Here are 30 of the best Christmas cookie recipes to make this holiday season! This Christmas cookie recipe collection includes traditional Christmas cookies, gingerbread cookies, shortbread cookies, no-bake cookies, Christmas cookies for kids, and other unique ideas!
Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things when it comes to the holiday season!
In our house, we always set aside an entire afternoon to bake and decorate sugar cookies together, and in recent years we've graduated to having three or four different varieties of cookies during the holidays.
These easy Christmas cookie recipes offer so much variety. There's something for everybody here, so you'll be sure to find the right recipe for you and your loved ones. If you're looking to try some new easy cookie recipes that would make a great addition to your Christmas this year, I've got you covered! I also included answers to some FAQs with helpful information about Christmas cookies.
Whether you want to impress Santa or to be the star of your cookie exchange, these are by far the best Christmas cookie recipes I've come across!
Pick your favorite and comment below. If you have pictures of the cookies you baked, be sure to share them with me on my Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest accounts.
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Shortbread Christmas Cookies
Shortbread cookies come from Scotland, where they refer to them as shortbread biscuits. They're usually made with three main ingredients: sugar, butter, and flour.
In modern times, these cookies have evolved to include other ingredients like chocolate, nuts, and other goodies. What hasn't changed is that they are still delicious with any ingredient added. I found some delicious ways to celebrate with the shortbread cookie.
How Do I Keep Christmas Cookies Fresh?
🎄 The maximum shelf life for most Christmas cookies is about two weeks before they start to go stale.
🎄 Refrigerating them will extend their shelf life.
🎄 Do not frost cookies until you are ready to serve them.
🎄 If possible, freeze the cookie dough and bake them right before you need to serve them.
🎄 In the freezer, Christmas cookies will last up to six months.
🎄 Cookie frosting does not freeze well, so freeze cookies without the frosting and then frost them after thawing.
1. White Chocolate Dipped Coffee Shortbread Cookies
These White Chocolate Dipped Coffee Shortbread Cookies are dipped in white chocolate and coffee powder. I love to give these out as Christmas presents to co-workers and friends! It's a treat to see their face light up when they see these cookies.
I discovered a long time ago that dipping anything in chocolate can make it taste better. (Have you tried dipping potato chips in chocolate? If not, you are missing out in the best comfort food snack.)
2. Chocolate Mint Shortbread Cookies
There is something special about eating mint flavored cookies around the holidays!
These mint chocolate shortbread cookies are very special to me. The recipe was developed by Thing 1 (my older son) and they taste beyond delicious. Make them as snowflakes, little trees, or whatever shape you like!
For the top decoration, you can also drizzle them with a homemade decadent chocolate sauce.
3. Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies
These Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies by We Are Not Martha have every holiday flavor in them. From eggnog to nutmeg, these cookies will put a smile on anyone's face.
4. Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies (Three Ways)
The Rising Spoon found three amazing ways to make shortbread cookies look chocolatey good!
Dip them in dark chocolate, peanut butter, or white chocolate. To add interesting texture and make them even more delicious, top them with other tasty ingredients.
Which one is your favorite?
🎁 Kristin’s Handpicked Gift Ideas!
Looking for the perfect gift ideas for family or friends? I've got you covered with carefully curated gift guides! From kitchen essentials to unique picks for kids or grandkids, these will help you find just the thing to make them feel special!
Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are a tradition all over the country. Everyone has their own version with a twist to the traditional recipe.
These bloggers have creative ways to bake gingerbread cookies without losing those classic flavors and all the nostalgia that comes with them!
When Should I Bake Christmas Cookies?
🎄 Personally, it is a tradition in our house to bake cookies on Christmas Eve morning. It makes Christmas feel extra special!
🎄 You can bake them about one to three days ahead of time.
🎄 For basic cookies such as sugar and chocolate chip, bake them two to three weeks ahead and freeze them.
🎄 For giving cookies as gifts, bake them no more than a day before gifting them. The longer they stay fresh for the recipient, the better.
5. Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies
These may not be your grandmother's gingerbread cookies, but they taste soooo good. Burlap and Blue makes them in the shape of snowflakes and gives them a simple icing.
6. Chewy Guinness Gingerbread Cookies
If you are like me, you LOVE chewy cookies. These chewy gingerbread cookies by Confessions of a Baking Queen are my kind of gingerbread cookies.
One of her secret ingredients is Guinness, which helps make these cookies stand out. I know the power of Guinness in desserts because my chocolate cake and malted chocolate cake turn out super moist with the addition of the stout beer.
Do you use Guinness or another beer in your cooking and baking?
7. Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Why have an ordinary gingerbread cookie when you have a Gingerbread Whoopie Pie? While they're not quite cookies, I don't think anybody will complain about these treats!
Sweet Tea and Time took two of my favorites - gingerbread cookies and whoopie pies - and combined them for the perfect holiday dessert. If you are participating in a cookie exchange, these are always a big hit.
(PS: Have you tried my Pumpkin Whoopie Pies?)
Chocolate Christmas Cookies
It doesn't matter if you like dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or all of the above! It wouldn't be a list of the best Christmas cookie recipes without some chocolatey entries.
What Are Some Tips for Baking Christmas Cookies?
🎄 Make larger batches of cookies. Aim for about 5 cookies per person.
🎄 Let your kids help with cookie decorating.
🎄Make the dough in advance and bake the cookies, but don't decorate them right away. Keep them in the freezer and then defrost and decorate them closer to the holiday.
🎄To freeze cookies, use freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty Ziplock bags.
🎄Freeze unbaked cookie dough in small portions so you don't have to thaw out the whole batch in case you don't have time to bake them all.
🎄 To have cookies of the same size and shape, use Christmas cookie cutters so they all come out nice and even.
🎄 Put the cookies in the lowest rack of the oven so the tops do not burn. Another trick is to put an empty cookie sheet on the top rack to keep the cookie tops from baking too quickly.
8. Double Chocolate Crunch Cookies
These Double Chocolate Crunch Cookies are made with dark and semi-sweet chocolate. To give them a little crunch, I add crispy rice cereal. Both soft and crunchy with a chewy center, these cookies will make a unique addition to your cookie spread this year!
9. Chocolate Covered Oreos
You haven't eaten Oreos like these before! The Monday Box dips and covers Oreos in a sinful amount of chocolate! To give them a festive look, she decorates the top with Christmas tree icing.
I know I won't be able to eat just one of these cookies.
10. PB Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
These decadently sweet chocolate chip cookies are stuffed with peanut butter Oreos (or whatever kind you prefer) for a rich and delicious cookie that's perfect for any occasion!
11. Strawberry Cream Truffles
Strawberries and Chocolate are a match made in heaven! These truffles are elegant looking and perfect to give as edible gifts. Or make a batch just for yourself. (I wouldn't blame you!)
The best part is that they take only 10 minutes to make!
12. Vanilla Wafer Christmas Bark
Take your favorite vanilla wafers and coat them with chocolate. Top with holiday colored sprinkles and you have the perfect holiday bark recipe.
Easy and festive, this colorful and delicious recipe is sweet, salty, and most importantly, so chocolatey!
13. Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies
These delicious peanut butter cookies are topped with marshmallow and melty chocolate chips. You can even bake some chocolate chips into the dough if you want even more chocolatey cookies!
Vegan Christmas Cookies
These vegan cookies are simply irresistible! They have all the best flavors of the holiday season and take little time to bake. Give these Christmas cookies as gifts to the vegans in your family.
What Shapes Are Perfect For Christmas Cookies?
If you see something in this list of the best Christmas cookie recipes and you're looking for a way to transform it into an even more festive shape, here are just a few great ideas for fun holiday shapes:
🎄 Santa 🎄Grinch 🎄Candy Cane 🎄Snowflake
🎄 Star 🎄Christmas Tree 🎄 Gingerbread Man
🎄Snowman 🎄Christmas Stocking
14. Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
These snappy gingerbread cookies by The Banana Diaries are completely dairy free and egg free!
