Cookies, cookies, cookies we love them all year round, but at Christmas they’re essential to the celebration, and festive decorations make them all the merrier. From frosting tinting to piping techniques and dazzling décor options, we’ve collected all our best advice for sprucing up your Christmas cookies here, and we’ve got options for every baker. So, no matter if you’re looking for a quick fix, or you’re able to devote the whole day to decorating, we’ve got the helpful hints you need to dress up your cookies this Christmas.

There’s more than one way to frost a cookie, cookie! We’re here to walk you through our best techniques starting with a low-effort way to give your cookies a satiny-smooth finish and building up to the technique professional bakeries use, so no matter how much time you have—rest assured we’ve got a trick that’ll take your decorating up a notch.

How to Frost with Faux “Royal Icing”

There’s nothing wrong with spreading Betty Crocker’s™ rich & creamy frosting onto your cookies with the back of the spoon—we’ve done it many times. But without too much more effort, you can have cookies that look like they’ve been flooded with royal icing.

How to Dip Your Sugar Cookies

To make these shiny, perfectly coated cookies all you need is a tub of Betty’s rich and creamy frosting and gel food coloring.

1.  Spoon frosting into a large microwave-safe bowl. If you want to tint, stir in a few drops at a time until blended to desired color

2.  Heat frosting in microwave uncovered for 25 to 30 seconds until warm. Rewarm as needed to keep frosting at a dippable consistency

3.  Dip top side of each cookie into glaze, letting excess drip off.

4.  Place cookie right side up on cooling rack placed over cookie sheet or waxed paper. Sprinkle with decorations, if desired.

5.  Let stand about 2 hours or until set.

6.  Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Give this technique a try with our sparkly and shiny Retro Tinsel Christmas Tree Cookies recipe.

How to Make Piped Sugar Cookies—Without a Piping Bag!

2.  To flood or glaze: Using squeeze bottle, fill inside with thinned icing. Use nozzle of squeeze bottle or small metal icing spatula to fill in all areas until completely covered. If decorating with sprinkles, let stand 1 to 2 minutes before adding. Let stand about 3 hours or until completely dry.

2.  Roll cookies—shown are our Double Chocolate Nutella Cookie Truffles—in the chocolate with forks, lift up and let excess chocolate drip off.

3.  Place cookies on waxed paper to set the chocolate.

Ever wonder what the difference is between all the different types of decorations crowding the baking aisle? Let’s explore the colorful world of sprinkles, sugars, candies and more!

Decorations 101: Sprinkles, Glitter, Sugars & Candy

Wondering what’s what? Here’s your cookie decorating vocab!

Decorations 201: Even More Bright & Sparkling Ideas

We’re not out of decorating ideas yet. Keep reading for ways jimmies, nonpareils and more can add razzle dazzle to your cookie tray!