Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Easy Christmas tree cookies 3 ways! With or without cookie cutters, ONE frosting tip, and a fool-proof recipe. This post was originally shared in 2020 and was recently updated with new imagery and a video. This post contains an affiliate link.

Check out our other Christmas sugar cookie tutorials using buttercream frosting. So many cute designs including Christmas llamas, haha!

Watch our step by step video!

Ready for a cute and easy technique for decorating sugar cookies this year? There’s no need to be intimidated by frosting tips and bags. Piping frosting onto these cute Christmas tree cookies is faster than spreading it with a butter knife! Promise.

Today I’m showing how to decorate Christmas tree sugar cookies 3 ways—using 1 frosting tip. Don’t have a cookie cutter? No problem! I’ll show you how to make a tree sugar cookie without a cookie cutter!

Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Step 1: Make a batch of sugar cookie dough. My recipe is at the bottom of the post

Step 2: Roll the dough 1/4″ – 3/8″ thick. Cut out with tree cookie cutters. I didn’t want to mix up a different color of frosting for the tree trunks so I cut them off before baking. This is why my cookies are flat on the bottom instead of having a little tree trunk.

If you don’t have a cookie cutter you can cut out a triangle template from a piece of parchment paper. Press the triangle template onto the dough then cut around the edge using a pizza cutter. Repeat for all cookies.

Step 3: Bake the cookies and let them cool completely.

How To Decorate Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

You can make many designs using a star frosting tip. I’ll show how to make shells, zig-zags, and stars. Experiment and have fun!

Helpful Supplies and Tools

• Star Tip  (If you live near a Michael’s Craft store you can usually score frosting tips for less than $1.)
• Rubber Spatula or Spoon (to spoon frosting into bags)
• Disposable Frosting Bags
• Green Food Coloring
• Mini Sugar Pearls and Christmas Sprinkles—I like these ones because they come with gold stars for the top of each cookie.

Step 1: Make a batch of buttercream frosting. My recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Step 2: Attach an open star frosting tip (Wilton 32) to a frosting bag and fill the bag with buttercream frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cookie (see tutorials for each cookie design below). 

Here is a mess-free way to fill a frosting bag.

Step 3: Add colorful sprinkles for ornaments and lights.

Starburst Design For Frosted Sugar Cookies

(I think it’s easier to start at the wide end and work towards the narrow end. This is why my cookie is upside down).

Hold the piping bag straight, just above the surface of the cookie, and squeeze out a small burst of frosting as you move the tip away from the cookie. Watch my video (plays under the first image at the top of the page) to see how I do this.

Continue adding starbursts until the cookie is covered with frosting.

Zig-Zag Design For Frosted Sugar Cookies

Zig-zags are the easiest designs to make with a frosting tip and bag allowing you to cover a cookie with buttercream in no time!

(I think it’s easier to start at the wide end and work towards the narrow end. This is why my cookie is upside down).

Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze the bag as you move from left to right to release frosting in a continuous line. Switch directions as you get to the end of each row.

Watch my video (plays under the first image at the top of the page) to see how I do this.

Continue adding zig-zag lines until the cookie is covered with frosting.

Shell Design For Frosted Sugar Cookies

Shells are one of my favorite designs to make. They look fancy, but are easy! You can use these to add a beautiful border on cakes and the design is perfect for adding layers onto Christmas tree cookies.

(I think it’s easier to start at the wide end and work towards the narrow end. This is why my cookie is upside down).

Hold the frosting bag at a 45-degree angle. Give the bag a squeeze to release a burst of frosting then quickly pull back and release to create the shell shape (wider at the front and narrow at the back). Watch my video (plays under the first image at the top of the page) to see how I do this.

Continue adding rows of shells until the cookie is covered with frosting.

Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Easy Christmas tree cookies 3 ways! With or without cookie cutters, only ONE frosting tip, and a fool-proof recipe.

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Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

cool: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 36 cookies

Calories: 225kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat until fluffy. Turn the mixer down and add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Add baking powder. Add flour and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. If the dough seems crumbly, keep mixing with a paddle attachment. It'll come together!
• Lightly flour your working surface and shape the dough into a large ball.

  No refrigeration necessary.
• Roll dough out to desired thickness (I usually do 1/4- 3/8″) and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Add flour to dough if it feels too sticky but a nice soft dough is what you want.

  No cookie cutter? No problem! Cut a small triangle from a sheet of parchment paper. Place the triangle onto the rolled-out dough and cut around the template using a pizza cutter.

  Carefully transfer the cut-out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet. Bake the baking sheets at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will be soft. Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

• Spoon frosting into a ziploc bag or frosting bag. Pipe stars, shells, or zig-zag across each cookie. (WATCH MY VIDEO FOR A VISUAL TUTORIAL) Add sprinkles.

Notes

Tip: It's best to put uncooked cookies on cold baking sheets before baking to keep the dough firm. I like to roll out and cut all of my cookies and place them on baking sheets in the refrigerator while the other batches cook. This keeps the pans and dough chilled instead of waiting on the counter (at room temperature) to be cooked. 

Store the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container. You can also place them onto a baking sheet and wrap the sheet with plastic.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal

Best Vanilla Frosting For Sugar Cookies (Soft)

VANILLA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

A wonderful basic vanilla butter cream frosting for cookies. Soft (does not set up as hard as royal frosting)

4.03 from 39 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 30

Calories: 75kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 6 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 6-8 Tbsp. milk or heavy cream
• food coloring if desired

Instructions

• Whisk/beat ingredients together and spread over cookies. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Notes

This recipe will frost 36 sugar cookies using frosting tips. If spreading frosting with a butterknife you can make a 1/2 batch.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcal

Looking for more ways to use a star tip? This post is loaded with 30 beautiful designs—all using the same frosting tip!