10 Magical Christmas Sugar Cookies Decorated With Royal Icing You’ll Want All Season

If the sound of a whisk clinking against a bowl makes you feel instantly festive, you’re in the right kitchen. These are the kind of Christmas sugar cookies that make people pause mid-conversation and say, “Wait… who made these?” They’re buttery, tender, and made for decorating with smooth, glossy royal icing that dries candy-shell firm. Your cookie tins are about to become legendary.

We’re going beyond basic bells and snowmen. You’ll get ten creative, crowd-pleasing cookie ideas (with full ingredients and steps), plus smart decorating tricks so your royal icing actually behaves. Bake once, gift twice, and snack all week — that’s the plan.

1. Classic Vanilla Cut-Outs That Hold Shape And Hearts

These are the backbone of Christmas cookie season: sturdy enough to cut clean shapes, soft enough to stay tender, and flavorful enough to eat plain (but why would you, when there’s icing?). Perfect for stars, trees, and gingerbread people who won’t spread into blobs.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but lovely)

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional, clear if you want bright white)
• Gel food coloring as desired

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
3. Mix in dry ingredients on low just until combined. Divide dough in half, pat into discs, wrap, and chill 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to 1/4 inch on lightly floured parchment. Cut shapes.
5. Transfer to lined baking sheets and chill 10 minutes to prevent spreading. Bake 9–11 minutes, edges set but not browned. Cool completely.
6. Make icing: Beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons water for 2–3 minutes until smooth and thick. Add more water a teaspoon at a time for a 15–20-second consistency (a ribbon in the bowl should disappear in that time). Tint as desired.
7. Outline cookies with slightly thicker icing, then flood with slightly thinner icing. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into corners.

Let them dry uncovered 6–8 hours or overnight for that crisp, shiny finish. Add sanding sugar before icing sets, or layer details after the first coat dries. Pro tip: Piping bags with #2 and #3 tips make clean outlines a breeze.

2. Sparkling Snowflake Cookies With Delicate Piped Lace

These snowflakes look intricate but rely on a few repeated patterns: lines, dots, and tiny teardrops. They’re stunning on a cookie platter and a guaranteed “How did you do that?” moment. A light shimmer sugar turns them into edible ornaments.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Snowflake cookie cutters

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
• White and pale blue gel food coloring
• Edible glitter or sparkling sanding sugar

Instructions:

1. Roll and cut snowflakes to 1/4 inch. Chill and bake as in Recipe 1. Cool completely.
2. Mix stiff royal icing for outlining (10–12 second consistency) and a thinner version for flooding (15–20 seconds). Tint some icing pale blue; keep some white.
3. Outline snowflakes in white and flood alternating segments with white and blue for soft contrast. Pop air bubbles with a toothpick. Dry 1 hour.
4. Using stiff white icing fitted with a small round tip (#1 or #1.5), pipe lines from center to points, then add dots and tiny teardrops along the lines to mimic lace.
5. While still tacky, sprinkle a whisper of edible glitter on a few arms for sparkle.

Vary patterns from cookie to cookie so the platter looks organic. If you’re short on time, flood in blue and add a simple white six-point star — still gorgeous.

3. Peppermint Swirl Ornaments With Glossy Marble

These round “ornament” cookies get a hypnotic peppermint swirl using a marbling trick. They’re sweet, minty, and look like they came straight out of Santa’s candy shop. Tie a ribbon through a small hole to actually hang them.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Round ornament cutter or a 2.5-inch round cutter
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (for icing)
• Small straw or piping tip to punch holes (optional for hanging)

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• Red gel food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions:

1. Roll, cut rounds, and if hanging, punch a small hole near the top with a straw. Bake and cool.
2. Make white flood icing (15–20 seconds) with peppermint extract. Divide a portion and tint red.
3. Flood cookie with white. Immediately pipe 4–6 concentric red circles on top.
4. Drag a toothpick from center outward at even intervals to create a swirl, then between those lines drag inward for a starburst effect.
5. Let dry fully. Add a tiny silver dragee or gold dot at the “cap” area if desired.

For variety, swap red for emerald green or do half-and-half cookies with mirrored swirls. If using ribbon, ensure cookies are fully dry to avoid cracks.

