone oohed and aahed over these cute cookies!