These Christmas tree cookies are soft and chewy, taste like caramel, and are perfect to make for the holidays. They're made out of caramel sugar cookie dough, don't spread in the oven and you don't need to chill the dough. Homemade (or store-bought) toffee bits added into the dough add crunch and a beautiful real caramel flavor without needing to add a flavor extract. This no chill, no spread sugar cookie dough is easy to make and stays soft and chewy for days! The cookies are decorated by dipping them into an easy royal icing.
These are the perfect unique flavored sugar cookies to make for your holiday cookie boxes. I made these cookies for my Nutcracker themed Christmas cookie boxes.
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🎄 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- No chill, no spread sugar cookies: This makes these cookies even easier to make and there's no long wait time!
- Caramel sugar cookie dough: I tried many different ways to add caramel to the sugar cookies, and the best way was using toffee bits. I've included instructions to make your own like I did but you can also use store-bought for a shortcut.
- Easy royal icing: My royal icing is easy and straightforward to make, is easy to ice with, and is so fun to decorate with! The icing is sturdy while being easy to bite through.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer using unsalted butter and adding my own salt to taste. Unsalted butter also performs better when making toffee. I recommend
- Ultrafine granulated sugar: I like to keep a pack of ultrafine granulated sugar for things like candy making because the crystals dissolve faster and easier, preventing issues like crystallization and splitting. If you're hesitant with making toffee or have had toffee fail in the past, I recommend that you try using ultrafine granulated sugar and make sure to follow my instructions! You can also use ultrafine granulated sugar in the cookie dough but I just stuck to using regular granulated sugar in the cookie dough.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Baking powder: A tiny bit of baking powder in the sugar cookie dough adds a tiny bit of lift without making the cookie dough spread.
- Food coloring: Gel based food coloring gives these cookies a vibrant color without needing a lot of it.
- Meringue powder: You can find meringue powder easily at your bulk food store or baking store. I purchased meringue powder online here.
👩🍳 How to make iced Christmas tree cookies
Toffee step by step
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar and salt, and whisk to combine. It will thicken. Make sure that there isn't any separated butter at this stage and that the mixture looks thick and fully combined.
Step 2: Cook on low heat, running a spatula along the edges and bottom occasionally to prevent burning, until the mixture turns golden brown. It is ready when the texture becomes more liquid-like and the color is golden brown. Don't mix vigorously!
Step 3: Pour the toffee onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread it thin. Leave it to set for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Once the toffee cools, roll a rolling pin over the toffee to crush it into small pieces. The smaller the better!
Caramel sugar cookie dough step by step
Prep: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until combined, scrape down the bowl, and mix again. Don't mix until light and creamy!
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, scrape the bowl and mix again.
Step 3: Add the flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Mix until halfway combined. Add the crushed toffee and mix until the dough comes together. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl if there are any dry bits on the edges.
Step 4: Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ¼" thickness. Cut out shapes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet with 1" space between the cookies.
Step 5: Bake the cookies in the center of your preheated oven, 1 sheet at a time, for 8-9 minutes. The cookies are ready when the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
Step 6: Transfer the caramel sugar cookies onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Continue baking batches of the cookies, rerolling the scraps until you've baked up all of the cookie dough.
Royal icing step by step
Step 1: Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl or stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
Step 2: Add water and vanilla extract to the powdered sugar. Start on low speed to prevent an icing cloud, and increase the speed until high speed for 2 minutes.
Step 3: When you lift up the whisk, the icing drizzle should disappear into the bowl in 6-8 seconds. If the icing is too thin, whip for another minute (the longer you whip the thicker it gets), and if that doesn't work, add more icing sugar. If the icing is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing to get the correct consistency.
Step 4: Divide the icing into three bowls to color. Reserve a few tablespoons of white icing for the snow. I used a tiny amount of gel food coloring to color the icing purple, teal, and green.
Step 5: Dip the cookies into the icing and let the excess drip off.
Step 6: Use a spatula or spoon to scrape off the excess.
Step 5: Decorate the Christmas tree sugar cookies with sprinkles and gold stars.
Step 6: Drizzle lines of white icing for snow, and lay the cookies out in a single layer to set for about 2 hours or overnight. Once the icing is set, store the cookies in an airtight bag or container to prevent them from getting stale.