4. Cozy Plaid Mittens With Wet-On-Wet Magic

These mitten cookies look like tiny flannel sweaters. The trick is a wet-on-wet plaid — you draw stripes right into freshly flooded icing so they melt into a soft pattern. A fluffy cuff of sanding sugar makes them irresistible.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Mitten cutter
• White sanding sugar for cuffs

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• Red, green, and black gel food coloring

Instructions:

1. Bake mitten shapes and cool.
2. Tint flood icing in base color (red or green). Reserve small piping bags of black and contrasting color icing at the same flood consistency.
3. Flood the mitten body. Immediately pipe evenly spaced thin lines in black across the width, then a second color across the length to form a plaid grid.
4. Where lines cross, add tiny dots to darken intersections for depth. Let set 1 hour.
5. Outline the cuff in white icing, flood, and dip into sanding sugar for a fuzzy effect.

Switch up the base color to navy or cream for a classic tartan vibe. Want extra cozy? Add stitched “seams” with stiff white icing once the plaid dries.

5. Gingerbread-Spiced Sugar Cookies With Lemon Icing Zing

Love gingerbread flavor but want the tenderness of a sugar cookie? This mashup gives you warm spice without the snap. The lemony royal icing cuts through the richness and makes each bite bright.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon molasses

Lemon Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (replace part of the water)
• Yellow gel coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, spices, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses; mix well.
3. Add dry ingredients just to combine. Chill dough 1 hour.
4. Roll to 1/4 inch, cut shapes (stars or bells are cute), chill 10 minutes, bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes. Cool.
5. Make icing: Beat sugar, meringue powder, lemon juice, zest, and water to flood consistency. Tint pale yellow if desired.
6. Outline, flood, and add simple white dots or stripes for contrast.

These pair beautifully with tea or hot toddies. For extra drama, dust cooled cookies with a whisper of cinnamon sugar before icing.

6. Candy Cane Hearts With Crisp Red-and-White Stripes

Two mini candy cane cookies snuggle into a heart, and yes, it’s adorable. The red-and-white pattern is sharp and festive, and the shape makes a perfect gift-topper or stocking stuffer. Slight peppermint in the icing seals the deal.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Mini candy cane cutter

Peppermint Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Red gel coloring

Instructions:

1. Bake mini candy canes and cool. Pair two per cookie to form a heart on the tray if you prefer to glue with icing later.
2. Make white and red flood icing. Outline and flood the white base first; let crust 10 minutes.
3. Pipe diagonal red stripes across each cane. For super-crisp lines, use slightly thicker icing and a #2 tip.
4. To assemble hearts, pipe a small line of icing where the canes meet and gently press together. Dry fully.
5. Optionally, add a tiny bow with stiff green icing or attach a mini sprinkle heart at the center.

Turn them into ornaments by baking a small hole at the top. Or leave as singles — they vanish fast with hot cocoa.

7. Northern Lights Night Sky Cookies With Galaxy Fade

These oval or round cookies look like winter skies caught on sugar canvas. The secret is layering wet-on-wet gradients — deep blues, purples, and a flash of neon green — then flicking on edible stars. They’re moody and magical.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Round or oval cutters

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• Gel colors: navy, violet, black, lime green, white
• Edible white paint or white food coloring for splatter

Instructions:

1. Bake and cool cookies.
2. Prepare multiple bowls of flood-consistency icing in navy, purple, a touch of black, and bright lime green.
3. Flood half the cookie with navy and the other half with purple; blend the seam with a toothpick in gentle swirls. Add streaks of lime green in curving bands to mimic aurora waves.
4. Drag a clean toothpick along the green bands to feather them slightly. Let crust 30–45 minutes.
5. For stars, dip a food-safe brush in thinned white food color and flick tiny speckles over the surface. Optionally add a few larger dots as “bursts.”

Silhouette a tree line with stiff black icing along the bottom edge for extra drama. These are a vibe — serve at night with mulled wine and watch people gasp.

8. Hot Cocoa Mugs With Marshmallow Puff Icing

These cookie mugs are the cutest: a rich brown “cocoa” pool topped with puffy white “marshmallows.” A candy cane handle or peppermint sprinkle adds instant cheer. Kids love decorating these, and honestly, adults do too.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Mug-shaped cutter (or use a large rectangle and trim a handle)
• Mini marshmallows (optional garnish)
• Crushed peppermint or mini chocolate curls

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• Gel colors: red, green, brown, white
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (optional to tint brown icing naturally)

Instructions:

1. Bake mug cookies and cool.
2. Outline and flood the mug body in red or green. Let set 20 minutes.
3. Flood a brown “cocoa” oval just inside the rim. While wet, add a few small white squares (flood icing) to mimic marshmallows.
4. Pipe a white rim line along the top. If you want extra puff, use slightly thicker white icing for the marshmallows and add a second layer once crusted.
5. Finish with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint or a few chocolate curls before icing dries.

