Christmas Sugar Cookies: Classic Cut-Out Recipe with Frosting Tips

Baking Christmas cookies is one of my favorite holiday activities. I love making large batches to fill tins that I share with friends, family, and coworkers. These Christmas Sugar Cookies decorated like strings of lights are simple, festive, and always a crowd-pleaser.

These colorful cookies are especially fun to make with kids — they can press the M&Ms onto the icing and help arrange the “lights.” Baking together is a memorable family tradition and a great way to introduce little ones to decorating.

Sugar Cookie Ingredients

This version is convenient and requires just a few ingredients because it uses prepackaged sugar cookie dough or prepared sugar cookies. If you prefer homemade sugar cookies, feel free to use your favorite recipe and skip any sugaring or coating steps.

• Prepackaged sugar cookie dough or prepared sugar cookies
• White cookie icing (tub or jar)
• Family-size bag of M&Ms
• Tube of black gel icing

How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies

1. Bake the sugar cookies according to the package instructions if you’re using prepackaged dough, or prepare your homemade cookies and let them cool completely.
2. Spread a fairly thick layer of white cookie icing, starting at the outer edge of each cookie and working toward the center. Allow the white icing to harden and set before decorating further.
3. Use the black gel icing to draw thin strands across each cookie to resemble the cord for Christmas lights. Lines can be straight, curved, or a mix — whatever looks festive.
4. Before the black gel sets, press one M&M of each color onto the gel at intervals to create the bulbs. For a neater appearance, position the M&Ms with the “m” facing down.
5. Let the cookies finish setting at room temperature, or place them in the freezer briefly to speed up the process.

More Cute Christmas Cookies

• Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Air Fryer Gingerbread Man Cookies
• Peanut Butter Snowballs

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Author: Emily Pecoraro

These Christmas Sugar Cookies decorated like holiday lights are easy to make, colorful, and sure to be a hit at parties and in gift tins.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 126 kcal

Ingredients

  

• ▢ 24 ct Prepackaged Sugar Cookie Dough or Prepared Sugar Cookies
• ▢ 9 oz white cookie icing
• ▢ 1 bag M&M’s
• ▢ black gel icing

Instructions

 

• Starting on the outer edge of the cookie and working your way to the center, ice each cookie with the white cookie icing. Make sure it’s a fairly thick layer. Let the white icing harden and set.
• Take the gel icing and carefully make strands from one side of the cookie to the other. You can make your lines straight or curled or both.
• Before your gel icing sets, place one of each color M&M on your black icing. For a cleaner look, make sure the “m” is facing down.
• Let your cookie set at room temperature, or you can place them in the freezer just for a brief time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 126 kcalCarbohydrates: 19 gProtein: 1 gFat: 5 gSaturated Fat: 2 gSugar: 15 g

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes; use it as a general guide.

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