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It’s Christmas Sugar Cookie Day!!
No really, I have been waiting for this day forever. Who couldn’t love a good sugar cookie?!?! Crazy people that’s who.
I am currently having the problem that I only want to bake sweet things. Normally I have trouble coming up with sweet recipes, but this December I have so many that I want to make and not enough savory recipes. Like on Sunday, I set out to make two new savory dishes for you guys and they both just fell horribly flat. I think this was mostly because I wasn’t extremely excited about either recipe and I really just wanted to be baking and singing along to Christmas music.
Have I ever mentioned that I have always thought I would make the perfect Mrs. Claus? Because I have said this to my mom my whole life and now apparently I have the guts to tell all of you this. It’s because I can’t see you. Trust me, the online me is so much more daring and I guess personal. Meet me face to face and I am kind of shy. It’s better now that I am older though. As a kid, I clung to my mom’s hip like no kid you’d ever seen before.
Actually, when I was really young I wouldn’t even let my dad hold me. UGH. I was so mean, but hey, he’s pretty much my favorite person now.
Sorry, too much information for a cookie post.
SO. You know all those picture perfect Christmas cookies that basically look like Christmas cookie perfection? Yeah, these are not them… and they are not meant to be. I have always, always wanted to make the cut-out cookies, complete with the royal icing, pretty sanding sugar and little details like Santa’s rosy cheeks. I pretty much envy the beyond talented people who can create those gorgeous cookies. BUT I have finally accepted that, one, I do not have the patience for them, and two, they will never turn out as perfect as I want them to. Plus, if I am being honest, I really only like the look of those perfectly pretty cookies, the taste? Not so awesome.
This year, I finally decided to just give up on the perfect look and go for cute and good. Or ok, cute and delicious.
The verdict? It worked out so much better for me, and my day didn’t end with me covered in royal icing, sprinkles and crying on the floor while eating a sub-par cookie. Total upgrade.
These are cookies for people who want to have fun making cookies, people who have kids or people who just want a good frickin’ cookie. The whole slice and bake thing takes the effort right out of these and saves you your sanity. And the easy delicious frosting saves you from hours of trying to create the perfect picture cookie only to come up with something that looks like an art project gone so wrong. Plus, um again, they are so good.
The cookies are just a simple blend of butter, sugar and vanilla. Pretty much just like any other sugar cookie, but these have the vanilla flavor bumped up to the max. I love vanilla, and it’s Christmas time and that just means vanilla to me. The boys actually loved the cookies all by themselves. No frosting, no sprinkles. That was a little odd seeing as they love sugar, but I have to admit that the cookies themselves are perfect on their own. Soft, sweet and so vanilla-ey.
I still added frosting to most of the cookies though because no Christmas cookie should be left unfrosted. It’s just common sense. I went with a vanilla buttercream, but there’s a little secret ingredient involved. Salted caramel. It’s only a fourth of cup, but it just makes the frosting melt in your mouth. SOOOO good. Addictingly good.
I made my own, but you can use store-bought for a quicker frosting.
To decorate? I kept things SO simple. I used Christmas cookie cutters to make gingerbread men, Christmas trees and Santa hats. Couldn’t be easier. Just place the cookie cutter on top of the frosted cookie and sprinkle a little sanding sugar inside the cutter. Shake the cookie to evenly distribute the sanding sugar. DONE. My kind of cookie decorating.
If you want to make shapes with the cookies, this dough works great for that too. Just roll out the dough to about an eighth inch thickness, cut your cookies and bake as directed.
When I made these, there were of course a zillion snowboarders around from the US Team and yeah, they devoured these cookies. Said they were the best ever… maybe that’s why they haven’t left the house since?
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Christmas Sugar Cookies w/Whipped Buttercream.
Servings: 60 Cookies
Calories Per Serving: 206 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean seeds removed (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract* optional
- 2 eggs
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup homemade or store-bought salted caramel sauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- assorted sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- To make the cookies, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla bean, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about a full 3-5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and mix until evenly combined. Add half the flour, baking soda and salt, beating until combined. Add the remaining flour and beat until the dough forms a ball.
- Place half the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 10-inch log. Repeat with the remaining dough. Now try and make sure each log is pretty rounded and then wrap in a generous amount of tin foil. This will prevent the dough from forming a straight edge. Place the logs in the fridge for at least one hour or up to three days.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Remove one roll of dough at a time from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, turning the dough a quarter turn after each slice to help keep the cookies round. Place 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. If your cookies aren’t as round as you want them to be, shape the dough with your fingers.
- Bake 8 minutes for soft cookies. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining roll of dough, if desired.
- To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl with a hand mixer) beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, pinch of salt and caramel, beat until combined Add the heavy cream and beat another 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy, add more cream to your liking.
- Frost the cooled cookies and decorate as desired. To make the shapes of your favorite christmas symbols, find some smaller Christmas cookie cutters and gently place in the center of the cookie. Sprinkle the inside of the cookie cutter with sanding sugar or sprinkles. Shake the cookie a little to help evenly distribute the sanding sugar and then remove the cookie cutter.
- Store cookies, covered for up to four days at room temperature.
Notes
*If you do not have almond extract on hand or cannot find it, feel free to just leave it out. BUT I think it makes these cookies great.
 *The cookie dough can also be stored in the freezer. To bake remove from the freezer and let sit on the counter for 5 minutes prior to slicing. Bake As directed.
Come on, these Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Christmas Sugar Cookies are pretty cute, right?!?
