These Santa Sugar Cookies are super easy and so much fun to make with kids during the Christmas season. Using an easy sugar cookie dough recipe, pre-made frosting, and Christmas M&M’s, you get a cute, old-fashioned sugar cookie without any fuss. They’re perfect for gifting, enjoying with a glass of milk, or even leaving out for Santa on Christmas Eve!
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Below you will find tips, tricks and helpful hints for making this recipe including step by step instructions with pictures. If you would like to go directly to the recipe, scroll down to the recipe card or tap "Jump to Recipe" at the top of the page.
Why I Love These Santa Sugar Cookies
Christmas is my favorite time of year because of all of the delicious treats! These adorable Santa Claus Cookies are an old fashioned recipe and a tradition in my family.
This easy Santa sugar cookies recipe makes one of our favorite Christmas sugar cookies! My oldest son and I started making them for his preschool Christmas program a few years ago. We love making vintage recipes like this for Santa's plate of cookies.
Now it is requested every year by my kids and neighbors. They are so easy to decorate, and can easily be decorated by kids. Such a fun Christmas activity! They are the perfect cookies to add to your Christmas any cookie exchange.
Pre-Made Sugar Cookie Dough or Homemade Sugar Cookie Dough
To make Easy Santa Claus Sugar Cookies, you’ll first need to decide if you want to use store-bought dough or make your own. You can use my old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe for the found here.
It is a simple sugar cookie recipe that I have used for years and it has never failed me. It is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You can also use this recipe for soft sugar cookies as well.
If you decide not to make homemade cookie dough, store-bought cookie dough works great and makes these Santa Cookies super fast and easy to make with kids.
The frosting can also be store-bought or homemade. Use my favorite recipe found here.
If Using Pre-Made Cookie Dough
I used Pillsbury brand sugar cookie dough that comes in a tube shape. The easiest way to make Santa cookies using this dough is to slice about ½ inch of cookie dough and place dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or greased cookie sheet. Bake according to the package directions.
Santa Cookies Ingredients
- 1 Package Pre-Made Sugar Cookie Dough (I used Pillsbury)
- 1 Container Pre-Made Buttercream Frosting (I used Betty Crocker)
- Red and Green Milk Chocolate M&Ms
Tools Needed to Make Santa Cookies
- Spreading Spatula
- Piping Bag
- Red Food Coloring
- Medium Star Tip
- Sheets of Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
How to Make Santa Sugar Cookies
[Step 1] In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
[Step 2] In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until cookie dough forms.
[Step 3] Place the cookie dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form a tube. Wrap the plastic around the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour.
[Step 4] Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Cut the tube of dough into slices and place the slices 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.
[Step 5] Remove ⅔ of the frosting from the container. Leave ⅓ of the frosting white and use gel food coloring to tint the other ⅔ red in a small bowl. Use a spatula or an electric hand mixer.
[Step 6] Use a butter knife or small spatula to spread red frosting on the top ⅓ of the baked cookies.
[Step 7] Fill a piping bag with white frosting and use a medium-sized star tip to trace a white line just below the bottom of the red frosting.
[Step 8] Pipe a large star on the right side of the cookie, just above the white line (the tip of Santa’s hat).
[Step 9] Use the star tip to pipe two dots for Santa’s eyes with a little bit of frosting and two curves for his mustache.
[Step 10] Place two green M&M’s on the white frosting dots for Santa’s eyes and put a red M&M just above the mustache for his nose
How to Store Santa's Cookies
These festive cookies can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for about 1 week. I like to add wax paper between layers to protect the decorations.
You can also freeze the cookies for up to 6 months in a freezer bag, just make sure they are completely cooled before storing them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoy these easy and oh-so-cute Santa Sugar Cookies! Your kids and other family members will love them this holiday season and they may even become Santa's favorite cookies! They will definitely be.a huge hit and the most popular cookie on your Christmas cookie plate Happy Holidays!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Melt Away Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Snowball Cookies
- Gingerbread Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Eggnog Cut-Out Cookies
- Eggnog Frosted Cookies
- Old Fashioned Drop Sugar Cookies
- Cookie Butter Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Santa Sugar Cookies Video:
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Santa Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- ¾ Cup Butter softened
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
Santa Cookie Assembly
- 16 Ounces Pre-Made Frosting Betty Crocker
- 1 Cup Christmas M&Ms Candies
Instructions
Bake the Cookies
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until cookie dough forms.
- Place the cookie dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form a tube. Wrap the plastic around the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Cut the tube of dough into slices and place the slices 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.
Decorate the Cookies
- Remove ⅔ of the frosting from the container. Leave ⅓ of the frosting white and use gel food coloring to tint the other ⅔ red in a small bowl. Use a spatula or an electric hand mixer.
- Use a butter knife or small spatula to spread red frosting on the top ⅓ of the baked cookies.
- Fill a piping bag with white frosting and use a medium-sized star tip to trace a white line just below the bottom of the red frosting. Pipe a large star on the right side of the cookie, just above the white line (the tip of Santa’s hat).
- Use the star tip to pipe two dots for Santa’s eyes with a little bit of frosting and two curves for his mustache. Place two green M&M’s on the white frosting dots for Santa’s eyes and put a red M&M just above the mustache for his nose.
Edwina says
These cookies are so cute. I'm going to make them with my kids this week. Thanks for the inspiration. Such a great idea.