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Snowflake Sugar Cookies

❄️🍪💙 Classic sugar cookies that are heavenly sweet, soft, and all dressed up with piped vanilla frosting and sprinkles! They're always the biggest hit at Christmas parties and cookie exchanges! Easy enough for novice bakers thanks to my straightforward directions which set you up for PERFECT Christmas cookies!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 39 mins
Servings: 24
Calories: 154 kcal
Cuisine: American , Canadian

Ingredients

Cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons whole milk as needed
Vanilla Frosting*
  • 3 options See notes

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cookies - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and handheld mixer), add the butter, and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  2. Sift in the confectioners' sugar, beat on low at first so it doesn't fly everywhere, then increase the speed to high and beat until very light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the vanilla extract and beat momentarily to incorporate. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and beat to just incorporate, don't overmix. The dough will be very thick.
  5. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at t time, mixing briefly after each tablespoon, until a thick but smooth dough can come together. Notes - You may not need all of the milk, so don't add it if you don't need it. Stop adding it after your dough has come together. I doubt you will need more milk than called for, but perhaps if you have a very thick or crumbly dough (remember not to over-measure/pack in the flour when you're adding it in the previous step to prevent an overly dry dough) add a bit more milk until your dough comes together.
  6. Take the dough out of the mixer, divide it in half (approximately), pat the dough into large thick disc shapes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight, to chill.
  7. After the dough has chilled at least 1 hour and you're ready to rol it out, preheat the oven to 350F.
  8. Remove the dough from the fridge, generously flour a clean countertop so the dough doesn't stick, and roll the dough out to approximately 1/8-inch thick. Tip - If you've been chilling the dough for longer than about 3 hours (especially if you chilled it overnight) give it about 15 minutes at room temp before you attempt to roll it out.
  9. Using snowflake cookie cutters (or your favorite shape of cutters), cut out snowflake shapes, wasting as little dough as possible and cutting as closely as possible to form the snowflakes. Tips - You can ball up and then reroll your scraps of dough. However, I only reroll once. After that the dough gets a bit overworked and isn't at its best. Make whatever shape of circular cookie(s) you'd like for the final bits of dough and call it a day is my advice..
  10. Place the cut snowflakes on parchment paper lined or Silpat lined baking mats on baking sheets and bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Baking time will vary considerably based on the size of your snowflakes (or other shapes of cookies), oven and climate variances, etc. Pay close attention to your cookies in your oven, and pull them when the edges are just barely turning golden brown. Cookies will continue to set, firm up, and darken in color as they cool. Tips - I suggest baking one tray of cookies at one time, on the center oven rack, and rotating once midway through baking for best results.
  11. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until they've firmed up enough to carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  12. Frosting - Read the 'Notes' at the bottom of this post to see what frostings you can buy or make. Spread a thin layer of frosting using a butter knife or small spatula over the surface of every cookie. Fun Tip - You can color the frosting red, green, or another color of your choice with food coloring if you'd like.
  13. Spread a thin layer of frosting using a butter knife or small spatula over the surface of every cookie.
  14. Piping- To pipe the frosting you've made, transfer it into a pastry bag (or the tip of your choice) onto the bag, and begin to pipe small stars over the surface of every cookie.
  15. As desired, add sprinkles to the top of each cookie. Fun Tip - Feel free to use Christmas colored sprinkles, or whatever color and type of sprinkles you'd like.
  16. Shortcut Frosting - The third and final option for frosting is to use another favorite store bought frosting like buttercream. You cannot pipe the frosting, so just spread it on the cookies with a butter knife or small spatula, and add sprinkles as desired.
  17. Storage - The vanilla whipped cream frosted cookies need to be stored airtight in the fridge where they will keep for 3 to 4 days.If you use homemade vanilla buttercream, you can feel confident leaving them airtight at room temp for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.If you use store bought frosting the cookies will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • *Frosting Options
  • There are a few different routes you can take with the frosting, each with their slight pros and cons which include:
  • You cannot pipe this type of frosting, so just spread it on the cookies with a butter knife or small spatula, and add sprinkles as desired.
  • Make a double batch of the vanilla whipped cream frosting I used in my Christmas Tree Cupcakes recipe. Note that this frosting needs to be stored in the fridge, where it'll keep for 3 to 4 days. Bottom Line - Fast and easy frosting, cookies will last 4 days max in the fridge.
  • Another tasty option is to use the vanilla buttercream frosting that I use in my Patriotic Cupcakes. It turns out perfectly and pipes beautifully. Your cookies will stay fresh for about 4 to 5 days at room temperature. I store buttercream frosted items for that long at room temp but if you want to refrigerate the cookies, they'll keep for up to 1 week. Bottom Line - Cookies will last longer at room temp than in Option 1 above, which is a holiday cookie bonus. Also this frosting is heartier and the other is more airy and light, which is personal preference.
  • Store bought vanilla frosting in a tub is always fast, easy, and economical. You cannot pipe this type of frosting, so just spread it on the cookies with a butter knife or small spatula, and add sprinkles as desired. Cookies will easily keep for 5 days at room temp.
  • For the sprinkles, these balls are similar to what I used. Or Christmas colored sprinkles work great too.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 154kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 21mg (7%) Sodium 45mg (2%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 154

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 154kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 45mg 2%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.