Christmas Tree Cookie Recipes for Festive Holiday Baking

These chocolate Christmas tree cookies are rolled in cane sugar and topped with a piped Christmas tree for a festive finishing touch. They’re ideal for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or a cozy baking day with family.

This post is sponsored by Wholesome. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Stephanie’s Sweet Treats possible.

These chocolate cookies are an easy, flavorful alternative to traditional sugar cookies shaped with cutters. The dough is simple to make, rolled in cane sugar for sparkle, and decorated with a vanilla icing tree that looks impressive but is quick to pipe.

The recipe uses Regenerative Organic Certified® Cane Sugar from Wholesome. Their cane sugar replaces granulated sugar in recipes while supporting regenerative farming practices, improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and fair working conditions on farms.

For more chocolate ideas, try Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, Chocolate Glazed Donuts, or Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls.

Why This Christmas Cookies Recipe Works

• Festive and fun — Chocolate cookies decorated with a piped tree are festive without needing a cookie cutter.
• Easy to make — Simple dough, sugar rolling, and a straightforward piping method make these approachable for bakers of any skill.
• Bright presentation — The green tree icing, yellow star, and white sprinkles create a cheerful holiday look perfect for displays or platters.

Ingredient Notes for Christmas Tree Cookies

A few tips about the main ingredients used in the recipe.

• Unsalted butter — Melt and cool it before mixing so it doesn’t scramble the egg.
• Cane sugar — This recipe uses Wholesome Regenerative Organic Certified® Cane Sugar for the dough and for rolling the cookie balls.
• Brown sugar — Light brown sugar works well, but dark brown sugar is also fine for deeper flavor.
• Confectioners’ sugar — Sift powdered sugar before mixing the icing for a smooth consistency.
• Egg — Use a room-temperature egg yolk for better incorporation and texture.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Dairy-free — Use your preferred dairy-free butter substitute and nondairy milk for the icing.
• Gluten-free — This recipe hasn’t been tested with gluten-free flour blends; results may vary.

Step By Step Instructions – Chocolate Cookies

Follow these steps to make the chocolate cookie base.

STEP 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl sift the all-purpose flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. Add baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.

STEP 2: Beat butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer, beat the melted and cooled butter with cane sugar and brown sugar on high for 2 minutes until well combined.

STEP 3: Combine. Add vanilla and the egg yolk to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on medium until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.

STEP 4: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes while the oven heats.

STEP 5: Scoop. Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to portion the dough. Roll each ball in cane sugar and place 12 dough balls on each prepared sheet.

STEP 6: Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 8–10 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges are set but centers are still slightly soft.

STEP 7: Cool. Let the cookies cool on the hot pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. If any cookies puff too much, gently flatten them while warm for a better decorating surface.

Step By Step Instructions – Vanilla Icing

Make a thick vanilla icing that pipes clean lines for the tree decorations.

STEP 1: Mix icing. Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl, add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, then whisk until thick and smooth. Add more milk only if needed to reach the right consistency.

STEP 2: Color and load. Divide icing into three bowls and color one green, one brown, and one yellow. Transfer each color to separate piping bags. Cut a small opening for brown and yellow and a slightly larger opening for green.

STEP 3: Pipe icing. Pipe the green icing in a back-and-forth motion to form the tree shape. Use brown for the trunk and yellow for the star. Optionally add white nonpareil sprinkles as lights.

Expert Baking Tips

• Measure flour correctly by spooning into the cup and leveling or use a kitchen scale to avoid compacted flour that dries out cookies.
• If cookies spread too much, check that the cookie sheets are ungreased with parchment paper and that the butter wasn’t too warm. Chill dough balls 10–15 minutes if needed.
• At high altitude, add 1–2 tablespoons of extra flour to reduce spread.
• Remove cookies when edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone—the residual heat will finish them and keep the centers chewy.

FAQ

Recipe Variations

• Snowman cookies — Use white, black, and orange icing instead of green, brown, and yellow to create snowmen.
• No sugar coating — You can skip rolling the dough in cane sugar, though the sugar adds a pleasant sparkle and slight crunch.

Special Tools

• Parchment paper — Makes cleanup and cookie release much easier.
• Piping bags — Helpful for neat, controlled decoration when piping trees and small details.
• Small cookie scoop — For uniform dough portions and even baking.

Storing and Freezing

Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours before serving.

Other Cookie Recipes To Try

• Pecan Pie Cheesecake
• Apple Pie Cheesecake
• Cherry Pie Bars
• Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

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