Marbled Christmas Sugar Cookies

This marbled Christmas sugar cookie recipe is a festive way to bring vibrant holiday colors right into your kitchen. Soft and chewy with a beautiful red, white, and green marbled design, these cookies are a perfect treat to share with family and friends during the holiday season. They take less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish, making them excellent for a quick, joyful baking session.

These cookies are my go to during the holidays because the kids love helping with the marbling process. It quickly became a tradition to mix the dough colors together and create unique patterns while having fun together in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• Butter: softened makes the dough creamy and rich always choose good quality unsalted butter for best results
• Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and contributes to a tender texture
• Brown sugar: gives these cookies extra softness and subtle caramel notes
• Egg white: the binding agent that keeps everything together without adding heaviness
• Vanilla extract: brings classic warmth and enhances all the flavors for an extra holiday twist you can add a little almond extract
• All purpose flour: provides the perfect structure for soft cookie dough
• Baking soda: helps with just a touch of lift so cookies do not get too dense
• Baking powder: adds a gentle rise and keeps cookies tender
• Salt: balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors
• Red and green gel food coloring: for those iconic Christmas colors gel is preferred because it won’t change dough consistency
• Marbling method: scoop a teaspoon of each tinted dough and press them together to create the marbled patterns that make these cookies so special

Instructions

Preheat and prepare:

Preheat the oven and prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking and ensure even baking

Cream sugars and butter:

Cream the butter with both granulated and brown sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until the mixture is light fluffy and creamy to build a smooth base for the dough

Add egg white and vanilla:

Add the egg white and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture then mix for about 30 seconds until fully incorporated to bind the ingredients with flavor

Mix dry ingredients:

Combine the flour baking soda baking powder and salt and add them to the wet ingredients mixing only until no flour streaks remain which preserves a soft texture

Divide and color:

Divide the dough evenly into three balls dye one ball red one green using gel food coloring and leave the third uncolored to maintain the white dough for the perfect holiday trio

Form marbled portions:

Form teaspoons of each colored dough and either gently roll the three pieces together into a simple marble pattern or take smaller portions to layer and press them randomly to get a more intricate marbled effect

Arrange on sheet:

Place the formed cookies spaced apart on your prepared baking sheet to allow for gentle spreading without crowding

Bake:

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes watching carefully not to overbake to maintain their soft chewy texture

Cool:

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely and set their beautiful marble design

Serve:

Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or arrange on a festive holiday plate perfect for sharing or as a treat for Santa

My favorite part of this recipe is watching the kids press the different colored doughs together making every batch look like a little holiday masterpiece. It is a great way to make baking a festive family event and create lasting memories.

Storage tips

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and they will stay fresh for about three days. Refrigerate for up to a week if you want to keep them longer but bring them back to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Ingredient substitutions

Use salted butter if unsalted is unavailable but reduce added salt slightly. If you do not have brown sugar mix white sugar with a small amount of molasses to mimic flavor. For food coloring natural alternatives like beet juice powder or spinach powder can tint dough but expect less vibrant colors. You can swap the egg white for a flax egg but texture might be slightly different.

Serving suggestions

These cookies are lovely paired with a glass of cold milk or warm eggnog for a classic holiday treat. Arrange on a festive platter with other seasonal cookies for a crowd pleasing cookie exchange or add a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top before baking if you like a subtle crunch.

These marbled sugar cookies are an easy festive treat the whole family will enjoy. Freeze portions of dough for quick future baking sessions.

Common Recipe Questions

→ What creates the marbled effect on the cookies?

The marbled look is achieved by dividing dough into three portions, coloring two with red and green gel food coloring, then gently combining small pieces to form a unique pattern.

→ How do I keep the cookies soft and chewy?

Using a mix of granulated and brown sugars and avoiding overbaking ensures the cookies stay soft and chewy with a tender crumb.

→ Can these cookies be made ahead of time?

Yes, baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 7 days to maintain freshness.

→ How do I freeze the cookie dough?

Scoop individual dough balls onto a lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes of cooking time.

→ What type of food coloring works best?

Gel food coloring is preferred as it provides vibrant hues without altering the dough’s texture compared to liquid colorings.