Kitchen hack for holiday baking: make four Christmas cookies from one basic dough. Prepare the dough ahead of time, freeze and bake later!
Can you believe that it’s almost November and the holidays will be here before we know it! Everyone knows that one of the best things about the holiday season is all of the homemade goodies. We love baking and we love sharing, but then we run into time crunches.
Between working, shopping, parties and time with family and friends, it’s now always easy to make something homemade. So, today I am excited to share a kitchen hack just in time for holiday baking.
You can use this recipe to make four kinds of Christmas cookies from one basic dough. And the best part is that you prepare the dough ahead of time, freeze the dough and it is ready to bake whenever you want it.
Four Christmas Cookies From One Basic Dough Recipe
Step One: Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
In a large stand mixer, combine butter and shortening. Cream in the sugars until light in color and fluffier in texture about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed sugars.
Separate the dough into four bowls, about two cups in each bowl. Add the extra ingredients to each separate bowl following the instructions below.
Step Three: Freeze Cookie Dough Balls
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
Step Four: Bake Cookies
Remove cookie dough balls from the freezer. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 9-11 minutes.
Frosted Sugar Cookies
The first of the four Christmas cookies is sugar cookies! They look so pretty topped with buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, roll into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
Place sugar cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Remove cookie dough balls from the freezer. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 9-11 minutes. Cool and decorate with green buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Double Chocolate Cookies
The second of the four Christmas cookies batches is double chocolate cookies. Once again, you’ll need 1/4 of the basic sugar cookie dough.
Mix melted and cooled chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Place the double chocolate cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm, and then put them into freezer bags or containers. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
Remove cookie dough balls from the freezer. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 9-11 minutes. Cool and drizzle with melted chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
The third of the four Christmas cookies is white chocolate cranberry cookies. These cookies include white chocolate chips and sweet, tangy Craisins.
Mix white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Place the white chocolate cranberry cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm, and then put them into freezer bags or containers. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
Remove cookie dough balls from the freezer. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Peppermint cookies are the fourth of the four Christmas cookies from one basic dough. These cookies are dotted with crunchy candy cane pieces and are topped with peppermint buttercream.
Mix crushed candy canes and flour into the basic sugar cookie dough. If desired, add a couple of drops of red food coloring.
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Place peppermint sugar cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm, and then put them into freezer bags or containers. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
Remove cookie dough balls from the freezer. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Cool and decorate with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes.
Recipe Tips
1. How do you make evenly sized cookies? Use a one tablespoon-sized dough scoop to make this step easier and to make the dough balls the same size so that they will bake evenly and look better on a tray.
2. What if I don’t have a cookie dough scoops? Use rounded tablespoons of dough instead.
3. Any baking tips you can share? Cover the baking sheets with parchment paper so that cookies will easily slide off and to make clean-up a little easier!
4. Does the cookie dough HAVE to be frozen first or can I bake the cookies right away? You can bake the cookies right away!
5. Can I bake the cookies right from the freezer? Yes, the cookie dough is baked directly from the freezer without thawing them first.
6. Would the cookies still be good if I skipped the frosting? Yes! If you are short on time, you can skip the frosting and sprinkles on the cookies.
Tonia’s Notes
One of our favorite gifts to give is homemade treats, and this recipe is perfect when preparing boxes of holiday treats.
For this box, I frosted the sugar cookie to look like a wreath and tinted the peppermint frosting pink. We also added nut goodie bars, hot chocolate cookie cups, candy bar pretzel bites, chocolate truffles coated with chopped nuts, and peanut clusters.
Four Christmas Cookies From One Basic Dough
Video
Ingredients
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- ⅔ cups shortening
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 4 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 ¾ cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Sugar Cookies
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups green buttercream frosting
- 2 tablespoon sprinkles
Chocolate Cookies
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted for drizzle, optional
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Peppermint Sugar Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- 4 tablespoon crushed candy canes
- 2 tablespoon flour
- red food coloring optional
- 2 cups peppermint buttercream frosting optional
- 2 tablespoon crushed candy canes optional
Instructions
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. In a large stand mixer, combine butter and shortening.
- Cream in the sugars until light in color and fluffier in texture about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed sugars.
- Separate the dough into four bowls, about two cups in each bowl.
- Add the extra ingredients to each separate bowl following the instructions below.
- Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough.
- If making ahead of time, place the cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
- If ready to bake immediately, skip placing the cookie dough balls in the freezer and bake right away. Since this recipe makes a large number of cookies, store the additional cookie dough in the fridge until ready to use.
- Bake at 375˚F for 9-11 minutes (fresh dough or frozen).
Sugar Cookies
- Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, roll into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
- Cool and decorate with green buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Chocolate Cookies
- Mix the melted and cooled chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the basic sugar cookie dough.
