Your Ultimate Guide to Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies are a classic holiday treat for a reason: they’re the perfect activity to do with the little ones, a great budget-friendly gift idea, and a staple at holiday parties.

With such a huge variety to choose from, we’ve selected our favorite Christmas cookie recipes from classic sugar to gingerbread and allergen friendly options!

Classic Christmas Cookies

Sometimes the classics are just the best. A plate of these decorated delights is sure to give your household a burst of festive cheer!

🧁 Sugar Cookies

Cookie cutters at the ready! Sugar cookies make the perfect base for your creative decorations, and are perfect for keeping those young ones busy on colder, winter days.

Mom's Cut Out Sugar Cookies from 1971📸 1room temp butter (do not use margarine), granulated sugar, room temp eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract

⚠️TOP TIP⚠️

To help your cookies keep their shape, refrigerate the dough for a few hours or even overnight before cutting them out and baking!

….and don’t forget to let your cookies cool completely before decorating so that your icing doesn’t melt! For picture-perfect icing, try this royal icing recipe which using meringue powder for that set finish.

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sugar cookie recipes

🫚Gingerbread Cookies

Is there anything more Christmas-y than the smell of gingerbread wafting through the house? Cinnamon and ginger are the real stars here, alongside brown sugar or molasses which create that rich, caramelized flavor.

These gingerbread men offer a satisfying snap and can even be turned into hanging ornaments!

Gingerbread cookies⏱ 1 hourunsalted butter, panela (or brown sugar), honey, eggs S / M, wheat flour

Minda’s gingerbread cookies are made with molasses for a softer, chewier bite:

Easy Gingerbread Cookies⏱ 35 minunsalted butter softened, granulated sugar, large egg, molasses unsulphured, all-purpose flour

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gingerbread cookie recipes

🎄Spritz Cookies

These traditional buttery cookies get their name from the method of punching out the dough with a cookie press (“spritz” meaning squirt in German). But if you don’t have one you can use a piping bag instead to create your shapes!

Easy Spritz cookies!⏱ 5-8 minsroom temp butter (2 sticks), sugar, egg, vanilla, almond (optional)

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spritz cookies

Easy Christmas cookies

Want all the flavor and none of the hassle? These cookies are simple to make and quick to bake, saving you precious time over the holidays!

Is there anything more beautiful than a full tray of freshly baked cookies?

🍫 Chocolate Crinkle

Irresistibly soft and oh-so-easy to make, the snow-dusted look of these cookies comes from rolling each dough ball in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar before baking. Try a classic chocolate version or switch it up with festive flavors like coffee and orange.

Simple chocolate crinklesunsweetened cocoa powder, white sugar, vegetable oil, powdered milk of your choice, eggs

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crinkle cookies here

👍 Thumbprint Cookies

Not only do these cookies bake super quick, but they can be filled with any jam or spread that’s sitting in your cupboard. The ground nuts in the dough, such as hazelnuts or almonds, keep the cookies super moist and balances out the sweetness. Try a range of fillings for an eye catching display!

Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies⏱ 30 minutes · 📸 1cup all-purpose flour, kosher salt, unsalted butter, at room temperature, sugar, egg yolk

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thumbprint cookies

🍂 Snickerdoodles

A sugar cookie with a twist, you don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe just a good hand to whisk together the dough and roll the balls into a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. As an extra bonus, your house will smell amazing!

Snickerdoodle Cookies⏱ 20 min · 📸 2all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, just softened

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snickerdoodle recipes

Italian Christmas Cookies

While the Germans might be well known for their gingerbread, the Italians certainly know their festive foods. Try making traditional Italian cookies this year for an impressive - and delicious - gift!

🤌 Biscotti

The secret to biscotti is to bake them twice, which gives them a satisfying hard and crunchy texture. They soften up beautifully when dunked in a warm drink!

Easy! Walnut and Orange Biscotti | Italian hard and crunchy cookiescake flour, bread flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, beaten egg

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biscotti recipes

⛄ Snowballs

Also called Mexican Wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, it’s clear these cookies are well loved all over the world. These buttery, nutty cookie balls are rolled in powdered sugar when still warm to create that snow dusted look.

Chocolate Snowball Cookies⏱ 8-10 minutessoftened butter, sugar, dark cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon

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snowball cookie recipes

Allergen Friendly

Have a loved one that’s gluten free or lactose intolerant? Make sure everyone is included at your holiday gatherings with these simple recipes using alternative ingredients.