Name: Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature; 3/4 cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 cups all purpose flour (gluten free if needed); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons milk; 4 ounces white chocolate; Rosemary sprigs, sprinkles, sanding sugar for decorating; Red food coloring oil-based

There’s something magical about holiday baking, and these Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe are one of my absolute favorites to make every year. They’re buttery, tender, and versatile enough to decorate with all the festive touches you dream of.

The image shows two kinds of cookies on a white marbled surface, each covered with smooth white icing. The first kind is round with a hole in the middle, decorated with small red and white sugar pearls and tiny green rosemary sprigs, giving a wreath-like look. The second kind is round without a hole, decorated with a red icing line shaped like a Santa hat and white sugar pearls adding a fluffy texture to the hat's trim and pom-pom. The cookies have a golden-baked edge, and the whole scene is sprinkled lightly with white sugar crystals. Small green pine branches and a white Christmas ornament with a silver design are placed around the cookies for decoration. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe is a holiday staple for me because it blends simplicity with a touch of elegance—perfect for gifting, cookie swaps, or just cozying up by the fire with a cup of tea.

Perfect buttery texture: The balance of butter and cornstarch gives the cookies that tender, melt-in-your-mouth feel.
Easy to decorate: The simple icing sets beautifully, making it ideal for Christmas-themed decorations.
Flexible for creativity: Whether you prefer sprinkles, rosemary, or chocolate accents, these cookies are your blank canvas.
Great make-ahead option: You can prep, freeze, and even bake them from frozen when the holiday rush hits.

Ingredients & Why They Work

Every ingredient in this Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe plays a role in achieving that perfect flavor and texture. Choosing quality butter and using vanilla bean paste really elevate these simple cookies.

Flat lay of a large square of pale unsalted butter with a smooth surface, a small white ceramic bowl filled with fine white powdered sugar, a small white bowl holding glossy golden vanilla bean paste, a few grains of coarse sea salt scattered naturally, a small mound of fine all purpose flour, a small heap of white cornstarch powder, another white bowl with creamy milk, a few fresh rosemary sprigs with green needle-like leaves, a small pile of bright red round sprinkles, sparkling white sanding sugar crystals shimmering, a block of smooth white chocolate with a clean cut edge, and a tiny white bowl containing vibrant red oil-based food coloring—all arranged with perfect symmetry and balanced proportions on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter blends smoothly and delivers a rich flavor without extra salt.
Powdered sugar: It keeps the texture soft and silky, unlike granulated sugar which can make cookies gritty.
Vanilla bean paste: Offers a deeper, more natural vanilla flavor than extract alone.
Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness perfectly.
All-purpose flour: Provides structure but keeps the cookies tender when balanced with cornstarch.
Cornstarch: Adds that signature delicate crumb of shortbread.
Powdered sugar (for icing): Makes for a smooth glaze that sets nicely.
Milk and vanilla extract (for icing): Creates the perfect consistency and flavor for drizzling or dipping.
White chocolate and red food coloring: For festive, eye-catching decorations like Santa hats.
Rosemary and sprinkles: Natural and colorful garnishes that add charm and aroma.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

What I love most about this Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe is how easy it is to customize. I usually switch up the decorations based on my mood or who I’m gifting the cookies to.

Variation: One year I swapped the rosemary for fresh cranberries to create a bright, festive wreath look. It was a hit with all my guests!
Dietary tweak: I’ve tested this with gluten-free flour blends, and it works beautifully as long as you use cornstarch to keep that tender crumb.
Difficulty level: Feel free to skip the decorative chocolate hats if you want to save time—the iced cookies alone are gorgeous and delicious.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe

A stack of five round wreath-shaped cookies sits in the center on a white marbled surface, each cookie covered with smooth white icing and sprinkled with small red, white, and green decorative dots and tiny green leaves resembling rosemary. Around the stack are more cookies, round and flat, also iced and decorated with red and white toppings. The scene is accented with green pine twigs and white, shiny Christmas ornaments scattered nearby. The background is softly blurred with a white wall and festive hints of red ribbon and greenery behind. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Start by beating your softened butter on medium-high speed until nice and smooth — about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add the powdered sugar and continue beating for another minute. This step is key to getting that light, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Step 2: Add Flavor and Dry Ingredients

Mix in the vanilla bean paste and salt, scraping the bowl as needed. Then, add your flour and cornstarch on a lower speed just until the dough starts to come together. It might look dry at first, but keep mixing and scraping — it’ll pull away from the bowl and form a nice dough.

