Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies Recipe
Festive, fun, and gracefully charming, Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies are the perfect way to sweeten your holiday celebrations. These colorful treats capture the magic of the season in every bite: buttery, tender sugar cookies shaped like holly leaves, lavishly decorated with vibrant green icing and cheerful red “berries.” Not only are Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies a joy to bake, but they’re also a delight to share—ideal for cookie swaps, gift boxes, or leaving out for Santa. Their light crunch, lovely almond-vanilla flavor, and utterly adorable appearance will have everyone reaching for just one more!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Every ingredient in this recipe plays an important role—each one comes together to create the tender crumb, delicate flavor, and irresistible look of Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies. Simple, pantry-friendly, but absolutely essential!
- All-purpose flour: The structural backbone of your cookies, providing that classic, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Baking soda: Ensures just the right amount of lift, so your cookies are soft but never cakey.
- Baking powder: Adds a subtle puff that keeps cookies light and tender without losing their shape.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness and brings forward the nuanced flavors.
- Unsalted butter, softened: Gives the cookies richness and a velvety crumb; make sure it’s room temperature for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps achieve that delightfully crisp edge.
- Egg: Binds everything together, adding tenderness and structure to the dough.
- Vanilla extract: The comfortingly classic flavor base that makes these cookies so homey.
- Almond extract (optional): Just a hint lifts the aroma and makes the cookies especially festive and memorable.
- Red and green royal icing or decorating gel: The secret to those vibrant leaves and berries—the signature of Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies!
- Small red candy balls or mini M&Ms: Top off each cookie with these as “berries” for an adorable, munchable finish.
How to Make Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Kick things off by whisking together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This quick extra step ensures the leaveners and salt are evenly distributed—meaning every bite of your Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies will have the perfect rise and balanced flavor!
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar
Now it’s time for a little muscle: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl for 2–3 minutes. Mix until you see a light and fluffy cloud—the secret to tender cookies with a delicate crumb. Next, beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), just until blended.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture gradually, keeping the mixer on low speed. If the dough gets too thick, switch to a spatula and finish by hand. It should come together cleanly in the bowl, soft but not sticky.
Step 4: Chill the Dough
Divide your dough into two equal portions, shape them into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes—this ensures the cookies hold their shape and are easy to roll out. Chilling also deepens the flavors, making your Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies even tastier.
Step 5: Roll and Cut
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a holly leaf-shaped cookie cutter for those unmistakable festive outlines. Carefully transfer each cutout to your baking sheets, leaving an inch between cookies.
Step 6: Bake
Pop the trays into the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes, just until the very edges start turning golden. This brief bake time ensures your cookies are perfectly soft with a gentle snap. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 7: Decorate Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies
Once your cookies are cool, it’s time for the fun part! Use green royal icing or decorating gel to outline and fill the leaf shapes, then add dots of red icing or small red candies as the “berries.” Allow the icing to set before stacking, serving, or gifting.
How to Serve Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies
Garnishes
A sprinkle of edible glitter or a dusting of powdered sugar will add a wintry sparkle to your Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies. You can even accent the icing with tiny white nonpareils to mimic frost or snowflakes for extra holiday cheer!
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with creamy mugs of hot cocoa, spiced chai lattes, or a glass of cold milk. If you’re serving a cookie platter, add some chocolate truffles, candied nuts, or peppermint bark for texture and variety alongside the Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies.
Creative Ways to Present
Stack your decorated Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies in vintage cookie tins lined with parchment for a nostalgic touch, or arrange them in clear cellophane bags with festive ribbons for thoughtful homemade gifts. They also look whimsical on a tiered holiday dessert stand for parties, or lined up along the mantel for Santa!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, where they’ll stay fresh and tender for up to a week. Place a sheet of parchment between layers to keep decorations crisp and beautiful.
Freezing
Want to get ahead on holiday baking? Freeze the undecorated cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top bag or container and freeze for up to three months. You can also freeze shaped, unbaked dough—just bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the timer.
Reheating
If you’d like to refresh your Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies, warm them in a 250°F oven for 2–3 minutes. This perks up the texture without melting the decorations, making them taste like they were just baked!
FAQs
Can I make Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies gluten-free?
Absolutely! Simply swap in your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Your cookies should still hold their shape and be just as delicious—just double-check your dough texture in case it needs a splash more moisture.
Do I need to use royal icing for decorating?
Royal icing gives the cleanest, most professional look, but ready-made decorating gels or even tinted cream cheese frosting work in a pinch. Just let everything set well before stacking or packaging your Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies.
How far in advance can I make these cookies?
You can make the dough for Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies up to 3 days ahead and keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge. Baked cookies, undecoated, freeze beautifully for months—simply thaw and decorate as the holidays approach!
What can I use if I don’t have a holly leaf cookie cutter?
If you’re without a holly leaf cutter, use a sharp knife to trace leaf shapes on rolled dough based on a paper template, or use any festive cutter like stars or trees for an easy adaptation. The joy is in the decorating!
Can kids help with decorating Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies?
Absolutely—this is one of the best parts! Set out bowls of icing, candies, and sprinkles, and let everyone craft their own edible holly leaves. It’s a memory-making kitchen activity that adds extra love to each batch.
Final Thoughts
There’s just something special about baking Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies—the burst of color, the sweet aroma, the creative decorating, and the shared smiles they bring. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to cookie decorating, these treats are as fun to make as they are to eat. Gather your loved ones, roll out some dough, and let your kitchen become a holiday haven. Happy baking!
Print
Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling and decorating)
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Holly and Berry Sugar Cookies are a delightful treat perfect for the holiday season. With a buttery cookie base and festive decorations, they are sure to be a hit at any gathering.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Decorations:
- Red and green royal icing or decorating gel
- Small red candy balls or mini M&Ms for berries
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg and extracts. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Chill and Shape: Divide the dough, chill, roll out, and cut into holly leaf shapes. Place on baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes until just golden. Cool on a wire rack.
- Decorate: Once cooled, decorate with green icing for leaves and red candies for berries. Let icing set before serving.
Notes
- These cookies are ideal for holiday gift boxes or cookie exchanges.
- You can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
