25 Best Christmas Cookies

Christmas just isn’t the same without homemade cookies. These 25 recipes give you everything from simple classics to fancy decorated ones that’ll impress everyone. Most of these freeze really well so you can start baking early and not stress about getting everything done at once. Cookie exchanges, gifts for neighbors, or just having around the house – these cover all your Christmas cookie needs.

Classic Sugar Cookies

These are the perfect canvas for decorating with royal icing or just sprinkling with colored sugar. The dough is easy to work with and holds its shape when you cut it. Don’t overbake them or they’ll be hard instead of tender. These are great for kids to help make since the dough is forgiving. Make extra cause everyone always wants more than you think. Check the recipe here.

Gingerbread Men

Nothing says Christmas like gingerbread men. The spices make your whole house smell amazing while they bake. The dough needs to chill before rolling or it’ll be too sticky to work with. Decorating these is half the fun – let kids go crazy with icing and candies. They keep well in airtight containers for over a week. Check the recipe here.

Snickerdoodles

These cinnamon sugar cookies are soft and chewy with slightly crispy edges. Rolling the dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking is what gives them that signature look and flavor. The cream of tartar in the recipe is what makes them so tender. These are perfect when you want something festive but not too complicated. Check the recipe here.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These look so fancy with their cracked powdered sugar coating but they’re actually pretty simple. The chocolate dough spreads and cracks the powdered sugar while baking. Make sure the dough is really cold before rolling in powdered sugar or it won’t work right. These are rich and fudgy – perfect for serious chocolate lovers. Check the recipe here.

Candy Cane Cookies

These twisted red and white cookies look just like mini candy canes. You make two doughs – one plain and one with red food coloring – then twist them together. They taste like sugar cookies with peppermint extract. Kids love helping shape these even though they might not look perfect. The imperfect ones still taste just as good! Check the recipe here.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Cut sugar cookie dough into tree shapes and decorate with green icing and sprinkles. You can stack different sized trees to make 3D ones if you’re feeling ambitious. The key is getting the icing consistency right – thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to spread easily. These make great gifts when you put them in clear bags with ribbon. Check the recipe here.

Linzer Cookies

These Austrian sandwich cookies have jam peeking through a cutout window in the top cookie. Traditionally they’re made with raspberry jam but any flavor works. The dough has ground nuts which makes them more delicate than regular sugar cookies. Dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect. These feel really elegant and European. Check the recipe here.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

These taste just like peppermint bark candy but in cookie form. The base is a chocolate cookie topped with white chocolate and crushed candy canes. The contrast of flavors and textures is amazing. Crush the candy canes in a food processor or put them in a bag and whack with a rolling pin. These are addictive – you’ve been warned. Check the recipe here.

Eggnog Cookies

These soft cookies taste like drinking eggnog but you can actually eat them. They have nutmeg and a hint of rum extract that gives them that classic eggnog flavor. The glaze on top has more eggnog flavor and makes them extra special. These are perfect for eggnog lovers who want something different from the usual Christmas cookies. Check the recipe here.

Snowball Cookies

Also called Russian teacakes or Mexican wedding cookies – these buttery cookies are rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. They melt in your mouth and look like little snowballs. The trick is rolling them in powdered sugar twice – once warm and once cool. These keep really well and actually taste better after a day or two. Check the recipe here.

Christmas Shortbread

Scottish shortbread is rich and buttery with just three ingredients – butter, flour, and sugar. The key is using really good butter since that’s mostly what you taste. Press fork marks on top before baking for the traditional look. These are elegant and simple, perfect for grown-up cookie exchanges. Cut into festive shapes or just make traditional wedges. Check the recipe here.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

These chocolate cookies are topped with mini marshmallows that get toasted in the oven. They taste just like drinking hot chocolate. Some recipes add cocoa powder to the marshmallows for extra chocolate flavor. These are fun for kids and remind everyone of cozy winter nights. Best eaten warm when the marshmallows are still gooey. Check the recipe here.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

The tart cranberries balance the sweet white chocolate perfectly. Use dried cranberries, not fresh ones or they’ll make the cookies too wet. These have festive red and white colors that look really Christmasy. The cranberries add chewy texture while the white chocolate melts in your mouth. Good for people who want fruit in their cookies. Check the recipe here.

