• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Urban Farmie
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Published: November 19, 2022 | Last Modified: November 19, 2022 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - No Comments

    Holiday Butter Cookies

    Nut Free RecipesVegetarian Recipes
    Shares31Facebook22Pin9
    With just six simple ingredients, these holiday butter cookies are simple but taste absolutely delicious. They are soft, crumbly, and perfect for any occasion!
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    It's that time of year again, to start thinking about your holiday baking! One of my personal favorites are these holiday butter cookies. They're simple, they're delicious, and they're always a hit with family and friends. Plus, they freeze really well, so you can make them ahead of time and have them on hand for when the holiday cookie cravings strike!

    Close up view of holiday butter cookies on a white plate.

    This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" link!

    This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on those and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    💭 Why you'll love this recipe

    These holiday butter cookies are a must-have this holiday season: 

    • They're easier than you think. Butter cookies are deceptively simple to whip up. all you need is a bowl, a spatula, some measuring cups and spoons, and a few key ingredients like butter, cornstarch, sugar, salt, vanilla, and flour. 
    • You can decorate them however you want. They're a blank canvas. You can decorate it on which you would like. Leave them as they are. Got a penchant for pretty stripes? Go for it! Feeling festive and want to add a little green and red? Add it to the dough or add them as frosting. The options are endless!
    • They make great gifts. Holiday butter cookies also make lovely homemade gifts for friends and family (if you're willing to share). I love wrapping them up in these holiday cellophane bags or these cookie boxes!

    📋 Ingredients and notes

    To make these holiday butter cookies, you'll need all-purpose flour, cornstarch, butter, powdered sugar for cookies and toppings, vanilla, and salt. 

    Labeled ingredient list for holiday butter cookies - check recipe card for details.

    Notes and Variations

    • All purposed flour substitute. If you're looking to make a softer cookie, swap out the all-purpose flour for cake flour. This has more crumb and less gluten,.
    • Use unsalted butter. I typically use Kerry Gold in this recipe. European butter tends to have less water compared to regular butter, so the cookies end up a lot richer. You can use any brand, but avoid using salted butter or margarine in this recipe to get best results.
    • Options to decorate. I love these cookies as they are, but you can allow the cookies to fully cool and then dip them in melted chocolate, or frost them. You can also use a fork to make a simple criss-cross pattern instead.
    • Additional flavors. I keep this recipe quite simple, but you're welcome to add more flavors into the cookie dough (e.g., almond extract).

    📖 Make holiday butter cookies!

    Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 or 4 minutes. You can also use an electric mixer! Then add the vanilla extract and integrate it well.

    Pro tip: If your butter is too hard, cut it into small cubes and let it sit on a warm countertop for 15 minutes before creaming with sugar.

    Overhead view of butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
    Overhead view of vanilla being added to creamed mixture in mixing bowl.

    Use another bowl to combine salt, flour, and cornstarch and integrate the ingredients. Add it to the butter mixture and mix at medium speed until the dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, transfer the dough to a heavily floured workspace and knead it until it's soft.

    Overhead view of dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in mixing bowl.
    Overhead view of cookie dough in mixing bowl.

    Now cover it with plastic paper and chill for at least 1 hour. You can also leave it overnight or the next day. The longer you leave it, the easier to shape it later!

    Now, preheat the oven to 370°F for about 10 minutes. I use these awesome non-stick baking sheets, but if you have a baking sheet that might stick, line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

    Divide the dough into even portions using a cookie scoop and shape it into small balls. I typically just use a 1" cookie scoop to make this way easier!

    Then place the balls over the baking sheet and cook the cookies for about 12 minutes. The actual cooking time might depend on your oven!

    Overhead view of cookie dough balls on baking sheet.
    Overhead view of holiday butter cookies, after baking, on baking sheet.

    Remove from the oven and let them cool a bit, otherwise, they could break apart when you try to dunk them in powdered sugar. When they are still a little warm, roll the cookies in powdered sugar using a fork. You can also use colored sugar here if you wish!

    Close up of fork being used to dip cookies into powdered sugar.

    Once done, allow them to rest a bit on a wire rack. Then, enjoy your holiday butter cookies (ideally with some pumpkin spice latte or hot chocolate)! I love gifting them in these these cute bags during the holiday season!

    Overhead view of holiday butter cookies after being dipped in powdered sugar, on black wire rack.

    👩🏽‍🍳Tips to Make Amazing Holiday Butter Cookies!

    There's nothing quite like a plate of fresh-baked cookies during the holidays. With these six tips, you'll be making out the perfect holiday butter cookies that everyone will want to devour!

    • Room temperature ingredients! Making sure your ingredients are at the correct temperature. Room-temperature butter will mix more easily with sugar, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cookie!
    • Use real butter. This is probably the most important tip of all when it comes to making great butter cookies. Margarine just won't cut it, so make sure to use real, unsalted butter for optimal flavor.
    • Don't overmix the dough. When you overmix, the gluten in the flour gets activated and makes the cookies tough. So rather than mixing until the dough is completely smooth, stop as soon as the ingredients are just combined. Your dough should look a little crumbly at this point and that's perfectly normal!
    • Chill the cookie dough. After mixing everything together, pop that cookie dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This will help prevent your cookies from spreading too much while baking.
    • Do not use cookie cutters on this dough. Though you might be tempted to use cookie cutters, using them on this dough typically ends up with a sticky mess. If you want cute shapes, check out these Christmas sugar cookies instead! Or if you want to pipe them, check out my Danish butter cookies!
    • Dip or frost after cooling: If you would like to decorate these cookies, say, dipping in chocolate, or frosting it with holiday colors, do so after the cookies have completely cooled. If you want to use sprinkles or crushed nuts, make sure you do that while the dipped chocolate is still wet.

