There’s something extra special about Christmas cookies. Maybe it’s the scent of warm butter and spices filling the house or the way the kitchen feels a little more magical this time of year. Whether you’re baking for family, gifting to friends, or stocking up for holiday movie nights, Christmas cookies bring everyone together.
This roundup collects festive, easy-to-make Christmas cookie recipes anyone can enjoy—from classic sugar cookies to chocolatey favorites, peppermint treats, and playful Christmas tree cookies. These recipes are straightforward, delicious, and guaranteed to make your home feel cozy and bright.
Tips for Making Perfect Christmas Cookies
- Soften Your Butter—Don’t Melt It: Soft butter creams beautifully with sugar and gives cookies the right texture. Melted butter often makes cookies spread too much.
- Chill Your Dough When Needed: Some doughs—especially sugar cookie or gingerbread—bake better when chilled. Chilling helps them hold their shape and prevents overspreading.
- Watch the Bake Time: Christmas cookies can go from perfect to overbaked quickly. Pull them when the edges just begin to turn golden; they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Decorate When Cool: Let cookies cool completely before adding icing or sprinkles. If they’re warm, decorations will melt or slide off.
- Add Holiday Flavors: Peppermint, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, orange zest, and vanilla instantly evoke holiday taste and aroma.
35 Christmas Cookie Recipes
1. White Chocolate Oatmeal Christmas Cookies
White chocolate oatmeal cookies loaded with white chocolate chips, oats, and holiday M&Ms are a festive and textured treat. The oats give a great chew while the chips and candies add sweetness and color—perfect for cookie exchanges and family plates.
Get the full recipe from: Pam’s Daily Dish
2. Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
Classic ginger snaps deliver a crunchy-sugary exterior and a chewy molasses center. Warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg make these cookies nostalgic and perfect for holiday gifting or sipping with hot tea.
Get the full recipe from: Jersey Girl Cooks
3. Peppermint Keto Christmas Cookies
These peppermint keto cookies come as slice-and-bake options—one rolled in sugar-free crushed peppermint and another dipped in sugar-free chocolate. Both offer a clear peppermint note and holiday-friendly presentation for those watching carbs.
Get the full recipe from: The Foodie Affair
4. Frosted Christmas Tree Cookies
Frosted Christmas tree cookies use stacked sugar cookies and green cream cheese frosting to create adorable tree-shaped desserts. They’re ideal for gatherings, potlucks, or simply as festive treats to brighten the season.
Get the full recipe from: Maria’s Mixing Bowl
5. Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
Light and fluffy, cake mix cookies studded with red and green M&Ms and sprinkles are an easy way to bake festive batches for cookie swaps, bake sales, or holiday parties.
Get the full recipe from: Moore or Less Cooking
6. Caramel Chocolate Cranberry Treasure Cookies
These soft, chewy cookies combine graham cracker crumbs, unsweetened coconut, dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and a caramel note for a luscious, eggless holiday option that’s ideal for trays and gifts.
Get the full recipe from: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
7. Nutella Sandwich Cookies — Eggless
Simple vanilla cookies filled with silky Nutella make an easy, eggless holiday treat that’s perfect for parties or gifting.
Get the full recipe from: Blend with Spices
8. Christmas Cookies in a Jar
Layered cookie mixes in a jar are a charming, inexpensive gift. The recipient only needs to add wet ingredients and bake for soft, chewy cookies anytime—ideal for teachers, neighbors, and friends.
Get the full recipe from: Best Christmas Desserts
9. Reindeer Cookies
Adorable and easy to decorate, reindeer cookies are a family favorite for cookie swaps, holiday trays, or Christmas Eve baking with kids.
Get the full recipe from: Like Mother, Like Daughter
10. Copycat Lofthouse Christmas Cookies
Soft, chewy sugar cookies with bright sweet frosting recreate the beloved bakery-style Lofthouse cookie—great for gifting or party platters.
Get the full recipe from: Pam’s Daily Dish
11. Caramel Pretzel Thumbprint Cookies
Buttery cookies rolled in crushed pretzels and filled with gooey caramel balance sweet and salty for a crowd-pleasing addition to any holiday table.
Get the full recipe from: Kudos Kitchen by Renee
12. Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
“Everything but the kitchen sink” cookies pack sweet, salty, and crunchy mix-ins like pretzels, sprinkles, and potato chips into soft dough for a playful, addictive treat.
Get the full recipe from: This Mom Cooks
13. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Colorful pinwheel cookies are simple to make with tinted dough rolled together and sliced—an especially fun project for kids and a bright addition to dessert trays.
Get the full recipe from: Swirls of Flavor
14. Festive Eggnog Shortbread Cookies
Buttery shortbread enhanced with eggnog flavor and finished with a sweet eggnog glaze offers a cozy, festive bite perfect for holiday gatherings.
Get the full recipe from: The Salty Pot
15. Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Rich cocoa, maraschino cherries, and a chocolate drizzle combine for an elegant, holiday-ready cookie with bold flavor and great presentation.
Get the full recipe from: Manila Spoon
16. Snowball Christmas Cookies
Also called Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes, snowballs are buttery nut-filled cookies rolled in powdered sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth finish that evokes “snow” on the cookie tray.