- Cool and drizzle with melted chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Mix the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Mix the crushed candy canes and flour into the basic sugar cookie dough. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.
- Cool and decorate with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes.
Jocelyn says
Does this recipe make 120 cookies as stated?
Tonia says
Hi Jocelyn,
Yes, that is how many it makes if you use a one tablespoon sized dough scoop and make each scoop of dough level. If you heap the dough in the scoop or use two spoons to scoop the dough the number of cookies will vary.
Happy Baking,
~Tonia
Lish says
Do you HAVE to freeze the dough before you bake or can you make it all fresh?
Tonia says
Hi Lish,
Nope, you can bake the cookies right away! I would suggest leaving the extra dough in the fridge so that it doesn’t get too warm. Warmer cookie batter will spread more during baking.
Enjoy!
~Tonia
Tndjrkdmmek says
I think these would be good dipped in hot choclate
pmotjmm says
Just to be sure I’m understanding: You make the 4 variations, scoop into balls, and freeze the raw dough balls, then when you are ready to bake them, you defrost first and then bake at 375?
Tonia says
They can go straight from the freezer to the oven without the need to defrost them. Enjoy!
Caitlyn says
If I leave out the cranberries on the cranberry and white chocolate 1, will it taste like white chocolate? Can I use a cookie cutter and cut them out?
Ruth Pittmon says
We live at 7500 feet. Are there recipe changes for high elevation?
Alexis says
Any substitutions for shortening?
Alies Keogh says
Coconut oil is what I’m going to try! =parts
Also I found butter or margarine same ratio as I am in Zambia and have not found shortening here.
Michelle Reno says
Have made all of these and they all turned out fabulous. one thing I tried was adding 1 tsp of lemon zest to the cranberry ones and they turned out amaZING.
Cece says
Why do you use brown sugar? I have never made sugar cookies with brown sugar
Tonia says
Hello Cece,
I wanted it to be a versatile dough for different kinds of cookies. In my Best Sugar Cookie Recipe, I use all granulated sugar if you prefer that one: https://www.thegunnysack.com/best-sugar-cookie-recipe/
Happy Baking,
~Tonia
Jessica says
How high should the oven be preheated?
Michelle Reno says
Oven should be preheated to 375 degrees.
Kyra says
I’ve made this recipe twice now with awesome results both times! Love the chocolate, white chocolate and sugar cookies variations. Have yet to try the peppermint but plan to. This has definitely become a go to recipe for me, thanks so much for sharing!
Bethany says
Hi Tonia,
Can you freeze a roll of dough & later ‘slice & bake’these? How would it affect the outcome?
Thanks 🙂
Bethany
Tonia says
I’ve never tried that but I would guess you would get the same results! Best of luck! ~Tonia
Kayla says
They were super yummy! But all of mine came out hard </3
Debbie Zambos says
Most likely the reason they were hard is they were over baked. Sugar cookies are best baked just until you think they aren’t quite ready, I baked mine at 350 for 9 minutes and they were perfect.
Liz says
Do u bake the cookies from frozen?
Tonia says
Yes! 🙂
Ann M. says
I tried this today! When I initially made the dough (about 2 months ago) I baked some of it, rolled the rest into balls and froze them. Today I took out a few frozen dough balls, let them defrost for about 10 mins just sitting on the kitchen counter, pressed them down gently, and baked at 375 degrees for 10 mins. They came out even BETTER than when I baked the dough fresh 🙂
Nonna says
Tonia, these look great. I will be making these for a Christmas Sunday School party soon and was wondering how the peppermint cookies became pink. Did you add red food coloring to the mix? All of the cookies look good and will be pretty on a platter.
Thank you for your help.
God bless,
diana says
i was wondering the same thing!
Sue says
Do you have a good recipe for frosting, I haven’t found a good one yet.
Elizabeth says
Any way to make this with butter? Is it the same amount of shortening?
Kelly says
I’m wondering the same thing! Did you end up making it with all butter?
Juli says
Any other variation suggestions besides the peppermint ones? Don’t care for peppermint desserts!
Cheri says
I made the peppermint ones, but was too lazy to make frosting for the sugar cookies. I made snickersoodles instead.
Add cinnamon to the sugar cookie mix, roll into 1″ balls and cover in a mix of sugar and cinnamon.
Ann says
How far in advance should one make these if giving them as gifts?
Tonia says
As close to the time you will be giving them away as possible. Best of luck! ~Tonia
Matt says
I think it would be a god idea to dip these in hot cocoa
Janis says
I’m sorry, I don’t see the amount of flour listed in the recipe.
Tonia says
Hi Janis,
It’s 4 3/4 cups of flour. You can also try looking at the recipe via this link: http://www.thegunnysack.com/easyrecipe-print/14449-0/ Maybe the font will show up on your screen.
Happy Baking!
~Tonia