Here are tips and step-by-step instructions for making three adorable slice-and-bake Christmas cookies: Christmas tree, reindeer, and present box. These make charming gifts or festive treats to share with friends and family this holiday season.
Last year I shared another slice-and-bake Christmas cookie set — Santa, Santa boot, and wreath cookies. This is part two, with three new designs:
- Christmas tree cookies
- Reindeer cookies
- Present box cookies
These slice-and-bake cookies are easy to prepare and look delightful when finished. Follow along for tips that make the process smoother and the designs more reliable.
Let’s get started! 🎄
VIDEO: Watch How To Make the Slice & Bake Christmas Cookies!
Use the video tutorial to watch each step and understand the techniques used to assemble and slice the logs cleanly.
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What’s in the Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies?
The Dough
- Unsalted butter — use soft butter so everything blends smoothly.
- Powdered sugar — powdered sugar gives a crumblier, more delicate texture than granulated sugar.
- Salt
- Whole egg
- Egg yolk — save the egg white to use in the egg wash.
- Cake flour
- Almond flour — adds a crumbly, tender structure.
Egg Wash
- Egg white
- Water — mix equal parts egg white and water for brushing.
Decorations
- Food coloring — green, brown, yellow, red (choose any colors you prefer).
- Sprinkles — optional, for added detail.
How To Make the Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies
Below are practical tips for each step to help you shape, chill, assemble, and bake the cookies successfully.
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
Prepare one batch of your favorite icebox cookie dough. The recipe I use combines softened butter, powdered sugar, egg and yolk, cake flour, and almond flour for a tender, slightly crumbly texture.
Step 2: Color the Dough
Reserve about two-thirds of the dough (for covering the logs later). From the remaining one-third, divide into three equal portions and color them: yellow, brown, and green (roughly 100 g each). Take a small piece of the reserved plain dough and color it red for reindeer noses.
- If a color looks too pale after baking (for example, yellow), consider using a deeper shade so it stands out when finished.
- Add a touch of brown to the green dough if you prefer a more natural tree tone.
Step 3: Shape Each Design
Christmas Tree
- Form a green triangular log: about 2.5 cm high and wide, 15 cm long.
- Freeze until firm.
- Use a tool with a sharp corner (a small star cutter or similar) to curve the surface and create zigzag branches.
- Make a brown rectangular log for the trunk (same length), freeze, trim the sides to about 1 cm width, and attach it to the green section with a little egg wash. Freeze again.
Reindeer
- Roll brown dough into a log about 15 cm long. Freeze until it firms up.
- Shape the face profile (approximately 1.5 cm wide and 2 cm high).
- Form small ear pieces from brown dough, chill, and attach them to the head with a touch of dough and egg wash. Freeze the assembled log.
Present Box
- Form a yellow square log about 2 cm high and wide and 15 cm long.
- Freeze the log, trim the edges to clean up the square shape, and freeze again until solid.
- If the green tree curves feel tricky, try shallower curves with more frequent zigzags — either approach works.
- Whenever the dough softens, freeze the pieces again. Chilled dough cuts cleaner and holds its shapes better.
Step 4: Cover Each Design With Plain Dough
Divide the reserved plain dough into three portions and wrap each shaped log evenly, creating a smooth outer layer. Aim for logs about 15 cm long and 4 cm in diameter.
Tips:
- Work with completely frozen designs to avoid squashing the shapes.
- If the outer coating gets soft while working, cover thinly first, freeze, then complete the covering.
- Adapt the log size for kids or for convenience — the fun matters more than exact dimensions.
- A peeler is handy to trim thicker spots and redistribute dough where needed.
Step 5: Slice the Logs
Brush the surface of each log with egg wash, press sprinkles on if desired, then slice into 5 mm intervals using a sharp knife. Keep the logs frozen until just before slicing to get clean cuts.
- Frozen logs slice much cleaner. If the dough softens, pop the logs back into the freezer for a few minutes.