Get the full recipe from: Mama Needs Cake
17. Christmas Cream Cheese Cookies
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese cookies decorated with sprinkles are festive, tender, and make excellent gifts for neighbors, teachers, or hosts.
Get the full recipe from: Life With The Crust Cut Off
18. Soft Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (No Chill)
Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies spiced with molasses that hold their shape without chilling—ideal for gingerbread men and festive shapes for cookie exchanges or gifting.
Get the full recipe from: Midwestern Holidays
19. Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Ginger crinkles have a crisp exterior with a powdered sugar shell and a soft, spiced center—classic holiday flavors wrapped in a snowy, cracked top.
Get the full recipe from: Risa’s Family Kitchen
20. Christmas Wreath Cookies
No-bake Christmas wreath cookies use corn flakes, marshmallows, butter, and food coloring to create sweet, crunchy wreath-shaped treats decorated with red candies for berries.
Get the full recipe from: Sweet and Savory Meals
21. Dipped Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate make an easy, festive upgrade—simple to customize and ideal for cookie swaps or family treats.
Get the full recipe from: Maegan Kay Bakes
22. Ritz Christmas Cookies
These easy no-bake treats combine sweet and salty flavors with chocolate and festive decorations for a quick, irresistible holiday candy-cookie hybrid.
Get the full recipe from: Planning Inspired
23. Christmas Bar Cookies
Soft, gooey bar cookies with a brownie-like texture packed with chocolate chips and festive sprinkles are great for sharing and traveling to gatherings.
Get the full recipe from: Spaceship and Laser Beams
24. Hot Cocoa Mug Sugar Cookies
Decorating sugar cookies is a beloved tradition. These hot cocoa mug sugar cookies capture that fun—perfect for family baking and colorful icing designs.
Get the full recipe from: Marathons and Motivation
25. Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies
A simple five-ingredient cookie that’s sure to become a family favorite—easy to make year-round for bake sales, potlucks, or as a quick dessert.
Get the full recipe from: Pam’s Daily Dish
26. Christmas Funfetti Cookies
Soft, buttery funfetti cookies studded with colorful sprinkles are quick to make and especially popular with kids—great for parties and cookie trays.
Get the full recipe from: Learned it from my Mom
27. Christmas Italian Ricotta Cookies
Soft, cake-like ricotta cookies with sweet icing and sprinkles are tender and versatile—change the sprinkle colors for different occasions.
Get the full recipe from: Hot Eats and Cool Reads
28. Two-Tone Peppermint Cookies
Two-tone peppermint cookies feature candy cane pieces for a striking look and a bright minty flavor—easy to make ahead for holiday trays.
Get the full recipe from: A Taste of Madness
29. 3-Ingredient Christmas Cookies
These three-ingredient cookies are a terrific last-minute, kid-friendly recipe that still looks festive and tastes great—perfect for quick gifts or snacks.
Get the full recipe from: Pam’s Daily Dish
30. Christmas-Spiced Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles rolled in a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and red-and-green sanding sugars become chewy, buttery cookies with a festive sparkle and classic holiday warmth.
Get the full recipe from: Tasty Cue
31. Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookie
Almond flour thumbprint cookies use just a few ingredients and are allergy-friendly—sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free, vegan, and keto options make them suitable for many diets.
Get the full recipe from: Lauren Kelly Nutrition
32. Christmas Chocolate Waffle Cookies
Made in a waffle iron instead of the oven, chocolate waffle cookies yield a soft, fudgy texture with festive sprinkles—an easy and fun twist on typical cookie baking.
Get the full recipe from: Family Cookie Recipes
33. Red Velvet Christmas Cookies
Red velvet cookies combine the rich flavors of red velvet cake with a soft cookie texture and frosting for a standout treat on any holiday table.
Get the full recipe from: Butter with a side of Bread
34. Pecan Crescent Cookies
Buttery, delicate pecan crescents melt in your mouth with a nutty center and powdered sugar coating—timeless and elegant for cookie exchanges and gifts.
Get the full recipe from: Kim Schob
35. Dainty Tea Cookies
Simple, buttery tea cookies that melt in your mouth—easy to make and versatile for filling centers with nuts or chocolate for variety.
Get the full recipe from: Pam’s Daily Dish
Frequently Asked Questions For Christmas Cookie Recipes
Can I make cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes. Most cookie doughs can be refrigerated up to three days or frozen for up to three months—handy for holiday prep and baking in stages.
Why do my cookies spread too much?
Cookies often spread if the butter was too warm or the dough wasn’t chilled. Adding a few tablespoons of flour can help if the dough feels too sticky.
What’s the best way to package cookies for gifting?
Use cookie boxes, tins, or clear treat bags. Layer cookies with wax paper between them and finish with a festive ribbon for a polished presentation.
Christmas cookies are more than sweets—they’re memories. Whether you spend an afternoon baking with family, decorating with kids, or sneaking a cookie while wrapping gifts, this roundup aims to inspire your holiday baking.
From classic flavors to playful twists, these recipes are perfect for gifting, sharing, snacking, or starting new traditions. Whichever ones you try, may your kitchen be warm, your cookies delicious, and your holiday season full of sweetness.
Happy baking, and Merry Christmas!