These shortbread Christmas tree cookies are buttery, crisp, and dipped in green melting chocolate before being decorated with festive sprinkles. They're the perfect bite-sized Christmas cookie for holiday cookie trays, cookie boxes, and gifting!
If you're planning a holiday baking day, don't miss my 40 Christmas Cookie Recipes for more classic and festive cookies to add to your Christmas cookie trays.
I love how simple shortbread cookies are. This recipe uses just three ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, and flour. No eggs, no leavening, and no complicated ingredients. You can add a splash of vanilla if you'd like, but they're delicious without it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients for the shortbread. Butter, powdered sugar, and flour are all you need to make the cookies.
- No chilling required. The dough can be rolled, cut, and baked right away.
- Perfect for Christmas cookie trays. The tiny tree shapes and green chocolate coating make these especially festive.
- Easy to customize. Change the color of the melting chocolate or use different Christmas sprinkles to match your holiday theme.
- Makes a big batch. Using a mini tree cookie cutter gives you about 6 dozen bite-sized cookies, making this recipe great for cookie exchanges and gifting.
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Tips and Tricks
- Use a small cookie cutter. These mini Christmas tree cookies are much easier to dip in chocolate than larger cookies, and they're the perfect size for cookie trays and gifting. I have a set of mini Christmas cookie cutters and LOVE them. They work great for so many kitchen treats this time of year!
- Keep the dough about ¼-inch thick. This gives you sturdy cookies that are still tender and buttery. Thicker cookies will also change the baking time and yield.
- Bake until the edges are lightly golden. I bake these a little longer than traditional shortbread so they're firm enough to dip without breaking, but you don't want them dark or overly crisp.
- Let the cookies cool completely before dipping. Warm shortbread is more fragile and can break apart in the melted chocolate.
- Add sprinkles while the chocolate is wet. The sprinkles need to be added immediately so they stick to the chocolate before it sets.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use salted butter for these shortbread cookies. It gives them their rich, buttery flavor and tender texture.
- Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners' sugar, powdered sugar creates the smooth, delicate texture that makes shortbread so irresistible.
- All-purpose flour: Flour gives the shortbread dough structure while keeping the cookies tender and crumbly.
- Green melting wafers: These give the Christmas tree cookies their festive green coating. I like using melting wafers because they melt smoothly and set up nicely on the cookies.
- Christmas sprinkles: Use your favorite festive sprinkles to decorate the chocolate-dipped trees. This is a great place to have fun with different colors and shapes.
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and exact measurements.
How to Make Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Step 1: Make the shortbread dough. Combine the butter, powdered sugar, and flour in a large bowl using an electric mixer. I use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment. The dough may look crumbly at first, but keep mixing, and it will eventually come together into a soft dough. You can also form the dough by hand.
Step 2: Roll the dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thick. Keeping the dough at an even thickness will help the cookies bake evenly.
Step 3: Cut out the cookies. Use a small Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Bake. Bake at 325°F for 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The edges and bottoms of the cookies should be a light golden brown.
I bake these cookies a little longer than I normally would bake shortbread so that they're nice and firm. This makes them much easier to dip in chocolate without breaking.
Step 5: Melt the chocolate. Heat the green melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heating one bag at a time because the chocolate begins to cool as you work, and it's easier to dip the cookies when it's warm. Heat for 60 seconds, stir, then continue heating in 15-second intervals until melted and smooth.
Step 6: Dip the cookies. Dip the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate. Flip them over with a fork to coat the cookie completely, then lift them out and tap the fork against the side of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
Step 7: Decorate. Place the dipped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately decorate with Christmas sprinkles. Let the chocolate set completely before storing or packaging the cookies.
How to Store Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Store the chocolate-dipped cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If stacking the cookies, place parchment or wax paper between the layers to keep the chocolate from sticking.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies?
Yes! Shortbread cookies are great for making ahead of time. Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers.
You can freeze the baked cookies before dipping them in chocolate. Let the cookies thaw completely at room temperature, then dip and decorate them before serving or gifting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can use any size Christmas tree cookie cutter you'd like. Keep in mind that larger cookies will change the yield and may require a little more baking time.
Yes! I usually keep these cookies simple with just butter, powdered sugar, and flour, but you can add a splash of vanilla for extra flavor.
I like these cookies to be nice and firm because they're going to be dipped completely in melted chocolate. Baking them until the edges and bottoms are lightly golden brown gives them enough structure to dip without breaking.
I use green melting wafers because they melt smoothly and are easy to work with. You can use another type of melting chocolate or change the color to match your Christmas decorations.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place parchment or wax paper between layers if stacking them.
Yes! You can bake and freeze the shortbread cookies ahead of time, then thaw, dip, and decorate them closer to Christmas. This makes them a great option for holiday cookie trays and cookie boxes.
More Christmas Cookies to Try
If you're putting together a Christmas cookie tray or holiday cookie box, here are a few more favorites to try.
Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter salted butter, room temp.
- ¾ cup powdered sugar confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 24 oz. green melting wafers 2 bags
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine butter, powdered sugar, and flour in a large bowl using an electric mixer (I use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment). The dough may appear crumbly, but keep mixing and it will turn into a soft dough. Trust me! You can also form the dough with your hands.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin. The dough should be thin, about ¼″ thick.
- Cut out using a small tree cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 14 minutes*. Let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely.*The edges and bottoms of the cookies should be a light golden brown. I cook these cookies a little longer than normal so that they are nice and set up. Perfect for dipping.
- While the cookies cool, go ahead and get your melted chocolate ready.
- Heat green melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heating them one bag at a time. The melting chocolate begins to cool and it's easier to dip them in batches. When you run out of one bag heat the second one.
- Heat melting wafers for 45-60 seconds, and stir. Repeat heating in 15-second intervals until melted and smooth.
- Dip cookies into the melted chocolate. Flip over with a fork and cover the cookie completely. Lift the cookie out of the melted chocolate with a fork, tapping the fork against the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off.
- Place dipped cookies back on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles. Let the cookies set up.
Karen says
Hi Brandy! I’m wondering where you get your tiny cookie cutters?
Brandy says
Hi Karen! I purchased them from Walmart last year. Here's a link to the ones that I have: https://shopstyle.it/l/b4YGt