In this post I’ll show you how to make three charming slice-and-bake Christmas cookies: Santa, Santa boots, and wreath cookies. These festive treats are perfect for gifting friends and family or enjoying with a warm drink during the holidays.
If you know me, you probably know I love making slice-and-bake cookies. I’ve shared similar projects before—Easter egg cookies, clover cookies, and Christmas tree cookies. There’s something magical about slicing the log and revealing the design inside: it feels like opening a long-awaited present.
The cookies are buttery and crunchy, a lovely small treat for holiday gatherings. I’ve simplified the steps so you can make them with minimal fuss while still getting a beautiful result.
Let’s get started.
VIDEO: Watch How To Make the Slice & Bake Christmas Cookies!
Follow the step-by-step video tutorial to see each technique and timing in real time. It’s helpful for visualizing shaping, layering, and slicing the dough correctly.
Don’t forget to subscribe on the channel for more baking videos.
Ingredients For Christmas Cookies
Cookie Dough
- Make one batch of the icebox cookie dough recipe linked in the method section (use my icebox cookie dough for best results).
Decorations
- Food coloring: red (for Santa hat and boots), green (wreath), orange (Santa face) and black (eyes). Use any colors you prefer.
- Egg wash: mix equal parts egg white and water.
- Sprinkles: pick colors you like (gold, pink, green for the logs; white, gold, tree sprinkles for the slices). Small red dough balls work well as berries or noses.
How to Make Christmas Cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
Prepare one batch of the icebox cookie dough. The recipe in the method section lists the exact ingredient weights for reliable results.
Step 2: Divide and color the dough
Take about 300 g of the dough to form the decorated parts, saving the rest to wrap the logs later. Divide this portion into three main color groups:
- About 1/3: red (for Santa hat and boots)
- A little less than 1/3: green (for wreath)
- A little more than 1/3: color roughly 1/3 orange (Santa face) and keep the remainder plain for centers and beards.
Step 3: Shape the dough
- Shaping the wreath:
- Roll a “pole” about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter. Freeze briefly.
- Use a star cookie cutter or similar to press a ruffled surface into the pole, then cover it evenly with green dough. Freeze, then trim or curve the surface with a cutter if needed.
- Cover the whole piece with plain dough for the outer layer and freeze to firm up the log.
- Shaping Santa boots:
- Form a small red rectangle roughly 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide by 2.5 cm (1 in) tall. Freeze it to set.
- Carve the shape, add extra red dough to finish the foot shape, then chill again.
- Wrap the red core in plain dough and freeze to firm the log.
- Shaping Santa:
- Create a semicylindrical face piece about 2.5 cm (1 in) wide and 1 cm (0.4 in) high. Freeze.
- Attach plain dough for the beard (mix in white sprinkles if desired) and chill.
- Make a hat piece about 2.5 cm (1 in) wide and 1.3 cm (0.5 in) high, freeze it, then attach face and hat using a little extra dough and egg wash. Chill.
- Finally cover the assembled head with a pale green layer if you want a uniform outer layer, then freeze the log.
Step 4: Make decoration parts
Use leftover plain dough to create small decorative pieces:
- Roll thin strips of plain dough, press white sprinkles onto them, chill, and then cut pieces to use as fluffy trims for boots, hats, and beards.
- Roll tiny red dough balls for wreath berries and Santa’s nose.
- Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the logs and press sprinkles onto the surface before chilling. Target log dimensions: about 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter and 15 cm (5.9 in) in length.
Step 5: Slice the log
Slice each frozen log into approximately 5 mm thick slices. A sharp knife and steady pressure give the cleanest cuts.
Step 6: Finish decorating
- Wreath: Attach tiny red balls and sprinkles as berries and accents.
- Santa boots: Add the fluff pieces, red balls, and sprinkles to finish the design.
- Santa: Attach beard and hat fluff, add sprinkles for eyebrows and the pom-pom, place a red ball for the nose, and dot eyes with black coloring.
Step 7: Bake
Keep the slices chilled until you’re ready to bake—this reduces spreading and preserves the shape.
