Christmas baking is one of those holiday traditions that feels better when there is a little variety on the table. A tray filled with buttery shortbread, spicy gingerbread, chocolate cookies, jam-filled treats, and colorful decorated cookies feels much more special than making a huge batch of just one kind.
Whether you’re baking for your family, putting together a Christmas cookie box, taking cookies to a holiday party, or joining a cookie exchange, this collection gives you plenty of options to choose from.
Below you’ll find 36 Christmas cookie recipes and ideas, including classic favorites, chocolate and peppermint cookies, festive decorated designs, fruit and nut flavors, gifting-friendly cookies, and easier options for busy holiday bakers.
If you’re not sure what to make, start with the quick guide below.
Quick Guide: Which Christmas Cookie Should You Make?
Want a classic Christmas cookie?
Go with gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, shortbread, or spritz cookies.
Baking with kids?
Christmas sugar cookies, Christmas tree cookies, and candy cane cookies are especially fun to decorate.
Love chocolate?
Try chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, or double chocolate cookies.
Making a Christmas cookie box?
Choose a mix of shortbread, gingerbread, chocolate crinkles, and a fruity cookie such as cranberry white chocolate.
Need cookies for a cookie exchange?
Spritz, shortbread, gingerbread, snowball cookies, and sturdy drop cookies are good choices.
Want something elegant?
Linzer cookies and cranberry pistachio shortbread can make a simple cookie box look much more special.
Need something easy?
Try snickerdoodles, no-chill cookies, or simple chocolate crinkle cookies.
Want to bake ahead?
Shortbread, gingerbread, and slice-and-bake cookies are useful choices for planning your holiday baking in advance.
Baking for a smaller household?
A small-batch Christmas cookie recipe lets you enjoy homemade cookies without ending up with several containers of leftovers.
Classic Christmas Cookie Recipes
The classics are classics for a reason. These are the cookies that work year after year, whether you’re baking with family or filling a traditional Christmas cookie tray.
1. Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies
Christmas sugar cookies are one of the most versatile holiday cookies you can make.
Roll the dough and cut it into stars, Christmas trees, snowflakes, stockings, or other festive shapes. You can keep the decoration simple with colored sugar or sprinkles, or use royal icing for more detailed designs.
Best for: Christmas parties, kids, decorating days, and gifting.
Make them special: Use several cookie-cutter shapes rather than making the entire batch identical.
2. Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread is one of the first flavors that comes to mind when people think about Christmas cookies.
Warm spices and molasses give these cookies their distinctive flavor, while the dough works beautifully for cut-out shapes.
You can decorate them with simple white icing, colorful sprinkles, or leave them mostly plain for a more traditional look.
Best for: Classic Christmas baking, decorating with kids, and cookie exchanges.
3. Classic Shortbread Cookies
If you prefer a simple cookie with a rich buttery flavor, shortbread is hard to beat.
Shortbread doesn’t need elaborate decoration. A festive shape, a little coarse sugar, or a dip in chocolate can be enough.
It is also a useful cookie to include in a Christmas gift box because its simple flavor pairs well with richer cookies.
Best for: Gifting, cookie boxes, holiday tea, and make-ahead baking.
4. Spritz Cookies
Spritz cookies are made by pressing soft cookie dough through a cookie press, creating delicate shapes such as trees, flowers, stars, and wreaths.
They’re particularly pretty when decorated with colored sugar or small sprinkles.
Best for: Cookie exchanges and colorful Christmas cookie trays.
Tip: Because spritz cookies are relatively small, they make it easy to offer several different cookies without making each serving enormous.
5. Peanut Butter Blossoms
A soft peanut butter cookie topped with chocolate makes a welcome change from heavily decorated Christmas cookies.
The combination of nutty peanut butter and chocolate is familiar, comforting, and easy to enjoy.
Best for: Chocolate lovers, family cookie trays, and cookie exchanges.
6. Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies are buttery, tender cookies rolled generously in powdered sugar.
Their snowy appearance makes them particularly fitting for Christmas, and they look beautiful piled together on a serving platter.
They’re sometimes known by names such as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, depending on the recipe and tradition.
Best for: Traditional cookie trays and Christmas gifting.
Presentation tip: Give them a final light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.
7. Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies combine a buttery cookie with a bright center of fruit jam.
Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, and cherry are all good choices. The colorful filling also gives your Christmas cookie tray some contrast.
Best for: Gifting, cookie boxes, and anyone who wants a fruity option among richer cookies.
8. Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are coated in cinnamon sugar before baking, giving them a soft texture and warm, familiar flavor.
They aren’t dependent on elaborate Christmas decorations, which makes them a good choice when you want something festive without spending time icing dozens of cookies.
Best for: Beginners, family baking, and cinnamon lovers.
9. Linzer Cookies
Linzer cookies make a Christmas cookie box look instantly more elegant.
Two tender cookies are sandwiched together with jam, with the top cookie usually featuring a small cutout that lets the colorful filling show through.
A light dusting of powdered sugar finishes the look.
Best for: Holiday gifting and elegant Christmas dessert trays.
Tip: Use a bright red jam if you want a particularly festive appearance.
10. Molasses Cookies
Molasses cookies have a deeper, richer flavor than a basic sugar cookie.
They’re usually soft and warmly spiced, making them a great choice for anyone who likes gingerbread flavors but prefers a softer, more casual cookie.
Best for: Coffee breaks, holiday gatherings, and traditional Christmas baking.
Chocolate & Peppermint Christmas Cookies
Chocolate brings a little extra indulgence to a Christmas cookie tray, while peppermint gives the assortment that unmistakable holiday flavor.
11. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are one of the easiest ways to create a dramatic-looking Christmas cookie.
The dark chocolate cookie develops cracks as it bakes, while powdered sugar creates a snowy coating across the surface.
Best for: Chocolate lovers, holiday parties, and cookie exchanges.
Why they stand out: They look festive without requiring detailed decoration.
12. Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate and peppermint are a natural Christmas pairing.
A rich chocolate cookie with peppermint flavor and a festive topping gives you the familiar combination of chocolate and candy cane in a different form.
Best for: Christmas parties and peppermint lovers.
Easy finishing idea: Add crushed peppermint candy while the topping is still soft.
13. Peppermint Bark Cookies
If peppermint bark is one of your favorite holiday treats, turning those flavors into a cookie is a fun variation.
A chocolate cookie combined with white chocolate and peppermint creates a festive contrast in both flavor and appearance.
Best for: Cookie exchanges, gifting, and holiday dessert tables.
14. Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies
For serious chocolate lovers, one layer of chocolate isn’t always enough.
Double chocolate cookies can be made with a rich chocolate dough and chocolate chips or chunks for extra richness.
Best for: Chocolate-heavy Christmas cookie boxes.
Pair them with: Shortbread, citrus cookies, or cranberry cookies to keep the overall assortment balanced.
15. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Red velvet crinkle cookies bring color to the Christmas table without requiring complicated decoration.
The deep red color combined with powdered sugar gives them a snowy holiday appearance.
Best for: Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and colorful dessert trays.
16. Hot Chocolate Cookies
Hot chocolate cookies bring the cozy feeling of a winter drink into cookie form.
Think chocolate, marshmallow-style toppings, and sometimes a little extra chocolate for a rich finish.
Best for: Family movie nights, kids, and cozy winter gatherings.
Serving idea: Serve them alongside mugs of hot chocolate for a simple Christmas dessert spread.
17. Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
Chocolate-dipped shortbread is a simple way to make an everyday cookie feel more festive.
Dip one end of each shortbread cookie in melted chocolate and finish with crushed peppermint, chopped nuts, or Christmas sprinkles.
Best for: Christmas gifting and elegant cookie boxes.