✔️ Expert sugar cookie tips
- Don't over-cream the butter, sugar, and egg: In order to prevent the cookies from spreading, you want to mix the butter sugar and egg just until barely combined, NOT until it is light and fluffy as you would for a cake. Light and fluffy = more air = more spreading.
- Don't use flour to roll the sugar cookies: Rolling the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper ensures that you don't add too much flour to the dough.
- Don't overbake the caramel sugar cookies: This ensures soft, chewy sugar cookies.
- Let the icing set before stacking the cookies: This ensures that you don't smudge or break the icing and it stays beautiful.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These Christmas tree caramel sugar cookies are great to ice and make ahead. You can freeze the baked cookies iced or un-iced in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 months. If they're iced, I recommend placing parchment paper between the layers to prevent crumbs on the royal icing.
Store the iced caramel sugar cookies at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. These cookies are perfect for cookie boxes because they are soft, sturdy, and stay fresh for a long time.
❔ Why you want to cream the dough as little as possible when making sugar cookies
Spreading relies on two key aspects: The first being using the correct recipe with correct ratios, and the second being incorporating the least amount of air as possible. Air pockets expand in the oven. Since the cookie dough structure isn't strong enough to support this expansion, unlike a cake, the dough then collapses, causing spreading. Too many air pockets also insulate the dough, giving the butter and sugar more time to spread in the oven before the flour gets a chance to bake and set.
This is why it's important to not add too much air when mixing the butter, sugar, and egg. You just want to mix them together, not mix until they become light and fluffy. Err on the side of undermixing and your Christmas tree sugar cookies won't spread!
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Substitute the flour with 1:1 gluten free flour.
You definitely can! For a shortcut, use store bought toffee bits like skor bits.
While some recipes call for chilling the sugar cookie dough to prevent spreading, this recipe does not. I tried chilling and not chilling the dough and the results were the same so chilling the dough just isn't necessary here. The dough won't spread whether you chill it or not.
🍪 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Christmas Tree Caramel Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Toffee
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar ideally ultrafine granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Sugar Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour 270g
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Royal Icing
- 4 cups powdered or icing sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder not egg white powder
- 10 tablespoons room temperature water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- white nonpariel sprinkles
- gold and/or silver star sprinkles
Instructions
Toffee
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar and salt, and whisk to combine. It will thicken. Make sure that there isn't any separated butter at this stage and that the mixture looks thick and fully combined.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Cook on low heat, running a spatula along the edges and bottom occasionally to prevent burning, until the mixture turns golden brown. It is ready when the texture becomes more liquid-like and the color is golden brown. Don't mix vigorously!
- Pour the toffee onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread it thin. Leave it to set for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the toffee cools, roll a rolling pin over the toffee to crush it into small pieces. The smaller the better!
Sugar Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until combined, scrape down the bowl, and mix again. Don't mix until light and creamy!½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined, scrape the bowl and briefly mix again.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, and toffee bits to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl if there are any dry bits on the edges.2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ¼" thickness. Cut out shapes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet with 1" space between the cookies.
- Bake the cookies in the center of your preheated oven, 1 sheet at a time, for 8-9 minutes. The cookies are ready when the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
- Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Continue baking batches of the cookies, rerolling the scraps until you've baked up all of the cookie dough.
Royal Icing
- Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl or stand mixer with a whisk attachment.4 cups powdered or icing sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- Add water and vanilla extract to the powdered sugar. Start on low speed to prevent an icing cloud, and increase the speed until high speed for 2 minutes.10 tablespoons room temperature water, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- When you lift up the whisk, the icing drizzle should disappear into the bowl in 6-8 seconds. If the icing is too thin, whip for another minute (the longer you whip the thicker it gets), and if that doesn't work, add more icing sugar. If the icing is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing to get the correct consistency.
- Divide the icing into three bowls to color. Reserve a few tablespoons of white icing for the snow. I used a tiny amount of gel food coloring to color the icing purple, teal, and green.
- Dip the cookies into the icing and let the excess drip off. Use a spatula or spoon to scrape off the excess. Decorate with sprinkles, drizzle lines of white icing for snow, and lay the cookies out in a single layer to set for about 2 hours or overnight.white nonpariel sprinkles, gold and/or silver star sprinkles
- Once the icing is set, store the cookies in an airtight bag or container to prevent them from getting stale.
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