No cookie cutters? No problem! These circle Christmas cookies are easy for all ages, cute as can be, and you don’t even need a cookie cutter to make them!
Recipes: Cut Out Sugar Cookies & Christmas Cookie Frosting
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Circle Christmas Cookies that are ACTUALLY easy!
You watch the tutorials, you buy all the fancy piping tips and supplies, and you’re determined that this will be the year you finally make perfectly decorated Christmas cookies…only to have everything go wrong and end up with trays full of cookies you’re too embarrassed to share. Sound familiar? Well, these easy Christmas circle cookies won’t let you down!
You don’t need to be a professional cookie decorator to make my circle Christmas sugar cookie designs, nor do you need a bunch of cookie cutter shapes because: they’re ALL circles!
Trust me, decorating round Christmas cookies is about to become your go-to life hack! Unlike fragile shapes, circles are the easiest beginner Christmas cookies to make with kids since they won't break as easily in the grips of tiny hands! ;)
12 Circle Christmas Cookies to Make for the Holidays
You can cut the sugar cookies out with the rim of a glass or cup and decorate them using a plastic zip-top bag filled with buttercream frosting. (Here's my favorite Christmas cookie frosting!) And if you’re looking for easy Christmas cookies to make with kids, look no further—I have ideas that are perfect for kids of all ages, so even toddlers can get in on the cookie decorating festivities!
If you don't want to make homemade sugar cookies, you can also make any of these circle Christmas sugar cookie designs using premade dough from Pillsbury!
Round Reindeer Cookies
It’s everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer, in adorable cookie form! These fun reindeer sugar cookies are great for little ones (and adults!) who don’t have a steady hand for piping frosting.
- How to Make: Spread brown frosting onto a round sugar cookie, then add the face by pressing on two pretzels for antlers, two brown M&Ms for eyes, a red M&M for that signature red nose, and half of a brown M&M for a cute little smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial & printable instructions: Easy Rudolph Cookies
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place these easy reindeer cookies in a plastic bag and tie it off with a personalized gift tag! This is one of my favorite round Christmas sugar cookie designs because it's the easiest for kids!
Wreath Circle Cookie
This festive wreath cookie couldn’t be easier to make! If you don’t have a small round cookie cutter to cut out the center hole, you can use an apple corer, the lid of a spice jar, or even a paring knife instead. (Here's how to make dark green frosting for your wreaths!)
- How to Make: Pipe medium-sized dots along the edges, then fill in the space between them for the look of lush holiday greenery. Decorate with sprinkles and use M&Ms or frosting to create a bow or berries.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Easy Wreath Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the wreath cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a free printable Christmas gift tag!
Round Christmas Tree Cookie
My final circle Christmas cookie design is a festive Christmas tree decked out with ornaments. I use a star tip to pipe the border, but dots will work just fine if you don’t have any decorative tips to use.
- How to Make: Spread on a buttercream frosting background, then switch to a piping bag filled with green frosting and fitted with a small tip. Pipe back and forth to form a tree, add some sprinkle ornaments, a star on top, and pipe on a border for an elegant finish.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the Christmas tree cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a personalized gift tag! This is one of my favorite circle holidays cookies because it's so simple, but looks fancy.
Round Snowflake Cookies
They say no two snowflakes look alike, so feel free to get creative with these circle snowflake cookies! While they look fancy at first glance, it’s really just a simple combination of lines and dots.
- How to Make: Use a piping bag fitted with a small tip to draw a line straight across a circle sugar cookie, then criss-cross it two more times. Pipe additional lines and dots to create a symmetrical snowflake design. Dust with sanding sugar if you have it!
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the snowflake cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a snowman gift tag! You can also use my royal icing recipe to turn these into royal icing snowflakes (which dries harder than buttercream!).
Gumdrop Cookies
Shaping cookies without cutters is as easy as using a butterknife to pinch, squeeze, and cut sweet little gumdrop-shaped cookies. With my fluffy sugar cookie recipe, these taste just like the soft-baked Lofthouse cookies they sell at the grocery store!
