Creating beautiful holiday cookies doesn’t have to mean pulling out dozens of cutters, planning complex designs, or spending hours in the kitchen. With the right approach, Easy Christmas Cookies can be both time-efficient and fun.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create four festive Christmas cookie designs using one 3-inch round cookie cutter. This method is perfect if you want consistent results, simplified prep, and more time to enjoy the season — without sacrificing creativity or presentation.

Why One Cookie Cutter Is All You Need for Easy Christmas Cookies

Using a single shape may sound limiting, but in practice, it’s one of the easiest ways to streamline holiday baking. A round cookie cutter offers versatility, visual balance, and endless decorating potential.

By committing to one cutter, you can:

• Reduce prep and cleanup time

• Create a cohesive cookie set

• Decorate efficiently using an assembly-line method

• Focus on technique instead of complicated designs

This approach is especially helpful for home bakers, busy families, and anyone looking to make Easy Christmas Cookies without unnecessary stress.

Tools and Supplies Needed

Cookie Cutter

• One 3.0-inch round cookie cutter

Royal Icing Colors

• White

• Red

• Black

• Green

• Brown

• Orange

• Pink

• Yellow or gold

Basic Decorating Tools

• Piping bags

• Tip #2 for piping and #3 for flooding

• Scribe tool or toothpick

Royal Icing Consistency Guide

• Outline: Toothpaste consistency

• Flood: 12–15 second icing

• Details: Slightly thicker for clean lines and dots
  (I like about 20-second icing for details.)

Four Easy Christmas Cookies Using One Round Cutter

Each of these designs starts with the same round cookie shape, making them perfect for Easy Christmas Cookies that come together quickly and look great as a set.

Snowman Face Cookie

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Outline and flood the cookie with white icing. Allow it to crust slightly.

2. Pipe a curved green band across the top third of the cookie and flood.

3. Add a red curved band above the green and flood to form the hat.

4. Once set, add black eyes, an orange carrot nose, a simple smile, and pink cheeks.

Best practice: Decorate all faces first, then add noses and smiles to save time.

Santa Suit Cookie

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Flood the entire cookie with red icing and allow it to set.

2. Pipe a thick black belt across the center and flood. Allow it to crust for 15–30 minutes.

3. Add a yellow buckle in the center of the belt. Once dry, you can use edible gold paint to make the buckle sparkle.

4. Pipe three black buttons above the belt for added detail.

5. Add a fluffy white beard at the top. (This cookie is also adorable without the beard if you want to keep it extra simple.)

Gingerbread Face Cookie

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Outline and flood the cookie with brown icing.

2. Pipe a white icing “drip” along the top edge and flood.

3. While the icing is wet, add red and green sprinkles. Allow the cookie to crust for at least 15–30 minutes.

4. Add black eyes, a curved smile, a red nose, and pink cheeks.

Santa Face Cookie

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Pipe and flood a white beard covering the lower portion of the cookie. Allow it to crust for 15–30 minutes.

2. Add a peach-colored face above the beard.

3. Pipe and flood a red hat at the top, leaving room for the white band above the face.

4. Add the white hat band and pom-pom. Allow the cookie to dry for 15–30 minutes before adding details.

5. Finish with black eyes, white eyebrows, a red nose, and pink cheeks.

How to Decorate Round Christmas Cookies Efficiently

To save time when decorating Round Christmas Cookies, follow this order:

1. Flood all base layers first

2. Add secondary sections (hats, belts, icing drips)

3. Finish with facial details and accents

This minimizes color changes and drying delays, helping you decorate more Easy Christmas Cookies in less time.

Why This Method Works for Busy Bakers

Whether you’re baking for family gatherings, school parties, or cookie gifts, using one cutter just makes everything easier. It keeps the process simple, the cookies cohesive, and your time focused on actually enjoying the season — especially here in Lexington Ky, where Christmas always feels a little extra special.

Final Thoughts

Holiday baking should feel cozy and doable — not overwhelming. One cutter, a small set of designs, and suddenly Easy Christmas Cookies feel fun again instead of stressful.

If you’re ever short on time but still want to decorate, this is a method you can pull out year after year and know it will work.

— The Cheerful Baker