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    Home » Recipes » Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees

    Published: Nov 30, 2023 by Kristen Massad · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees

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    A white plate with green tree cookies.
    A white plate filled with green Christmas tree cookies.

    Soft and chewy, Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees are so festive and fun for the holidays!! A modern and easy take on a traditional decorated sugar cookie, this dough is easy to roll out, cut, bake and dipped in glaze!

    A white plate filled with green Christmas tree cookies.

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    I love every thing about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, including getting messy in the kitchen with my kids. There are so many wonderful traditions that I remember from being a kid at Christmas and it is so fun for me to pass these on to my three kids. Christmas cookie baking is one of the best ones and this Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie is going to be a family favorite for years to come!

    The dough is easy to make, roll out and bake and the best part is that these sugar cookies are dipped in the glaze! I love decorated shortbread and sugar cookies, but sometimes the icing and decorating can be intimidating. This cream cheese sugar cookie recipe is kid and adult friendly and there is absolutely no pressure with the glaze. Dip the cookies in the glaze and let them dry!

    We are obsessed with these Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees, but will also be baking our famous Shortbread Cookies and the delicious Soft Almond Sugar Cookies.

    Ingredients

    Bowls of flour, sugar, cubed butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and baking powder.

    Flour- All purpose flour is the best option for these cookies to keep a great soft texture but stable enough to be dipped in glaze.
    Sugar- Granulated sugar is used for the cookie dough and powdered sugar for the glaze!
    Butter- Room temperature butter is the key to making these cookies extra delicious and flakey!
    Cream Cheese- A great addition to a traditional sugar cookie make with just butter, cream cheese adds a soft texture and a tangy flavor that is so delicious with the sugar glaze.
    Egg-Just one egg needed!
    Baking Powder- Making these cookies soft and chewy!
    Extract- Vanilla extract is a great addition to this soft and chewy cookie, but you can always add almond extract for a fun burst of flavor
    Milk- Whole milk for the glaze is the best option, but 2% will also work! Don't use skim milk

    Step-by-Step Directions

    Prepare The Dough

    • In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth 
    • Add in the granulated sugar and mix until fully combined 
    • Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until creamy
    • Mix in the flour and baking powder until the dough comes together 
    • Remove the dough from the mixer, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour
    A white plate with tree cookies next to green icing and tree cookie cutters.

    Bake The Cookies 

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 sheet pans with parchment paper 
    • Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it ¼-1/2 inch thick, cut the desired shape using a cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets 
    • Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes 
    • Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing 
    A gold tray with ice tree cookies next to green icing and tree cookie cutters.

    Glaze The Cookies

    •  In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and milk and whisk until smooth and creamy (if the glaze is to thick, add milk or to thin add a little powdered sugar) 
    • Separate the glaze into three small bowls and add green food coloring to your desired color (light, medium, dark) 
    • Dip the top of the cookies in the glaze allowing the excess to drip off and then place the glazed cookie on a cooling rack to dry
    • Allow the glaze to dry completely before stacking, packaging or serving! 
    A close up of a gold tray with ice tree cookies and a tree dipped in green icing.

    Tips and FAQS To Make The Best Sugar Cookies

    Ingredients
    It is super important to make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature before starting to mix. This will ensure that the dough is combined evenly and bakes evenly.

    Chill Time
    Give yourself enough time to allow the dough to chill. When making shortbread or sugar cookies the dough needs time to rest and chill before rolling out, cutting and baking.

    Cookie Cutters
    Have fun with this recipe and create any shape of cookie you love. I am loving these tree cookie cutters for a simple and modern Christmas design.

    Glaze
    I am loving this silky smooth and thin glaze that is easy to dip the cookies in, but you can adjust the glaze by adding more or less milk to make it the consistency you love.

    Store and Save
    This Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie recipe is great to make in advance. Make the dough and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. Once the cookies are baked you can keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 day and then glaze one day before you are ready to serve.

    Can I freeze the cookies?

    I would recommend freezing the cookies before they are glazed and then glaze them before you are ready to serve them, but if you have leftovers of the glazed cookies they can definitely stored in the freezer for 1 month!

    A white plate with green tree cookies.

    More Christmas Cookies You Will Love

    • a close up shop of gingerbread snowball cookies one with a bite taken out
      Gingerbread Snowball Cookies
    • Italian Spritz Cookies
    • Peppermint White Chocolate French Macarons
    • Molasses Blossom Cookie

    Thank you for visiting Joy + Oliver. If you tried this recipe, please leave a 5 Star Review in the recipe card and save all your favorite recipes to Pinterest!

    Please visit us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more of our favorite recipes that you will love!

    A white plate with green tree cookies.

    Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees

    Soft and chewy, Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Trees are so festive and fun for the holidays!! A modern and easy take on a traditional decorated cookie, this dough is easy to roll out, cut, bake and dipped in glaze!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies
    Cuisine: Dessert
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Rest Dough: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 36
    Calories: 128kcal
    Author: Kristen Massad

    Ingredients

    Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough

    • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
    • 8 Ounces Cream Cheese Room Temperature
    • 1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

    Cookie Glaze

    • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
    • 2-3 Tablespoons Whole Milk
    • Green Food Coloring

    Instructions

    Prepare The Dough

    • In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth
    • Add in the granulated sugar and mix until fully combined
    • Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until creamy
    • Mix in the flour and baking powder until the dough comes together
    • Remove the dough from the mixer, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour

    Bake The Cookies

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 sheet pans with parchment paper
    • Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it ¼-1/2 inch thick, cut the desired shape using a cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets
    • Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes
    • Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing

    Glaze The Cookies

    • In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and milk and whisk until smooth and creamy (if the glaze is to thick, add milk or to thin add a little powdered sugar)
    • Separate the glaze into three small bowls and add green food coloring to your desired color (light, medium, dark)
    • Dip the top of the cookies in the glaze allowing the excess to drip off and then place the glazed cookie on a cooling rack to dry
    • Allow the glaze to dry completely before stacking, packaging or serving!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 36cookies | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @JoyandOliver or tag #JoyandOliver!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristen Massad says

      December 20, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      Excited for you try our family favorite Christmas Tree Cookies!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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