Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies (Easy Gluten-Free Option)

Every December, my kitchen turns into a cookie factory, and these old fashioned Christmas cookies are always the first batch I make. They’re soft, buttery sugar cookies that hold their shape, take frosting well, and taste like the ones Grandma used to make.

You can roll them out for cut-out cookies or scoop them as drop cookies when you’re short on time. I’ve made them with regular flour and with gluten-free 1:1 flour, and both come out great. If you’re planning a whole holiday baking day, start here and then work through my 40+ Easy Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies.

Table of contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Frequently Asked Questions
• What to Serve with Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies
• Storage Tips
• More Christmas Recipes

What Are Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies?

Old fashioned Christmas cookies are classic soft sugar cookies made with butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and flour. They’re usually cut into holiday shapes or dropped by the spoonful, then decorated with frosting, sprinkles, or candies. They’re a traditional holiday cookie that’s simple enough for kids to help make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic flavor. Buttery, vanilla-sweet, and soft in the middle.
• One dough, two ways. Roll it for cut-outs or scoop it for drop cookies.
• Gluten-free friendly. Swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour and nobody can tell the difference.
• Makes a big batch. About 48 cookies from one batch.
• Pantry ingredients. You probably have everything already.
• Perfect for decorating. Great for a holiday cookie decorating party with the kids.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter (1 cup, softened): It needs to be soft, not melted. I set mine out in the morning and bake later in the day, so it sits at room temperature for 6–8 hours.
• Granulated sugar (2 cups): Gives the cookies their classic sweetness and crisp edges.
• Brown sugar (¼ cup, packed): Adds a little extra moisture and a soft, chewy center.
• Eggs (2): Bind the dough. Room-temperature eggs mix in more evenly.
• Milk (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons): Keeps the dough soft and easy to work with.
• Vanilla (2 teaspoons): Use pure vanilla for the best flavor.
• All-purpose flour (4 cups): For gluten-free cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. I use Better Batter.
• Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Gives the cookies a little lift so they stay soft.
• Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness.
• Sprinkles, Sixlets, or candies: Any holiday toppings you like.

• Heavy whipping cream (½ pint): Whips into a light, fluffy frosting.
• Powdered sugar (4 tablespoons): Sweetens and stabilizes the cream.
• Vanilla (¼ teaspoon): A little extra flavor.

How to Make Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies

1. Cream the butter. Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours. Chilled dough is much less sticky and easier to roll.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
6. Shape the cookies. (Drop cookies: Roll tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart. Cut-out cookies: Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Roll a small portion of dough to about ¼ inch thick, then cut out your shapes. Keep the rest of the dough in the fridge while you work.)
7. Bake. Drop cookies take 10–12 minutes, and cut-outs take about 8–10 minutes. They’re done when the edges are set, and the bottoms are just barely golden.
8. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Make the frosting. Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spoon it into a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip.
10. Decorate. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies and top with sprinkles or candies. Refrigerate until serving.

Pro Tips for the Best Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies

• Don’t skip the chill. Chilled dough spreads less and is much easier to roll and cut.
• Use soft butter, not melted. Melted butter makes the cookies spread flat.
• Flour your parchment. Roll on lightly floured parchment and work with small amounts of dough at a time.
• Chill your cut-outs before baking. A reader chilled each tray of cut-outs for 30 minutes before baking and said they came out perfect.
• Don’t overbake. Take them out as soon as the edges set so they stay soft.
• Frost only completely cooled cookies. Whipped cream melts on warm cookies.

Variations and Substitutions

• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour, like Better Batter. For more ideas, see my Gluten-Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies.
• Frosting swap: Use powdered sugar icing or buttercream instead of whipped cream if the cookies will sit out on a tray.
• Peppermint twist: Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the dough and top with crushed candy canes. For more minty treats, try these Gluten-Free Peppermint Cookies.
• Almond flavor: Replace half the vanilla with almond extract for a bakery-style taste.
• Spiced version: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Or make my Gluten-Free Christmas Snickerdoodle Cookies.
• Dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and milk, and top with a dairy-free icing.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s not required for drop cookies. For cut-outs, chilling for 1–2 hours makes the dough much less sticky and helps the cookies hold their shape.

Yes. Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour. I use Better Batter and they turn out soft and delicious.

The butter was probably too soft or melted, or the dough wasn’t chilled. Chill the dough, and chill the cut-outs too if your kitchen is warm.

Yes. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling.

About ¼ inch thick gives you soft cookies that still hold their shape.

Yes. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve so the frosting doesn’t melt.

What to Serve with Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies

• A mug of Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
• Whipped Hot Chocolate (Gluten-Free) for a fun party drink.
• A cookie tray with Easy Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free) and Hot Chocolate Cookies.
• Easy Fudge (Gluten-Free) and more Holiday Candy Recipes.
• Gluten-Free Classic Homemade Eggnog.
• Gift jars of Easy Hot Chocolate Mix for neighbors and teachers.

Storage Tips

• Frosted with whipped cream: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
• Unfrosted: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freezing baked cookies: Freeze unfrosted cookies in a single layer, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost.
• Freezing dough: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Refreshing: Warm unfrosted cookies in a 300°F oven for 2–3 minutes to soften them up again.

These old fashioned Christmas cookies are the kind of recipe that becomes a family tradition. They’re easy enough for little helpers, and you can decorate them however you like. They work just as well gluten-free. Make a batch, put on some Christmas music, and let everyone go wild with the sprinkles.

More Christmas Recipes

• Pecan Cream Cake (Gluten-Free Optional)

• Brown Sugar Slow Cooker Ham (Gluten-Free)

• Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes with Bacon

• Best No-Bake Gluten Free Truffles Recipe