    👩🏽‍🍳Troubleshooting FAQs

    Are butter cookies and shortbread cookies the same thing?

    While both types of cookies are delicious, butter cookies are made with a higher flour ratio to butter, resulting in a richer flavor. Shortbread cookies, on the other hand, are made with a higher percentage of butter than flour. This gives them a more crumbly texture and a slightly sweeter taste!

    Can I use salted butter for cookies?

    Salt can affect the way butter interacts with other ingredients, causing cookies to spread or become tough. As a result, it's generally best to use unsalted butter when baking cookies. That said, in a pinch, you can totally use salted butter!

    Can I cut these cookies into holiday shapes?

    Unfortunately, given the ratio of ingredients, the dough will likely become too sticky to cut into specific shapes. If you want cute shapes, check out these Christmas sugar cookies instead!

    Is powdered sugar the same as confectioner's sugar?

    Yes! They're the same. If you don't have powdered sugar on hand, you can throw some granulated sugar into a high-speed blender and just blitz it.

    Close up view of holiday butter cookies on a white plate, with mug of hot chocolate in the background.

    🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

    Keeping the holiday butter cookies in an airtight container will allow them to keep for up to 7 days after they have been baked. Do not reheat the cookies.

    The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookie dough come to room temperature before pressing into cookies and then baking!

    Unbaked cookies can also be frozen; simply wrap them individually with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap, and place it in an airtight container.

    You can check out our other cookie recipes:

    • Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
    • Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • Lemon Curd Cookies (Thumbprint!)
    • Spinach Avocado Salad
    • Asian Summer Slaw
    • Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Homemade Caprese Salad (Heirloom & Cherry Tomatoes)

    Did you make this recipe?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Please leave a comment and a star rating and let me know how it went! We love hearing from you, thank you so much

    Close up view of holiday butter cookies on a white plate.
    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Holiday Butter Cookies

    With just six simple ingredients, these holiday butter cookies are simple but taste absolutely delicious. They are soft, crumbly, and perfect for any occasion!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 15 mins
    Total Time1 hr 30 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 15 cookies
    Calories: 211kcal
    Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

    Equipment

    • 1 Baking Sheet
    • 1 Stand Mixer

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup cornstarch
    • 1 cup butter
    • ¼ cup powdered sugar
    • 2½ teaspoons vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Toppings

    • 1 cup powdered sugar

    Instructions

    • Using the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar at medium speed for about 3 or 4 minutes. Then add the vanilla and integrate it well.
    • Use another bowl to combine salt, flour, and cornstarch and combine the ingredients well. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and combine at medium speed until the dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, transfer to a heavily floured workspace and knead until soft.
    • Now cover it with plastic paper and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You need to chill for at least an hour, but you can chill overnight or even leave it there until the next day. This will make it easier to shape it!
    • Now, preheat the oven to 370°F for about 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if necessary.
    • Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and shape it into a small ball. Then place the balls over the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. You'll notice that the cookies might feel slightly undone, but don't overcook them!
    • Remove from the oven and let them cool a bit. When they are still a little warm, roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Room temperature ingredients. Room-temperature butter will mix more easily with sugar, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cookie!
    • Use real butter. Margarine just won't cut it, so make sure to use real, unsalted butter for optimal flavor.
    • Don't overmix the dough. When you overmix, the gluten in the flour gets activated and makes the cookies tough. So rather than mixing until the dough is completely smooth, stop as soon as the ingredients are just combined. Your dough should look a little crumbly at this point and that's perfectly normal!
    • Do not use cookie cutters on this dough. Though you might be tempted to use cookie cutters, using them on this dough typically ends up with a sticky mess. If you want cute shapes, check out these Christmas sugar cookies instead!
    • Dip or frost after cooling: If you would like to decorate these cookies, do so after the cookies have completely cooled. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @urbanfarmie or #urbanfarmie to let me know – I would LOVE to see your creations!
    « Yellow Cake Mix Cookies
    Danish Butter Cookies »

    Download your seasonal eating guide!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

    Read more →

    Recipe Key

    Dairy free
    Gluten free
    Nut free
    Vegan
    Vegetarian

    Fall Favorites

    • Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
    • No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup
    • Ethiopian Cabbage
    year-round produce guide

    Get Every Recipe To Your Inbox!

    As Seen On

    Footer

    Urban Farmie

    Urban Farmie

    Seasonal, global, vegetarian recipes and the stories behind them. Inspired by life and travels to 60+ countries. Always authentic, never boring.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Popular Posts

    Nigerian Jollof Rice

    Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread (or Quiche!)

    Chana Masala

    Healthy Samosas

    Moroccan Shakshuka

    Back To Top

    Copyright Black Bicycle LLC. © 2023
    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclosure Policy | Website Accessibility Statement