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

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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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 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).

How to fancy up sugar cookie mix? ›

Mix in tasty ingredients

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.

Why don t sugar cookies keep their shape? ›

Too much sugar and butter can make sugar cookies spread and lose their shape when baked. This one requires a little patience because once you roll out your dough, you are ready to bake. Be patient and bake your cookies when the dough is really cold.

What makes sugar cookies crack on top? ›

Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough. Solution: Granulated sugar is more effective at drying the surface than powdered sugar.

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.

How to make sugar cookie dough taste 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.

Should you refrigerate cut out cookies before baking? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

How do you keep sugar cookie cutouts from spreading? ›

  1. The Rules for Making Sure Your Sugar Cookies Don't Spread.
  2. Rule No. 1: Bake at the Right Temperature.
  3. Rule No. 2: Don't Over or Under Cream Your Butter.
  4. Rule No. 3: Don't Over-Soften Your Butter.
  5. Rule No. 4: Don't Overcrowd the Baking Sheet.
  6. Rule No. 5: Make Sure Your Ingredients Have Not Expired.
  7. Rule No.
Jan 19, 2022

Does baking powder make sugar cookies spread? ›

Baking powder simply adds carbon dioxide to the equation, providing a more forceful pressure that encourages a dough to spread up and out. Without the well-developed elasticity of a bread dough, the strands of gluten in cookies would sooner snap than stretch, cracking along the surface.

What causes butter bleed in sugar cookies? ›

Additionally, if you add too much food coloring, you can get what's commonly referred to in the cookie world as 'butter bleed'. Butter bleed is when your cookie looks great decorated and then you come back hours later (or the next day) and notice what looks like grease stains seeping in.

Why are my sugar cookies spreading in the oven? ›

“Baking cookies in a too-cool oven will cause the fat to melt before your cookies set up, leading to spreading,” Dawn says. Grab an oven thermometer the next time you're in the grocery store so you can be sure your oven is at the correct temperature.

What is America's favorite holiday cookie? ›

Among those who can make a single choice, frosted sugar cookies lead the list (32%), with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) rounding out the top three. Snickerdoodles (6%) come in fourth place, followed by butter (4%), peanut butter (4%), and chocolate (4%) tying for fifth.

What is the most popular cookie in December? ›

What are the most popular Christmas cookies? Our survey found frosted sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies to be the most popular Christmas cookies in the country. They were the fan favorites in 39 states.

What is the number one selling cookie? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

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