These Holiday Slice and Bake Cookies are an easy, festive way to enjoy homemade cookies during the holidays. Preparing the dough in advance lets you slice and bake fresh cookies in minutes—perfect for gifting, cookie exchanges, or last-minute holiday treats when time is tight.
This Holiday Slice and Bake Cookies recipe post is sponsored by Ankarsrum. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Beyond the Butter® possible!
This version is a homemade take on the classic pre-made dough cookies—think Pillsbury-style, but made from scratch so you can customize shapes and colors for any holiday. It was inspired by my Super Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies recipe and has the same tender, buttery texture that families love. For a chocolate variation, try the Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies recipe.
These cookies are loved for their buttery flavor, soft, tender crumb, and the fact they’re simple to prepare. I often make them using my Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer and stainless steel beater bowl, which make mixing and cleanup straightforward.
You can make the logs even more festive by rolling them in red and green sparkling sugars before slicing. The bright edges look beautiful on a cookie tray and make these a standout addition to any holiday cookie lineup.
For more recipes made with the Ankarsrum, check out Easy French Bread, Lemon Cheesecake, Mini Chocolate Banana Blender Muffins, Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream, and Carrot Cake Cookies.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to Make the Recipe
- Recipe FAQs
- More Holiday Cookie Recipes
- Easy Holiday Slice and Bake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
The photo below shows the ingredients for this easy slice-and-bake cookie recipe. Notes after the list highlight a few key items and tips.
- Powdered sugar: Sifting is recommended. Powdered sugar helps give these cookies their tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Almond extract: Optional but highly recommended for a warm, complementary flavor—use a small amount to enhance the dough.
- Sparkling sugars: Use these to coat the outside of the dough log for a festive, sparkly rim once baked.
- Food coloring gel: Gel colors give vivid shades without thinning the dough. A few drops are usually enough to tint the dough while keeping the texture intact. Use gloves when working with gel colors to avoid staining your hands.
For exact quantities and step-by-step instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make the Recipe
Here’s a concise overview of the process. The full printable recipe follows in the recipe card and includes both US and metric measurements.
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat room-temperature unsalted butter until smooth, then add sifted powdered sugar. Mix until mostly combined, scrape the bowl, then add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and beat until smooth.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients. On low speed, gradually mix in the whisked dry ingredients until a dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.
Step 4: Divide and color dough. Reserve two-thirds of the dough for the main log; wrap and chill it. Color the remaining third with food coloring gel, knead until uniform, then roll to about 1/4-inch thickness between wax paper and chill briefly in the freezer.
Step 5: Cut shapes and stack. Cut mini shapes from the chilled colored dough and stack them, lightly brushing water between layers to help them adhere, until the stacked length reaches about 7 to 7 1/4 inches. Freeze the stacked shapes on their side for at least 30 minutes. Bring the uncolored dough to room temperature while the center shapes are frozen.
Quick Tip: Keep the colored center dough chilled while cutting to preserve crisp edges. Lightly dabbing water between pieces helps them stick when stacking.
Step 6: Form the dough log. Use strips of the uncolored dough to fill the crevices around the stacked shapes, smoothing the exterior to form a log. Double wrap the log and freeze for at least 2 hours (overnight is ideal).
Quick Tip: Stand logs upright in a small box while freezing to avoid them flattening on one side.
Step 7: Slice and bake. Remove the log from the freezer 10–15 minutes before slicing. Preheat oven to 375°F and position the rack in the middle. Slice cookies about 1/4-inch thick, place on a parchment-lined sheet two inches apart, and bake 7–8 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly golden. Cool on racks and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Rotate the cookie log a quarter turn as you slice to keep even pressure and prevent uneven flattening.
Store cooled cookies at room temperature in an airtight container with a slice of bread to retain softness for up to five days.
Freeze wrapped cookie dough logs for up to three months. Thaw on the counter about 15 minutes before slicing and baking.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, try other holiday favorites such as Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker Cookies, Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies, Almond Sprinkle Cookies, and Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies for a varied cookie platter.
If you tried this Holiday Slice and Bake Cookies recipe, please leave a star rating and share your feedback in the comments. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Holiday Slice and Bake Cookies
Equipment
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Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer with cookie whisks (optional)
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Mini holiday cookie cutters
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Mixing bowls and spatulas
Ingredients
Cut out sugar cookies
- 2 ⅔ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Sifted powdered sugar
- 1 Large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond extract
- Food coloring gel, festive colors of your choice
- Sparkling sugars, optional for coating outside of cookie log
Instructions
Slice and Bake Cookies
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Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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Beat the unsalted butter until smooth, then add sifted powdered sugar and blend on low until nearly combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
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Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until well incorporated.
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On low speed, gradually add the dry mixture to form a dough that pulls away from the bowl.
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Divide the dough: shape two-thirds into a disc or log, wrap, and refrigerate. Color the remaining third with food coloring gel, knead until even, and roll between wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness. Chill in the freezer 15–20 minutes.
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Cut shapes from the chilled colored dough, stack them with a dab of water between layers, and freeze the stack on its side for at least 30 minutes. Bring the uncolored dough to room temperature.
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Use strips of the uncolored dough to fill around the stacked shapes and form a smooth log. Double wrap and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight.
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Remove the log 10–15 minutes before slicing. Preheat oven to 375ºF, slice cookies about 1/4-inch thick, place on parchment-lined sheets, and bake 7–8 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on racks.
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Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread for up to five days.
Notes
- Yield: about 16 cookies; final count varies with log length and slice thickness.
- Mini cookie cutters work best for the center shapes; regular cutters may be too large.
- Wear disposable food-safe gloves when handling food coloring gel to avoid staining hands.
- Bake times vary by oven; start checking at the lower end of the recommended time.
- Freeze wrapped cookie dough logs up to three months. Thaw briefly before slicing to bake.
- For candy canes, divide the colored portion and use red and white dough rolled into striped strips, chill, then cut shapes.
- Roll logs in sparkling sugar before slicing for a sparkly edge; avoid sugaring before freezing.
- This recipe is adapted from the Super Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie recipe, a family favorite.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with ingredients used.