Fruit, Nut & Winter-Flavored Christmas Cookies
Not every Christmas cookie needs to be chocolate-heavy. Fruit, citrus, nuts, and warm spices add variety to a cookie tray.
18. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Tart dried cranberries and sweet white chocolate make a classic holiday combination.
The red and white colors also look naturally festive.
Best for: Cookie exchanges, Christmas parties, and gifting.
Cookie-box tip: These are especially useful when the rest of your assortment is mostly chocolate or spice-based.
19. Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
Cranberry and pistachio give buttery shortbread both color and texture.
The green pistachios and red cranberries naturally fit the Christmas palette, so the cookies don’t need much decoration.
Best for: Elegant cookie boxes and Christmas gifts.
20. Pecan Sandies
Pecan sandies are buttery, crisp, and packed with nutty flavor.
They’re a useful addition when your Christmas tray already contains several soft cookies and you want something with a little more crunch.
Best for: Nut lovers and traditional cookie trays.
21. Almond Cookies
Almond cookies offer a delicate nutty flavor that works beautifully with other Christmas desserts.
They can be especially good in a cookie box where you want something less rich than a double-chocolate cookie.
Best for: Elegant gifting and afternoon tea.
22. Orange Spice Cookies
Orange and warm spices bring a bright winter flavor to Christmas baking.
The citrus keeps these cookies from feeling too heavy, especially when they’re served alongside chocolate and buttery cookies.
Best for: Holiday brunches, afternoon tea, and mixed cookie boxes.
23. Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ginger molasses cookies sit somewhere between a classic gingerbread cookie and a soft spice cookie.
They have plenty of warm flavor but don’t require the shaping and decorating that traditional gingerbread often does.
Best for: Soft-cookie lovers and relaxed holiday baking.
24. Eggnog Cookies
Eggnog is one of those flavors that immediately feels like Christmas.
An eggnog-inspired cookie can bring together flavors such as vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a sweet glaze.
Best for: Christmas parties and fans of traditional holiday flavors.
Tip: A little nutmeg on top can make the flavor and appearance feel more festive.
Festive & Decorative Christmas Cookies
If you’re looking for cookies that will become part of the Christmas decorations on your dessert table, this is the section to explore.
25. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Turn simple sugar-cookie dough into Christmas trees and decorate them with green icing, sprinkles, stars, or edible ornaments.
You don’t need advanced decorating skills. Simple lines, dots, and a few sprinkles can create a charming result.
Best for: Kids, decorating parties, and Christmas dessert tables.
26. Stained Glass Cookies
Stained glass cookies have a colorful candy center that becomes translucent as it bakes.
The finished cookies can look almost like little edible ornaments.
Best for: Show-stopping Christmas baking and holiday parties.
Difficulty: A little more involved than basic sugar cookies, but the visual payoff is worth it.
27. Candy Cane Cookies
Candy cane cookies are shaped like the familiar red-and-white Christmas candy.
They’re particularly fun to make with children because shaping the dough becomes part of the activity.
Best for: Kids, Christmas parties, and festive cookie boxes.
28. Christmas Wreath Cookies
Wreath cookies are another fun way to bring Christmas decoration directly onto the dessert plate.
Green icing, red sprinkles, small candies, or simple piped details can transform a basic cookie into a holiday centerpiece.
Best for: Christmas parties and decorative dessert tables.
29. Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies
Slice-and-bake cookies are one of the most practical choices for busy holiday bakers.
Prepare the dough, shape it into a log, chill or freeze it, then slice and bake when you’re ready.
Instead of spending one long afternoon baking everything, you can prepare the dough earlier and bake it closer to the occasion.
Best for: Make-ahead baking, busy families, and last-minute Christmas preparation.
Christmas Cookies for Gifting & Cookie Exchanges
When you’re giving cookies to someone else, flavor isn’t the only consideration.
You also want cookies that can be packed, transported, and handled without falling apart.