- How to Make: Start with fluffy sugar cookies and use a mini cookie cutter (or the top of a champagne flute!) to cut the dough; use a butterknife to squeeze in the top of the circle, then cut off the bottom to create a gum drop shape. Spread on frosting in your choice of colors and dip the gumdrop cookies in white sanding sugar—just like a real gumdrop!
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: Pair with our gingerbread man cookie for a cute cookie tray!Or if you're only making gumdrop cookies, you can put 2 or 3 different colors in a plastic bag and tie it off with a candy cane or gingerbread gift tag!
Peppermint Sugar Cookie
These easy Christmas sugar cookies are made to look like peppermint candies! If you want them to taste like peppermint too, add a few drops of peppermint extract to the buttercream frosting.
- How to Make: Spread white frosting onto a circle sugar cookie, then pipe a red spiral over it. Dip into white sanding sugar and you’re done! Wrap these cookies in cellophane and tie both ends to complete the peppermint candy look.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: Place in a long, clear plastic bag and tie off each end with twine to create a cute "wrapped candy" cookie! These are also cute paired with candy cane cookies on a cookie platter.
Gingerbread Face Cookie
This cheeky little gingerbread man has a wry smile and rosy cheeks, along with that trademark gingerbread squiggle on the top of his head. These gingerbread circle cookies are almost too cute to eat!
- How to Make: Spread brown buttercream onto a round sugar cookie (I have a color formula for this here). Use half M&Ms for the mouth and eyes, and whole red M&Ms to create rosy cheeks. Pipe a white squiggle on the top and a bow tie on the bottom.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Circle Gingerbread Man Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: Pair with our mini gumdrop cookies to create an adorable gingerbread-themed cookie tray! Or to gift individually, place the gingerbread head cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a candy cane gift tag!
Round Snowman Cookies
This snowman-in-a-snowglobe round Christmas cookie is a bit more elaborate than some of the others, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a cinch to make! The details here are all made with sprinkles.
- How to Make: Spread light blue frosting onto a round sugar cookie for a wintry background. Pipe a curved white line at the bottom and fill that in to create your snow. Pipe one large circle and a smaller circle on top to build your snowman and use sprinkles for the carrot nose, arms, eyes, and buttons. Use some extras to create a snow globe effect, then pipe dots along the border for a decorative touch.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the snowman cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a personalized gift tag!
Circle Polar Bear Cookies
This Arctic cutie is another effortless circle Christmas cookie idea. No need to mix up a bunch of frosting colors, either—you only need white buttercream and M&Ms!
- How to Make: Spread or pipe white frosting onto a cookie—use sanding sugar for a little bit of sparkle! Pipe on a large dot for the snout, and two smaller dots for the ears. Mini M&Ms make the cutest little eyes and cheeks, and a regular-sized M&M is the nose.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: Pair our polar bear cookie with the reindeer & snowflake cookies to create a cute wintery trio!
Round Present Cookie
For a sophisticated decorated Christmas cookie, try this simple gift design. You don’t need a present cookie cutter—just use a circle cookie cutter or the rim of a glass and pipe on a decorative bow!
- How to Make: Spread circle cookies with frosting—I used pink, but you can use any color you like! Smooth it out, then pipe horizontal and vertical lines to make a plus sign. Little loops in the middle make a beautiful holiday bow!
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the present cookie in a plastic bag and tie it off with a personalized gift tag!
Snowman Face Circle Cookie
With rosy red cheeks, a carrot nose, and a sweet little smile, these snowman circle cookies are super cute—and since all the decorating is done with M&Ms, they’re super easy too! This one is perfect for preschoolers.
- How to Make: Pipe or spread frosting onto a round sugar cookie and smooth it out, then dip it into white sanding sugar for that sparkling fresh snow effect. Use M&Ms for eyes and cheeks; an orange M&M on its side makes the perfect carrot nose, and a half M&M makes a smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Easy Decorated Snowman Cookies
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place the snowman face cookie in a plastic bag and decorate it with a snowman gift tag! Or decorate a few of the cookies with M&M buttons to create the "body" and gift a face & body on top of each other in a tall plastic bag to create a full snowman.