- Thicker slices spread more in the oven, so aim for thin, consistent slices for the best detail.
Step 6: Decorate
Use the red dough to form small reindeer noses. Roll thin strips of colored dough, brush with egg wash, attach sprinkles, and slice to create present ribbons or tree garlands. Paint small details — reindeer eyes with black coloring and antlers with brown — after slicing if needed.
If you’re short on time, keep the decorations simple: a few sprinkles or a single ribbon stripe looks lovely and saves time.
Step 7: Bake
Bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 7 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 330°F (165°C) and bake another 5–7 minutes until the edges are just lightly toasted. Cooling and baking times vary by oven and slice thickness, so watch for slight browning at the edges.
Chill the Dough Before Baking
Keep the sliced cookies chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Cold dough spreads less, preserving the design detail.
- These cookies are fun but time-consuming. To speed up the process, choose one design to focus on.
- Avoid overbaking; too much color change dulls bright, vivid hues. Remove cookies when the surface begins to toast or the edges are slightly golden.
Uses for Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies
These cookies are perfect for:
- Assembling a Christmas cookie box
- Treats for kids
- Sharing with neighbors and coworkers in small gift bags
- Serving at holiday parties or family gatherings
Enjoy them however you like, and try mixing designs for a festive assortment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container. At room temperature they stay fresh for 4–5 days; refrigerated, they keep for a few weeks. If you plan to gift them and they might not be eaten immediately, include a silica packet in the box to help keep them crisp by absorbing moisture.
The dough stores in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for several months. Allow it to warm slightly at room temperature before shaping if frozen.
One batch yields about 50–60 cookies when sliced at approximately 5 mm intervals from logs about 15 cm long and 4 cm in diameter.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
If you enjoyed this tutorial, try other festive cookie recipes for variety and inspiration.
- Gingerbread cookies
- 10 Christmas cookies from one dough
- Easy Santa cookies
- Slice-and-bake Santa, Santa boots, and wreath cookies (part 1)
- Four kinds of soft, chewy cookies from one dough
Did you try the recipe?
Share your honest feedback in the comment section below — I’d love to hear how the cookies turned out and how you shared them with friends and family.
Thank you! – Aya
Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies (Christmas Tree, Reindeer, and Gift Box)
Video
Ingredients
- 226 g butter (softened)
- 160 g powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk (save the white for egg wash)
- 350 g cake flour
- 70 g almond flour
- Some egg white (mixed 1:1 with water)
- Some water
- Food colorings (your choice)
- Sprinkles (optional)
NOTE: For best results, weigh ingredients. Cup measures are provided for convenience.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or bowl, whisk, and spatula)
- Whisk to mix flours
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap to wrap the dough
Method
- Make one batch of icebox cookie dough using the ingredients listed above.
- Reserve about two-thirds of the dough for covering the designs. From the remaining third, divide into three portions and color them yellow, brown, and green (about 100 g each). Color a small reserved piece red for the reindeer nose. Chill as needed.
- Christmas tree: form a triangular green log, chill, create zigzag surface, add a brown trunk piece, and freeze the assembled design.
- Reindeer: shape a brown log, chill, form the face and ears, attach with egg wash, and freeze.
- Present box: form a square yellow log, trim the edges for clean lines, and freeze.
- Wrap each frozen design with plain dough, freeze the logs until firm, brush with egg wash, press on sprinkles if desired, and slice at 5 mm intervals. Keep the logs cold while slicing.
- Use red dough for reindeer noses and thin strips for present ribbons. Add small painted details where needed. Bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 7 minutes, reduce to 330°F (165°C), and bake another 5–7 minutes until edges are lightly toasted. Chill slices before baking to prevent excess spreading.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days or refrigerate for a few weeks. For gifting, include a silica packet to keep cookies crisp.
Chill thoroughly: Keep dough and slices chilled until baking to preserve shapes and minimize spreading.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 5 g
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it went!