30. Biscotti
Biscotti are crisp, twice-baked cookies that are especially good with coffee.
They’re a nice addition to a Christmas gift box because their shape and texture are different from soft cookies and decorated sugar cookies.
Best for: Coffee lovers, adult gift boxes, and holiday brunches.
31. Rugelach
Rugelach are small filled pastries that can feature combinations such as chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, or fruit preserves.
They’re a little more special than an everyday drop cookie and can bring something different to a Christmas dessert spread.
Best for: Holiday gatherings and sophisticated cookie assortments.
32. Italian Christmas Cookies
Italian Christmas cookies cover a wide range of styles and flavors, from buttery cookies to citrus, almond, ricotta, and sprinkle-covered varieties.
Choose a version that adds a flavor or texture you don’t already have in your cookie box.
Best for: Trying something different and building an international-inspired Christmas assortment.
Easy & Special-Diet Christmas Cookies
Christmas baking doesn’t have to mean spending an entire day in the kitchen.
These options are especially useful when you have less time or need to accommodate different dietary preferences.
33. Easy No-Chill Christmas Cookies
No-chill cookies are a lifesaver when you’re short on time.
Instead of preparing dough and waiting for it to chill before continuing, these recipes are designed to move more quickly from mixing bowl to oven.
Best for: Beginners, busy bakers, and last-minute Christmas baking.
34. Small-Batch Christmas Cookies
You don’t always need several dozen cookies.
Small-batch recipes are ideal for couples, smaller families, or anyone who wants to try a new flavor without ending up with a kitchen full of leftovers.
Best for: Small households and casual holiday baking.
35. Vegan Christmas Cookies
A Christmas cookie assortment can easily include vegan options, from sugar cookies and gingerbread to chocolate cookies and thumbprints.
When baking for someone who follows a vegan diet, check every ingredient rather than relying on the cookie’s name alone.
Best for: Plant-based holiday gatherings and mixed-diet families.
36. Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
Gluten-free cookies make holiday gatherings easier when someone needs to avoid gluten.
There are plenty of options, including naturally flourless cookies and recipes made with gluten-free flour blends.
If you’re baking for someone with celiac disease, ingredient selection is only part of the job. Pay attention to cross-contact during preparation as well.
Best for: Gluten-free Christmas celebrations.
How to Build the Perfect Christmas Cookie Box
You don’t need to make ten different recipes to create an impressive cookie box.
The trick is to choose cookies that are different in flavor, texture, shape, and appearance.
A simple five-cookie formula is:
1. Choose one classic
Try gingerbread or Christmas sugar cookies.
2. Add one chocolate cookie
Choose chocolate crinkles or chocolate peppermint cookies.
3. Add something buttery
Shortbread or snowball cookies work beautifully here.
4. Add fruit or nuts
Try cranberry white chocolate, cranberry pistachio shortbread, or thumbprints.
5. Finish with something decorative
Choose Christmas tree cookies, stained glass cookies, or candy cane cookies.
This gives you a cookie box with different colors, flavors and textures instead of five cookies that all taste basically the same.
If you’re planning a full holiday dessert table, you can also explore our Christmas cake ideas for more festive baking inspiration.
Best Christmas Cookies for a Cookie Exchange
For a cookie exchange, think beyond appearance.
The best choices are generally cookies that:
- travel well
- don’t crumble too easily
- are easy to portion
- hold their texture
- can be packed without complicated handling
- still taste good after cooling
Some strong choices from this collection include:
Spritz Cookies — small, festive, and easy to arrange.
Shortbread — buttery, simple, and gift-box friendly.
Gingerbread Cookies — classic and easy to recognize.
Snowball Cookies — attractive and simple to serve.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — dramatic-looking without detailed decoration.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies — colorful and easy to share.
Christmas Cookies You Can Make Ahead
One of the easiest ways to make Christmas baking less stressful is to spread the work across several days.
