17 Christmas Cookie Recipes

The best holiday baking moments usually start the same way: butter softening on the counter, vanilla in the air, and a kitchen that suddenly feels a little cozier. If you’ve been looking for Christmas Cookies Recipes that feel festive, practical, and actually fun to bake, this list is for you.

Some cookies are buttery and simple, while others are rich, spiced, filled with jam, covered in icing, or topped with peppermint and sprinkles. That variety is what makes a Christmas cookie tray so special—you can mix soft cookies, crisp cookies, sandwich cookies, and decorated favorites all in one batch.

To keep things simple, each recipe below gives you exactly what you need: a short description, an ingredient list, and easy baking instructions. Whether you want something classic, colorful, chocolatey, or a little more elegant, there’s plenty of inspiration here for your holiday baking.

And if you’re getting the rest of your home ready for the holidays too, you might also love these DIY Christmas decor crafts for adding a handmade festive touch.

25 DIY Christmas Décor Crafts

Before You Start: Simple Tips for Christmas Cookies Recipes Ideas

A little prep makes holiday baking feel much easier:

• Read each recipe before you begin.
• Measure and set out ingredients first.
• Wash your hands before, during, and after baking.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Chill soft doughs if they start getting sticky.
• Leave room between cookies so they bake evenly.
• Let cookies cool fully before icing or filling them.
• Don’t taste raw dough because raw flour and eggs can carry harmful germs.

You may also like: Make the days leading up to Christmas even more fun with these Christmas Snowman Nail Designs.

1. Raspberry Star Linzer Cookies

@cooklikeaprodaily

Buttery sandwich cookies with a jewel-like raspberry center always look elegant on a holiday tray.

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Raspberry jam
• Powdered sugar

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and flour into a soft dough.
• 2. Roll out, cut matching scalloped rounds, and cut stars from half of them.
• 3. Bake, cool, sandwich with jam, and dust with powdered sugar.

2. Gingerbread Holly Cookies

@momlovesbaking

These soft gingerbread cookies are gently spiced and finished with a snowy white icing and holly details.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Molasses
• Egg
• Gingerbread spice mix
• Royal icing

How to Make Them:

• 1. Make a gingerbread dough with butter, sugar, molasses, egg, flour, and spices.
• 2. Scoop or cut into rounds and bake until set.
• 3. Cool, dip half in white icing, and decorate with holly leaves and red dots.

3. Loaded Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

@thissoutherngirlcan

Thick bakery-style cookies filled with chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, and red-and-green candies feel cheerful and indulgent.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Chocolate chips
• White chocolate chunks
• Holiday candy pieces

How to Make Them:

• 1. Cream butter and sugar, then mix in egg, vanilla, and flour.
• 2. Fold in chocolate chips, white chocolate, and candy pieces.
• 3. Scoop onto trays and bake until golden at the edges.

4. Classic Decorated Sugar Cookies

@pasteleria_vip

Stars, ornaments, and Christmas trees make this a must-have recipe for anyone who loves festive cutout cookies.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla or almond extract
• Baking powder
• Icing and sprinkles

How to Make Them:

• 1. Prepare a smooth sugar cookie dough and chill it.
• 2. Roll out, cut into holiday shapes, and bake until lightly golden.
• 3. Cool and decorate with colored icing and sprinkles.

5. Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

@purelykaylie

Rich chocolate cookies drizzled with chocolate and topped with crushed candy canes bring bold holiday flavor.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Cocoa powder
• Butter
• Sugar
• Egg
• Chocolate chips
• Peppermint candy pieces

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix a chocolate cookie dough with cocoa, butter, sugar, egg, and flour.
• 2. Scoop and bake until the centers are soft but set.
• 3. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermint.

6. Holiday Gingerbread Character Cookies

@chocolatelover_rz

These playful cookies shaped like gingerbread people and stars are great for parties and cookie swaps.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Molasses
• Egg
• Ginger and cinnamon
• Icing

How to Make Them:

• 1. Make and chill a gingerbread dough.
• 2. Roll it out, cut your shapes, and bake until firm.
• 3. Once cool, decorate faces, snowflake details, and icing caps.

Related Read: If you enjoy making cute Christmas characters, this adorable snowman ornament for kids is another fun holiday project to try.

7. White Glazed Wreath Cookies

@bakerstreetsociety

These ring-shaped cookies look delicate and pretty, especially with white glaze, rosemary-style accents, and red candy berries.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• butter
• sugar
• egg
• vanilla
• powdered sugar glaze
• red and green decorations

How to Make Them:

• 1. Prepare a simple butter cookie dough and cut into wreath rings.
• 2. Bake until pale golden and let them cool fully.
• 3. Spread or dip in white glaze and finish with berry and greenery details.

Love the wreath theme? Take it beyond the cookie tray with these Christmas door wreath ideas for your holiday decorating.

8. Spiced Thumbprint Cookies with Creamy Centers

@twocupsflour

Rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with a creamy center, these cookies feel cozy and slightly fancy.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Egg yolk
• Nutmeg
• White chocolate or eggnog filling

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix the dough and shape into balls.
• 2. Roll in cinnamon sugar, press the centers, and bake.
• 3. Fill the cooled centers with creamy white filling.

