Ugly Sweater Christmas Cookies
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Delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Ugly Sweater Christmas Sugar Cookies frosted with yummy buttercream frosting make these cookies high-priority for all your holidays! And ugly sweaters are the rage, so let’s do this!
You may also enjoy these White Chocolate Buttercream Frosted Cupcakes, Christmas Cookie Bars, M&M Christmas Cookies and this Christmas Peppermint M&M Fudge Cookies!
Pssst! Ready to have a Holly, Jolly Christmas? Are you going to an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party or celebrating your own Christmas with incorporating ugly Christmas sweaters for a fun family tradition?
Well, whether you do or don’t, taking these ‘Ugly Sweater’ Buttercream Frosted Christmas Cookies will be the hit of any party or family gathering. Great ice-breaker as well, right?
I have an ugly sweater, and it really is pretty ugly…yikes! And…Holy cow! It amazes me how much those ugly sweaters cost. The uglier, the more costly.
But it’s a super fun way of celebrating and laughing at each other in our ridiculous sweater attire to get in the spirit of Christmas.
Buttercream Frosting Versus Royal Icing
Christmas cut-out sugar cookies are the best with buttercream frosting. They don’t look as pretty as royal icing
Buttercream on sugar cookies is just ‘Christmas’, if you ask me. I could eat them all! But decorate how you wish, with frosting, royal icing and sprinkles! You’ll have fun with the kids coming up with ugly sweater sugar cookie ideas!
Gather Your Ingredients
Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe
- sugar
- unsalted butter, softened
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- butter, softened
- powdered sugar
, add more depending on personal preference
- vanilla extract
- milk or heavy whipping cream
- food coloring
, optional
- salt, optional
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla, butter and almond extract.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff).
- Divide dough in half and make each dough ball into a flat disk about an inch thick or so.
- Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Rolling the Dough & Cutting Sweater Shapes
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- On a floured surface, roll out each disk ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until firm.
Bake the Cookies
- Bake until just beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.
- Let cookies cool and transfer to a wire rack.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
- In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed.
- Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.
- Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. (If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.)
Frosting and Decorating the Sweater Cookies
- I divided frosting into 3 groups, and made the colors green, red and left the third one white.
- Place frostings into pastry bags, or cut small a small hole into end of corner of bag and add icing and pipe away making cute or ugly sweater designs. Add some candies, sprinkles, outline them with stripes or just get creative with your own fun ideas!
- Place cookies on baking sheet to let the frosting firm up before stacking or placing in airtight container.
Storing Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Here’s the ‘Ugly Sweater’ Buttercream Frosted Christmas Cookies recipe! Now, all you need is an Ugly Sweater Christmas Cut-Out cookie cutter
Feel free to use whatever cookie cutters you want though! It’s about the experience of making, baking and eating some Christmas cookies with our ugly sweater sugar cookie ideas!
More Christmas Cookie Ideas
- 12 Christmas Cookies – Bake Me, Eat Me, Gift Me!
- Best Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Holiday Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies
- Butter Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Mocha Peppermint Crunch Cookies
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint & Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
‘Ugly Sweater’ Buttercream Frosted Christmas Cookie
Ingredients
Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon butter extract optional, if you want extra butter flavor
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 and 1/3 cups unsalted butter softened, if using salted butter, omit salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar add more depending on personal preference
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream
- food coloring optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla, butter and almond extract.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff).
- Divide dough in half and make each dough ball into a flat disk about an inch thick or so.
- Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
When Ready, Make the Cutout Cookies
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- On a floured surface, roll out each disk ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until firm.
- Bake until just beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.
- Let cookies cool and transfer to a wire rack.
Buttercream Frosting
- In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed.
- Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.
- Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. (If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.)
- I divided frosting into 3 groups, and made the colors green, red and left the third one white.
- Place frostings into pastry bags, or cut small a small hole into end of corner of bag and add icing and pipe away making cute or ugly sweater designs. Add some candies, sprinkles, outline them with stripes or just get creative with your own fun ideas!
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Thanks Teresa! 🙂 I want to do some with royal icing with some next time. Thanks for pinning!
Kim, these are sensational! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. What a cute idea. However, your “ugly” sweaters look quite beautiful to me. Beautiful enough to gobble down about a dozen of them in no time flat! Love em. Pinning. P.S. I’ll have to check out that cookie cutter.