Instead of trying to mix, bake, cool, decorate, and package everything at once, prepare some components ahead of time.
A simple Christmas baking timeline
1–2 weeks before:
Prepare suitable cookie doughs and freeze them if the recipe allows.
Several days before Christmas:
Bake sturdy cookies such as shortbread or gingerbread and store them properly.
1–2 days before serving:
Decorate cookies that need fresh icing and prepare your cookie boxes.
Before serving:
Arrange the cookies and add any final decorations.
Always follow the storage and freezing instructions for the individual recipe because different doughs and finished cookies behave differently.
How to Store Christmas Cookies
Different cookies need different storage conditions.
A soft cookie can lose its texture if stored incorrectly, while a crisp cookie can become soft if exposed to moisture.
For soft cookies
Store them in a properly sealed container once they have cooled completely.
For crisp cookies
Keep moisture away and avoid storing them in the same container as very soft cookies.
For decorated cookies
Let the icing dry completely before stacking them.
Place parchment between layers when necessary.
For freezing
Cool baked cookies completely before freezing.
Use a well-sealed freezer-safe container or bag and label it with the cookie type and date.
If you’re freezing decorated cookies, make sure the decorations are fully set before packing them.
Christmas Cookie FAQs
1. What are the most popular Christmas cookies?
Classic choices include sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, shortbread, spritz cookies, snowball cookies, thumbprints, chocolate crinkle cookies, and peppermint-flavored cookies.
The best one depends on what you’re making them for. A cookie exchange calls for different qualities than a Christmas dinner dessert or a gift box.
2. What are the easiest Christmas cookies for beginners?
Start with cookies that don’t require complicated decorating or shaping.
Snickerdoodles, shortbread, chocolate crinkles, simple drop cookies, and no-chill Christmas cookies are all good places to start.
3. Which Christmas cookies can I make ahead?
Many sturdy cookie varieties can be prepared ahead, including several shortbread, gingerbread, sugar-cookie, and slice-and-bake styles.
Check the individual recipe before freezing either the dough or the finished cookies.
4. What cookies are best for a Christmas cookie exchange?
Choose cookies that are sturdy, easy to transport, and attractive without requiring last-minute assembly.
Spritz cookies, shortbread, gingerbread, snowballs, chocolate crinkles, and cranberry white chocolate cookies are all good options.
5. How should I package Christmas cookies for gifting?
Allow cookies to cool completely before packaging them.
Use a sturdy box or tin, separate very different textures when possible, and use parchment between layers of fragile cookies.
For shipping, choose sturdy cookies rather than delicate decorated cookies that can break easily.
6. Can I freeze Christmas cookie dough?
Many types of cookie dough can be frozen, but the best method depends on the recipe.
Some doughs can be portioned and frozen before baking, while others need to be thawed or refrigerated before they go into the oven.
Follow the instructions for the individual recipe rather than assuming every dough can be treated the same way.
7. How many Christmas cookies should I make?
That depends on the occasion.
For a small family gathering, a few different cookies may be plenty. A cookie exchange or large holiday party will naturally require more.
Rather than making a huge amount of one cookie, consider making smaller batches of several different varieties. You’ll get a much more interesting dessert table.
Final Thoughts
The best Christmas cookie spread isn’t necessarily the one with the most recipes.
It’s the one with the right mix.
Choose a classic cookie such as gingerbread, add something chocolatey, include a buttery cookie, bring in a fruity or nutty flavor, and finish with something colorful or decorative.
If you’re preparing cookies for gifting or a cookie exchange, choose recipes that travel well and can be made ahead. And if you’re baking for a smaller household, don’t feel like you need to make five dozen cookies just because it’s Christmas.
Whether you prefer traditional gingerbread, elegant Linzer cookies, chocolate peppermint treats, buttery shortbread, or simple small-batch cookies, the goal is the same: make something delicious, share it with people you love, and enjoy the baking along the way.
