Easy Circle Christmas Cookies: 12 Adorable Designs (No Cookie Cutters Needed!)
Forget the frustration of intricate designs and specialty cookie cutters! These circle Christmas cookies are incredibly easy for all ages, charmingly cute, and best of all, you don’t even need a cookie cutter to make them! Get ready to impress this holiday season with minimal effort and maximum festive fun.
Essential Recipes: Perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies & Delicious Christmas Cookie Frosting
Circle Christmas Cookies That Are ACTUALLY Easy and Fun!
Do you ever find yourself scrolling through elaborate cookie tutorials, buying all the fancy piping tips, and vowing that *this* year, you’ll create those picture-perfect Christmas cookies? Only to end up with a tray of less-than-ideal treats you’re too embarrassed to share? If that sounds familiar, then these incredibly easy circle Christmas cookies are your holiday baking salvation!
You don’t need years of experience as a professional cookie decorator, nor do you need a vast collection of cookie cutter shapes to achieve stunning results. The secret? Every single one of these adorable Christmas cookie designs starts with a simple circle! This means less fuss, less cleanup, and more joyous baking moments.
Decorating round Christmas cookies is about to become your favorite holiday hack. Their robust shape makes them the easiest beginner Christmas cookies, especially when baking with children. Unlike more delicate shapes, these sturdy circles won’t break as easily in the enthusiastic grips of tiny hands, ensuring a fun and frustration-free activity for everyone! Plus, their smooth, consistent surface is ideal for simple frosting techniques that look impressive.
12 Simple & Sweet Circle Christmas Cookie Designs for the Holidays
Creating these delightful holiday treats is simpler than you think. You can easily cut your sugar cookies with the rim of an ordinary drinking glass or cup – no special equipment required! For decorating, a plastic zip-top bag filled with your favorite buttercream frosting works wonders. (For a perfect start, here’s my go-to Christmas cookie frosting recipe!) If you’re searching for easy Christmas cookies to make with kids, you’ve found the ultimate guide. I’ve included ideas that are perfect for all ages, so even toddlers can join in the festive cookie decorating fun!
Feeling short on time? No problem! You can easily adapt any of these circle Christmas sugar cookie designs using premade dough, like the convenient options from Pillsbury. This allows you to jump straight into the fun part: decorating!
1. Adorable Round Reindeer Cookies
It’s everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph, brought to life in the cutest cookie form! These cheerful reindeer sugar cookies are fantastic for little ones (and adults!) who might not have the steadiest hand for intricate frosting piping. They combine simple spreading with fun candy accents.
- How to Make: Begin by spreading a generous layer of brown frosting onto your baked round sugar cookie. For the face, playfully press two mini pretzels at the top for antlers, add two brown M&Ms for wide, friendly eyes, a classic red M&M for that signature glowing nose, and finally, half of a brown M&M for a cute, quirky smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch the full process on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial & printable instructions: Easy Rudolph Cookies
Gifting Idea: Once the frosting is completely dry, nestle these delightful reindeer cookies into clear plastic bags. Tie them off with festive ribbon and attach a personalized gift tag for a thoughtful, handmade present! This is truly one of the easiest round Christmas sugar cookie designs to make with kids, guaranteeing smiles all around.
2. Festive Wreath Circle Cookie
This cheerful wreath cookie design is surprisingly simple to achieve, making it a holiday favorite. If you don’t have a small round cookie cutter to create the center hole, get creative! An apple corer, the lid of a spice jar, or even a careful paring knife can work perfectly. For that vibrant holiday look, here’s how to make rich dark green frosting for your wreaths!
- How to Make: After cutting the center hole, pipe medium-sized green frosting dots along the outer and inner edges of your circular cookie. Then, fill in the space between these dots to create the look of lush, realistic holiday greenery. Decorate with an assortment of colorful sprinkles, and use M&Ms or a touch of red frosting to craft a cheerful bow or festive berries.
- Video Tutorial: See the step-by-step video on TikTok!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Easy Wreath Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: Once the gorgeous green frosting has fully set, place each wreath cookie into a clear plastic bag. Secure it with a charming ribbon and one of our free printable Christmas gift tags for a lovely edible present!
3. Whimsical Round Christmas Tree Cookie
This final circle Christmas cookie design transforms a simple round canvas into a festive Christmas tree, beautifully decked out with ornaments. While I often use a star tip to pipe the borders for a little extra flair, simple dots piped from a regular round tip will work just fine if you don’t have any decorative tips on hand. The key is to have fun with it!
- How to Make: First, spread a smooth, light-colored buttercream frosting over the entire cookie as a background. Next, switch to a piping bag filled with vibrant green frosting, fitted with a small round tip. Pipe back and forth, gradually tapering to form a classic Christmas tree shape. Embellish with colorful sprinkle “ornaments,” place a small star sprinkle or yellow frosting dot at the very top, and then pipe on a contrasting border around the cookie for an elegant, polished finish.
