Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake

Unwrap Joy: 25 Christmas Cookie Delicious Recipes

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25 Best Christmas Cookie ideas you’ll want to bake this year! From sugar cookies and gingerbread to peppermint chocolate crinkles, these festive recipes are delicious, easy, and perfect for gifting. Save this list for holiday baking inspiration! 🎄🍪✨

🎅🏻 The Ultimate Christmas Cookies Guide

When December hits and Christmas lights start twinkling, something magical happens in the kitchen… it’s officially Christmas cookie season! Whether you’re baking for cookie boxes, holiday parties, or Santa himself, there’s nothing cozier than whipping up a fresh batch of festive, buttery, sparkling cookies.

This guide brings you 25 amazing Christmas cookie ideas, each with flavor notes, texture details, and simple variations to make them your own. Get ready for cinnamon-sugar goodness, peppermint magic, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, and all the nostalgic flavors that make this season unforgettable.

Let’s bake something merry!

25 Best Christmas Cookie ideas 🎄🍪

🎄 Tips for Baking Perfect : 25 Best Christmas Cookie

✨ Chill your dough — makes cookies thicker and prevents spreading
✨ Use room-temp butter + eggs for even mixing
✨ Weigh your flour to avoid dry cookies
✨ Underbake slightly for soft & chewy textures
✨ Try parchment paper instead of silicone mats for crisp edges
✨ Rotate your trays halfway through baking
✨ Decorate after cooling to avoid melting icing or chocolate

🧊 Storage + Freezing Tips

Storing Christmas Cookies

  • Keep in airtight containers up to 5–7 days.
  • Store soft cookies separately from crunchy ones.
  • Add a slice of bread to keep soft cookies tender.

Freezing Dough

  • Scoop cookie dough balls and freeze on a tray.
  • Transfer to freezer bags and store up to 3 months.
  • Bake straight from frozen — just add 1–2 minutes.

Freezing Baked Cookies

  • Freeze unfrosted cookies up to 2 months.
  • Wrap in layers to prevent freezer burn.
  • Add icing after thawing.

🎄 1. Classic Soft Sugar Cookies

Christmas Cookie : Classic Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Variation: ½ tsp almond extract
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Classic Soft Sugar Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
  3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
  4. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract (optional).
  5. Mix in dry ingredients, then milk.
  6. Scoop dough onto a lined baking sheet.
  7. Add sprinkles if desired.
  8. Bake 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden on edges.

🎄 2. Gingerbread Men Cookies

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Variation: 1 tbsp orange zest

Instructions

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  1. Whisk dry ingredients: flour, spices, salt.
  2. Beat butter + brown sugar until creamy.
  3. Mix in molasses, egg, vanilla, and orange zest (optional).
  4. Add dry ingredients; form dough.
  5. Chill 1 hour.
  6. Roll out and cut gingerbread shapes.
  7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8–10 minutes.
  8. Decorate after cooling.

🎄 3. Peppermint Chocolate Crinkles

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
  • Variation: crushed candy canes

Instructions

  1. Mix cocoa, sugar, and oil.
  2. Add eggs + peppermint extract.
  3. Add flour + baking powder.
  4. Chill dough 2 hours.
  5. Roll balls in powdered sugar (and crushed candy canes optional).
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes.

🎄 4. Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ cups flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Coating: ¼ cup sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • Variation: 1 tsp chai spice

Instructions

  1. Whisk dry ingredients.
  2. Beat butter + sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add eggs.
  4. Add dry ingredients.
  5. Roll dough balls in cinnamon-sugar (+ chai spice optional).
  6. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes.

🎄 5. Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ⅓ cups flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Variation: peppermint chips

Instructions

  1. Beat butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg + vanilla.
  3. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Scoop dough; press 2–3 mini marshmallows inside.
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8–9 minutes.

🎄 6. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg + 1 yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup white chocolate chips
  • Variation: ½ cup chopped pistachios

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugars.
  2. Add egg, yolk, vanilla.
  3. Add flour + baking soda.
  4. Fold in cranberries, white chocolate, pistachios if using.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes.

🎄 7. Shortbread Snowflakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Variation: melted white chocolate for dipping

Instructions

  1. Beat butter + powdered sugar.
  2. Add flour + vanilla.
  3. Chill dough 30 minutes.
  4. Roll out and cut snowflake shapes.
  5. Bake 325°F (160°C) for 12–15 minutes.
  6. Dip edges in white chocolate.