Baking schedule used here:
- Preheat and bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 7 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 330°F (165°C) and bake for another 7 minutes or until edges show a light golden toast. Adjust times based on cookie size and your oven.
Baking Tips
Chill the sliced dough completely right up until baking to prevent spreading. Freezing slices briefly before they go into the oven helps maintain crisp edges and clear shapes.
First bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 7 minutes, then lower to 330°F (165°C) and continue baking until the edges develop a light golden caramelization.
- Adjust time and temperature depending on cookie size and your oven.
- For a crisp texture, bake until edges show golden color.
Uses For Slice & Bake Christmas Cookies
These cookies make lovely gifts: arrange them in a decorated cookie box, a glass jar, or a gift bag with candies and marshmallows. They’re thoughtful, handmade presents that show you care.
Note: these cookies take time to assemble. If you’re short on time, simplify by skipping some decorations or choosing just one or two designs. Change color, size, and shape to suit your schedule—have fun and don’t stress about perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature or a few weeks in the fridge. For extra crispness, include a silica gel packet in the container. They taste best when eaten sooner rather than later.
Yes. Break the process into steps: make and color the dough on Day 1, shape logs on Days 2–3, slice and bake on Day 4, and package on Day 5. Freeze the dough between stages to keep it fresh.
If sliced at 5 mm intervals, one batch should yield about 50–60 cookies. Log length and diameter can be adjusted to change yield.
Wrap dough tightly and keep it in the fridge for up to four days or freeze it for several months.
Yes—add extracts or zests you like, but avoid adding so much liquid that the dough’s texture changes and the cookies spread more in the oven.
Because the dough contains raw egg, do not store it at room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze for food safety.
Other Holiday Recipes
- Christmas Cookie Box
- Shortbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Bread
- Apple Hand Pies
- Flaky Pie Crust
Did you try the recipe?
Share your feedback in the comment section below. I’d love to hear how you enjoyed the cookies with friends and family.
Thank you! – Aya
Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies (Santa, Santa boots, and Wreath)
Video
Ingredients
- 226 g Butter, softened (1 cup)
- 160 g Powdered sugar (1 1/3 cups)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Whole egg
- 1 Egg yolk (save the white for egg wash)
- 350 g Cake flour (3 cups)
- 70 g Almond flour (3/4 cup)
- Food colorings (your choice)
- Sprinkles (your choice)
- Egg white for egg wash — mix equal parts egg white and water
Note: For best results, measure ingredients by weight. Cup measurements are provided for convenience.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or bowl, whisk and spatula)
- Whisk (to mix flours)
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap to wrap dough
Method
- Make one batch of the icebox cookie dough (see ingredients above).
- Take about 300 g of dough for the decorative cores and save the rest to wrap the logs. Divide roughly into 3 parts: red for hats/boots, green for wreaths, and orange + plain for faces and beards.
- Wreath: make a 1.5 cm pole, freeze, ruffle with a cutter, cover with green dough, freeze, then wrap with plain dough and freeze again.
- Santa boots: form a red rectangle (1.5 cm x 2.5 cm), freeze, shape the foot, wrap with plain dough and chill.
- Santa: make a semicylinder face (2.5 cm x 1 cm), add a plain-dough beard, form a hat piece, attach with egg wash, then cover with an outer layer and freeze.
- Roll extra plain dough to form fluff pieces and press white sprinkles; chill and cut. Make tiny red balls for berries and noses. Brush logs with egg wash and press sprinkles onto the surface. Logs should be about 4 cm diameter and 15 cm long.
- Slice the frozen logs into 5 mm intervals for clean, detailed cookies.
- Wreath: attach tiny red balls and sprinkles.
- Santa boots: add fluff pieces, red balls, and sprinkles.
- Santa: attach beard and hat fluff, add sprinkles for brows and pom-pom, place a red ball for the nose, and dot the eyes with black coloring.
- Freeze the cookies until just before baking. Bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 7 minutes, then reduce to 330°F (165°C) and bake another 7 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted.
Notes
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or a few weeks in the fridge. For extra crispness, add a silica gel packet to the container.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 5 g
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was in the comments.