Easy Christmas Tree Cookies

Skip the fancy decorating! Simply dye the sugar cookie dough green & top with mini M&M's for an easy Christmas tree cookie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Keyword christmas cookie, christmas tree cookies, easy Christmas recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings -24 cookies, depending on size

Calories 234kcal

¾ cup unsalted butter (microwave cold butter for 10 seconds to slightly soften)
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (nut allergy? you can substitute this with extra vanilla!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350℉.
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. Mix in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (1 teaspoon). Add in baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (2 cups) and mix until combined.
Use green gel food coloring to dye dough and mix until all color is incorporated. Transfer to a flour-covered surface and use a rolling pin to roll dough ⅜" to ½" thick.
Use a Christmas tree cookie cutters to cut out, then press on red mini M&M's into the dough.
Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. Depending on size of your cookie cutter and thickness of dough, 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.
Optional: when completely cooled, top with icing or frosting. See notes section below for frosting ideas.
Store in airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze for later.

Can I add frosting or icing? You sure can! While my sugar cookie dough recipe is flavored with vanilla and almond extract, you can add more sweetness to these tree cookies by adding icing or Christmas Cookie Frosting. If adding frosting, cut the extracts inside the dough in half.
What if I don't have a Christmas tree cookie cutter? You can roll these out & then use a knife to cut into triangles! Or use a round cup to make them into wreaths instead. So many ways you could make this xmas cookie recipe your own!
What food coloring do you recommend? I highly recommend using a gel food coloring or dough dye, as liquid coloring will require a lot and therefore alter the taste. We want it to look green but not taste green!
How do I get them lime green? Lime green is achieved with a mixture of green & yellow food coloring. When trying to get a light color, I always recommend using a toothpick and dipping it in the gel food coloring instead of squeezing in drops. This allows you to control the "build" the color as you please! Check out my Christmas Cookie Frosting Guide for holiday color formulas.