The Most Amazing Christmas Cookies
Are you looking for the best Christmas cookies to bake this year? We’ve gathered 25 of the best recipes we could find. Whether you’re doing a cookie exchange, hosting a party or giving gifts to friends and neighbors, these cookie recipes won’t disappoint.
26 of the Best Christmas Cookies for Your Holiday Baking
1. Christmas Linzer Cookies
These Christmas Linzer cookies have all of your favorite holiday spices with a sweet raspberry jam filling. The cookie dough features finely ground almonds and hazelnuts for a rich flavor.
You’ll find it hard just to eat one – or three.
Be sure to follow all of the tips in this recipe to make the best Linzer cookies. These aren’t your usual holiday treats.
2. Soft Gingerbread Cookies
You can’t have a Christmas cookie list without mentioning gingerbread. But this recipe stands out because it makes soft and chewy cookies that are every bit as delicious as their crunchy counterparts.
The best part of making gingerbread cookies is decorating, so make sure that you have plenty of white icing (and gumdrop buttons!) to bring these little guys to life.
3. Pecan Snowball Cookies
If you’re looking for quick and tasty treats, pecan snowballs are one of the best Christmas cookies to make. You only need a handful of ingredients to make them, and they just melt in your mouth.
You may know these cookies as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes. Whatever you call them – you’ll love them.
Use high-quality pecans for the best results.
4. Christmas Sugar Cookies
These inspiring cookies embody all the things we adore about Christmas! With an elegant touch and loads of style, they’ve secured a top spot on our favorites list this year. Add a festive touch to your table design and impress your guests with delightful Christmas sugar cookies featuring your favorite designs!
5. Italian Ricotta Cookies
Ricotta cookies are a popular treat in Italy during the holiday season. They’re soft, decadent and delicious. With a little icing and some sprinkles, they quickly become everyone’s favorite treat.
The best part is that the glaze is so easy to make at home and uses ingredients you probably have in your kitchen.
Related: 22 Delicious Christmas Food Ideas for Your Party This Year
6. Hot Cocoa Cookies
The best Christmas cookies are ones that bring us comfort and joy, and these hot cocoa cookies tick all of the boxes. They’re warm, gooey and have all of the flavors of a hot cup of cocoa.
Use marshmallow bits if you can find them (you can get them on Amazon!). They’re just the right size for these cookies.
7. Classic Sugar Cookies
The best Christmas cookies are the classics. Soft and chewy sugar cookies are always a crowd pleaser, and they can be decorated with frosting and sprinkles to make them even more festive.
This recipe doesn’t require any chilling between mixing and baking, so they can go straight from the bowl to the oven.
8. Eggnog Cookies
Turn a classic holiday drink into a tasty treat. These eggnog cookies are soft, delicious and a break from the usual Christmas cookie.
These are the perfect treats for cookie exchanges or giving as gifts to neighbors and friends. They transport well, and they smell like Christmas in a box.
Related: 15 Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Everyone Will Love
9. Christmas Tree Cookie Stacks
Here’s a Christmas cookie that will impress everyone. These Christmas tree cookie stacks feature creamy green frosting sandwiched between three cookies. Top with a star and some holiday-colored pearl sprinkles
These cookies are a bit more complicated (each tree requires three different sized cookies), but they can be a fun project for the family or a great treat to serve at a holiday party.
10. Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
These gingerbread thumbprint cookies are perfect for the holidays. You’ll love the white chocolate and spiced molasses filling. The extra frosting on the top takes these cookies over the top.
They’re perfect for gift-giving, cookie exchanges or just to enjoy with your family.
11. Loaded Baileys Fudge Mint Cookies
These cookies really are loaded. Along with the mint chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips, pieces of Andes mint chips, these cookies have a Bailey’s chocolate ganache filling.
They’re ooey, gooey and irresistible. If you’re looking for an unusual Christmas cookie to try, this one is it.
12. Grinch Cookies
These Grinch cookies are so cute, and they’re tasty, too. They use a cake mix, which makes them extra soft and easy to make.
Roll your dough in powdered sugar, bake, add a heart sprinkle and enjoy. Try using cinnamon heart sprinkles for an extra burst of unexpected flavor.