For handles, pipe a candy cane stripe along the side. Write names on the mug fronts with a fine tip — instant personalized treats.

9. Evergreen Wreaths With Sugared Cranberry Dots

Wreath cookies feel classic and elegant, and they’re easier than they look. A leafy texture comes from a star or leaf tip, and tiny “cranberries” add pop. Hang them on ribbon or arrange them in a circle for a centerpiece vibe.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Large round cutter and a smaller one to cut out the center
• Red sanding sugar

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6–8 tablespoons warm water
• Gel colors: leaf green, dark green, red
• Optional: a drop of brown to deepen greens

Instructions:

1. Cut ring shapes by using a large round cutter and punching out the center with a smaller round. Bake and cool.
2. Tint stiff icing in two shades of green; fit bags with leaf tips (#65 or #352) or small star tips.
3. Pipe short overlapping leaves around the ring, alternating shades for depth. Let set 20 minutes.
4. Pipe small red dots and immediately dip a few into red sanding sugar for sparkly “cranberries.”
5. Add a tiny bow at the bottom with red icing, or leave minimalist and chic.

If you prefer a flat style, flood the ring in pale green first, then pipe darker leaves on top once dry. Both versions look festive on a platter.

10. Stained Glass Stars With Citrus-Glazed Windows

These cookies are showstoppers: crisp sugar cookie frames with jewel-like “glass” centers. They catch the light on a tree or in a cookie box. A zesty glaze keeps the sweetness balanced and adds flavor to the candy centers.

Ingredients:

• Basic sugar cookie dough (from Recipe 1)
• Large and small star cutters
• 8–10 hard candies (lemon, cherry, orange), separated by color and crushed

Citrus Glaze (optional):

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest

Royal Icing (for edges, optional):

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• 2–3 tablespoons warm water
• White gel coloring if needed

Instructions:

1. Cut large stars, then cut a small star from the center to create a frame. If you want to hang them, poke a small hole near a point.
2. Place on a lined baking sheet and fill the center cavity with crushed hard candy, keeping colors separate per cookie for clarity.
3. Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes until cookie edges set and candy melts fully. Cool on the sheet until candy hardens.
4. Optional: Brush the cookie frame lightly with citrus glaze for a zesty sheen. Let dry.
5. Outline edges with thin white royal icing for a frosty look, if desired.

Crush candies in separate bags so colors don’t muddy. For multicolor panes, add small sections of different candies but keep them distinct for a cathedral effect. They taste as good as they look, seriously.

Royal Icing 101: Consistency And Color Tips

Think of consistency like gears in a mixer: outline icing should be thicker to hold edges; flood icing should flow but not run off the sides. The “15–20 second rule” is your friend — when a ribbon of icing disappears back into the bowl in that time, you’re good for flooding. For shiny finishes, avoid overmixing (it traps air) and let cookies dry at room temp, uncovered.

Gel colors are potent. Add a toothpick’s worth at a time, stir, and wait a minute — colors deepen as they sit. If you need jet black or deep red, start with chocolate or pink bases respectively to reduce the amount of dye needed.

Make-Ahead, Storage, And Gifting

– Dough: Wrap and chill up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

– Baked Cookies (undecorated): Store airtight up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months.

– Decorated Cookies: Once icing is fully dry, store in single layers with parchment between for 1 week at room temp. Avoid humidity so the shine stays perfect.

For gifting, layer cookies in a tin with parchment cushions. Include a little card explaining the flavors — people love knowing which one is lemon or peppermint.

Tools That Make It Easier

– Rolling guides or thickness rings for even cookies

– Piping bags or squeeze bottles with #1–#3 round tips

– Toothpicks or scribe tool for detail work

– Cooling racks and parchment-lined sheets for easy transfers

Trust me: once you get the rhythm — chill, roll, cut, bake, outline, flood, detail — decorating becomes honestly meditative. Put on a holiday playlist and you’re set.

Ready to bake up some magic? Pick a favorite (or three), invite a friend, and turn your kitchen into a cookie studio. With these 10 cookie ideas and that glossy royal icing, you’ll be the person everyone begs for “the recipe” from — and you can just smile and say, “Which one?” Happy baking and happy nibbling!