- Video Tutorial: Watch the festive tree come to life on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: Once the frosting has completely dried and hardened, gently place each Christmas tree cookie into a protective plastic bag. Tie it off with a cheerful ribbon and a personalized gift tag! This is one of my favorite circle holiday cookies because it’s so incredibly simple to create, yet it looks wonderfully elaborate and fancy – perfect for surprising friends and family.
4. Elegant Round Snowflake Cookies
They say no two snowflakes are ever alike, and that’s the beauty of these enchanting circle snowflake cookies – feel free to get wonderfully creative with your designs! While these cookies may appear fancy and intricate at first glance, they are truly just a simple, elegant combination of piped lines and dots. The magic is in the symmetrical repetition, creating stunning wintry patterns effortlessly.
- How to Make: Using a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, carefully draw a straight line directly across your frosted circle sugar cookie. Criss-cross this line two more times, creating a six-pointed star shape. From there, pipe additional smaller lines and dots radiating from the center and along the main lines to craft a beautiful, symmetrical snowflake design. For an extra touch of winter sparkle, dust lightly with white sanding sugar if you have some on hand!
- Video Tutorial: Watch the delicate snowflake come to life on TikTok here!
Gifting Idea: Once the frosting has completely dried, place your beautiful snowflake cookie into a clear plastic bag and tie it off with a whimsical snowman gift tag! For those who prefer a harder, more durable finish, you can also use my royal icing recipe to turn these into elegant royal icing snowflakes, which dry perfectly crisp.
5. Playful Gumdrop Cookies
Who knew shaping cookies without traditional cutters could be so easy and fun? With just a butterknife, you can pinch, squeeze, and cut your way to sweet little gumdrop-shaped cookies. And here’s a secret: using my fluffy sugar cookie recipe, these taste remarkably similar to the soft-baked Lofthouse cookies you find at the grocery store, but even better because they’re homemade!
- How to Make: Start with your soft and fluffy sugar cookie dough. Use a mini cookie cutter (or even the top of a champagne flute!) to cut out small circles. Next, take a butterknife and gently squeeze in the top edge of each circle to create a slight indentation, then carefully cut off a small portion from the bottom to form that distinct gumdrop shape. Spread a vibrant frosting in your chosen colors, and for an authentic touch, dip the frosted gumdrop cookies into white sanding sugar – just like a real gumdrop!
- Video Tutorial: Watch the playful gumdrops take shape on TikTok!
Gifting Idea: These adorable gumdrop cookies make a fantastic addition to any holiday cookie tray! Try pairing them with a classic gingerbread man cookie for a charming duo. If you’re only making gumdrop cookies, arrange 2 or 3 different colors in a clear plastic bag and tie it off with a cheerful candy cane or gingerbread gift tag for a sweet, colorful present!
6. Spiraling Peppermint Sugar Cookie
These easy Christmas sugar cookies are designed to look just like classic peppermint candies – visually stunning and wonderfully simple! If you want them to *taste* like peppermint too, simply add a few drops of high-quality peppermint extract to your buttercream frosting. The combination of look and flavor will be an instant holiday hit!
- How to Make: First, spread a smooth layer of white frosting evenly over your round sugar cookie. Next, using a piping bag with a small round tip, carefully pipe a striking red spiral pattern, starting from the center and working your way outwards. For an extra touch of “candy wrapper” sparkle, gently dip the edges (or the entire cookie) into white sanding sugar. Voila, you’re done! For a truly authentic look, wrap these finished cookies in cellophane and tie both ends, mimicking a wrapped peppermint candy.
- Video Tutorial: Watch the peppermint swirl take shape on TikTok!
Gifting Idea: Place these charming peppermint cookies in a long, clear plastic bag and tie off each end with festive twine or ribbon to create an adorable “wrapped candy” cookie gift! They also look incredibly cute when arranged on a cookie platter alongside candy cane-shaped cookies, adding a vibrant touch to your holiday spread.
7. Cheerful Gingerbread Face Cookie
This cheeky little gingerbread man cookie, with his wry smile, rosy cheeks, and trademark frosting squiggle, is almost too cute to eat! Transforming a simple round sugar cookie into this beloved holiday character is surprisingly straightforward, and the result is utterly charming. These gingerbread circle cookies are sure to bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
- How to Make: Begin by spreading a smooth layer of brown buttercream frosting onto your round sugar cookie (I’ve included a handy color formula for this perfect shade here). For the expressive facial features, use half M&Ms for the eyes and mouth. Whole red M&Ms make wonderfully rosy cheeks. Finish by piping a playful white squiggle on the top of his head and a dapper bow tie at the bottom.