I think this is the third or possible fourth year I’ve been making these cookies, they are amazing and I recommend them to anyone looking for a good Christmas cookie recipe! However, I remember you used to include the recipe for the salted caramel sauce. Did you remove it? Can you post it again?
Recipe below. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Salted Butter, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a large saucepan cook the sugar over moderately high heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula until the sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel, remove the skillet from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter one by one, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble, this is ok. Now slowly add the cream and then whisk until combined. Return the pot to the heat and, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring until the caramel has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. let cool.
These cookies are great! Any thoughts on how to turn this into a chocolate cookie base?
HI! I’d remove 1/2 cup flour and replace it with 1/2 cup cocoa powder. This said, I have not tested the recipe this way, so I am not sure of the results. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
I just made these cookies and they are the BEST and so easy! The icing is so delish, thank you for sharing!! One question about your icing, mine turned out soft – in a way that I could not stack them once they were frosted. I froze them and the icing was still very soft. Still very delist 🙂 but wondering if you have any suggestions?
HI! So this frosting is meant to be soft and will not stiffen like traditional sugar cookie icing. If you want it firmer, you can add more powdered sugar. This will make them a bit more stackable. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
These are the most beautifully decorated Christmas cookies! I stumbled across this on the msn page this morning in a feature wit the 50 most festive cookies. My son and I will make these for the Holidays. I am so happy to have found you and your beautiful blog, signed up for your newsletter, Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Thank you so much Elida! I hope you love these cookies and Happy Holidays to you and your family!
I’m not much of a baker, but wanted to try these. I have a question–the ingredients call for 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed (optional), then in the directions it says to cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla bean… Do you take the seeds out of the bean and cream the bean with the other ingredients or cream the seed with the other ingredients? sunflwrgrl45@aol.com
Cream the vanilla beans in with the rest of the ingredients. You can save the pod to make vanilla extract if you want!
HI Debbie!! I scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and then add the vanilla beans (not the pod) to the dough. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
How many cookies does this recipe make?
about 5 dozen. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? :)https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-form
I cant find the receipe for the salted caramel that i made last year. It mentioned that you use store bought caramels. The sauce in the comments is for a full on homemade which is a bit much for me. Can you post last years directions?? Thank you!!!
HI! I am a not sure what recipe you are referring to them. The sauce has always been homemade. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
I cant find the receipe for the salted caramel sauce …. I made these last year and they were great. Looking forward to making them again!
Thank you Adrianna! I hope you love these!
Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday ? ?
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Salted Butter, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a large saucepan cook the sugar over moderately high heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula until the sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel, remove the skillet from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter one by one, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble, this is ok. Now slowly add the cream and then whisk until combined. Return the pot to the heat and, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring until the caramel has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. let cool.
I am also looking for the salted caramel recipe! I made about 4 batches last year because this is my favorite holiday cookie to make!!! Out of all the cookies I’ve ever made! I remember it being fairly simple, so maybe you can just post the proportions of butter to sugar here in the comments? I was planning on making them this week and I see others are also asking, too. Thank you!!!
Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday ? ?
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Salted Butter, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a large saucepan cook the sugar over moderately high heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula until the sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel, remove the skillet from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter one by one, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble, this is ok. Now slowly add the cream and then whisk until combined. Return the pot to the heat and, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring until the caramel has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. let cool.
Question: Do you use the whole vanilla bean? or Do you just scrape the inside out?
I like to just scrap the seeds out. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hi! Am wondering where the recipe for the salted caramel went? Have been making these every Christmas but remember there being a recipe or link to make the caramel for the icing. Please help! Can’t wait to make these this year, thanks for creating a holiday favorite in my family!
Oh no! I am not sure either. Looking into how to get it back. So sorry for the trouble. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I’m looking for the salted caramel sauce recipe too. Can you post it here? Id like to make these for a holiday party this week.
Thanks!
Sure thing, it’s below! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday ? 🙂
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Salted Butter, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a large saucepan cook the sugar over moderately high heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula until the sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel, remove the skillet from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter one by one, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble, this is ok. Now slowly add the cream and then whisk until combined. Return the pot to the heat and, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring until the caramel has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. let cool.
How much butter for the frosting? I’m confused by 2 cup sticks? Thanks!
So sorry for the confusion. You need 2 sticks of butter for the frosting. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the cookie!
Girl I have been eyeing this recipe for FOREVER (like since you posted it), and I finally got around to making the cookies this weekend. I’m whipping up the frosting right now. I used Dulce de Leche in place of caramel, and I can’t wait to try it. It looks divine! (And a side note, it’d be helpful if you wrote “2 sticks” of butter or “2 cups” of butter in the frosting recipe. It’s confusing the way it is right now.)
Thanks for a goodie!
So happy your finally making it Jenny! Seriously hope you love it (:
Thank you for letting me know it was confusing! I will make sure to clarify from now on (:
FYI – These make the BEST cut out cookies. First, they taste great. And they don’t spread and the edges stay clean and flat. If you are looking for a cookie to cut and decorate with kids – look no further!
WOW Seriously so nice! Thank you Kathryn!!
Question – I see that you stacked them in for the pictures, but if it’s buttercream how well do these cookies stand up to transport? I am travelling a couple hours for Christmas and wouldn’t want these to get ruined on the car ride up!
Thanks!
Hey Holly! I would not recommend stacking these, but if you keep them on a sheet pan in a single layer they will hold up great! Let me know if you have questions and I hope you love these! Merry Christmas!