Frosted Almond Sugar Cookies
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Classic cut-out sugar cookies get a flavor boost when almonds are added to create frosted Almond Sugar Cookies. The flavor is familiar but elevated, comforting, and delicious. I decorated mine to look like Christmas trees, but feel free to make any cookie shape(s) you desire.
Let’s Make Almond Sugar Cookies:
Over the years I’ve shared many cut-out cookie recipes on the blog. We’ve covered gingerbread, orange almond, cotton candy frosted, ugly sweater, peppermint, and more!
This holiday season I wanted to try a new dough flavor so I experimented with almonds. The result was delicious which makes me so excited to share these Christmas tree almond sugar cookies with you.
If you want even more Christmas cookies, I have SO MANY here on Inspired by Charm for you to choose from. To make them easy to find, I put together an entire blog post with all my favorites. You can find that HERE.
How to Frost Sugar Cookies:
I have a slight obsession with Christmas magazines. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been seeing a frosting technique where dots of frosting are added in a row onto a cookie. The dots get spread out and then another row of dots is added and the pattern repeats. I LOVE the look!
I loved it so much that I had to give it a try. What do you think?
In my opinion, this method works especially well for things like Christmas trees because the spread-out little frosting dots look like the fluffy branches of a pine tree. Love that!
I went pretty minimal with my Christmas tree cookie “decorations,” but I’m thinking it might be fun to add more colorful sprinkles to give the look of ornaments and lights.
The base of these almond sugar cookies is pretty standard with the addition of toasted almonds and lemon zest. These two added ingredients really amp up the flavor. So, here’s what you’ll need:
Cookie Ingredients:
- toasted slivered almonds
- all-purpose flour
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- egg
- vanilla
- kosher salt
- lemon zest
I used my standard sugar cookie frosting recipe. It’s a combination of butter and shortening which I really love. To bring in the almond flavor from the cookies, I added a touch of almond extract to the frosting to marry the two beautifully. Here’s what you’ll need for the frosting:
Frosting Ingredients:
- vegetable shortening
- unsalted butter
- confectioners’ sugar
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- milk
- food coloring
In addition to the standard baking equipment, you’ll need some piping bags and a round tip like THESE. I also used some green sprinkles and white sprinkles.
Recipe Instructions:
I’m going to quickly walk you through the steps of making these Christmas tree almond sugar cookies. For a more detailed explanation along with a full ingredient list, please reference the printable recipe card below.
- In a food processor, pulse the toasted almond until finely ground.
- In a large bowl whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Add half of the dry ingredients. Begin mixing to incorporate.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least three hours or overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll out about half of the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut out the dough using a tree-shaped cookie cutter.
- Bake 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Transfer the cookies to a cutting board or your countertop to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cream together the vegetable shortening and butter.
- Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time.
- Mix in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Add milk as needed for a smoother consistency.
- Divide the frosting into smaller bowls and add gel food coloring to achieve the desired colors.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag with a round tip.
- To create this frosting design, pipe dots of frosting along the bottom of the tree.
- Using a butter knife, press into the dot near the middle. Press and pull to spread the dot up the cookie.
- Repeat by piping another row of dots above the previous one and then spread the new row like before.
- Continue until you reach the top of your tree.
- Add sprinkles to decorate.
Allow the frosting to set before packing and storing the cookies in an airtight container.
And that’s a wrap.
As with any frosted sugar cookie, these do take time and patience. I really enjoy the process. In fact, I was making these very cookies with my mom and I told her I could frost cookies all day long. It doesn’t matter if I’m using traditional frosting like this or piped royal icing; I just love frosting cookies!
I highly suggest you plan on making the cookies when you have ample time. There’s nothing worse or more stressful than trying to rush through the process.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Before you depart, let me answer a few questions you may have.
Can you freeze these almond sugar cookies?
Yep! You certainly can. I froze my frosted ones and will defrost them when I need them for Christmas. Pack the cookies in a freezer-friendly airtight container. I packed one row, put them in the freezer for a bit, and then packed the next row. This will ensure my frosting doesn’t get smushed as I layer the cookies.
Can I use a different color of food coloring?
Of course! Make them whatever color you want. I personally recommend THIS gel food coloring. It works so well and THIS pack comes with every color you need.
I’m nervous about the piping technique, can you help?
Practice! There’s always a cookie that gets too well done or loses a limb. Use that cookie to practice your technique. Repeat the process until you feel comfortable and confident.
Happy Christmas Cookie Baking!
If you’re looking for a new cut-out holiday cookie to try, I certainly hope you’ll consider these Frosted Almond Sugar Cookies. I know I can’t wait to add them to my holiday cookie tray. I bet it will be the same for you.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
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Pine Tree Almond Sugar Cookie
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ¾ cup slivered almonds toasted
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Frosting*:
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 7 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk as needed
- gel food coloring
- piping bags and tips (round tip)
- green and white sprinkles
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the cookie dough. In a food processor, pulse the toasted almond until finely ground.
- In a large bowl whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Once combined, add half of the dry ingredients. Begin mixing to incorporate. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least three hours or overnight.
- After your dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out about half of the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, depending on your preference. Cut out the dough using a tree-shaped cookie cutter.
- Transfer each cut-out to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the first sign of browning appears on the surface of the cookies. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cutting board or your countertop to cool completely.
- Repeat the process with the second half of the dough. Any dough scraps can be reformed into a ball and re-rolled.
- While the cookies cool, prepare your frosting. With a mixer, cream together the vegetable shortening and butter. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in the vanilla and almond extract. Add milk as needed for a smoother consistency. Divide the frosting into smaller bowls and add gel food coloring to achieve the desired colors.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- To create the frosting design, pipe dots of frosting along the bottom of the tree. Using a butter knife, press into the dot near the middle. Press and pull to spread the dot up the cookie. Repeat by piping another row of dots above the previous one and then spread the new row like before. Continue until you reach the top of your tree. (Reference photos in the blog post for a better example of this technique.)
- Allow the frosting to set before packing and storing the cookies in an airtight container.
The addition of almond to these sugar cookies is genius! Everyone was asking what made these taste so good.
Thank you so much for this recipe (and my almond-loving friends are going to be so excited)! My go-to almond cookie is a Chinese New Year cookie, which does not lend itself to decorating. This cookie is going to be a star at our annual cookie decorating party!