These festive snowflake cookies are perfect for the holidays: delicate in appearance, rich in buttery flavor, and simple to make. This shortbread-style cookie holds its shape well, making it ideal for detailed snowflake cutters and royal icing decorations. Whether you’re preparing for a cookie swap or decorating with family, these cookies are sure to impress.
I always get into the holiday spirit with carols playing, pine-scented candles, and twinkling lights. This recipe is one of my favorites for holiday baking: the snowflake shapes are adorable and the almond-vanilla shortbread tastes wonderful. These cookies are as tasty as they are pretty, and they’re sturdy enough to stack in a gift tin or display on a cookie tray.
What You’ll Need
- Snowflake cookie cutter
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
- Piping bag or squeeze bottle
- Optional: food coloring and sprinkles
Ingredients
This recipe uses a shortbread-style dough that’s firm, doesn’t spread much, and is easy to cut into shapes. Below are the ingredients for the cookies and the royal icing.
- Unsalted butter, softened — 1 cup (227 g)
- Sugar — 1 cup (200 g)
- Brown sugar — 1/4 cup (55 g)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- Vanilla extract — 2 tsp
- Almond extract — 1/2 tsp
- All-purpose flour — 3 cups (375 g)
- Kosher salt — 1/2 tsp
Royal icing (simple):
- Powdered sugar — 3 cups (360 g), sifted
- Meringue powder — 2 1/2 tbsp
- Water — about 7–8 tbsp, adjust to reach piping consistency
Variations
Customize the flavor and look of these cookies with a few simple adjustments:
- Add citrus zest (orange or lemon) for a bright note.
- Swap almond extract for peppermint for a candy-cane twist.
- Stir in a pinch of cinnamon and allspice for a warm, spiced variation.
- Mix a tablespoon of cocoa powder into the dough for chocolate shortbread.
Tips
- Chill the dough well so the cutters produce clean shapes and the cookies hold their form during baking.
- Less icing often looks cleaner—start with a small amount and add more if needed.
- Practice piping on paper before decorating the cookies to get comfortable with the design.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, a resealable plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped off works fine.
How to make Snowflake Cookies
Make the shortbread cookies
- Cream the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.
- Scrape down the bowl, add vanilla and almond extracts, and mix another minute.
- Stir in flour and salt and mix until just combined; do not overwork.
- Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for one hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out snowflake shapes and re-roll scraps as needed.
- Place cookies on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 13–15 minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
Make the royal icing
- Whisk together sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 7–8 tablespoons water. Whisk about 2 minutes until thick and glossy. Adjust water to reach desired piping consistency. A hand mixer works well if the mixture becomes too stiff to stir.
Decorate the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag about halfway with royal icing (or pour into a squeeze bottle). For color, divide icing into bowls and tint with gel food coloring.
- Cut a tiny opening in the piping bag or attach a very small round tip. Pipe delicate snowflake patterns, dots, and lines. If preferred, dip cookies in icing for a base layer, let dry briefly, then pipe details on top.
- Let decorated cookies dry uncovered at room temperature for at least an hour before stacking or packaging.
Recipe FAQs
Draw a snowflake shape on paper and cut it out to make a stencil. Place the stencil over rolled dough and use a sharp knife to trace and cut the shape.
A simple glaze made from powdered sugar and a little milk or water is an easy alternative. It may take longer to dry but still tastes great.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chewy peanut butter cookies
- Pink peppermint sugar cookies
- Small-batch chocolate chip cookies
- Snickerdoodle whoopie pies
- Matcha cookies
- Chocolate chip Christmas tree cookie bars
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Snowflake Cookies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
- Piping bag or resealable plastic bag
- Snowflake cookie cutter
- Optional: sprinkles and food coloring
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Royal Icing
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
- 7–8 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Cookies
- Cream butter and both sugars for 3 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until combined. Scrape sides and add extracts. Mix 1 minute more.
- Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut shapes. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake 13–15 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely on the sheet.
Make the Royal Icing
- Whisk powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 7–8 tbsp water until thick and glossy. Adjust water to achieve piping consistency.
Decorate the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag halfway and pipe fine snowflake details. Alternatively, dip cookies for a base coat, let dry briefly, then pipe designs.
- Allow decorated cookies to dry at room temperature for at least an hour before storing.
Notes
- Less icing can create a cleaner, more elegant look.
- Practice piping on paper first to refine your design.
- A squeeze bottle or snipped plastic bag is a handy substitute for a piping bag.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.