- Video Tutorial: Watch this adorable gingerbread face come to life on TikTok!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Circle Gingerbread Man Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: Create an irresistible gingerbread-themed cookie tray by pairing these gingerbread face cookies with our mini gumdrop cookies! For individual gifting, place each gingerbread head cookie into a clear plastic bag and tie it off with a festive candy cane gift tag for a truly sweet surprise.
8. Charming Round Snowman-in-a-Snowglobe Cookies
This “snowman-in-a-snowglobe” round Christmas cookie is a little more detailed than some of the other designs, but don’t let that intimidate you – it’s still an absolute cinch to make! The delightful details here are all created using an assortment of colorful sprinkles, making it a textural and visual treat. It’s a wonderful way to capture a mini winter wonderland on a cookie.
- How to Make: Start by spreading a light blue frosting onto your round sugar cookie to create a frosty winter background. Next, pipe a curved white line at the bottom and fill in the space to create a snowy ground. Build your snowman by piping one large white circle for the body and a smaller white circle on top for the head. Use small sprinkles to form the charming carrot nose, twig arms, expressive eyes, and buttons. Scatter some extra white or iridescent sprinkles around the snowman to enhance the magical snow globe effect. Finally, pipe small white dots along the cookie’s border for a decorative, finished touch.
- Video Tutorial: Watch the snowman come to life in his snowglobe on TikTok!
Gifting Idea: After the frosting has completely dried, carefully place each snowman cookie into a clear plastic bag. Tie it off with a festive ribbon and attach a personalized gift tag for a heartwarming, homemade present. These cookies are perfect for spreading winter cheer!
9. Cute Circle Polar Bear Cookies
This adorable Arctic cutie is another effortless circle Christmas cookie idea that will melt hearts! You’ll love how simple it is – there’s no need to mix up a rainbow of frosting colors. For this charming design, you only need pure white buttercream and a handful of colorful M&Ms. It’s minimalist, yet incredibly effective and sweet.
- How to Make: Spread or pipe a smooth layer of white frosting evenly onto your round cookie. For an extra touch of winter magic, you can gently sprinkle white sanding sugar over the frosting for a bit of sparkle! Next, pipe a large white dot for the snout and two smaller white dots for the ears. Mini M&Ms make the cutest little eyes and rosy cheeks, and a regular-sized M&M serves as the perfect polar bear nose.
- Video Tutorial: Watch how quickly this polar bear comes to life on TikTok!
Gifting Idea: Create a delightful winter-themed trio by pairing our sweet polar bear cookies with the reindeer and snowflake cookies! Package them together in a clear box or bag for an enchanting gift that celebrates the wonders of the season.
10. Sophisticated Round Present Cookie
For a beautifully sophisticated yet surprisingly easy decorated Christmas cookie, you simply must try this elegant gift design. The best part? You absolutely do not need a present-shaped cookie cutter! Just grab any round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, bake your perfect circles, and then let your piping bag do all the work to create a stunning decorative bow. It’s simple elegance redefined for holiday baking.
- How to Make: First, spread your baked circle cookies with a smooth, even layer of frosting – I chose a lovely pink for mine, but you can use any festive color you like! Once the base is smooth, use a piping bag with a small round tip to create a “plus sign” by piping one horizontal line and one vertical line across the cookie. For the finishing touch, pipe charming little loops in the middle where the lines intersect to form a beautiful, intricate holiday bow.
- Video Tutorial: Watch the simple steps to create this elegant present cookie on TikTok!
Gifting Idea: Once your beautiful frosting design has fully dried, gently place each present cookie into a clear plastic bag. Tie it off with a coordinating ribbon and attach a personalized gift tag for a truly elegant and thoughtful homemade gift. These are perfect for teachers, neighbors, or anyone special on your list!
11. Sweet Snowman Face Circle Cookie
With their rosy red cheeks, cheerful carrot nose, and a sweet little smile, these snowman circle cookies are utterly adorable – and because almost all the decorating is done with colorful M&Ms, they’re incredibly easy to create! This design is absolutely perfect for preschoolers and young children, allowing them to participate fully in the festive fun without complicated piping. It’s a true crowd-pleaser!
- How to Make: Pipe or spread a smooth, even layer of white frosting onto a round sugar cookie. For that magical sparkling fresh snow effect, gently dip the frosted cookie into white sanding sugar. Next, use various M&Ms to create the face: two for the eyes, and two red ones for those charming rosy cheeks. An orange M&M placed on its side makes the perfect little carrot nose, and half of an M&M creates a delightful, friendly smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch this sweet snowman face come to life on TikTok!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Easy Decorated Snowman Cookies
Gifting Idea: Once the frosting is completely dry, place each snowman face cookie into a clear plastic bag and adorn it with a whimsical snowman gift tag! For a more elaborate gift, you can decorate a few additional circle cookies with M&M “buttons” to create the snowman’s “body.” Then, stack a face and a body cookie on top of each other in a tall plastic bag to create a complete, charming snowman!.
