Ever wonder why Christmas cookies taste better than regular cookies? Is it the festive sprinkles? The fact that you’re eating them while wearing fuzzy socks? Or maybe it’s just the magic of the season working its delicious charm.
Whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure Christmas isn’t complete without a kitchen full of freshly baked cookies. I’m talking sugar cookies decorated within an inch of their lives, gingerbread that actually tastes good, and those chocolate crinkles that look way fancier than the effort you put in.
Ready to fill your cookie jar? Here are 18 Christmas cookie recipe ideas that’ll make your holiday baking both fun and stress-free. No fancy equipment needed, no complicated techniques just good old-fashioned cookies that everyone will devour.
1. Classic Sugar Cookies
Ah, the blank canvas of the cookie world. Sugar cookies are perfect for when you want to get creative with decorating. The recipe is super straightforward—butter, sugar, flour, and a hint of vanilla.
Quick Instructions:
- Beat butter and sugar until creamy (about 3 minutes)
- Add egg and vanilla, mix well
- Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt on low speed
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes
Want to make decorating easier? Outline your cookies first with royal icing, then flood the center. This technique gives you that smooth, professional finish without the headache.
2. Gingerbread Cookies
Can we even call it Christmas without gingerbread cookies? These spiced beauties are basically the mascot of holiday baking. The combo of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses creates that warm, cozy flavor we all crave when it’s freezing outside.
Quick Instructions:
- Mix butter, sugar, molasses, and spices together
- Add flour and baking soda until dough forms
- Chill dough for at least 2 hours (don’t skip this!)
- Roll out and cut into gingerbread shapes
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes
Pro tip: Cold dough means your cookies won’t spread into gingerbread blobs. Trust me on this one.
3. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These cookies look fancy but are honestly dead simple to make. The dough is rich and fudgy, and when you roll them in powdered sugar before baking, they crack and create this gorgeous crinkled pattern.
Quick Instructions:
- Mix cocoa powder, sugar, and oil together
- Add eggs one at a time, whisking well
- Combine flour, baking powder, and spices, then mix into cocoa mixture
- Chill dough for 1 hour
- Roll into balls, coat in powdered sugar, and bake at 350°F
FYI, these are always the first to disappear from my cookie platters. The texture is perfectly chewy with those crispy edges.
4. Peanut Butter Blossoms
You know the ones—those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s Kiss pressed into the center. They’re iconic for a reason. The combo of peanut butter and chocolate is basically a match made in dessert heaven.
Quick Instructions:
- Beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until fluffy
- Add egg and vanilla, mix well
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt
- Roll dough in sugar, place on baking sheet
- Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, then press a Kiss into each warm cookie
These cookies taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup, which is never a bad thing.
5. M&M Christmas Cookies
If you want soft, chewy cookies packed with color and chocolate, these are your jam. They’re basically festive chocolate chip cookies loaded with red and green M&M’s and sprinkles.
Quick Instructions:
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together
- Add egg and vanilla extract
- Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips
- Roll dough balls in sprinkles and bake at 350°F for 9 minutes
Add some extra M&M’s on top before baking for that picture-perfect look. These are ridiculously easy and always a crowd-pleaser.
6. Peppermint Mocha Cookies
Coffee and chocolate with a hint of peppermint? Yeah, these are basically Christmas in cookie form. The mocha flavor is rich without being too intense, and the peppermint adds that cool, refreshing kick.
Quick Instructions:
- Mix butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and instant coffee
- Add eggs and peppermint extract
- Stir in flour and baking powder
- Roll into balls and bake at 350°F
- Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed peppermint candies
These cookies are perfect for adults who want something a little more sophisticated than your average sugar cookie.
7. Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
If you want to keep it simple, classic peanut butter cookies are where it’s at. You can even press a fork into the dough to create those traditional crisscross marks.
Quick Instructions:
- Beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until creamy
- Add egg and vanilla
- Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt
- Roll into balls and press with a fork in a crisscross pattern
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes
Add some red and green M&M’s if you’re feeling festive. These cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with peanut butter flavor.
8. Brownie Cookies
Ever want brownies but in cookie form? These brownie cookies have that fudgy, dense texture with crispy edges. They’re super rich, super chocolatey, and need minimal dough chilling time, which is great when you’re in a hurry.
Quick Instructions:
- Melt chocolate and butter together
- Whisk in sugar and eggs
- Fold in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder
- Scoop onto baking sheet
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes
Serve them warm with a glass of milk and you’ve got yourself a mini chocolate paradise.
9. Snickerdoodles
These cinnamon-sugar cookies are soft, pillowy, and have slightly crispy edges. The cream of tartar gives them that signature tangy flavor. Honestly, snickerdoodles are underrated and deserve way more love.
Quick Instructions:
- Cream butter and sugar together
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Mix in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt
- Roll dough balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
The key is rolling them in that cinnamon-sugar coating right before baking. That’s what gives them their iconic crackled top.
10. Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread is the ultimate buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. It’s simple, elegant, and requires just a few ingredients—butter, sugar, and flour. These cookies are perfect for when you want something less sweet but still delicious.
Quick Instructions:
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add flour and mix until just combined
- Roll out dough and cut into shapes
- Bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes until edges are golden
- Optionally dip in melted chocolate
Dip them in chocolate or dust with powdered sugar for an extra touch.
11. Molasses Spice Cookies
These cookies are deeply spiced with crispy edges and chewy centers. The molasses gives them a rich, dark flavor that’s perfect for the holidays. Plus, they bake up nice and flat, so you can sandwich them with frosting if you’re feeling fancy.
Quick Instructions:
- Mix butter, sugar, and molasses
- Add egg and spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves)
- Stir in flour and baking soda
- Roll into balls and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Let cool completely before eating
Try stuffing them with marshmallow filling or whipped mascarpone frosting. You won’t regret it.
12. Linzer Cookies
These sandwich cookies are made with a buttery almond dough and filled with raspberry jam. They look super fancy with their cut-out centers that show off the jam. IMO, these are perfect for gift-giving because they look like you spent hours making them.
Quick Instructions:
- Make almond-flavored dough with butter, sugar, flour, and ground almonds
- Roll out and cut into shapes
- Cut a small hole in half of the cookies
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Sandwich cookies with raspberry jam and dust with powdered sugar
The jam peeking through the cut-out is just chef’s kiss.
13. Snowball Cookies (Russian Tea Cakes)
These powdered sugar-coated cookies are buttery, nutty, and basically melt in your mouth. They’re also called Mexican wedding cookies, but whatever you call them, they’re delicious. Rolling them in powdered sugar while they’re still warm is key.
Quick Instructions:
- Beat butter and powdered sugar together
- Add vanilla and chopped pecans or walnuts
- Mix in flour until dough forms
- Roll into balls and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes
- Roll in powdered sugar while warm, then again when cool
Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar coating—these cookies need to look like little snowballs.
14. Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies have a little indent in the center that you fill with jam, chocolate, or caramel. The base is a simple butter cookie, and you can customize the filling however you want. Ever wondered why these are so popular? Because they’re ridiculously versatile.
Quick Instructions:
- Make basic butter cookie dough
- Roll into balls and press your thumb into the center
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Fill the indent with your choice of jam or chocolate
- Bake for another 3-5 minutes
Try different fillings—raspberry jam, Nutella, salted caramel—and make a variety platter.
15. Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Take your classic gingerbread cookies and level them up by sandwiching them with cream cheese frosting. The tangy frosting balances out the spiced cookie perfectly. These are showstoppers at any cookie exchange.
Quick Instructions:
- Make gingerbread cookie dough and cut into shapes
- Bake as usual
- Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla for frosting
- Sandwich two cookies with frosting
- Optionally roll edges in crushed gingerbread crumbs
The cream cheese frosting is a game-changer here. Trust me.
16. Candy Cane Cookies
These cookies are basically sugar cookies with crushed candy canes mixed into the dough. They’re festive, minty, and have little crunchy bits of peppermint throughout. Plus, they look adorable with those pink and white specks.
Quick Instructions:
- Make sugar cookie dough
- Mix in crushed candy canes
- Roll into balls and flatten slightly
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Optionally drizzle with white chocolate
Crush the candy canes in a food processor or put them in a bag and smash them with a rolling pin. Both methods work. :/
17. Chocolate Chip Cookies (Holiday Style)
Okay, so chocolate chip cookies aren’t exactly a “Christmas” cookie, but hear me out. If you use red and green M&M’s instead of regular chocolate chips, boom—instant holiday cookie. They’re soft, chewy, and everyone loves them.
Quick Instructions:
- Cream butter and sugars together
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt
- Stir in chocolate chips and red/green M&M’s
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes
These are the cookies you make when you want something classic but still festive.
18. Snowman Cookies
These are basically decorated sugar cookies shaped and decorated to look like snowmen. They’re super fun to make with kids, and you can get creative with the decorating. Use royal icing, candy buttons, and pretzel sticks for arms.
Quick Instructions:
- Make sugar cookie dough and cut into circles
- Overlap a large circle with a small circle to create head and body
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Decorate with royal icing, candy eyes, and pretzel arms
- Add a little scarf with colored icing
Kids absolutely love decorating these. Just be prepared for a mess—but it’s worth it for the memories.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it 18 Christmas cookie recipes that’ll keep your cookie jar full and your holiday guests happy. Whether you’re team classic sugar cookies or you prefer something more adventurous like peppermint mocha, there’s something here for everyone.
The best part about Christmas cookies? You don’t have to be a professional baker to make them. Most of these recipes use simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. And honestly, even if your cookies don’t turn out picture-perfect, they’ll still taste amazing.
Now get in that kitchen, crank up the Christmas music, and start baking. Your house is about to smell incredible. Happy baking! 🙂
