Cookie season is upon us and this collection of classic Christmas cookies will help you spread holiday cheer! From ginger snaps to frosted sugar cookies, I have over 30 classic cookie recipes to fill your Christmas cookie trays.
Baking Christmas cookies is a tradition I look forward to each year. Now that my girls are old enough to help, it’s even more fun. We like to make a wide variety of cookies to share with family and friends.
Before we dive in, let’s go over some Christmas cookie trivia.
Must-Make Christmas Cookies
What’s Santa’s Favorite Cookie? 🎅🏼
So, I have heard that Santa’s favorite cookies are chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, but with as many houses as he has to visit, you should probably switch it up and try some of the options below.
How many days before Christmas should you make cookies?
Lots of cookies keep really well, some even get better after a few days, but I like to bake cookies 1-2 days before I’ll be eating them.
As for storing dough, most batters will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
One of my favorite things to do is fully prep cookie dough, freeze on a covered cookie sheet, the transfer the frozen dough balls to freezer bags. Frozen dough will keep for up to a couple months and you can bake straight from frozen.
You can stagger all the cookie prepping and baking and not have to do it all at once.
Which Christmas cookie cutter shape is the most popular?
This is probably not a surprise, but the Gingerbread Man is the most popular cutter shape. Try my gingerbread cookie recipe – it’s perfect for cut-outs.
What’s the most popular Christmas cookie?
The most popular Christmas cookie happens to be my husband’s favorite – the peanut butter blossoms.
How do you keep Christmas cookies fresh until Christmas?
If you don’t want to freeze cookie dough, you can fully bake Christmas cookies and freeze them that way, too. Layer baked cookies into freezer bags with parchment paper in between layers and store flat in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. They’ll just need about 15 minutes sitting on the counter at room temperature to thaw.
Things you’ll need
- Mixing Bowls – You’ll need lots of mixing bowls for all the dough. These are my favorite.
- Baking Sheets – I like baking sheets with a lip so no dough balls go flying off.
- Cookie Scoops – I have a variety of scoop sizes and love how easy they make portioning out the dough.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats – Either help your cookies bake evenly and help with cleanup.
- Wire Cooling Racks – For properly cooling all your batches.
- Christmas Sprinkles – I have a large collection. You never know which you’ll want to reach for!
Dark Chocolate Stars – Shortbread Cookies
Simple shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate and topped with sprinkles. This shortbread recipe is a copycat of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars Cookies and perfect for the holidays or any time you need an easy cookie recipe!
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Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate with Sprinkles
Simple chocolate dipped butter cookies are a holiday staple. Pipe them into swirls, dip them in dark chocolate, add some sprinkles, and you've got a classic cookie everyone knows and loves.
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Reindeer Cookies
Easy Reindeer Cookies make an adorable addition to the holiday dessert table or Santa's cookie plate! Make these super simple with pre-made cookie dough or bake sugar cookies from scratch.
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Gingerbread Cookies
It's always the right time to learn how to make gingerbread cookies! These classic holiday cookies are soft, moist, and hold a perfect shape! I'm sharing my tips and tricks on making homemade, deliciously spiced, brown sugar and molasses-flavored cookies ready to be decorated and enjoyed all season long!
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Christmas Pinwheel Swirl Cookies with Sprinkles
These pinwheel cookies are perfect for the Christmas season! Store-bought sugar cookie dough is transformed into a vibrant red, green, and white swirl cookie with a crunchy sprinkle edge – it doesn't get any more festive than this!
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Millionaire Bars
A layer of buttery shortbread made easy with Walkers Shortbread, topped with a gooey salted caramel layer, topped with a dark chocolate ganache, and finished with a Walkers Shortbread Festive Shape cookie pressed into the top.
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Reindeer Poop Cookies
These Reindeer Poop Cookies will make kids and adults snicker while also being your new favorite no-bake Christmas cookie!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystack Cookies
Haystack Cookies are an easy, no-bake treat filled with chocolate, peanut butter, cashews, toffee bits, and chow mein noodles. You can whip up this easy treat in just minutes!
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No Bake Ritz Cracker Cookies
These no-bake Ritz cracker cookies have the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors. Sweet peanut butter filling is sandwiched between two crispy salty Ritz crackers and then dipped in melted white chocolate and coated with sprinkles! They're light and crispy, salty, sweet, and fun for the whole family to enjoy throughout the holiday season!
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White Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Cookies – a semi-homemade Christmas treat! Break and bake sugar cookies dipped halfway in white chocolate candy melts and topped with crushed candy canes. The easiest Christmas cookie you'll ever make!
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Soft & chewy Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies all dressed up for the holiday season! The classic chocolate chip cookie recipe get an upgrade with red and green m&m candies and a secret ingredient to make them extra soft and thick.
