Variations for festive flavors
You can use this soft sugar cookie base to create several Christmas variations.
- Classic sprinkle sugar cookies: Brush unbaked cookies lightly with milk and shower with colored sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking for a simple, festive finish—no frosting required.
- Lemon‑almond holiday cookies: Add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the dough for a bright, bakery‑style flavor. Once cooled, top with a lemon glaze made from powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of milk.
- Peppermint chocolate drizzle cookies: Stir 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract into the dough. After baking and cooling, drizzle with melted dark or white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
These kinds of tweaks—changing extracts, adding citrus, and finishing with different toppings—are common in Christmas sugar cookie collections and let you offer multiple flavors from one dough.
Decorating and storage
Once the cookies are fully cooled, you can decorate them with royal icing for crisp, detailed designs or buttercream for a softer, more indulgent finish. Let royal icing dry completely before stacking; buttercream‑frosted cookies are best stored in single layers or with parchment between them.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Thanks to the added milk or sour cream and careful baking, they’ll stay soft and tender for several days, similar to other sour‑cream‑based holiday cookies. If you’re baking far ahead, you can freeze undecorated cookies in airtight containers and thaw at room temperature before decorating.
When you share these Christmas Sugar Cookies That Stay Soft on your blog, invite readers to rate the recipe, share their favorite decorating themes (snowflakes, trees, ugly sweaters), and tag you in photos of their cookie trays so this becomes their must‑bake base for every holiday season.