Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (2024)

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies are delicious, buttery, crispy sugar cookies decorated with ugly sweater designs that are sure to be winners at all your holiday gatherings! Try my Sugar Cookie Recipe for another cookie recipe easy to bake and decorate!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (1)

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookie

This is the home of the ORIGINAL Ugly Sweater Christmas Cookie!! If you are looking for THAT sugar cookie… the one that is the perfect combination of sweetness, buttery crispness, and that goes perfectly with piping glaze… this is that cookie. It has won awards and has been a part of more cookie exchanges than I can count! It never fails to get praise and folks are always asking for the recipe!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (2)

How to Make Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies

The image above is my ‘busy” ugly Christmas sweater. I am most certainly not saying it is based on anything in my closet…But, to get decorating, you have to get the cookies made first! The design is up to you.

To make the cookies, get out your stand mixer to get started. Do not preheat the oven right away; the dough has to chill for at least an hour before baking the cookies.

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined (about 2 minutes).
  2. With the mixer on low, add in the eggs and egg yolks.
  3. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
  4. With the mixer back on low, add the vanilla and almond extract.
  5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  6. Mix in the flour mixture about a cup at a time until fully incorporated.
  7. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (This might be a good time to check your closet for any ‘ugly sweater’ ideas or designs!)

Below is my ‘weird-eyed Rudolf with a red nose that sticks out way too far and is covered with gravy and mashed potatoes by the end of the night’ ugly Christmas sweater. Again, these are not similar to anything that might currently reside in my home…

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (3)

Baking and Decorating the Cookies

After the dough has chilled for at least an hour, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut out the dough into your sweater shape (I made mine as large as my hand, but you could also use a sweater cookie cutter). Bake for 6-8 minutes, watching them carefully so you don’t burn the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack. When you are ready to decorate the cookies, I recommend using my favorite glaze icing to decorate them. It’s so much better than royal icing! Have fun using your imagination, and Merry Christmas!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (4)

5 from 1 vote

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Chill 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 23 minutes mins

The BEST sugar cookie recipe ever! Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies are delicious, buttery, crispy sugar cookies decorated with ugly sweater designs that are sure to be winners at all your holiday gatherings!

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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (3 sticks or 340g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined (about 2 minutes).

  • With the mixer on low, add in the eggs and egg yolks, mixing until well incorporated.

  • Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.

  • With the mixer back on low, add the vanilla and almond extract.

  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

  • Mix the flour mixture in with the butter mixture about a cup at a time until fully incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Roll the dough out onto a floured surface.

  • Cut out the dough into your sweater shape (I made mine as large as my hand, but you could also use a sweater cookie cutter).

  • Bake for 6-8 minutes, watching them carefully so you don't burn the edges.

  • Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack. Have fun decorating!

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies

Servings: 15 cookies

Calories: 396

Author: Amanda Rettke–iambaker.net

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Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.

Categorized in: Sugar Cookies

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion – With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies (best sugar cookie recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to sugar cookies? ›

From the dough to the baking to the icing, our guide will leave you with the perfect sugar cookie this holiday season.
  1. Opt for Room Temperature Eggs. ...
  2. Splurge on "Pure" Vanilla Extract. ...
  3. Whisk the Flour. ...
  4. Chill the Dough. ...
  5. Refrain from Overmixing. ...
  6. Go Easy on the Flour. ...
  7. Bake on Parchment Paper.
Dec 16, 2014

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

What to add to sugar cookie mix to make it better? ›

Almond Extract: For a twist on the traditional sugar cookie flavor, try adding a small amount of almond extract. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust according to your preference. Citrus Zest: Incorporate the zest of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, or lime into the dough. The zest adds a bright and refreshing flavor.

How to make sugar cookies more interesting? ›

Take plain sugar cookies up a notch with exciting mix-ins like chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, toasted chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit or M&M's. Add these after blending your butter and egg into the sugar cookie mix.

Should I chill my sugar cookie dough? ›

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

What happens when you add extra sugar to cookies? ›

What happens if you increase the amount of sugar called for in cookies? Conversely, when you increase the sugar in cookies, you'll get cookies that spread more and have an ultra moist and chewy texture in addition to a sweeter flavor.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.

Which Christmas cookies last the longest? ›

Shortbread and spritz cookies are longer-lasting cookies, which means they are perfect for holidays when there is some competition on the table. After all, Christmas in many homes is celebrated with a variety of dishes and sweet treats.

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.

Why do my sugar cookies taste so bland? ›

If the baked cookies taste a bit bland (and if the dough is fairly soft and receptive to additions), add salt and/or spices to the remaining dough before baking. If, on the other hand, they're a bit salty for your taste, try rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking.

How to make bagged cookie mix better? ›

Substitute Ingredients
  1. Butter Instead of Margarine.
  2. Substitute margarine or shortening for butter using a 1:1 ratio.
  3. Coconut Oil Instead Of Other Fats.
  4. Substitute any fat or oil for coconut oil using a 1:1 ratio.
  5. Maple Syrup Instead Of Granulated Sugar.
  6. Vanilla Extract.
  7. Vanilla Essence Vs. Vanilla Extract.
  8. Almond Extract.

Can I roll out Pillsbury sugar cookie dough? ›

Roll on floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cutter. Bake 8 to 11 minutes.

What helps sugar cookies keep their shape? ›

Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.

How do you get sugar to stay on sugar cookies? ›

Decorate After Baking

In order to add colored sugar to baked cookies, the sugar needs something to adhere to. Icing is the perfect choice. Bake and cool the cookies as directed by the recipe. Ice the very cool cookies with your favorite icing and top with your choice of colored sugar.

How do I get better at decorating sugar cookies? ›

Colored layers & embedded designs
  1. Start with a completely dry flooded cookie. This may take several hours or overnight.
  2. Using a second, colored icing, add details and designs by outlining and flooding certain areas, or simply by piping. Use wet icing to adhere decorations such as sugar pearls.

Why do sugar cookies poke holes before baking? ›

So by poking the holes in, the cookie. will ensure that the cookie shape does not spread, which sugar cookies love to do.

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