13. Cranberry Sandwich Cookies
These cranberry sandwich cookies take extra time to prepare, but they’re worth the effort. The cranberry filling uses fresh cranberries cooked long and slow with spices and apple cider.
Your house will smell divine while making this cranberry filling, and you will savor each bite of these delicate, flavorful cookies.
14. Candy Cane Cookies
How cute are these candy cane cookies? They taste just as sweet as they look. The recipe calls for mint extract, but you can easily use vanilla or almond if you prefer.
The fun part is rolling the dough into ropes and twisting them together. It’s an excellent project for the kids if they’re old enough to help with baking.
And the candy cane shape is the perfect companion for your morning coffee or tea.
15. German Chocolate Cookies
The best Christmas cookies aren’t always the most obvious. These tasty treats have all of the trappings of a classic German chocolate cake, but in portable cookie form.
Chewy chocolate cookies are topped with a creamy coconut, caramel and pecan mix. Add some more chocolate frosting on top, and you have the perfect recipe for an unforgettable cookie.
16. Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
These raspberry almond shortbread cookies are subtly sweet with a bright red jam that adds a pop of festive color.
Use quality, seedless raspberry jam for these cookies and watch them disappear right before your eyes.
Related: 21 Mason Jar Gift Ideas for Christmas for Everyone On Your List
17. Pistachio Rose Cookies
These pistachio rose cookies are gorgeous and so different from the usual Christmas cookie. Rose petals add a rich red color and subtle floral flavor. Pistachio nuts add green color, flavor and crunch.
You’re sure to wow your guests with these cookies and their unique flavor.
You can find culinary grade rose flower water and rose petals on Amazon if you can’t find them in your local shops.
18. Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who doesn’t love red velvet cake? This recipe transforms this beloved treat into a cookie topped with decadent white chocolate chips.
The great thing about these cookies is that they’re so simple to make, but they taste every bit as good as some of the more complicated cookie recipes. They’re a crowd-pleaser, too, so they’ll be a hit at cookie exchanges and parties.
19. Pfeffernusse Cookies
These traditional German spiced cookies are dusted in powdered sugar and are the perfect treat for Christmas. Pfeffernusse cookies are soft and spicy, with flavors of anise, cardamom, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and pepper.
The molasses base makes these cookies even more delicious.
20. Almond Marzipan Crescents
These almond marzipan crescent cookies are delicious, and they are surprisingly easy to make. The almonds and marzipan add so much flavor, and a light chocolate coating on the ends of the cookies add just a little extra sweetness.
21. Walnut Cinnamon Winter Cookies
These walnut winter cookies have a similar texture to pecan snowballs or German pfeffernusse cookies. They’re soft, spiced cookies with a powdered sugar coating. But instead of almonds or pecans, these cookies have walnuts.
This recipe makes buttery soft cookies that melt in your mouth. Each batch makes 20-24 cookies – which won’t last very long.
22. Danish Butter Cookies
Butter cookies are so underrated. They’re soft and chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.
Dipped in chocolate and topped with festive sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for the holidays – especially if you’re not a fan of spicy cookies.
For a really impressive presentation, use a piping bag with a large piping tip to shape your cookies.
23. Poppy Seed and Marzipan Cookies
This traditional German Christmas cookie recipe is so tasty. Poppyseed and marzipan complement the plum jam so well.
These sandwich cookies are so delicious. They won’t last long at any party or family gathering.
Related: 20 Mason Jar Gift Ideas You Have to Try This Holiday
24. Swedish Heirloom Cookies
These Swedish heirloom cookies have a powdered sugar coating, rich walnut filling and a buttery texture.
They’re easy to make, so they’re great for serving at parties or to give in cookie exchanges.
25. Candy Cane Flavored Cookies
If you’re a fan of peppermint, you’ll love these candy cane cookies. They’re rich and buttery with little bits of peppermint crunch for a burst of flavor.
The red color adds a festive touch to these bite-sized cookies.
26. Chocolate Chip Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies
This recipe puts a holiday twist on the classic shortbread cookie. Maraschino cherries add a burst of festive color and chocolate chips add a hint of sweetness.
The dough is easy to make, and there’s no chilling time between mixing and baking.
Final Thoughts
No matter your taste, you’re sure to find a Christmas cookie you love on this list. From traditional to decadent, there’s something for everyone and every holiday gathering.
