Christmas cookies are a holiday tradition for most families that goes back decades. Whether you bake them for your family, the neighbors, or a cookie exchange with this 70 + Christmas Cookie Recipe Collection you are sure to find something for everyone and every occasion!
(Original post date Nov 5, 2019 / Links and post updated Nov. 18, 2021)
Does anyone else get the urge to bake this time of the year? I don’t know if it is the chill in the air or just craving sweets but I find myself baking a lot the month of December. If you have followed me long enough you know I am not a baker, so this is really out of my usual.
The one thing we find ourselves making more than anything else are cookies, all types too.
There are many reasons to make Christmas Cookies
- As a gift
- Cookie exchange
- Thank Yous
- For Santa (scroll to the bottom to see a new tradition)
- For a Party
- To keep a tradition
- To unplug and make some lasting memories with the kids
- and many many more
I remember as a young girl every year we would make my great-great grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe with homemade frosting. We would make such a mess decorating my parents would take over with the frosting.
They were so sweet and buttery (the cookies not my parents), just the right softness, and crispy outside. Now I make those same cookies with my kids and the memories and the messes go on and on.
However, now we make about 4-7 different types of cookies every year because we love to hand them out to our neighbors, teachers, and take them to work. It is just a simple way to say thank you to everyone.
Christmas Cookie Recipes
If you like Cinnamon Rolls you have to try these Cinnamon Roll Cookies. They have the delicious cinnamon flavor and cream cheese icing in a cookie form.
"Pignoli Cookies are a slightly sweet, chewy cookie made from almond paste and covered with pine nuts. They are a favorite of my husband’s family and they are a must at Christmas."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Cookies Recipe | Grinch Crinkle Cookies
"Love the Dr. Seuss and the Grinch!? Then you must try this How the Grinch Stole Christmas Cookies recipe! These Grinch Crinkle Cookies are the perfect accompaniment to family holiday movie night."
"These soft, sweet, and buttery shortbread cookies only require 4 ingredients! BONUS: the cookie dough is easy to make days or even weeks ahead of time until you’re ready to bake!"
"These Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are sure to become a new favorite, they are perfectly soft on the inside and crunchy and sweet on the outside! I find them perfect for dipping in a cuppa tea and just love how festive they are with their Christmas sprinkles. The best part though? How incredibly easy they are to make!"
"Vegan Thumbprint Cookies – The combination of tart jam and a buttery-sweet crumb is pure bliss in every bite. "
"These snowman-shaped Vegan Meringue Cookies will be a hit at your next wintertime gathering. They are sweet, crisp, airy and completely adorable!"
"With their white chocolate-drizzled maraschino cherries perched prettily on top, these adorable little cherry almond cookies are one tasty treat."
"White chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies include a crunchy and crumbly shortbread base and a buttery white chocolate peppermint filling that just melts in your mouth."
Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies are always a must on our Christmas table
"Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies is one Xmas cookie, which needs to be in the house, even though you do not want to bake anything else."
"Kids write their wish list on decorated cookies with edible ink. This recipe for Santa’s Cookies and Milk includes step-by-step instructions. Ho Ho Ho! *plan ahead, these cookies take 3-4 days for the icing to dry before writing on the cookies."
"Santa's Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies with candy cane peppermint crunch, chocolate chips, and minty creme de menthe chips. Leave these out for Santa or make them for a holiday party!"
"I have always absolutely adored traditional steamed Christmas puddings. We didn't have them every year when I was growing up (we were more of a pie family, as a tradition), but oh, how I loved the puddings when we did make them!"
"You don't really need a reason to have a cookie, am I right? That's a rhetorical question of course! In this case, the sugar cookie recipe I have for you is vegan and it can easily fit when you are in need of a parve (kosher) dessert too. Besides, you can never go wrong with a cookie."
"The classic combination of chocolate and peppermint make these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies the perfect treat for the holidays!"
"Cookie and candy all in one! Learn how to make stunning stained glass cookies with this detailed tutorial. Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges or for hanging on your tree!"
"Simple cut-out sugar cookies with a touch of tahini flavor"
"Easy to make and lightly sweet, these cookies are Christmas classics with delicious peppermint and almond flavors."
"You can be the of the holiday party or baking exchange with these Star-Shaped Jam Cookies. They are so festive, fun and elegant to make as a holiday treat."
"This Eggnog Cookies recipe resembles the taste of cinnamon buns, with a hint of eggnog to jazz it up a little. Also perfect for a holiday cookie exchange."
