Looking for a festive centerpiece that’s as delicious as it is beautiful? This Vanilla Cookie Christmas Tree is the perfect holiday treat to bake and share. With its homemade vanilla cookies, green royal icing, and a sprinkle of sparkle, this edible craft will bring joy (and sweetness) to your gatherings. Plus, it’s as fun to make as it is to eat!

Don’t worry if you’ve never tackled a decorative recipe like this before. With my step-by-step guide, you’ll craft a stunning Vanilla Cookie Christmas Tree that’s bound to impress your friends and family.

What You’ll Need

Here’s everything you’ll need to bake, build, and decorate this impressive dessert from scratch!

Ingredients for the Vanilla Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Free Printable Christmas Cookie Template

Ingredients for Green Royal Icing:

• 3 large egg whites
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• Green gel food coloring

For Decoration:

• Sprinkles, edible glitter, or sugar pearls
• Piping bags and tips
• Christmas tree cookie templates (8 star-shaped sizes, getting smaller towards the top)

Step 1: Preparing the Cookie Dough

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

1. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take 2-3 minutes.
2. Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until the dough comes together.
4. Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two portions, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 2: Cutting Out the Stars

Once your dough is chilled and firm, it’s time to shape your cookies!

1. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness.
2. Use your Christmas tree star-shaped templates to cut out 8 stars, one for each layer of your tree. Start with the largest star for the base and work your way up with progressively smaller star shapes.
3. Place the stars onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.

Step 3: Baking the Cookies

Bake your cookies at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn a light golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Making the Green Royal Icing

Royal icing is the glue that will hold your Christmas tree together—and it’s super easy to make!

1. Beat Egg Whites: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form.
2. Add Sugar and Color: Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing on low. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until stiff peaks form. Add a few drops of green gel food coloring and mix until evenly colored.
3. Transfer the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.

Step 5: Decorating the Cookies

It’s time to get creative!

1. Use the royal icing to pipe outlines and designs onto each star-shaped cookie. Get festive with swirls, lines, or dots.
2. Add sprinkles, edible glitter, or sugar pearls for extra sparkle.
3. Allow the icing to set for at least 1 hour before assembling the tree.

Step 6: Assembling the Cookie Tree

Now, for the fun part—turning those star cookies into a stunning Christmas tree!

1. Start with the largest star as the base of the tree. Pipe a small dot of green icing in the center and stack the second-largest star on top, rotating it slightly so the points of the stars alternate.
2. Continue stacking the cookies from largest to smallest, securing each layer with a dot of icing.
3. Finish with the smallest star on top, and decorate the peak with a tiny sugar pearl or edible glitter for a festive touch!

Step 7: Share and Enjoy!

Your Vanilla Cookie Christmas Tree is now ready to steal the show! Whether it’s the centerpiece for your dessert table or a fun gift for a loved one, this edible creation is sure to spread holiday cheer.

Bonus Tip

Pack leftover cookies to give as cute holiday keepsakes. They’re almost too pretty to eat (but trust us, they’re worth every bite)!

Looking for more holiday-inspired baking ideas? Sign up for our newsletter for more festive recipes, tips, and sweet inspiration. Happy Holidays! 🎄🍪

Have you seen our Gingetbread House Recipe? Take a look here!

We also love a fellow bakers blog who has lots of inspiration called Sally’s Baking Addiction. Check her blog out here!