Step 3: Chill, Roll, and Cut

Wrap your dough and chill for 30 minutes to firm it up — this helps with rolling and clean cookie cuts. Flour your surface generously, roll out to about ¼ inch thickness, and use your favorite cookie cutters to shape. Don’t forget to gather scraps and reroll until you’ve used it all!

Step 4: Chill Again and Bake

Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with some space between. Chill again for 15-30 more minutes so they hold their shape when baking. Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, rotating halfway. Watch carefully: you want the edges just barely turning golden.

Step 5: Prepare and Add the Icing

While the cookies cool, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk for a smooth glaze. Dip cooled cookies upside down carefully so they don’t break. For the wreaths, add rosemary and sprinkles before the icing fully sets to make them look stunning and smell incredible.

Step 6: Decorate Santa Hats and Finish

Melt white chocolate and color some of it red with oil-based food coloring to create Santa hats. Pipe the red in hat shapes, and add white chocolate “fluffy” rims and tops sprinkled with sparkling sugar. I once made green trees this way; they were super fun for a variety platter!

Top Tip

Over the years, I’ve learned that small details make a big difference with these Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe. Here are my go-to tips to help your cookies turn out bakery-quality every time:

Proper butter temperature: Make sure your butter is soft but not melting to avoid greasy dough.
Don’t skimp on chilling: Skipping the double chill can cause spreading and misshapen cookies.
Use oil-based food coloring for chocolate: Water-based colors will ruin the smooth white chocolate finish.
Dry your decorations: For rosemary sprigs and sprinkles, add them just before icing sets for the best stick and appearance.

How to Serve Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe

Christmas Shortbread Cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I love using fresh rosemary sprigs for wreath cookies—their piney aroma adds a cozy holiday vibe. For a little sparkle, I sprinkle colored sanding sugar or edible glitter. The red sprinkles add that classic Christmas pop of color that everyone expects.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair beautifully with a hot mug of spiced cider or peppermint hot chocolate. During our holiday parties, I serve them alongside cheese boards—sweet and savory together is magic.

Creative Ways to Present

For gift-giving, I like stacking them in a festive tin with parchment paper between layers. If I’m hosting, I arrange the cookies on a platter with pine branches and fairy lights around—it turns a simple cookie into a centerpiece!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once decorated, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and delicious for up to 5 days—perfect if you want to prep early for a party.

Freezing

I often freeze leftover dough wrapped tightly. When the holidays roll around, I thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake fresh cookies the next day. You can also freeze baked, undecorated cookies for up to 3 months and decorate them fresh after thawing.

Reheating

For warmed cookies, use a few seconds in the microwave — just enough to soften them slightly, not melt the icing. It brings back that fresh-baked feeling that everyone loves.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use regular vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?

Yes, you can substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste. The paste gives a more intense vanilla flavor and those pretty vanilla flecks, but extract works perfectly well to flavor the dough.

What’s the best way to prevent the cookies from spreading too much?

Chilling the dough before rolling and again after cutting out the cookies really helps the shape hold during baking. Also, make sure your butter isn’t too soft or melting when you start mixing.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Absolutely! Just swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend that works for baking. Keep the cornstarch in the recipe for that tender texture. I’ve had great results this way.

What type of food coloring should I use for the chocolate decorations?

Use oil-based food coloring if you want to color white chocolate. Water-based or gel colors can cause the chocolate to seize and become unusable. Oil-based colors give vibrant, smooth finishes every time.

Final Thoughts

These Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing Recipe have become one of my cherished holiday traditions—not just because they taste amazing, but because decorating them brings a fun, creative pause to the busy season. I hope you try making them and add your own special touch. Trust me, once you’ve made these, they’ll be a staple in your holiday recipe box too!