"There's just something about those Classic Sugar Cookie recipe made from scratch just like grandma used to make. This simple recipe is perfect for decorating for the holidays!"
"Christmas pudding cookies are chocolate sugar cookies decorated to look like a traditional Christmas pudding which is a date pudding popular in the UK "
"Chocolate Peppermint Cookies have a rich dark chocolate flavor, paired with sweet peppermint in the perfect chewy & a slightly crunchy texture! Gluten Free"
"Wow Santa this Christmas with these delicious Sugar Cookies! Perfect for Christmas Cookie Exchanges, and easy to make your family will love this great cookie dessert!"
"These Raspberry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies are very easy to make. Two added ingredients turn a sugar cookie into a more gourmet looking treat."
"A holiday favorite! These Old Fashioned Snowball Cookies are a must to add to your Christmas cookie list."
"Baking cookies is one of my absolute favorite things to do in the kitchen. When my husband and I were dating, we would often eat a frozen pizza and drink wine, and finish off our meal with homemade cookies that we baked together. We used these chocolate chips that were white and dark chocolate swirled together that we got at some off-price store that I can’t remember the name of. Ah, to be young again."
"Icelandic Christmas meringue cookies with cornflakes and chocolate are easy to make and taste delicious. These traditional Christmas cookies are known in Iceland as Marens Kornflexkokur."
"I have a thing for berries and chocolate. This time of year I get excited since you can get fresh cranberries and not only are they beautiful I love cooking and baking with them. One of my favorite recipes is a simple Double Chocolate Chip Cranberry cookie. It just screams Christmas to me. I shared this recipe before (you know when barely anyone read my blog) so I thought I’d repost it since it really is one of my favorite recipes.:
"A must-have recipe for cookie lovers who don’t like to roll out dough!"
"Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies hand-dipped in melted vanilla almond bark and sprinkled with crushed candy and sprinkles!"
"Want a super fun cookie to add to your holiday baking list? Grinch cookies. Not only do they look pretty, but mint chocolate chip? Yum. This post contains affiliate links to help this blog keep baking."
"Use your extra or leftover candy canes to make these double peppermint chocolate chip cookies. They are perfect for the holidays and cookie swaps!"
"These sea salt double chocolate cookies are a crowd favorite. You can’t say no to extra chocolate with sea salt in cookie form!"
"Vanillekipferl are the most popular cookies during Christmas time in Austria.
These vanilla flavored crescent-shaped cookies are prepared by each household.
We just can’t live without these delicious cookies besides other classics such as Cinnamon Star Cookies."
"Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Buttercream: Chewy eggnog cookies topped with a rich eggnog buttercream. Your favorite holiday beverage in cookie form!"
"No one will know this peanut butter cookie recipe is vegan unless you tell them! Scroll down to learn all the tricks we used to create this delicious cookie that’s crisp on the outside, chewy inside and so nutty!"
"Chocolate peppermint snowflake cookies scream of winter! It’s delicious, pretty and perfectly festive for the season."
"Speculoos, also known as Speculaas or Dutch Windmill Cookies, are a holiday cookie that is traditionally made for the Feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6th) in the Netherlands and Belgium. They are a shortbread type cookie, but with a lot of spices, like cinnamon, added, which makes them fragrant and tasty!"
"Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that are made from scratch and will fit right in with your holiday plans. Use them for cookie swaps, gifting or just to pass around the Christmas table!"
"These low carb peanut butter chocolate no bake cookies are easy to make with just 5 ingredients and taste amazing. The best no bake cookies I've ever tried!"
"A classic sugar cookie with a holiday twist — White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies taste as delicious as they look!"
"Like a warm mug of hot cocoa, only better! These rich & chewy hot chocolate cookies are the perfect treat for snowy days or as a part of a holiday cookie spread."
"THESE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY COOKIES ARE ONE OF THE MOST PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY RECIPES YOU’LL TRY. YOU WILL WONDER WHY YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO CREATE THEM BEFORE! USE DIFFERENT PRESERVES TO TONS OF VARIATIONS TO THIS SIMPLE RECIPE!"
"These quick and easy Holiday Sugar Cookies are such fun to decorate, and a joy to give out to friends and family this season. I show you how to make your own diy colored sugar, too, so you can get as creative as you want."
"These soft and chewy White Chocolate Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies are a hit with the young and old alike!"
"Learn the secrets to baking cutout cookies with neat edges, that won’t spread as they bake! You’ll fall in love with baking and decorating cutout cookies."
