Best Christmas Cookie Recipe – Easy 30-Minute

This is the Christmas cookie I make every year, the one that fills the house with the scent of cinnamon and butter. It's simple, honest, and deeply satisfying.

The dough comes together in one bowl, no chilling required. You roll it into balls, dip them in cinnamon sugar, and bake until the edges are just set. The result: a crackly, sugary exterior and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth center.

I like to make a double batch and freeze half—then I always have homemade cookies ready for unexpected guests or quiet evenings by the fire.

About the Ingredients

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened

Use good-quality butter for the best flavor. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

Regular white sugar works best. For a deeper flavor, you can substitute half with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be slightly softer.

1 large egg

Bring to room temperature for easier mixing. If you're out of eggs, you can use a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) but the texture will be a bit denser.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor. You can use vanilla bean paste for a more intense aroma.

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

Spoon and level the flour to avoid dense cookies. For a whole-grain twist, replace half with white whole wheat flour.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Make sure it's fresh—test by dropping a little in vinegar; it should bubble vigorously.

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fine sea salt or table salt. If using kosher salt, increase to 3/4 teaspoon.

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (for rolling)

This is for the cinnamon sugar coating. You can mix with cinnamon as below.

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Use Ceylon cinnamon for a milder, sweeter flavor or Saigon for a stronger kick. Adjust to taste.

Tips & Tricks

• Don't overmix the dough—once the flour is just incorporated, stop. Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough.
• Use a cookie scoop for uniform balls so they bake evenly. If you don't have one, roll by hand and keep them about 1.5 inches in diameter.
• Bake until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue to set as they cool.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream Butter and Sugar

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This incorporates air for a tender texture.

3. Add Egg and Vanilla

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

4. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, stirring with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain.

5. Make Cinnamon Sugar

In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.

6. Shape and Coat

Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.

7. Bake

Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers look slightly soft. The tops will be crackly.

8. Cool and Serve

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container.

Delicious Variations

• Add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolatey twist.
• Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or chai spice mix for a different festive flavor.
• For a citrusy note, add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the dough and use orange sugar for rolling.

How to Store Cinnamon Sugar Christmas Cookie

Frequently Asked Questions

These cookies taste like the holidays in every bite. I hope they become a tradition in your home too. If you try them, let me know how they turn out—I'd love to hear about your baking adventures.

Cinnamon Sugar Christmas Cookie

Best Christmas Cookie Recipe: buttery, crisp-edged, and soft-centered with a sparkly cinnamon sugar coating, ready in 30 minutes.

★★★★½ 4.8 (187 ratings)

15 minPrep time20 minCook time24Servings145 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (for rolling)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

📋 Instructions

1. 1Preheat and Prep — Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2Cream Butter and Sugar — In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This incorporates air for a tender texture.
3. 3Add Egg and Vanilla — Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. 4Mix Dry Ingredients — In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, stirring with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain.
5. 5Make Cinnamon Sugar — In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
6. 6Shape and Coat — Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
7. 7Bake — Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers look slightly soft. The tops will be crackly.
8. 8Cool and Serve — Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: For the most consistent results, weigh your flour and butter. A kitchen scale is a small investment that pays off in perfect cookies every time.

Servings: 24

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Nutrition (per serving): 145 kcal · 2g protein · 18g carbs · 7g fat

Written by Kenji Tanaka
Kenji explores technology and digital minimalism, helping readers declutter their digital lives and focus on what matters. He writes about app selection, notification management, and creating healthy tech habits, based on his own experiments with unplugging.