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Marbled Christmas Butter Cookies are a must for the holidays with their beautiful swirl of colors. I love how easily these cookies come together with a simple powdered sugar icing for a marbled affect. My family loves making these as a fun Christmas activity and a treat to eat!
5-Star Review
“Tried them for the first time and were great. The icing was so easy and will really make my Christmas platter pop!” -Kim
Christmas Marble Butter Cookies Recipe
Baking butter cookies around the holidays is a fun activity. My kids love decorating the cookies. Like my Christmas sugar cookies you can make them into any shape. I use a variation of my royal icing to make the powdered sugar icing. The marbled effect takes a little extra effort, but it’s surprisingly simple — and the result is stunning, delicious, and the perfect complement to the cookies!
Tip For Beginners
- I did a blue and white marbled look for my snowflake cookies. However, you can follow the basic icing recipe and make single-colored frosting to decorate your cookies.
Recipe Card
Marbled Christmas Butter Cookies Recipe with Powdered Sugar Icing
Marbled Christmas Butter Cookies are a must for the holidays. I absolutely love how easy butter cookies come together with a simple powdered sugar icing for a marble effect! My family loves making these as a Christmas activity with a tasty treat to enjoy at the end!
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Hand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 135 grams
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest 2 grams, optional
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 295 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar 452 grams
- 6 tablespoons white corn syrup 117 grams, divided
- ½ cup water 114 grams, divided
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract 3 grams, divided
- food coloring Soft Gel Paste food color works best
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until lighter in color and fluffy, for about 3-4 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, almond, and lemon/orange zest (if using) until well blended.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Lay out a baking sheet with parchment paper (waxed paper) and sprinkle a little flour on top.
- Divide the dough equally into 2 portions (more if you have doubled the recipe). Using lightly floured hands, hold 1 portion of dough and gently shape it into a disc.
- Place the disc on the floured paper, roll gently into a ¼-inch high oval or rectangle. Cut the cookie dough into shapes, and place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets.Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
- Tightly cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Space out the cut-out dough on parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn.
- Take out of the oven, remove from the baking pan and cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, the decorating can begin.
For the Icing (SEE NOTE)
- Place the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and turn the hand mixer to the lowest speed.4 cups powdered sugar
- In a large measuring cup, stir together the corn syrup, water, and almond extract.½ cup water, 6 tablespoons white corn syrup, ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- With the mixer running, slowly drizzle ½ cup of the corn syrup mixture over the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed. The glaze’s consistency should be similar to sweetened condensed milk. (Set the reserved corn syrup mixture aside to use only if needed.)
- Turn the mixer to medium-low and mix until the glaze is smooth and creamy. If the glaze is too thick, stir in reserved corn syrup mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is the correct consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Pour half of the glaze into a small shallow bowl – be sure the diameter of the bowl is larger than the largest cookie. Cover the remaining half with plastic wrap to avoid a hard shell forming on top.
- Air bubbles will form in the glaze, but just take a small spoon and stir it slowly through the glaze to get rid of them.
- Get a drop of food coloring on a toothpick and swirl it through the glaze. Begin with a tiny amount (gel food coloring is potent) and be sure not to mix the glaze too much or the glaze could turn into a solid color.food coloring
- To glaze a cookie, have a second bowl sitting next to the bowl with the glaze.
- Hold onto the cookie by the edges and turn it upside down. Dip the top of the cookie into the glaze being sure the glaze covers the entire surface of the cookie. Lift the cookie straight up out of the glaze and hold it above the second bowl. Allow the excess glaze to drip off (about 5-10 seconds). Once the glaze stops dripping, flip the cookie over and place it on a cooling rack.
- Allow the glaze to dry completely before storing the cookies in an airtight container. It is best to let the cookies dry 12-24 hours before storing.
Becky’s Tips
- NOTE: These are instructions for making the marble technique pictured above. You can also simply make the icing and stir in whichever colors you like, then decorate. Enjoy!
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 248IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Store
Iced butter cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Let the glaze dry completely before storing them—this could take 12-24 hours. To store them without icing, just make sure the cookies have cooled, and then they are ready to go.
These are soooo pretty! Can you clarify, do I swirl the drop of color on the toothpick into the bowl of icing? or onto the already dipped cookie? Thanks!
Hi Maggie, mix it into the bowl of icing!
These look so pretty! How many cookies does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 24 cookies!
Did you have to
Make your own blue color
I use soft gel paste food coloring!
Really loved this recipe The cookie is great tasting and texture is perfect! the icing is wonderful and fun to use and I really am pleased with how my Valentine cookies turned out had lots of fun with this Thankyou
Thanks for sharing, Julie!
Hi Becky,
When doing the marbled icing, should I put a tiny drop of blue and white at the same time?
Thank you, Lynne
The frosting will naturally be white so you’ll only add blue!
Tried them for the first time and were great, the icing was so easy and will really make my Christmas platter pop!
That’s awesome!
Hi
Are these cookies soft or crisp and tender?
Thanks
Pf
A mix! Soft center but they’re relatively firm.
Are these cookies soft or crisp and tender ??
Thanks
Pf
They’re kinda a mix. Not super soft and not hard. Firm outside, soft inside.
These are gorgeous! I love the color!
Thanks so much Lauren.
These cookies are my new holiday must have treat. They are a labor of love but after your first bite, you know it was all worth it! Thank you!
I love the way you think!