The icing is also easy to make using just three ingredients. You can make a big batch of the cookies and icing in just over 20 minutes.
15. Chewy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
It's really easy to make chewy vegan gingerbread cookies. Delightful Adventures baked a batch of them using all the fall trappings.
There is nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in these cookies as well as molasses. I would love to dip these gingerbread cookies in my hot chocolate while sitting in front of the fire! You are welcome to join me.
16. Vegan Crinkle Cookies
Lemon cookies have a bright and cheery aroma. They light up any room with their delicate yellow or green color.
These Vegan Crinkle Cookies by Healing Tomato are the perfect shade of green for the holiday season. With just a hint of matcha, these colors take on that special Christmas look. This is a unique cookie to add to your best Christmas cookie recipes list!
No-Bake Christmas Cookies
Let's face it! During the holiday season, our ovens are working overtime. From cooking the turkey to baking cakes and pies, our ovens hardly get a break.
It's great time management strategy to make desserts ahead of time and not worry about baking them close to serving time.
That's why these bloggers came up with the perfect no-bake Christmas cookies that anyone can make.
What Is The Most Popular Christmas Cookie?
🎄 Peanut Butter Blossoms are one of the most common kinds of cookie you'll see around this time of year, or any cookie that combines chocolate and peanut butter.
🎄Sugar cookies are also very popular because perfect for decorating! They are also great because any number of mix-ins will elevate the cookies, which makes them versatile and customizable to your personal taste.
🎄Whatever your tastes are, this list undoubtedly has some of the best Christmas cookie recipes I've tried, so it's just about impossible to go wrong!
17. Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
These no-bake cookies are so easy to make, which is why I love to make them at Christmas time. This recipe yields chewy cookies with a delicious blend of sweet and salty flavors that everyone loves. They are a great idea for gifting and will be a unique addition to your dessert table.
18. Moose Farts
Yes, you read that correctly! These no-bake cookies are really called Moose Farts. The name is a little silly, but these sweet, chewy, and flavorful cookies are no joke.
Rock Recipes says that this easy cookie recipe is ready in just 20 minutes!
19. No-Bake Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies
Even Ritz Crackers can be covered in chocolate to make delicious "cookies." Belly Full uses just five ingredients to make these cookies in just 10 minutes!
20. Peppermint Mocha Candy Cookies
In just 10 minutes, you can make 20 of these peppermint mocha candy cookies! How awesome is that?
They don't take any effort to make and they taste so fantastic with the classic mint and chocolate flavor combination. Life Currents brings us a perfect and easy Christmas cookie to make.
21. Christmas Pretzels
While not technically cookies, these super-easy, no-bake Christmas pretzels are a perfect way to fill out your cookie tray.
Make this recipe with your kids for a fun afternoon kitchen activity! They'll love the gooey process of dipping the pretzels and then decorating them with festive holiday sprinkles.
Christmas Cookies For Kids
Kids are big consumers of holiday cookies! Can you imagine telling your kid, 'sorry, no Christmas cookies this year'. That would not go over well! So my logic is that if they're gonna eat 'em, they should help to make 'em!
Plus, when they're part of the baking process, they have an extra appreciation of the cookies. Your kids will adore these cute and festive cookies, which are great for baking and decorating with kids from ages 5 and up.
What Recipes Make Good Christmas Cookie Gifts?
🎄 Gingerbread Men
🎄Snickerdoodles
🎄Peanut Butter Blossoms
🎄 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
🎄 Russian Tea Cakes
🎄Bark and Nuts
22. Maple Thumbprint Cookies
This simple but tasty Maple Thumbprint Cookie would make a delicious addition to any cookie swap, holiday party, or gift basket! You can customize the royal icing to be any flavor you want or even use your favorite jam, which makes this recipe so simple and versatile!
23. Christmas Donut Cookies
I can't get over how much these cookies look like actual donuts!
This recipe is the brainchild of Brooklyn Farm Girl, who knows how to entice kids to bake in the kitchen.
