Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (2024)

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (1)

There's a ton to love about the Christmas season. From decorating the home to making holiday crafts with the kids to shopping for the perfect present, there's plenty to enjoy. But of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without cookies! Whether you're headed to a cookie exchange this season or just want sweet treats to munch on while you deck the halls, we've got plenty of Christmas cookie recipes that you'll want to bake this season.

From traditional Italian Christmas cookies to Christmas bar cookies, there's something here for everyone. Whether you're looking for something quick and easy or more complex, you're sure to find a Christmas cookie recipe here that's perfect to celebrate the holidays. These cookies make for thoughtful gifts to your neighbors or friends, though you might be tempted to keep them just for yourself. Our advice is to make up some extra cookie dough to store in the freezer, so that you have some on hand next time your cookie craving hits.

Santa won't be the only one munching on these crunchy, sugary, delicious cookies come Christmas. Keep reading for plenty of ideas for Christmas cookie recipes, and don't forget to bookmark your favorite ones.

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1

Jam Pie Bites

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (2)

Need a last-minute dessert? Pull some leftover pie dough out and top it with jam for these simple and delicious Christmas cookies.

Get the Jam Pie Bites recipe.

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2

Lavender Shortbread Wedges

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (3)

Put a twist on your go-to shortbread Christmas cookies with this recipe. A sprinkle of dried lavender atop citrusy wedges makes for a delicious holiday cookie.

Get the Lavender Shortbread Wedges recipe.

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3

Halvah With Chocolate

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (4)

Another unexpected and tasty contribution to the Christmas cookie table will be these bites made with homemade Tahini, dark chocolate and sesame seeds.

Get the Halvah with Chocolate recipe.

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4

Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (5)

These might not technically be cookies, but trust us, no one will complain about a tray of these brown butter-infused marshmallow treats. You can top them with red and green sprinkles for a seasonal touch.

Get the Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats recipe.

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5

Deep-Fried Oreos

Bring the fair food favorite to your home this Christmas. All you'll need are Oreos, pancake batter and a healthy dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Get the Deep-Fried Oreos recipe.

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6

Christmas Butter Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (7)

You can't go wrong with a classic — these butter cookies are delicious, versatile and the perfect foundation for sugary-sweet frosting.

Get the Christmas Butter Cookies recipe.

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7

Linzer Stars

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (8)

The secret to these traditional Austrian cookies is using a high-quality jam. Trust us, they taste just as good as they look.

Get the Linzer Stars recipe.

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8

Matcha Snowball Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (9)

Don't these green cookies with a light dusting of sugar just scream Christmas? We'd bet no one else will bring something this creative to the cookie exchange this year.

Get the Matcha Snowball Cookies recipe.

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9

Black Forest Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (10)

The classic cake, now in cookie form. Honestly, who wouldn't want a chocolate cookie topped with whipped cream and cherries?

Get the Black Forest Cookies recipe.

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10

Chocolate Spritz Sandwiches

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (11)

No, you don't have to be a pro baker to pull off these picture-perfect cookies. Just use a cookie press!

Get the Chocolate Spritz Sandwiches recipe.

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11

Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (12)

Skip the store-bought biscotti. These crunchy cookies feature ginger, orange zest, dried cranberries and pistachios for extra flair. They also pair perfectly with coffee.

Get the Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti recipe.

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12

Neapolitan Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (13)

Your favorite ice cream flavor, now in cookie form. These eye-catching cookies are easier to make than you think

Get the Neapolitan Cookies recipe.

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13

Jammy Walnut Rugelach

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (14)

These mini-pastries are made with spiced sugar, jam, and toasted walnuts, all rolled up in a perfectly buttery, flaky crust.

Get the Jammy Walnut Rugelach recipe.

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14

White Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (15)

Shh... no one has to know the madeleines are store-bought. Dip 'em in melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped cranberries and pistachios so they look (and taste!) homemade.

Get the White Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines recipe.

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15

Sugar Cookie Trees

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (16)

"Glue" a stack of sugar cookies together with royal icing to create the perfect edible pine.