🎄 8. Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Hershey’s Kisses
  • Variation: dark chocolate kisses

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients.
  2. Beat butter + peanut butter + sugar.
  3. Add egg.
  4. Add dry ingredients.
  5. Roll balls in sugar.
  6. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes.
  7. Press Kiss on top immediately.

🎄 9. Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • Jam or Nutella
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg + vanilla.
  3. Add flour + almond flour.
  4. Chill 1 hour.
  5. Cut shapes + cut centers from half.
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8–10 minutes.
  7. Fill with jam or Nutella; dust with powdered sugar.

🎄 10. Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded coconut
  • ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Variation: melted chocolate for dipping

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients.
  2. Scoop onto tray.
  3. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15–18 minutes.
  4. Dip bottoms in chocolate if desired.

🎄 11. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Variation: white chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil.
  2. Fold in white chocolate chips if using.
  3. Roll in powdered sugar.
  4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9–11 minutes.

🎄 12. Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup chocolate chunks
  • ¾ cup toffee bits
  • Variation: flaky salt

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugars.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Add flour + baking soda.
  4. Fold in chocolate + toffee.
  5. Add flaky salt on top.
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes.

🎄 13. Eggnog Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup eggnog
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Variation: ½ tsp rum extract

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg, eggnog, vanilla, rum extract.
  3. Add flour + baking powder.
  4. Scoop and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9–11 minutes.

🎄 14. M&M Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups Christmas M&Ms
  • Variation: mini M&Ms

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugars.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Add flour + baking soda.
  4. Fold in M&Ms.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes.

🎄 15. Pecan Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
  • Variation: ½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix butter + powdered sugar.
  2. Add flour, pecans, cinnamon.
  3. Scoop into balls.
  4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12 minutes.
  5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.

🎄 16. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, browned
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 2 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
  • Variation: holiday sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter; cool 15 minutes.
  2. Mix with sugars.
  3. Add eggs + vanilla.
  4. Add flour + baking soda.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips + sprinkles.
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes.

🎄 17. White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup crushed peppermint bark
  • Variation: dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg.
  3. Add flour + baking powder.
  4. Fold in bark + chocolate.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.

🎄 18. Grinch Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 box sugar cookie mix
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • Green food coloring
  • Heart candy
  • Variation: mint extract

Instructions

  1. Mix cookie dough ingredients.
  2. Tint green + add mint extract if using.
  3. Scoop and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9 minutes.
  4. Add candy heart on top.

🎄 19. Chocolate Dipped Biscotti

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Melted chocolate
  • Variation: almonds + dried cherries

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Add flour + baking powder.
  4. Fold in cherries/almonds if using.
  5. Shape into logs; bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25 minutes.
  6. Slice + bake 10 more minutes each side.
  7. Dip in chocolate.

🎄 20. Spritz Butter Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • Variation: food coloring

Instructions

  1. Beat butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg + vanilla.
  3. Add flour.
  4. Tint dough if desired.
  5. Press dough through cookie press.
  6. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8 minutes.

🎄 21. Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Variation: roll in raw sugar

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg + molasses.
  3. Add dry ingredients.
  4. Roll dough balls in sugar.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.

🎄 22. Lemon Snowflake Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 box lemon cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Variation: lemon glaze (powder sugar + lemon juice)

Instructions

  1. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil.
  2. Roll dough balls in powdered sugar.
  3. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8–10 minutes.
  4. Drizzle glaze when cool.

🎄 23. Caramel Stuffed Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Soft caramels
  • Variation: sea salt

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg.
  3. Add flour + baking soda.
  4. Wrap dough around a caramel.
  5. Sprinkle salt.
  6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.

🎄 24. Almond Crescent Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • Powdered sugar
  • Variation: melted chocolate

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add flour + almond flour.
  3. Shape crescents.
  4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12 minutes.
  5. Roll in powdered sugar; dip ends in chocolate.

🎄 25. Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Peppermint Filling:

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1–2 tbsp milk
  • Variation: pink food coloring

Instructions

  1. Cream butter + sugar.
  2. Add egg.
  3. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda.
  4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 minutes.
  5. Mix filling ingredients.
  6. Fill cooled cookies.

🎁 Conclusion

Christmas cookies bring pure holiday joy — whether you’re baking with kids, preparing a cookie box, or just enjoying a quiet evening with hot cocoa. These 25 ideas are festive, flavorful, and perfect for your holiday baking list.
Now grab your sprinkles, turn on your Christmas playlist, and let’s make this the sweetest season ever. 🎅🏻💖

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