Looking for a fun and festive treat to bake with the kids this holiday season? This Christmas Tree Cookies Recipe is soft, sweet, and full of Christmas cheer! Made with butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, they’re topped with melted green candy and finished with colorful sprinkles.
Craving more Christmas cookies or no-fuss treats? Don’t miss my other tasty recipes: Christmas Eggnog and Nutella Hot Chocolate.
Jump to:
What is Christmas Tree Cookie Recipe?
These Christmas Tree Cookies are baked in a pie pan, then sliced into triangle shapes to make a cute and easy cookie tree!
The dough is similar to classic sugar cookie dough, but without eggs or baking soda, making it soft and buttery with just the right flavor. Once baked, the “trees” are decorated with green candy melts and Christmas sprinkles to look like mini holiday evergreens.
This twist on traditional sugar cookie recipes is great for decorating with kids and doesn’t require any cookie cutters or rolling out dough—just bake, cut, and decorate!
Substitutions
- Salted butter – Use unsalted butter + a pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar – Swap with finely ground brown sugar for deeper flavor
- Vanilla extract – Try almond extract or lemon extract for a flavor twist
- All-purpose flour – Sub with gluten-free flour mixture for GF version
- Green candy melts – Use white chocolate + green food color or gel food coloring
- Christmas sprinkles – Use crushed candy canes or mini M&Ms
Variations
- Frosted Tree – Top with buttercream frosting or royal icing instead of candy melts
- Choco-Lovers – Add chopped chocolate or drizzle with dark chocolate
- Nutty – Mix in chopped almonds for crunch
- Citrus – Add lemon zest or a dash of lemon extract to the dough
- Icy Look – Use a white glaze and edible glitter for a “snowy” effect
Storage & Leftovers
- Countertop – Store in airtight container up to 4 days
- Fridge – Keeps fresh for up to 1 week
- Freezer – Freeze cookies on a sheet of parchment paper, then transfer to a bag. Keeps for 2 months
Ingredients
- salted butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- green candy melts
- christmas sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300F, generously oil two 9 inch pie pans.
In a large bowl, add softened butter, powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and continue mixing until well combined:
Gradually add all-purpose flour until well incorporated:
Divide cookie dough in half and place it into the pie pans:
Spread the cookie dough out evenly:
Poke the cookie dough with a fork:
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes in the pan before transferring onto a plate.
Cut the cookies into triangles:
Melt the candy melts. I chose the dark green one here:
Drizzle generously over cookies:
Then now you can add sprinkles:
Beautiful, edible Christmas tree cookies! Aren't they beautiful?!?
Top Tips
- You can use other colors of candy melts to resemble a colorful Christmas tree.
- Give these delicious treats as a Christmas gift! Just wrap in decorative packages or boxes and tie a festive holiday ribbon around it. A delicious and non-expensive holiday gift for your friends and family!
FAQ
Here are more delicious cookie recipes that you should try:
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Brownie Meringue Cookies | 5 Ingredients ONLY
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies
- Choco Mint Blossom Cookies
Christmas Tree Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sticks 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup green candy melts
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F, generously oil two 9 inch pie pans.
- In a large bowl, add butter, powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Gradually add all purpose flour until well incorporated.
- Divide cookie dough in half and place into the pie pans and spread the cookie dough out evently. Poke the cookie dough with a fork.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes in the pan before transferring onto plate. Cut the cookies into triangles, and melt the candy melts and drizzles over cookies. Add sprinkles.
Watch The Recipe Video!
Pressy says
Wow! I need this recipe!
Lainey says
Go grab it Pressy!
Claire M says
This looks so cuuute! Love to try this with my kid.