"These Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are all decked out in Red and Green! Rich Cream Cheese Dough is coated in crunchy Pistachios and crowned with a Jammy dollop of tangy Cranberry compote."
"These dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookie cut-outs are decorated with pink and red candy cane stripes of royal icing! Follow my video tutorial and enjoy this fun and festive holiday recipe."
"The thinnest, lightest, most crisp pizzelles ever! They’re just as light as air, and this recipe is truly authentic, with plenty of sweet anise flavor."
"These chocolate peppermint Swig cookies will be the hit of your cookie exchange! Soft & tender, with a chocolate sour cream frosting & a hint of cool mint!"
"Peppermint Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Cookies are super easy, delightfully scrumptious and the perfect holiday treat. Plus, they’re full of all of our favorite things… cocoa, peppermint flavoring, marshmallows, and chocolate ganache!"
"Holiday cookie baking is a lot more fun now that I know a few things about cooking. My twenty-something self knew some basics but she had a lot to learn."
"Christmas Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies are tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, thanks to the fun and colorful sprinkles."
"Eggnog cookies topped with sweet and creamy eggnog flavored buttercream icing are the perfect treats for Santa on Christmas Eve."
"A soft and perfectly spiced gluten-free gingerbread cookie topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. This is the gluten-free holiday cookie you’ve been waiting for!"
"These Spritz Cookies are a classic holiday cookie that round out any cookie platter! Not too sweet and perfectly buttery, you’ll want to make a batch of these easy cookies for your next party!"
"These irresistible Fruitcake Cookies will blow your mind with incredible flavor & soft texture. The perfect Christmas cookie recipe for exchanges & parties"
"Almond Crescent Cookies, a must make melt in your mouth, shortbread type Christmas Cookie. Fast, easy and the perfect addition to your Cookie Tray."
"The Best Simple Two Way Shortbread Cookies, these are a delicious easy to make Shortbread Cookie Recipes, a delicious melt in your mouth cookie that you will make year after year. Choose the traditional Shortbread or Brown Sugar Shortbread. "
"Hello! Today I’m sharing a fun cookie recipe that’s perfect for having fun with shapes and decorations."
"A recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies (also know as snowball cookies), a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie rolled in powdered sugar."
"A simple recipe for painting on royally iced sugar cookies."
"Mint middle fudge crinkles are soft and fudgy chocolate cookies that have a cool and creamy chocolate mint center. It’s cookie and candy together in a wonderfully easy to make cookie."
"Well… these Christmas Light Shortbread Cookies were a very happy accident!"
Pistachio Cranberry Almond Flour Cookies [vegan + grain-free] • Healthy Helper
"Delightfully chewy n’ light paleo cookies made with almond flour and no added sugars! Studded with sweet cranberries and salty shelled pistachios, these cookies are vegan, gluten/grain-free, and perfect for the holiday season! A healthy, delicious addition to your dessert table."
"These chocolate crinkle top cookies are one of our favorites! The presents are wrapped and the house is clean so I decided to reward myself with a cookie making session. Not only are these delicious, but the house smells so good afterward! "
"These Christmas cake mix gooey butter cookies are quickly becoming our favorite Christmas cake mix cookies recipe. They are light and delicate yet sweet and satisfying. "
Cranberry Pistachio Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan!) ~ Veggie Inspired
"These Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are perfectly festive cookies for your holidays! Cookie exchange anyone? These cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and are gluten free, oil free and vegan!"
"Light and cakey, these Chocolate Drop Cookies put a Paleo spin on the classic holiday cookie"
"Dairy and egg-free gingerbread cookies"
"Deliciously decadent chocolate peanut butter cookies JAM-PACKED with your favorite candies! These Triple Chunk Candy Cookies are the perfect way to ring in the holiday baking season and indulge your sweet tooth in more ways than one. Whole grain, made from REAL FOOD ingredients, and perfect for giving to your family and friends as homemade gifts!"
"You know summer is over when your social media feed is flooding with pumpkin and gingersnap recipes! And I figured why not add to the drool-worthiness with these soft and chewy gluten free gingersnap cookies!"
"Not only do these Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies look festive, but these holiday cookies have a festive peppermint flavor as well."
"Healthy Oatmeal Pecan Cookies are a deliciously sweet way to start your day or a great anytime snack! Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free"
"These Best Peanut Butter Cookies are a family favorite. They come together quickly, freeze well and taste amazing! This classic cookie is sure to become one of your favorites."
"Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are delicious buttery chocolate treats that are baked to perfection and topped with a colorful red and white chocolate peppermint kiss."
"This pecan Sandies recipe has a surprising twist. With just a few simple ingredients, these cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and vegan."
"Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the iconic Christmas ballet, captures the hearts of children and adults with its tale of innocence, love, and Christmas magic. Whether baking for fans of wooden soldiers or those who dream of dancing, Nutcracker Sugar Cookies are sure to delight."
"Peppermint Crunch Cookies are crisp sugar cookies full of peppermint-y holiday flavor, topped with two kinds of chocolate and peppermint candy bits. Quick, easy, and beautiful, these cookies are ideal for sharing."
"Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is chocolate dipped Honey Gingerbread Cookies; chewy cookies with lots of honey flavor warmed with cinnamon and ginger. These cookies are made with an easy-to-work-with dough that makes using a cookie stamp or molds a breeze!"
"You will fall in love with Penguin and Polar Bear Oreos with their beady little eyes and chocolate tuxedos. Crunchy chocolate sandwich cookies coated in chocolate are always a hit with both children and adults."
"One bite of these Double Mint Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies and you’ll be in love! This easy treat is just the right balance of sweet mint and fudgy dark chocolate. "
"Cheesy shortbread and sweet jam are a perfect match in this easy recipe for deliciously decadent Savory Fig & Cheddar Thumbprint Cookies!"
"These Cranberry Orange Cookies are sweet and tart and so delicious! With white chocolate chips, frozen cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice, they’ll have everyone asking for more! "
"This just in from the North Pole: Santa wanted me to tell you he really prefers White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Thumbprint cookies on Christmas Eve. "
"A perfect cookie for the holidays! "
"Simple and satisfying shortbread cookies you'll quite likely find irresistible."
"These chocolate dipped Christmas tree cookies are the perfect holiday treat! Sweet, delicious, festive and easy to make. Dipped in and glued together with chocolate ganache and topped with holiday sprinkles."
"These Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies are so fun and very easy to make. Festive and just in time for the holidays."
"Butter cookies with hazelnuts are the perfect Holiday cookies. Make them well ahead to enjoy stress-free Christmas entertaining. They will also make the perfect edible Christmas gift!"
"Chocolate Sugar Cookies are fun and festive, made with a prominent chocolate flavor, and beautiful neon colors."
Low Carb Keto Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe - Quick & Easy (VIDEO!)
"These low carb keto cream cheese cookies are so fast & easy to make! Just 6 ingredients, 10 minutes prep, and 15 minutes in the oven."
"Soft, chewy flourless keto peanut butter cookies with just 2g net carbs each! This sugar-free low carb peanut butter cookie recipe needs just 4 INGREDIENTS."
"Healthy Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies are gooey on the inside and hard chewy on the outside. Cozy up this holiday with a plate of cookies laced with mint, loaded with irresistible chocolate and studded with marshmallows. Gluten Free + Low Calorie"
"Holy Cannoli Cookies, an easy recipe for cannoli cookies with ricotta, chocolate chips, and pistachios! Fun Italian Christmas cookies, inspired by Italian cannoli, that will make a great addition to your Christmas cookie baskets and gifts this year!"
"Easy flourless peanut butter cookies studded with dark chocolate chips and sweetened with maple syrup. They're packed with peanut butter flavor and have an irresistibly soft texture that sets them apart from other classic peanut butter cookie recipes."
Thank you to all the bloggers who submitted recipes and participated in the Christmas Cookies Recipe Collection and a special thank you for letting me use their photos to make this round-up that much yummier!!
Letter from Santa to Put Out with Your Christmas Cookies
Speaking of traditions I think we need to pass down some as well as create some of our own for our kids.
Every year the kiddos write or draw a letter to Santa. Explaining what they would like and why they feel they deserve it. Yes, I make them think about the bad moments and how they improved them and learned from them. Such a bad mom I am!
Then every Christmas Eve we leave cookies out for Santa. When Santa comes he eats the cookies, gives his reindeer a special treat, as well as leaves a letter for the kids. Yes, Santa is busy but always takes time out to respond to his mail… because it is the polite thing to do!

Now, go create some memories this Holiday season and enjoy making some messes in the kitchen! Whatever the reason this is the perfect season for baking, and I hope these Christmas Cookie Recipes help!
More Christmas Recipes
Need more Holiday Favorite Dishes? Check out our Thanksgiving Recipe Collections.
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