The sugar icing is so easy to spread on the donuts, so kids should have no problem decorating these to their hearts' content!
24. Soft Oversized Crinkled Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
How many times have you told your kids to take just one cookie?? Do they listen? No, of course not!
Orchid and Sweet Tea has found a way to get your kids to eat just one cookie. Bake an oversized crinkle cookie and the problem is solved!
These cookies are easy to decorate for kids. They can top them with extra sprinkles before you put them into the oven.
25. Reindeer Cookies
Persnickety Plate invites children to come into the kitchen and draw reindeer faces to spruce up this classically delicious sugar cookie recipe!
26. Snowman Cookies
If you don't have snow this Christmas, here's a great way to make snowmen with your kids anyway! Conservamom's recipe has easy steps for creating these adorable frosty friends.
27. Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies
Umami Girl has found a way to make ugly Christmas sweaters look scrumptious.
These cookies are great for encouraging some creativity and individuality when decorating!
Healthier Christmas Cookies
Even though the holidays are all about indulgence, it's also nice to try out some healthy-ish Christmas cookies. I found a few Christmas cookie recipes that are delicious and at least a little on the healthy side.
How Do I Send Christmas Cookie Gifts In the Mail?
🎄 Pack cookies in an air tight container.
🎄 Separate layers of cookies by wax paper.
🎄 Cushion with crumbled parchment paper.
28. Easy Banana Graham Cookies
Overripe bananas always have a place in my home. From adding them in a banana bread recipe to shallow frying ripe bananas for a snack, they never go to waste!
Ripe bananas make for a delicious cookie recipe. Mash them in a light batter and sprinkle with a graham cracker coating. Then bake them in the oven for about 12 minutes.
Serve these cookies over the holiday season or any time of the year!
29. Sesame Pretzel Cookie Bites
Made using pretzels and sesame seeds, these cookies are a nice way to enjoy delicious cookies with protein baked in them. They've got a unique sweet and salty flavor, and the crumbly texture will melt right in your mouth!
I made these cookies in just 40 minutes and they can be refrigerated.
30. Keto Gingerbread Man Cookies
If you are on the ketogenic diet or you are want to cut down on carbs, Kim Inspired DIY has you covered. She knows how much everyone loves gingerbread man cookies, so she made a keto version.
You can easily bake a batch of these cookies in under 20 minutes.
31. High Protein and Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Instead of using flour in this recipe, Hello Spoonful bakes these blossoms using protein powder and ground flaxseeds. They're soft and chewy, and they pack quite a protein punch!
In under 15 minutes, you can have a fresh and delicious baking sheet full of these Christmas cookies ready!
More Recipe Collections
I hope you enjoyed this collection of the best Christmas cookie recipes! Be sure to share let me know what you think comments below or find me on social media - Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.
Feel free to check out some of my other recipe collections! These themed recipes are collected in one place to make your life easier. If you have an idea for a collection, please feel free to contact me.
50+ Easy and Festive No-Bake Christmas Dessert Recipes
70+ Cheap Chicken Recipes
16 Slow Cooker Breakfast Recipes
Easy Cake Pop Recipes
Looking for some unique and useful kitchen items?
Check out my BEST KITCHEN GADGETS Amazon store list!
I wish you the very happiest of holidays and good luck with all of your baking!
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Happy cooking!
Artney says
So many amazing cookies to choose from! Such a great round-up for the holidays! Looking forward to making these!
Cathleen says
I love all of these ideas!! But I know I am going to be trying those chocolate covered oreos because they are so elegant and so easy! Thanks for the roundup 🙂
Andrea says
What great recipes. Glad I found this page!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Sharon says
So many wonderful Christmas cookie recipes on this list, I can't wait to try them all but I'm really looking forward to the gingerbread shortbread cookies.
Gina says
Such a great list of holiday cookies. This will help me create the perfect cookie tray for Christmas! Love them all!
Anjali says
Omg these cookies all look so delicious I don’t know which one to try first! It might have to be the vegan gingerbread cookies - they are adorable!