12. Jolly Circle Santa Cookies
You simply can’t create a batch of beautifully decorated circle Christmas cookies without including Jolly Old St. Nick himself! While there are countless Santa cookie designs out there, this particular holiday circle cookie version is undoubtedly the easiest to master, making it a perfect addition to your festive baking repertoire. Get ready to bring smiles to faces with these charming Santa treats!
- How to Make: First, pipe a curved red line along the top edge of a round sugar cookie, then fill it in smoothly to form Santa’s iconic hat. Next, switch to a piping bag filled with fluffy white frosting. Pipe a border of white dots along the edge of the red hat (don’t forget to add a round pompom on top!). Continue piping white dots downwards to form Santa’s soft, full beard. For his friendly face, I use mini M&Ms for his twinkling eyes, a red M&M for his jolly nose, and half of an M&M to create a warm, friendly smile.
- Video Tutorial: Watch Santa’s face appear on TikTok here!
- Get the full step-by-step tutorial: Santa Face Sugar Cookies
Gifting Idea: After the frosting has completely dried, lovingly place each charming circle Santa cookie into a clear plastic bag. Decorate it with a festive candy cane gift tag for a heartwarming and delicious homemade present that’s sure to be cherished by all!
These round Christmas cookie decorating ideas are designed to take all the stress out of making beautiful cookies for holiday gifting and sharing! Spending less time fussing with intricate cookie cutters and complicated icing designs means more precious time to spend making memories with friends and family – and truly, that is what the holidays are all about!
So tell me, which one of these easy round Christmas cookie ideas is your absolute favorite? I personally LOVE making circle cookies for Christmas because the cutting and decorating process is so much quicker and more enjoyable, leaving more time for festive cheer!
12 EASY Circle Christmas Cookies!
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (nut allergy? you can substitute this with extra vanilla!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
- Christmas Cookie Frosting
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175°C). To prepare for rolling, lay a piece of parchment paper on your counter and lightly sprinkle it with about 1 teaspoon of flour.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter (¾ cup, or 1 ½ sticks) and granulated sugar (¾ cup) on medium speed for about 20-30 seconds until light and fluffy.
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While the mixer is still on medium speed, add in the large egg (1), vanilla extract (1 ½ teaspoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoon). Mix until well combined.
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Once the wet ingredients are mixed, gradually add in the baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (2 cups total), adding about ½ cup at a time on low speed until just combined and no dry flour remains.
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Once the mixture is combined, transfer the dough to the floured parchment paper. Press the mixture into a large ball, ensuring all loose, floury pieces are incorporated. Knead the dough gently for 5-10 seconds until it forms a smooth ball, then flatten it into a 2-inch thick disc (refer to photos in the main post for visual guide).
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough evenly to about ⅜” to ½” thick.
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Using a 2.5-inch circle cookie cutter (or the rim of a wine glass or cup!), cut out your circular cookies and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Bake at 350℉ (175°C) for 8-10 minutes. It’s crucial not to overbake these cookies. Depending on their size and thickness, they might still look slightly underdone at 10 minutes, but I highly recommend removing them from the oven before the edges start to brown. If you’ve used a medium/large cutter and made them ½” thick, they might require a few extra minutes.
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Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Do not attempt to remove the cookies from the hot pan immediately. Let them rest on the warm pan for 10-15 minutes to finish setting before carefully transferring them off the pan to cool completely.
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Once the cookies are completely cooled, they are ready to be topped with your chosen frosting. Refer to the notes section below for various frosting ideas and recommendations!
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Store your delicious cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or you can freeze them for later enjoyment.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
- Depending on the size and thickness of your cookies, you can typically yield anywhere from 12 to 24 cookies per batch.
- Easy Sugar Cookie Icing = Perfect for simple, one-color designs or flooding cookies for a smooth base.
- Royal Icing= The ideal choice for intricate piping designs where you need the icing to fully harden and create crisp lines.
- Buttercream Frosting = Excellent for spreading, creating fluffy swirls, or piping soft, decorative details.
Nutrition
For more easy recipes, creative Christmas sugar cookie decorating ideas, and festive Christmas games, don’t miss these delightful posts!
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Cake
- Easy Christmas Tree Cookies
- Free Printable Christmas Bingo Cards
- Printable Christmas Gift Tags
If you create these wonderfully easy circle Christmas cookies, I would absolutely love to see your festive creations! Be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. Your baking adventures truly brighten my day!