Christmas Cookie Trees

Ingredients for a Christmas Cookie Tree

Making your own Christmas sugar cookie trees this holiday is easy and fun. You only need a few ingredients to make holiday magic happen!

Cookie dough: No need to stress about making it from scratch, refrigerated Pillsbury™ Sugar Cookie Dough is so simple and so, so yummy! You’ll get decadent, soft, and buttery sugar cookies every time! Don’t forget the flour for your baking surface so your cookies are easy to roll out and cut.

Frosting: You’ll want to have enough on hand so you can decorate your tree just how you like it. We recommend two containers of fluffy white whipped ready-to-spread frosting. Or you can change it up and try some pre-colored options for extra pizzazz.

Food coloring: You’ll need plenty of food coloring in your favorite holiday hues. There are a few different types to choose from, so go ahead and pick your favorite. Liquid food coloring works great for pastel shades, while gel or paste food coloring gives you more vibrant results. It's all about personal preference and getting those colors just right. If you’d prefer to omit this step, you can pick up pre-colored frosting to make this recipe even easier.

Decorations: This is where you can really let your creativity shine! We recommend yellow sanding sugar to add a sparkly touch, or red and white candy sprinkles to bring some festive cheer. Coarse sugar adds a crunchy texture, perfect for mimicking snow. Use your favorite sprinkles when personalizing your sugar cookie tree.

Using premade dough and frosting saves you time and effort, while the different frosting options and decorations let you get as creative as you want. So go ahead, mix and match, and let your inner cookie artist shine!

How to Make and Assemble a Cookie Tree

With just a few simple (and super fun!) steps, you’ll have an impressive holiday dessert that doubles as decor. The full detailed directions for making Christmas Cookie Trees are below, but here’s a rundown of how it’s done.

Prepare the Dough

Knead your cookie dough in a bowl along with flour to add some oomph that will help them keep their shape while they bake. Then lightly sprinkle your work surface with flour before rolling out the dough. You want about ?” thickness to guarantee a perfectly chewy, golden finished cookie.

Cut out Shapes

With your assortment of star and flower cookie cutters, cut out five of each shape and size, for 25 total cookies. Arrange them on two cookie sheets covered in parchment paper, with the larger sizes together on one sheet and the smaller ones together on the other.

Bake and Cool

Bake your cookies in a 350°F oven, with smaller cookies baking for 6 to 8 minutes, larger cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re just light golden brown. Once out of the oven, transfer your cookies with a spatula to wire cooling racks. Let them cool completely before moving on to the next step so your frosting doesn’t melt when you start frosting.

Time for Frosting

Mix your frosting and food coloring in small bowls until you achieve the shades of yellow and green you like. For the yellow stars, frost your cookies and sprinkle with yellow sugar. Spoon frosting into a piping bag, if you have one. Or use a resealable food-storage plastic bag and cut off one corner to create a simple DIY piping bag.

Build the Tree

Start with the largest cookie as the base of your tree and pipe on your green frosting. Then stack the next cookie on top, pipe with frosting, and repeat the process working from largest to smallest. To keep it straight, you can use a ruler or a tall glass as a guide. As you build, step back every now and then to make sure your tree is coming together nice and straight. Once your layers of green are in place, sprinkle with coarse sugar and candy sprinkles. When you reach the top, place the star-shaped cookie on top to finish off your masterpiece.

Storing Leftover Cookies from Your Tree

Storing your leftover Pillsbury xmas cookies properly will ensure you can keep enjoying your festive creation, even after the party’s over.

If you’ll be eating your leftover cookies within a day or two, you can store them on the counter in an airtight container. Just make sure they're not sitting in direct sunlight or near any heat sources—nobody likes a soggy cookie.

Your sugar cookies will stay fresh for a bit longer, if you pop the container in the fridge. Just be aware that the frosting might get a little hard, so you might want to let them sit out for a bit before digging in.

And if you're really looking to stretch their lifespan, you can put your leftover sugar cookies in the freezer. Wrap them up tight, then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container marked with the date. They'll stay fresh for up to three months—perfect for those emergency cookie cravings!

One thing to know about frosting: if it's sandwiched between cookies, it might get a bit melty if it sits for too long. So, if you're storing leftovers for more than a day or two, you’ll definitely want to disassemble your cookie tree to keep things intact. The sanding sugar and coarse sugar may get a bit melty during storage, but your cookies will still taste amazing!