Classic Christmas Cookies
Because it’s the holidays and I am a sucker for nostalgia, here are all kinds of classic Christmas cookies. Think of this post as a digital cookie platter piled high with sweet treats that are sure to win hearts this time of year. There’s a little bit of everything – sugar cookies, stained-glass cookie ornaments, and gingerbread men, and maybe a few new-to-you ones, too. I hope you find a few to try!
🎄 Cookie Recipes for the Holiday Season 🎄
I looked high and low for the best Christmas cookies, and I think there are a few in this post you’ll want to add to your baking list this year! Some of them are my favorite recipes, and others are some tasty treats from around the web. With these cookie recipes, it will be a very sweet holiday season!
Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons
Macaroons are delicious chewy coconut cookies that are easy to make. Plus, they keep well at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or freezer. They’re a great cookie recipe for the holiday season!
Raspberry Bowtie Cookies
Creating a beautiful cookie tray is like making a cheeseboard – you want a variety of colors, textures, and shapes – and these bow-tie cookies are the perfect addition. I love that pop of red from the raspberry filling.
Gingersnaps with Maple Butter Glaze
Gingersnaps are always a favorite during the holidays!
Holiday Sugar Cookies
Sue shows you how to make cute cut-out sugar cookies and DIY colored sugar so you can be as creative as you like! The possibilities are endless with this cookie recipe.
Cookies and Cream Cookies
These cookies and cream cookies have the best soft and chewy texture, with crushed Oreos in every bite. They’re easy to make, plus you can freeze the cookie dough for later, so a fresh-baked batch is just minutes away.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Amy describes these sweet treats as ‘iconic’ and I have to agree – I’m pretty sure every cookie platter I’ve been gifted includes a few peanut butter cookies adorned with a chocolate kiss.
Molasses Cookies
These soft and chewy cookies are perfect with a cup of coffee!
Crescent Cookies
A few years ago, a neighbor gave me a batch of homemade crescent cookies – a melt-in-your-mouth almond shortbread cookie dusted with powdered sugar – and I think they all disappeared within a day. Now I have Rosemary’s recipe and I can’t wait to make them myself this year.
Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate chip cookies have almonds and toasted coconut baked in and extra on top. They’re a twist on a chewy chocolate chip cookie and easy to make.
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men
Gingerbread men are right up there with Santa and Frosty in the ranks of Christmas characters and I love, love, love that this recipe is for soft and chewy cookies instead of the hard and brittle gingerbread cookies I’ve seen passed around at some cookie exchanges.
Classic Spritz Cookies
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned the name of these little classics. Growing up, they were always called the little buttery cookies that I couldn’t stop eating. Now, I know they’re called spritz cookies and Jessica has a whole post about how to make them with a cookie press.
Wine Cookies
Made with white wine and a few other simple ingredients these lightly sweetened and crunchy wine cookies are great for the season. Pair them with a bottle of crisp white wine for a fun holiday gift.
Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
I love the cookies (chocolate cookies dipped in white candy coating and crushed candy canes? Yes, please) and I love them stacked up with the festive string – perfect for gifting!
Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies! They take some patience, but your patience is rewarded after you take a bit of the soft and chewy cookie with melty chocolate chips.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cut out cookies are a light and buttery option for the Christmas cookie platter.
Cantucci (Italian Almond Cookies)
These crunchy almond cookies are great for gifting because they keep well at room temperature for weeks. This type of biscotti is called cantucci which is a type of cookie from Tuscany. They’re flavored with toasted almond and lemon zest and are twice-baked, which is what gives them their dry, crunchy texture.
Rolo Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Classic chocolate crackle cookies with a surprise caramel center.
Chocolate Cinnamon Stars
Cinnamon stars are a Christmas cookie tradition in Switzerland and traditionally are made with nuts, in this case, almond. Thahn puts her own special spin on this classic by making her stars chocolate with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Snickerdoodles
It doesn’t get any easier than butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Oh, and cinnamon! This recipe for snickerdoodles uses a mix of brown and granulated sugar, which produces a cookie with crispy edges and a nice chewy center.
Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Christmas wreath cookies! Classic, nostalgic, and a must-make for a cookie exchange.
Stained Glass Cookies
Cookies so pretty they double as ornaments! Liv walks you through this fun baking project and in the end, you’ll have cookies almost too pretty to eat.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
These soft and chewy morsels are studded with raisins and chocolate chips in every bite! Oatmeal cookies are always a classic and these hearty cookies are one of my favorites.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
Soft pumpkin cookies topped with cream cheese frosting are full of fall spices. Plus, this no-chill pumpkin cookie recipe is ready in less than an hour.
Hazelnut Butter Cookies
Another European classic! These buttery cookies require some advanced planning – the dough needs time to rest – but once the dough is ready you just slice and bake. Each cookie is studded with hazelnuts and look like they’ll just melt in your mouth.
Spiced Peanut Butter Cookies
Classic peanut butter cookies coated in holiday spices.
Peppermint Melting Moments
Sue shares her old family recipe for these little shortbread cookie bites topped with a cap of frosting and crushed candy canes. I can see why these are a family favorite!
Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
Soft and chewy chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies combine two cookies in one: chewy oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies. They’re perfectly sweet with melted chocolate in every bite.
Holiday Linzer Sandwich Cookies
Raspberry jam sandwiched between two shortbread cookies – these Linzer cookies are all about the holidays!
I hope you’ve found some new Christmas cookie recipes to try this season! Whether you make them for yourself as a holiday treat or give them all away, I know they’ll be a hit. Enjoy!
Happy baking,
More Holiday Recipe Collections
Post updated from the archives. First published in December 2017.
Ohmygosh I want to try them all! Pinned and tweeted – thanks for the super tasty holiday round-up!
This is the best Christmas Cookie Round-Up I’ve seen yet – THANK YOU!!
Oh, thank you – Glad you like it!
So many cookies! Gotta find a way to make them all … or at least a handful of them. Happy Holidays and thanks for sharing.