Circle Santa Cookies
You can’t make a batch of decorated circle Christmas cookies without Jolly Old St. Nick! While there are many Santa cookie designs out there, this holiday circle cookie version is the easiest for sure.
- How to Make: Pipe a curved red line along the top of a round sugar cookie, then fill it in and smooth it out to form a hat. Switch to a piping bag full of white frosting and pipe dots along the edge of the hat (don’t forget the pompom!), and then keep going to form a beard. I use mini M&Ms for eyes, a red M&M for a nose, and a half M&M for a friendly smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Santa Face Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: After the frosting dries, place each circle Santa cookie in a plastic bag and decorate it with a candy cane gift tag!
These round Christmas cookie decorating ideas take all the stress out of making cookies for holiday gifting! Less time spent fussing with cookie cutters and intricate icing designs means more time to spend with friends and family—and that is what the holidays are all about!
So tell me, which one of these round Christmas cookie ideas is your favorite? I LOVE making circle cookies for Christmas because it's so much quicker to cut & decorate.
12 EASY Circle Christmas Cookies!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (nut allergy? you can substitute this with extra vanilla!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. To prep for rolling, lay a piece of parchment on the counter and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of flour.
- In a large bowl, cream together softened unsalted butter (¾ cup, i.e., 1 ½ sticks) and granulated sugar (¾ cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds.
- While the mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (1 ½ teaspoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoon).
- Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour ½ cup at a time on low speed (2 cups total).
- Once mixture is combined and all the flour disappears, transfer dough to the piece of floured parchment paper. Press mixture into large ball so that it is all incorporated and any loose floury pieces are pressed in. Knead dough for 5-10 seconds until it becomes a smooth ball, then press into 2" thick disc (see photo guides above in post).Use a rolling pin to roll dough ⅜" to ½" thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out and transfer to a parchment baking sheet. I used a 2.5" circle cookie cutter (you can also use a wine glass or cup!).
- Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Depending on size, cookies may look underdone at 10 minutes, but I recommend removing them from the oven before seeing any brown on the edges. If you've used a medium/large cutter and made them ½" thick, you may need to bake for a few extra minutes.
- Once baked, remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Do not remove cookies from hot pan. Let them rest on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes to finish baking before removing from the pan.
- Once completely cooled, top with frosting. See notes section below for frosting ideas.
- Store in airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze for later.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
- Depending on size/thickness of cookies, you can typically get 12-24 cookies.
- Easy Sugar Cookie Icing = Great for one-color designs
- Royal Icing = Great for intricate designs, where you want the icing to fully harden.
- Buttercream Frosting = Great for spreading or piping swirls
Nutrition
For more easy recipes, christmas sugar cookie decorating ideas, and Christmas games, don't miss these posts!
If you make these easy circle Christmas cookies, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
Emily says
Super soft sugar cookies! I made these for Halloween with my daughter - different faces with the m&ms - ghost, mummy, jack-o-lantern, Frankenstein's monster, and a vampire.
The flavor was wonderful and the cookies are super soft! They did spread quite a bit, even after chilling, but with just circles it's not such a big deal.
Melissa says
I'm glad you liked these cookies, Emily! It sounds like you had fun with them! If you make them again and notice the dough is still as loose before chilling, you can try adding a Tablespoon or two of flour. Thanks so much for taking time to leave a review!
Lacey says
Amazing! Best sugar cookies we have ever had and the almond extract does wonders for flavor!
Thanks so much for making this one fun at Christmas time!!
I’ve been trying to get better at remembering to leave reviews and not just reading them before trying the recipe!! Lol!!
Melissa says
I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review so much! So glad you all loved the cookies & ideas!!
Danika says
These are THE CUTEST cookies!!! I want it to be Christmas again so I can make more. I’m so in love with them. And I love that they’re actually easy for novice bakers and/or kids. Love love love!!
Jen says
So easy and fun!
Kathy says
Made these with the grandkids, they loved them and very easy to make. Thank you!