Iced Gnome Cookies start with a simple, buttery shortbread made from butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Finished with a smooth royal icing, vibrant colors, and festive candies, they’re as fun to decorate as they are delicious to eat!
These iced cookies are surprisingly easy to make and irresistibly cute, with bright frosting and charming details that give each one its own personality. Inspired by classic garden gnomes—complete with red hats and fluffy white beards—these whimsical shortbread cookies are fully homemade and make a perfect family holiday activity, inviting kids and adults alike to gather, decorate, and create sweet memories together!
Why you’ll love making these Gnome Cookies
- Easy but impressive: Simple shortbread dough and straightforward icing come together to create cookies that look bakery-worthy without being complicated.
- Perfect for family holiday fun: Decorating the gnomes is a hands-on, creative activity that kids and adults can enjoy together.
- Adorable and customizable: Bright colors, fun faces, and festive candies let each cookie have its own personality.
Gnome Cutout Cookie Ingredients
Butter: You need 1 cup softened butter for rich, flavorful cookies.
Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the dough perfectly.
Egg: Bind the dough together with the assistance of one egg.
Flour: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour is used for the structural base of this dough.
Extract: Use vanilla extract to enhance the wonderful flavors in this recipe.
Royal Icing
Powdered sugar: Use 2 cups of powdered sugar to create a smooth and sweet icing.
Meringue powder: Adding meringue powder will create the consistency needed so the icing holds up well when set.
Milk: Use ¼ cup milk to thin out the icing enough for use.
Food coloring: Use red and green gel food coloring to achieve vibrant icing colors without thinning it out.
Cookie marker: An edible black cookie marker will help you draw faces and designs onto your cookies after the icing has been set so that each cookie can have its own unique personality.
Cookie paint brush: You will also need a cookie paint brush to help achieve coloring on their faces, like creating rosy cheeks.
Candy: For added decoration, you may wish to use white sugar pearls and candy peppermints.
Best Gnome Cookie Cutters
You’ll need gnome cookie cutters to make these cookies. I like the ones that also make indents for the hat, nose & beard, like these cookie cutters. You can find them at most craft stores like Michael’s or Joann’s. I actually just picked up the perfect one at Cost Plus World Market! Keep an eye out as they have them many places now!
Tips for making Christmas Cutout Cookies
Chill only if needed: This shortbread dough is designed to be rolled right away, but if it starts to soften or lose clean edges, chill it for 10–15 minutes to keep the gnome shapes crisp during baking.
Layer your icing intentionally: Let key sections like the beard fully dry before adding noses, stripes, or details—this prevents color bleed and keeps the design sharp.
Adjust icing by task, not color: Keep the icing slightly thicker for outlining and filling large areas, then thin a small portion for painting rosy cheeks so the color blends softly instead of sitting on top.
Add candy while icing is wet: Press peppermint swirls and sugar pearls into the icing before it sets so they adhere securely and don’t fall off once dry.
How long are Iced Shortbread Cookies good for?
These cookies will stay fresh for about 3–4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. While they can last up to a week, the texture and flavor are best enjoyed within the first few days, when the cookies are soft, buttery, and the icing is at its freshest.
Can you freeze these Gnome Christmas Cookies?
Yes, these cookies can be frozen—but only at the right stage. For best results, freeze the cookies after baking and cooling but before decorating. Place the undecorated cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers and freeze for up to two to three months. When ready to decorate, thaw them at room temperature.
It’s not recommended to freeze fully decorated cookies, as the icing can crack or weep and the colors and candies may lose their appearance.
What does meringue powder do to royal icing?
Traditional royal icing recipes actually contain raw egg whites, which for safety reasons we do not wish to consume. Meringue powder is a safer version of egg white and helps to take the place of the rawness while still giving us the same great texture that we’ve come to know and love.
Do I need a gnome-shaped cookie cutter?
While a gnome-shaped cutter gives the most polished results, you can also cut the dough into simple triangles for the hat and round the base for the face if you don’t have a cutter. It’s a flexible recipe that still looks adorable with a little creativity.
Check out these other fun Iced Cookie Recipes:
- Our Marbled Christmas Cookies are tender cookies finished with royal icing swirled in festive colors, creating a beautiful marbled effect that’s as fun to look at as it is to eat!
- These Spiced Reindeer Cookies are packed with warm holiday flavors—cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and a hint of honey—baked into buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Perfect for cozy winter nights or festive cookie exchanges!
- Vanilla Glazed Spiced Apple Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with warm fall flavors. Topped with a sweet glaze, they’re cozy, delicious, and perfect for holiday gatherings or a comforting cup of tea.
- Simple butter cookies are cut, baked, and decorated to look just like sparkling Christmas lights, making these Christmas Light Cut-Out Cookies as fun to make as they are to eat!
- Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies combine simple pantry staples to create rich, cozy flavor in every bite. Topped with a glossy powdered-sugar frosting, they’re an easy and festive addition to any Christmas cookie tray.
With this Iced Gnome Cookies recipe, you’ll have a whimsical and fun treat ready anytime. Perfect for the holidays or any festive occasion, these charming cookies are sure to delight everyone who sees—and tastes—them!
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