Molasses Cookies

These spiced cookies are soft and chewy with deep molasses flavor. They’re like gingerbread’s cousin but with a different texture. The dough needs to chill before baking or the cookies will spread too much. Rolling them in sugar before baking gives them sparkly tops. These are old-fashioned in the best way – they taste like Christmas at grandma’s house. Check the recipe here.

Christmas Wreath Cookies

Make these with cornflake cereal mixed with melted marshmallows and green food coloring, then shape into wreaths. Add red cinnamon candies for berries. These are no-bake which makes them perfect when your oven is busy with other things. Kids can make these almost entirely by themselves. They look really cute on cookie trays. Check the recipe here.

Red Velvet Cookies

These have that distinctive red velvet flavor and color in cookie form. Top with cream cheese frosting for the full red velvet experience. The cocoa powder gives them a subtle chocolate flavor. These are soft and cake-like rather than crispy. The red color makes them perfect for Christmas even though they’re good year-round. Check the recipe here.

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

Press your thumb into balls of cookie dough to make little wells, then fill with jam before baking. The jam gets all bubbly and caramelized. Use different colored jams to make them more festive – red strawberry, green apple jelly. These are simple but look really pretty on a cookie tray. The buttery cookie and fruity jam combo is classic. Check the recipe here.

Christmas Light Cookies

Cut sugar cookies into light bulb shapes and decorate with colored icing to look like Christmas lights. You can even string them together with ribbon to look like a real light strand. These take some time to decorate but they’re so cute it’s worth it. Kids love helping with the decorating even if they don’t look perfect. Check the recipe here.

Pecan Sandies

These buttery cookies are loaded with chopped pecans and have a sandy, crumbly texture. They’re not too sweet which makes them perfect with coffee or tea. The pecans add richness and crunch. These are southern classics that happen to be perfect for Christmas cookie tins. They keep well for weeks in airtight containers. Check the recipe here.

Cinnamon Star Cookies

These German cookies are made with ground almonds instead of flour, which gives them a unique texture. They’re naturally gluten-free too. The cinnamon flavor is warm and festive. Top with a simple glaze or just dust with powdered sugar. These are more delicate than regular cookies but worth the extra care. They taste sophisticated and different. Check the recipe here.

Angel Cookies

These are usually sugar cookies cut into angel shapes and decorated with white icing and pearl dust or edible glitter. The wings can be made extra fancy with piped icing details. These look really elegant on cookie platters. Some recipes add almond extract for a heavenly flavor. Perfect for church cookie exchanges or religious celebrations. Check the recipe here.

Reindeer Cookies

Cut chocolate cookies into circles, then add pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and red candy noses to make reindeer faces. These are so cute that kids will want to help make them even if the results aren’t perfect. The combination of salty pretzels and sweet cookies is really good. These always get eaten first because they’re too cute to resist. Check the recipe here.

Santa Hat Cookies

Shape sugar cookie dough into triangles and decorate with red icing and white marshmallow “fur”. These are simple but really festive looking. You can also make them by cutting regular cookies and decorating them. Kids love these because they’re recognizable and fun. Line them up on a tray and they look like Santa’s workshop. Check the recipe here.

Frosted Christmas Cutouts

These are sugar cookies cut into festive shapes and decorated with colored royal icing. The icing dries hard which makes them good for shipping or giving as gifts. Getting the icing consistency right takes practice but even messy ones taste good. This is where you can really go crazy with Christmas colors and designs. These are what most people picture when they think Christmas cookies. Check the recipe here.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

These chocolate cookies have crushed peppermint candy mixed into the dough and are topped with mini marshmallows. They taste like drinking hot chocolate with a candy cane stirrer. The peppermint gives them a cool contrast to the rich chocolate. These are perfect for peppermint lovers who want something more interesting than plain chocolate cookies. Best served with actual hot chocolate! Check the recipe here.