Easy Christmas cookie designs can be absolutely gorgeous, even when you only use just two colors of icing. Learn how to mix and match cookie shapes and different icing colors to make a simple but stunning Christmas cookie platter for your friends and family.
Christmas and sugar cookies go hand in hand but if you're new to decorating cut-out cookies with royal icing, you'll definitely want to pick the right Christmas cookie designs so you don't get overwhelmed.
When I bake cookies with my kids, I have a pretty strict "Just Two Colors" rule when it comes to our cookie designs.
That may sound limiting, but there are countless ways you can mix and match a different sugar cookie shape with certain colors of icing to have absolutely stunning cookie trays when you're done.
We work together to plan our cookie designs working with the just two colors plan.
Then we add a third or fourth color by adding sprinkles for accents.
To help inspire you to create your own easy Christmas cookies, I wanted to share some design ideas to get you started.
Royal Icing Sugar Cookie Tips
Are you new to decorating with royal icing? You won't want to miss these helpful tips before you get started:
Christmas Sugar Cookie Designs for Beginners
The key to planning an easy Christmas cookie platter is to choose cookie shapes that are easy to decorate and plan for a simple iced design on top. (HINT: We absolutely adore these cookie cutters with simple shapes.)
Working with just two colors of icing and a variety of sprinkles to add more color and depth, you'll quickly have a gorgeous cookie tray to share for the holidays.
Using two sizes of tree shaped cookie cutters and a circle, we made this simple green and white Christmas forest platter. Red cinnamon dots added holly berries to the wreaths. You can read more about our royal icing techniques here.
Holiday boots in polka dot patterns, simple two-color flowers, or red and white candy canes. This Wellie Wishers-inspired cookie tray has lots of simple design options to choose from.
If you want to use just plain white royal icing, you can still make a breathtaking cookie by using gingerbread cookies as your base. They will show off the white details with perfect contrast.
White frosting still looks amazing on a sugar cookie, you could always add a little more color with a dash of sparkly sprinkles.
Snowflake cookies don't need to be all-white. How about icing your cookie base in a fun and festive color and then adding white snowflakes on top once the icing has set?
A touch of shimmery sprinkles while the piping is still wet will make your snowflake cookies glisten.
There are dozens of ways to decorate a simple stocking cookie cutter with just two colors. Pick your favorite combination and add sprinkles or use an edible pen for additional details like stitch marks and toe lines.
Another fun way to use gingerbread dough would be to make a fleet of magic reindeer cookies. Use simple white piping details for a nordic look and mix in just a few solid iced cookies in a pale nordic blue color for added interest.
One single sweater cookie shape can be decorated in countless ways with just two colors. This cookie design would be extra fun to add sprinkles for depth. The tackier, the better!
Gift boxes are a fun and festive Christmas cookie shape. These whimsical presents from LilLoa could be decorated in pastel or jewel tones for a lovely cookie tray.
Decorate a forest of trees that even the Grinch would love. Use fun holiday pastels for a whimsical nod to Whoville.
Another fun use of a simple circle cookie cutter, these melted snowman cookies would be so easy to make with just a batch of white royal icing and a tiny bit of black piping frosting. Ice the cookies in concentric circles to get the rippled melted look.
Mix and match square cookies in two sizes and decorate them with the outline of a tree shape on white background or small little gift-wrapped presents with bows in your favorite two-color combination. Add sprinkles for the tree baubles.
Nothing is more classic than a simple red and green holly berry decorated cookie. I love that Sweet Sugarbelle flipped a fall maple leaf cutter into this fun Christmas shape.
Who said your cookies always need to have a certain shape? How about simply decorating square shaped cookies with a fun and festive pattern? I love these red and white striped chevron print cookies. You could easily add additional colors by using sanding sugar for sprinkles.
Play with green and white icing on a dozen cookies in a leaf shape to make your own cookie wreath platter. You could use cinnamon red hots for the berries and tie a real red bow for the presentation if you didn't want to make the red cookie bow with icing.
Flowers are some of my favorite cookies to decorate all year round. I love these whimsical poinsettia cookies in shades of red and ivory. They'd be extra pretty with sparkly silver sprinkles for the centers.
Angel cookies are harder to do with just two colors but I love this simple design from Sweet Sugarbelle. Use just white and a flesh tone for the angel's face. Then pipe the halo on with white and use golden sparkly sprinkles to add the shine. Attach a red heart-shaped candy if you don't want to make red piping icing.
More Christmas Cookie Ideas
Looking for more fun Christmas treats to bake for your family? Here are some of my favorites:
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