9. Coconut Jam Window Cookies

@alexandrasfoodlounge

These pretty sandwich cookies pair jam centers with a soft white glaze and a crunchy coconut topping.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Jam
• White glaze
• Toasted coconut

How to Make Them:

• 1. Make a buttery dough, roll it out, and cut matching shapes with center cutouts.
• 2. Bake and cool completely.
• 3. Fill with jam, glaze the tops, and add coconut around the edges.

10. Poppy Seed Spritz Cookies

@nekaj_slatko

Lightly crisp and beautifully piped, these cookies have a delicate texture and a bright cherry center.

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Sugar
• Flour
• Egg white
• Poppy seeds
• Vanilla or almond extract
• Candied cherries

How to Make Them:

• 1. Beat together a soft butter dough and stir in poppy seeds.
• 2. Pipe rosettes onto lined trays and place a cherry in the center.
• 3. Bake until just lightly golden.

11. Frosted Holiday Sugar Cookies

@recipes_inspired

Soft sugar cookies topped with red, green, and white frosting are easy, colorful, and family-friendly.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Frosting
• Christmas sprinkles

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix a soft sugar cookie dough and shape it into rounds.
• 2. Bake until the edges are just set and let cool.
• 3. Frost generously and finish with holiday sprinkles.

12. Cranberry Orange Shortbread

@dessert.world66

Buttery slice-and-bake cookies with cranberry pieces and orange flavor are simple but very festive.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Dried cranberries
• Orange zest
• Vanilla
• Coarse sugar

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix the dough and fold in cranberries and orange zest.
• 2. Shape into a log, chill, and slice into rounds.
• 3. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until lightly golden.

13. Buttercream Floral Christmas Cookies

@the.white.whisk

These elegant cookies feel almost too pretty to eat, with piped green trees, poinsettias, and soft floral swirls.

Ingredients:

• Sugar cookie dough
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Milk or cream
• Green food coloring
• Sugar pearls

How to Make Them:

• 1. Bake round and shaped sugar cookies and let them cool.
• 2. Make a thick buttercream and tint portions in holiday colors.
• 3. Pipe trees, flowers, and swirls, then finish with sugar pearls.

14. Cranberry Pistachio Slice-and-Bake Cookies

@kitchenfairyblog

These crisp cookies are full of color from chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, which makes them ideal for gifting.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Dried cranberries
• Pistachios
• Vanilla
• Salt

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix a shortbread-style dough and fold in cranberries and pistachios.
• 2. Shape into a log and chill until firm.
• 3. Slice into rounds and bake until the edges turn lightly golden.

15. Classic Gingerbread Men

@cooklikeaprodaily

A Christmas baking list never feels complete without smiling gingerbread men decorated with bows and buttons.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Molasses
• Egg
• Ginger and cinnamon
• Royal icing

How to Make Them:

• 1. Make the dough and chill it until easy to roll.
• 2. Cut into gingerbread men and bake until set.
• 3. Decorate with icing smiles, buttons, and bows once cool.

16. Peppermint Meltaway Wreath Cookies

@knowtobake

Soft, buttery cookies with a peppermint finish and a crushed candy-cane topping practically melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Peppermint extract
• Cornstarch
• White chocolate or glaze
• Crushed candy canes

How to Make Them:

• 1. Mix a tender dough and shape or pipe it into wreath forms.
• 2. Bake until just set and let cool.
• 3. Drizzle or dip with white glaze and add crushed peppermint.

17. Assorted Holiday Cutout Cookies

@pasteleriadesdecero69

Snowmen, stars, trees, and frosted squares bring a fun, classic finish to any holiday cookie collection.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Royal icing
• Sprinkles or sanding sugar

How to Make Them:

• 1. Make and chill a cutout cookie dough.
• 2. Roll, cut different shapes, and bake until lightly golden.
• 3. Cool and decorate each cookie with festive colors and textures.

Easy Ways to Serve and Share Your Christmas Cookies Recipes: Ideas

Once your cookies are baked, here are a few simple ways to make them feel extra special:

• Arrange different shapes, colors, and textures on one dessert tray.
• Mix crisp cookies with softer ones for more variety.
• Pack sturdy cookies in tins or bakery boxes for gifts.
• Separate delicate iced cookies with parchment paper.
• Add a few cookies beside coffee, hot chocolate, or spiced tea.
• Save a mixed batch for movie night, guests, or last-minute holiday visits.

If you’re putting together more homemade presents this year, you may also like these DIY Christmas gift ideas that don’t look tacky.

The Bottom Line: Make Your Holiday Sweeter With These Cookie Recipes

Holiday baking doesn’t have to be complicated to feel memorable. These Christmas Cookies Recipes Ideas give you plenty of ways to create something festive, whether you bake just one favorite or put together a colorful assortment to share with family and friends. With a little planning, a few simple ingredients, and some holiday spirit, you can fill your kitchen with cookies that look beautiful and taste just as good.

Which of these Christmas Cookies Recipes Ideas would you want to bake first this holiday season?