Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe

Whether you’re decking the halls or just craving a festive treat, this Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe is a total game changer for your holiday baking lineup. I absolutely love how these cookies come out perfectly soft, buttery, and just begging for colorful icing—the royal icing makes the whole thing feel delightfully magical. Stick with me, and I’ll walk you through everything from mixing the dough to piping those charming little Christmas light designs. You’ll find that with a few friendly tips (hello, chilling and rolling the dough just right!), you can absolutely nail this recipe and impress everyone at your holiday gatherings.

this Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredients here are simple and pantry-friendly, but they come together to make cookies that are anything but ordinary. I always recommend using room temperature butter and eggs because it really helps the dough mix smoothly and results in that perfect tender crumb.

• All purpose flour: Weighing your flour yields the best dough texture—too much flour makes cookies dense and dry.
• Baking powder: Helps just a bit with rise so cookies aren’t too flat.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
• Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted so I can control the saltiness precisely; make sure it’s softened.
• Granulated sugar: For that classic sweetness and slight crunch in the bite.
• Large eggs: Room temperature eggs mix more easily, making the dough uniform.
• Pure vanilla extract: The real deal here adds warmth and depth.
• Powdered sugar: Essential for silky smooth royal icing.
• Meringue powder: This is what makes royal icing sturdy and glossy—don’t skip it!
• Water: Adds just the right consistency to the icing; be cautious adding too much.
• Food coloring (Wilton icing gel recommended): Gels give you vivid, beautiful colors without watering down your icing.

Variations

I love personalizing this Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe to match our holiday vibe each year! You can tweak the icing colors or switch up the cookie shapes to make the plates extra fun and unique.

• Gluten-Free Version: I swapped all-purpose flour for a gluten-free mix in a small batch once and it worked like a charm—just be sure your blend includes xanthan gum for structure.
• Flavor Boost: Adding a hint of almond extract or lemon zest to the dough can be a surprising upgrade that guests love.
• Vegans, Rejoice: You can try a vegan butter substitute and a flaxseed egg as an experiment—I haven’t perfected it yet but I hear great things!
• Different Icing Fun: Try swapping royal icing for a simple glaze if you want less stiff cookies but still that sweet, glazed look.

How to Make Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Mix and Chill the Dough

Start by whisking together your flour, baking powder, and salt—this keeps everything evenly distributed, so no salty or powdery surprises in your cookie. Then cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy—that’s the secret to soft, tender cookies. Add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, beating well between. Slowly add your flour mixture on low speed until it just pulls away from the bowl. Here’s a trick I learned: once it’s combined, dump the dough onto parchment and knead gently for a couple of minutes—that helps everything come together smoothly. Divide into two discs, wrap tightly in parchment, and chill for at least 30 minutes. This step is essential; it keeps the dough firm and prevents spreading.

Step 2: Roll, Cut, and Bake

Place one dough disc between two sheets of parchment and roll gently to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick—thinner cookies bake evenly and hold their shapes better. Use your favorite Christmas light cookie cutter or a simple bulb and wire shape (even freehand with a knife works). Here’s my favorite tip: don’t try to lift cut shapes from the parchment; just cut, separate excess dough, and pop the entire parchment onto your baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-13 minutes until the edges just start to turn golden—don’t overbake or they’ll lose that soft chew. Let cool completely on the pan before moving to decorating.

Step 3: Make the Royal Icing

Royal icing can be intimidating but bear with me—it’s so rewarding! Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in a large bowl. Beat on low for 6 minutes until thick and fluffy. Add 4-5 tablespoons of water until you get a toothpaste-like medium consistency—this is perfect for piping outlines and details. Take half and add 1-2 more tablespoons of water until runny and smooth for flooding inside your outlines. I like putting the flood icing in a squeeze bottle for easier control, but a piping bag works too. Once outlined, fill in shapes and let dry about an hour before getting fancy with the medium consistency icing to add bulbs, strings, and all the tiny Christmas light details.

How to Serve Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe

Garnishes

I keep garnishes simple here—sometimes I sprinkle a few edible glitter flakes or tiny white nonpareils to mimic a frosty sparkle on the “wire” parts of the lights. But honestly, the colorful icing alone steals the show. If you want an extra festive touch, a subtle dusting of finely chopped pistachios around the plate looks surprisingly festive and adds a bit of nutty crunch without overpowering the cookie.

Side Dishes

I like serving these cookies alongside a warm mug of homemade hot cocoa or a cozy cup of spiced apple cider—both complement the sweetness perfectly. If you’re hosting a cookie exchange party, adding a plate of spiced nuts or a cheese board with mild cheeses balances the sweetness well and gives guests more flavor variety.

Creative Ways to Present

One year, I made a “string of lights” garland by threading ribbon through little holes I carefully punched at the cookie tops (before baking). It was such a showstopper on the mantle! You can also arrange cookies on tiered serving trays in rainbow order—just like a classic Christmas light strand—or package sets in cellophane bags tied with twine for thoughtful edible gifts that everyone raves about.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

After decorating, I store these sugar cookies in an airtight container with parchment sheets between layers to keep the icing safe. They stay fresh for up to five days at room temperature, which means you can whip up a batch early in the week and still enjoy perfect cookies come Christmas morning.

Freezing

I’ve frozen both unbaked dough and fully decorated cookies. For the dough, shape it into discs, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight before rolling. Decorated cookies freeze well too—freeze them on a tray first, then transfer to a bag, separating layers with parchment. When you defrost, let them come to room temp fully before enjoying to avoid condensation messing with icing.

Reheating

These cookies are best enjoyed at room temperature, but if you want that fresh-baked warmth, pop one in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Just don’t overdo it, or the icing can get melty. Heating in the oven is okay too—about 5 minutes at 300°F. Just watch that they don’t dry out.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

This Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my heart because it’s more than just a cookie—it’s a holiday tradition that gets me excited every year. Decorating these cookies brings my family together, from the youngest to the oldest, and the smiles when those colorful lights emerge on the trays? Priceless. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and create your own festive memories. Trust me, once you make these, they’ll be a staple in your holiday repertoire, and you’ll look forward to baking them year after year just like I do.

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