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Italian Sugar Cookies
Soft and tender Italian Sugar Cookies are easy to make with just a few ingredients. Dipped in icing and topped with colorful sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for the holidays or any occasion.
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Crisp Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Crisp Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – a beautiful but simple chocolate cookie with crisp edges and a chewy center. This chocolate crinkle cookie recipe will quickly become a staple in your cookie jar and for the holidays.
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Fiesta Fudge Cookies
Only five ingredients in these super simple Fiesta Fudge Cookies topped with Hershey's Hugs. These easy Christmas cookies are perfect for a cookie exchange!
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Sprinkled Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bites
These Sprinkled Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bites are perfect for a cookie swap or to put out on a holiday table. A Weight Watchers cookie recipe that doesn't taste lightened up!
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Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies
These five ingredient, semi-homemade Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies are simple and festive for the holidays or any time of year.
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Peanut Butter Cookie Cups with Chocolate Ganache
These semi-homemade Peanut Butter Cookie Cups filled with creamy chocolate ganache and topped with sprinkles are a definite crowd-pleaser and are perfect as a last minute holiday dessert addition.
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Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies are a simple, from-scratch, shortbread cookie dipped in dark chocolate that's perfect for dunking in milk, coffee, hot chocolate…Santa won't be disappointed with these shortbread Christmas cookies!
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Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps
Soft and chewy Ginger Snaps are an easy, fragrant cookie that are perfect for any holiday cookie spread!
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Brown Butter Chocolate Caramel Cookies
A brown butter chocolate chip cookie slathered with a layer of salted caramel then topped with chocolate and sprinkles.
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Christmas Snickerdoodles
Soft and buttery snickerdoodles all dressed up for Christmas with red and green sugar.
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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
These delicious Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are perfect for rolling out and cutting into Christmas shapes!
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Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Easy frosted sugar cookie bars are made from scratch and so much easier than traditional cut-out sugar cookies! These handheld bars are soft, perfectly sweet, easy to serve, and simple to customize with colorful sprinkles.
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Chocolate Mocha Swirl Cookies
Chocolate and mocha swirled together in a pretty pinwheel cookie. These Chocolate Mocha Swirl Cookies look great on the table for the holidays!
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French Sables Korova (Double Chocolate Cookies)
Fresh Sables Korova are a fancy name for Double Chocolate Cookies with Sea Salt. Perfect for a holiday table!
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Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies
Soft and chewy molasses cookies are easy to make and even easier to eat. These perfectly spicy cookies with crinkly tops taste like Christmas!
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Classic Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
Classic Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe from scratch just like grandma used to make with butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla is perfect for decorating!
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Eggnog Cookies
Eggnog Cookies are luscious, full of flavor and have eggnog mixed into the cookies and frosting. These cookies come straight from the North Pole and are the best way to use leftover eggnog!
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Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These chewy and indulgent Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are perfect for your holiday cookie platter!
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Almond Spritz Cookies
This Almond Spritz Cookies recipe is the best cookie press dough recipe! Liven up your cookie trays with these Christmas spritz cookies!
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White Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Royal Icing
A traditional sugar cookie transformed into something magical – White Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Royal Icing!
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Nutter Butter Santa Cookies
If you’re looking an an easy, no-bake Christmas cookie, check out these Nutter Butter Santa Cookies! They’re super festive, and simple to make.
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Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are festive in both color and flavor! Perfect for any holiday gathering or cookie tray!
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Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and chewy with a bit of spice and fresh ginger, these small batch Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies will be Santa’s new favorite Christmas cookie!
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Soft Gingerbread Cookies
The best soft gingerbread cookie recipe is absolutely the recipe that Christmas cookie wishes are made of!
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Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies
These Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies only use 5 ingredients and are super soft and festive! Make these candy cane cookies with your kids for any party!
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Orange Glazed Gingersnaps
Take traditional gingersnaps up a notch with these Orange Glazed Gingersnaps recipe! These cookies have a bright, citrusy flavor, and they’re perfect for your cookie trays!
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Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies
Tis the Season for these Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies that will bring joy to each and every one. These cookies are soft and chewy filled with a delicious creamy filling that makes each bite memorable!
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Holiday Peppermint S’more Cookies
Need a quick cookie fix for the holidays? Make these simple Holiday Peppermint S’more Cookies in less than 5 minutes!
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Melted Snowman Cookies
Super easy and fun to decorate, Melted Snowman Cookies are great for a children’s project on a cold winter day. Even in their imperfection, these holiday cookies are adorable!
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White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies combine all the best flavors of a Christmas cookie into one simple recipe!
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I’ve been looking for some new ideas to add to my old favorites- thank you!
Many of my favorites are listed here but also found some new ones to try. Thanks.
Thanks, Laurel! Let me know which you end up trying 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity to try some new recipes
I hope you find a new one to love 🙂