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!

cookies photo collage.

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!

a macaroon sliced in half.

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 Bow Tie Cookies

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.

homemade almond biscotti

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.

Sugar Cookies

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.

overhead shot of cookies in a bowl.

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

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.

Crescent Cookies

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.

Molasses Cookies | Girl Gone Gourmet

Molasses Cookies

These soft and chewy cookies are perfect with a cup of coffee!

Gingerbread Men

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.

rolo chocolate cookies.

Rolo Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Classic chocolate crackle cookies with a surprise caramel center.

Spritz Cookies

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.

a cookie pulled in half on a baking sheet.

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.

Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

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!

a stack of coconut chocolate chip cookies.

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.

lemon shortbread cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cut out cookies are a light and buttery option for the Christmas cookie platter.

Snkickerdoodles | girlgonegourmet.com

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.

Cinnamon Chocolate Star Cookies

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.

photo of a bowl of wine cookies

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.

Cornflake Wreath Cookies

Cornflake Wreath Cookies

Christmas wreath cookies! Classic, nostalgic, and a must-make for a cookie exchange.

Gingersnaps

Gingersnaps

Gingersnaps are always a favorite during the holidays!

Stained Glass Cookies

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 | girlgonegourmet.com

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.

cookies with one with a bite taken out of it.

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.

Butter Cookies with Hazelnuts

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.

Stacked peanut butter cookies spiced with nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and cinnamon

Spiced Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic peanut butter cookies coated in holiday spices.

Peppermint Melting Moments

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!

a stack of three oatmeal cookies.

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.

Snowflake Linzer Cookies

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,

April

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Post updated from the archives. First published in December 2017.

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4 Comments

  1. Ohmygosh I want to try them all! Pinned and tweeted – thanks for the super tasty holiday round-up!

  2. So many cookies! Gotta find a way to make them all … or at least a handful of them. Happy Holidays and thanks for sharing.

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