I love these little Christmas light sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting. They are one of my favorite DIY kid-friendly Christmas cookies. They are super simple and you can make everything from scratch or grab a few things at the store and be ready to go (which is super helpful during the busy holiday season).
I use my favorite sugar cookie recipe for these easy cookies then of course pair them with my easy and delicious cream cheese frosting and mini M&Ms to look light string lights. It’s really the perfect combo!
I use Hiland Dairy for all the dairy ingredients in both the cookie and the frosting. They are the absolute best and I don’t use anything else in my baking.
After the cookies and frosting are made then all you need to do is decorate. They’re easy to do and fun to make!
Whether you’re baking with your kids this holiday or want to throw a cookie decorating party, these Christmas Light Sugar Cookies are a perfect match.
I’m biased, but I think my sugar cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie. This dough is super versatile. You can use them to make these Christmas light cookies but can also cut them into any shape you want!
They’re the perfect foundation for your favorite frosting and other toppings because they’re delicious without being too sweet. These cookies also include a bit of almond extract in addition to the traditional vanilla extract, which I think gives them a really unique flavor.
Topped with cream cheese frosting and mini M&Ms turned on their side to look like Christmas lights, these cookies are definitely my pick for the best sugar cookies! Ready to make them for yourself? It’s time to gather up your ingredients and start baking!
These cookies are easy to make and don’t include a bunch of fancy ingredients. You probably already have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge! But if you’re looking for an even easier solution, just buy pre-made dough and store-bought frosting!
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with Silpat or nonstick spray.
Step Two: Beat the room temperature butter on high until it’s smooth, then add the sugar and beat again until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract and mix again until all the ingredients are combined.
Step Three: In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add half to the wet ingredients and mix until they are just combined. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix again.
Step Four: Roll the dough out on top of floured parchment paper, aiming for ¼ inch thickness. Rolling the dough thinner will make for a crunchier cookie. Cover the dough with more parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Step Five: Take your dough out of the fridge and use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. I used plain circles, but you could also make Christmas light sugar cookies out of tree shapes or wreaths.
Step Six: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes then place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
*Pro Tip: The less time you leave the cookies in, the softer they will be. I like to bake mine for about 8 minutes.
Step One: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter together until they are smooth or creamy.
Step Two: Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.
Step Three: Add the vanilla and salt and mix on medium-high speed until creamy. Test it for taste and consistency and add more powdered sugar if needed.
Step Four: Frost the cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting and set aside.
Decorating is the best part of these holiday sugar cookies! And it’s super easy to do.
Step One: Mix a heaping spoonful of cream cheese frosting with black food color and mix until smooth.
Step Two: Use a pastry bag or Ziploc with the tip cut off to pipe swooping lines onto the cookies – these will be the strings for your lights!
Step Three: Place the mini M&Ms along the light strands, placing them vertically so they are standing tall and look thin like Christmas lights. Use just red and green or all different colors to make each cookie unique!
*Pro Tip: If you don’t have black food coloring or don’t want to deal with a piping bag, you can also buy a small tube of black icing made for decorating cookies. They should sell these at your local grocery store!
There are a few reasons why chilling cookie dough is so important, especially for cut-out cookies like these Christmas light sugar cookies. First, chilling the dough lets fats (like the butter) solidify. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much during baking and ensures that they keep their shape. Chilling the dough also makes it more firm and easier to handle when you’re cutting out your shapes.
Overbaked sugar cookies are just the worst! To ensure you bake your sugar cookies perfectly every time, look for edges that look firm and that are just beginning to look golden-brown. Keep in mind that if you wait for the whole cookie to look golden-brown, they’ve probably been baking too long. Another good sign that a sugar cookie is done baking is called “sheen loss.” Look for the loss of the glossy sheen that raw cookie dough has. When that sheen disappears the cookies are most likely done.
For these cookies, I’ve found that baking for 8 minutes is perfect for soft, chewy cookies. Up to 10 minutes also works if you prefer a crunchier cookie.
For baking sugar cookies, the best baking sheet is a shiny aluminum sheet. Shiny surfaces promote even browning and prevent cookies from sticking, ensuring easy cleanup. I also like to spray my baking sheets with nonstick spray or use a silicone baking mat to ensure nothing sticks.
You want your cookies to be room temperature before adding the cream cheese frosting. I typically recommend waiting at least an hour for a simple cookie design like these Christmas light cookies. If you’re doing anything with smaller, more intricate details, it’s best to let the cookies cool overnight to ensure your designs come out clearly and don’t melt.
If you give these Christmas light sugar cookies a try be sure to let me know! Follow me over on Facebook and Instagram @lolohomekitchen. Snap a pic if you make a Lolo’s recipe and tag it with #lolohk. I love to see what you are making!
The perfect sugar cookie made with Hiland Dairy ingredients topped with the best cream cheese frosting then transformed into a super fun Christmas Cookie. Super easy to make and a great activity to do with your kiddos!
Cookies
3/4 cup Hiland Butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 blocks (16 ounces) Hiland Cream Cheese
1 stick Hiland Butter
3 – 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Black food coloring or gel
M&Ms
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