Christmas Cookie Decorating with Toddlers + Sugar Cookie Recipe
I officially have a toddler who’s just as obsessed with Christmas and baking as I am. Anytime I bring out the mixer, he’s right there, climbing up onto the counter and insisting on adding every single ingredient. Sure, baking is slower and a lot messier now, but it’s so much more fun! Yesterday, we kicked things off bright and early by baking cut-out sugar cookies and setting up a little cookie decorating station for a fun toddler decorating date. This time, I made the cookies gluten-free to fit some dietary needs, and they were just as good as the original recipe. You can print the gluten-free version in this blog post.
I couldn’t wait to hop on the blog this morning to share the adorable photos of these two little cookie-decorating pros! They had the best time, and I hope it inspires you to set up a fun cookie station for your kiddos too. I had so much fun putting this little table together. I want to do it again for Valentines Day!
I’m finally watching Love Actually for the first time ever! I have no idea why I’ve never seen it before, especially since I’m such a fan of holiday movies and rom-coms. My son’s at school, so I’m trying to write this post as fast as I can while it’s playing in the background. Oh, and I’m sipping on an oat milk eggnog latte from our new espresso machine. The weather today is chilly, rainy, and overcast—the kind of day that makes me wish we had snow so we could experience that magical, white Christmas vibe.
When I pick up my son from school today, we’re heading to the grocery store to grab the ingredients for my white bean, chicken, and chili soup. I first made it years ago during a Vlogmas video, and now it’s something I always crave in December! It’s the perfect cozy-weather dinner. I’m post that recipe tomorrow!
On Saturday, we tested out the sugar cookie recipe with dye-free sprinkles and icing! I’ve been making this recipe for years, but somehow it’s never made its way onto the blog. This time, we switched it up and made it gluten-free so I could enjoy it and share it with a friend who eats gluten-free. The cookies were amazing—you honestly couldn’t tell the difference! If you’re on the hunt for a great gluten-free sugar cookie recipe, this one’s for you. All you need is a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour, and you’re good to go!
I set up the toddler table with so much festive charm! I used a Christmas tablecloth that I plan to use for our Christmas Day dinner—it was the perfect size when folded to fit their little table. I also picked up the most adorable Christmas aprons, festive cups, and nutcracker-themed paper plates since my son is obsessed with nutcrackers this year.
Check out my Amazon Storefront for supplies!
To keep the cookie decorating dye-free, I sourced sprinkles from Amazon, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. I even put together a little toddler charcuterie board with their favorite snacks and bought some cute tins for them to fill with the cookies they decorated. It was such a fun and festive setup, and I know these little touches will make Christmas memories even sweeter!
Looking for the best cut out sugar cookie recipe with royal icing? It’s right here!
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I think I’ve officially entered my hosting era! All I want to do is plan cozy dinners and fun little gatherings. I’ve probably been watching a bit too much Food Network and scrolling through private chef TikToks for inspiration! I wasn’t going to do a third birthday party for my son, and instead go on a vacation with him, but maybe I need to do both…
I found the cutest little charcuterie boards at Hobby Lobby! I added some crackers, cheese, grapes, cucumbers, and pepperoni slices for them. Of course they were more interested in eating the cookies and sprinkles.
This activity isn’t just fun for toddlers, it’s a blast for parents too!
Just look at how adorable these gluten-free frosted sugar cookies turned out! I’m already planning to do the same for Valentine’s Day and spring, with shapes like hearts, flowers, butterflies, bees, and even some dinosaurs.
My son usually likes to do something for about five minutes, and then he’s done. But with this activity, I was shocked at how engaged he was. He kept wanting to do more! It was such a fun and unexpected win!
Is there anything cuter?
Here’s the list of cookie ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract (optional almond extract)
- Baking Powder
- All-Purpose Flour (or gluten-free flour)
Here’s the list of frosting ingredients:
- Meringue Powder
- Warm Water
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract (optional almond or lemon extract)
I was a little nervous about the amount of sprinkles i’d be finding on my floor for months to come, but these were the neatest toddlers I’ve ever been around. I only had to do one round of vacuuming.
I used all natural dyes from Watkins, but if you know of any natural dyes that work better, please let me know! No matter how much of the red I added, it stayed pink. But, I love the look of pink and green with Sprinkles. It matches a lot of my Christmas decor from Anthropologie.
And wearing comfortable Christmas pajamas was a must!
We stored the cookies in the freezer for Santa! They freeze so well after the icing dries.
Cookie decorating as my FAVORITE Christmas tradition, and it still is. I’m so happy my son loves it. I will always try to make his Christmas as magical as my parents made it for me. I cannot wait for this weekend, we are doing the Polar Express!
Gluten- Free Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing (Dye-Free)
Ingredients
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter lightly softened
- 1 Cup Sugar granulated
- 1 Large Egg
- 3 Tsps Vanilla Extract + 1 tsp almond flour optional
- 2 Tsps Baking Powder
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free 1:1 gluten-free flour
Royal Icing
- 5 Tbsps Meringue Powder
- 1/4 Cup Warm Water or more
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar or more
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract + almond optional
Instructions
Cut Out Sugar Cookie Dough
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the baking powder and flour.
- Mix the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, one spoonful at a time, mixing on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, the dough should form and come together.
- Shape the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it into a ball, then divide into smaller portions if needed. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. (gluten-free cookies can be stickier, make sure to add extra flour to the surface)
- Cut Out Cookies: Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Carefully transfer the cut-out cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake, as they will harden as they cool.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with royal icing. Enjoy!
Royal Icing (using meringue powder)
- Mix Meringue Powder and Water: In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine the meringue powder and warm water. Mix on high speed until the mixture becomes foamy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth and fully combined.
- Adjust Consistency: If the icing is too thick, add a tiny bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar until it thickens.
- Use Immediately: Once your icing is at the right consistency, transfer it to squeeze bottles or piping bags to decorate your cookies.
The cookies in the pink Christmas tree bowl are regular, and the ones on the tray are gluten-free. They look and taste almost identical! It’s amazing how well the gluten-free version turned out.
Questions for you!
- What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
- Who is the baker in your family?
- Have you made cookies this holiday season yet?
You always make everything look so cute, and I can’t wait to try the cookie recipe! What gluten-free flour do you use? I would also love to see some coffee recipes!
Hi, Nikki!
For this one, I used the Trader Joe’s brand of all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour! I like Bob’s Red Mill & King Arther, too! 🙂 xo xo
Hi Taralynn,
I absolutely adore your set up for the kids. What a fun way to make Christmas memories with your family and friends.
1. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
I always host the holidays now…I’m still not sure how I managed to snag ALL of them! One of my favorite things to do though is during my Christmas Eve celebration. My entire family comes to my house, and we do the typical dinner and gift exchange. For the past few years though, I added in a new favorite: making and decorating cookies for Santa! I make a batch of sugar cookies for my kids (6 and 3) and my sister (12) to decorate, and then we make bags of Reindeer Chow too. It’s just some oats and sprinkles that we spread out on the front lawn so Santa knows to come to our house. We scatter the chow right before we go to bed in our brand new matching jammies. My kids LOVE this!
2. Who is the baker in your family?
That would definitely be me! I host everything and I make every single bit of food completely from scratch because I don’t know how to do anything halfway.
3. Have you made cookies this holiday season yet?
The limit does not exist! I can’t stop baking, and I pity anyone who will try to stand in the way of me and my oven.