My Christmas wreath cookies are the sweetest way to dress up a holiday cookie tray. These buttery shortbread wreath cookies bake up soft, crumbly, and full of warm vanilla, cinnamon, and a touch of fresh orange zest. Once dipped into a simple glaze and decorated with festive sprinkles, these wreath Christmas cookies look like little edible ornaments. They’re easy enough for beginners, pretty enough for gifting, and always the first treat my family grabs during holiday baking season.
Holiday Shortbread Wreath Cookies
I love making these holiday wreath cookies because the dough is incredibly forgiving, which is perfect if you’re baking with kids or prepping several batches at once. A quick chill helps the dough cut cleanly into perfect circles, and using a smaller cutter or piping tip to punch out the center creates that classic wreath cookie shape. A thin layer of glaze gives them that shiny “bakery” finish, and fun sprinkles instantly turn them into cheerful holly wreath cookies.
The flavor is what keeps these on my must-bake list each December. The cinnamon adds a cozy warmth, and the orange zest makes the buttery shortbread feel bright and festive without overpowering it. Whether you’re adding them to a cookie box or arranging them around a cake stand as edible décor, these wreath cookies are beautiful, simple, and so fun to customize.
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Why I Chill the Dough After Adding the Zest
After lots of testing, I found that adding the orange zest before chilling makes a huge difference in flavor. When the dough rests in the fridge, the essential oils from the zest slowly infuse into the butter, giving the finished Christmas wreath cookies a deeper, more fragrant citrus aroma. If you skip this timing, the flavor stays much lighter. That chill time isn’t just for shaping; it’s building flavor naturally, without extract or extra ingredients.
Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Shortbread
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- ⅝ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 orange)
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together on medium high speed for 1 minute.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅝ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon. Beat together to incorporate.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the orange zest and mix well. The dough will be fairly hard at this point.2 tablespoons orange zest
- Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
- Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a well-floured surface. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about ½-inch thick.
- Use a 2-3-inch cookie or biscuit cutter to cut as many cookies from the rectangle of dough as possible. Use a smaller circle (like a piping tip) to cut a hole from the center of each cookie. Carefully transfer each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 11 minutes. The cookies will still be soft.
- Remove cookies from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Continue rolling, cutting, and baking the cookies until all of the dough is used and all of the cookies are baked.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze and decorate the cookies. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Set aside. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and corn syrup together in a small bowl until completely smooth.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon corn syrup
- Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze. Do not dip the entire cookie into the glaze. Once dipped, pull the cookie straight up out of the glaze and hold it there for several seconds to let any excess glaze drip off. Flip the cookie over so that the glaze is right side up and place onto the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles, holly leaves, and berries. Repeat for all cookies.Sprinkles
- Once cookies are decorated, let them set at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the glaze to harden.
Notes
- Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry, crumbly cookies.
- Don’t overmix the dough, or the cookies will turn crumbly and hard.
- I like to use a fluted circular cookie cutter since it gives ridged edges like a wreath. You could also get a large wreath cookie cutter as well.
- If the cookie dough is too hard to roll out after chilling, let the dough warm up for 10 minutes and try again.
- If the dough feels too soft, pop it back in the fridge, then rinse and dry your hands under cool water to prevent the dough from over-warming.
- Twisting the cutter can cause the cookies to bake unevenly or warp. Firmly press straight down, lift, and transfer–your wreaths will keep their perfect circular shape.
- To easily lift the cookies onto the baking sheet and keep their shape, use a bench scraper.
- After cutting your wreath shapes, pop the whole baking sheet into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This helps the cookies keep sharp edges and prevents spreading in the oven.
- Shortbread browns fast on the edges. Rotating the baking sheet halfway through keeps all the wreaths evenly baked and prevents over-browning on one side.
- If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- As you dip, crumbs and flecks of cinnamon can cloud the glaze. I split the glaze into two small bowls and switch halfway through for cleaner, brighter cookies.
- Once glazed, letting cookies sit on a rack instead of paper helps the glaze drip cleanly and prevents pooling around the edges.
How to Make Christmas Wreath Cookies Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather up all of the ingredients needed to make these shortbread wreath cookies. Bring the butter to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before beginning so it properly incorporates into the dough. Zest the orange.
Cream the Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter, ⅝ cups of granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract together on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
Add the Dry Ingredients: Add 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Beat together to incorporate. I highly recommend measuring your flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry, crumbly shortbread cookies.
Chill the Dough: Add 2 tablespoons of orange zest and mix well. The dough will be fairly hard at this point, so don’t overmix. Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. This will help it keep its shape as you roll it out and cut it to shape.
Cut the Cookies: Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a well-floured surface. Preheat your oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about ½-inch thick. Use a 2-3-inch cookie or biscuit cutter to cut as many cookies from the rectangle of dough as possible (I used a fluted circle for that classic wreath shape). Use a smaller circle (like a piping tip) to cut a hole from the center of each cookie. Use a bench scraper or spatula to carefully transfer each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie. If at any point the dough is too soft, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes before re-rolling to help the wreaths hold their shape. You can also chill the tray of cookies for 10-15 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
Bake the Cookies: Bake your shortbread wreaths in the preheated oven for 11 minutes. If your oven has hot spots, rotate once during baking to promote even browning. The cookies should still be somewhat soft when they’re ready. Carefully remove the cookies from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Continue rolling, cutting, and baking the cookies until all of the dough is used and all of the cookies are baked.
Make the Glaze: Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and set aside. Whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of corn syrup together in a small bowl until completely smooth. Adjust the milk and/or powdered sugar amounts as needed to get a thin, dippable glaze.
Decorate the Cookies: Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze. Do not dip the entire cookie into the glaze. Once dipped, pull the cookie straight up out of the glaze and hold it there for several seconds to let any excess glaze drip off. Flip the cookie over so that the glaze is right side up and place onto the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles, holly leaves, and berries. Repeat for all cookies. Once cookies are decorated, let them set at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the glaze to harden.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover Christmas wreath cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend freezing them without the glaze, then glazing fresh after thawing overnight in the refrigerator.
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