Get the Sugar Cookie Trees recipe.

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16

Peppermint Meringues

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (17)

Cookies or candies? No matter what you call them, they're delicious (gluten-free!) minty bites that are easy to make.

Get the Peppermint Meringues recipe.

RELATED: 25 Gluten-Free Desserts That Will Be the Hit of Any Party

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17

Basic Sugar Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (18)

Here, your base for epic holiday decorations.

Get the Basic Sugar Cookies recipe.

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18

Red Velvet Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (20)

We skipped the cream cheese for chocolate chips to really double down on the deep flavor. Red food coloring make these fit for Christmas!

Get the Red Velvet Cookies recipe.

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19

Iced Lemon Stars

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (21)

Make Basic Sugar Cookies but add 1 tsp grated lemon zest along with egg and vanilla. Cut and bake as directed. Once cool, make the Lemon Glaze: In a bowl, combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 Tbsp lemon juice until smooth. Spoon over cookies. Let set, about 1 hour.

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20

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (22)

Wrap chocolate cookie dough around caramel candies for the best-ever surprise inside.

Get the Chocolate Caramel Cookies recipe.

Our All-Time Best Christmas Cookie Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Which cookie has been deemed most popular during Christmas? ›

Gingerbread Cookies are the most popular Christmas cookies Virginia and Ohio. 19% of the American population enjoyed baking cookies during the holiday season. Snickerdoodles hold the position of top Christmas cookie in Idaho. Peanut Butter Blossoms are most popular in Michigan.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

How many days before Christmas should you make cookies? ›

Aim to make them about two weeks in advance if you keep them at room temperature. Making them one week or a few days in advance is even better if you are going for the freshest possible cookies. Remember that you can always make a new batch if you accidentally keep your cookies out for too long and they become stale.

What is the number one holiday cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

What's the number one cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What was the first Christmas cookie? ›

History. Modern Christmas cookies can trace their history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits, when many modern ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the west.

What is the most loved cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one.

What is the most popular cookie in December? ›

What are the most popular Christmas cookies? Our survey found frosted sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies to be the most popular Christmas cookies in the country. They were the fan favorites in 39 states.

What is the second most popular Christmas cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies hold a wider margin over their nearest rivals, with second-placed sugar cookies fourteen points behind at 64%. Fudge comes in third on 63%, followed by brownie cookies or brookies (61%), double chocolate cookies (61%), M&M cookies (61%), and shortbread cookies (61%).

What is the 1 cookie in the US? ›

America's favorite cookie and the one dubbed “the American cookie” is the Chocolate chip cookie.

How many cookies do you need per person for Christmas? ›

A good rule to follow is for every guest to bake a half dozen cookies per each attendee. So, if 10 people attend, each guest would bring five dozen cookies to share. We've put together a chart to help you figure out just how many cookies to ask your guests to make.

Can you leave Christmas cookies out overnight? ›

Leaving cookies out overnight poses certain risks, primarily related to food safety and quality. Cookies left out overnight are at risk of microbial contamination, especially if they contain perishable ingredients like eggs or dairy.

Should I refrigerate my Christmas cookies? ›

Information. Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Moist bars, such as cheesecake and lemon bars, can be refrigerated for seven days.

What is the name of Christmas cookie? ›

Classic Christmas Cookies

They're the ones you might remember from the platters of your childhood, like snickerdoodles, molasses cookies, macaroons, sugar cookies and more. Every single one of these recipes is a tried and true favorite and is perfect for carrying on your cookie traditions year after year.

What is the 2nd most popular cookie? ›

Nabisco Oreo was the second ranked cookie brand of the United States with about 674.2 million U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2017.

What is the tradition of cookies at Christmas? ›

The practice of putting out cookies for Santa began in the 1930s during the Great Depression, when parents were trying to instill a sense of thankfulness in their children. Leaving goodies, perhaps in a sweet cookie jar, continues to be a way of sharing the holiday bounty.

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