There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh-baked cookies filling the house at Christmastime. 🍪 Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, filling gift tins, or making memories with your kids in the kitchen, Christmas cookies are a tradition that never gets old. From classic sugar cookies to creative new favorites, this ultimate list of Christmas cookies has a treat for everyone — so grab your apron, pour some cocoa, and let’s get baking!
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Christmas Chocolate Layer Cookies
“Rich and fudgy Christmas Chocolate Layer Bars are adorned with festive red and green for the holidays! Whip up a batch for your cookie tray, and watch them disappear.”

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups
“In need of an item to bring to your office potluck? These salty sweet cookies will do the trick. The best part? Your colleagues won’t be able to decide whether they like the caramel or chocolate the best.”

Soft and Thick Snickerdoodles

Candy Cane Snowballs

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Cranberry Shortbread Stars

Eggnog Frosted Chai Snickerdoodle Snowmen

Linzer Cookies

Ugly Sweater Cookies

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Soft Butter Cookies

Colorful Jello Cookies

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
These thumbprint cookies taste exactly like the ones your grandmas used to make!
Austrian Coconut “Busserl” Cookies
Head back to your childhood with these coconut cookies, where each bite reminds you of the holiday season.
Date Pinwheel Cookies
These Date Pinwheel Cookies are an old, treasured recipe! They have brown sugar cookie dough filled with a date filling and chopped pecans, and they’re completely irresistible!
Festive Holiday Ginger Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe
These festive cookies have melt-in-your-mouth centers and golden, crispy edges, giving a delightful buttery flavor enhanced by our favorites… ginger and pecans.
German Christmas Stollen Cookies
Step back in time to a quaint German Christmas market with these delightful German Christmas Stollen Cookies
M&M Christmas Cookies
Celebrate the holiday season with these soft, chewy, and festive-looking M&M Christmas cookies, perfect for spreading joy and delight. Follow this easy recipe to create a batch of colorful treats that everyone will love!
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
With festive green swirls and crunchy red sugary edges, these fun holiday cookies are show-stopping and will add a festive flair to your Christmas cookie tray.
Christmas Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
Christmas Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies are a delightful, tasty, and simple treat to bake with your family this holiday season.
Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Searching for an easy and tasty snickerdoodle recipe? These cookies are soft, flavorful, and quick to make. Prepare them in advance and freeze them for a convenient treat later.
Holiday Cookie Box – Easy Festive Christmas Cookies
If you have made some different kinds of cookies, presenting them in a holiday cookie box always looks so charming and festive. So instead of swapping your cookies at a cookie exchange, why not make several different kinds, arrange them using DIY cookie box ideas and give them as festive gifts.
Date Pinwheel Cookies
Date Pinwheel Cookies have a buttery brown sugar cookie dough filled with a gooey date filling and chopped pecans. These cookies are crisp, tender, crunchy, and gooey…all in one bite!
Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze
Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze are the most flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread you’ve ever tasted! Flavored with orange zest and orange oil, with a beautiful glaze made from fresh cranberries, these cookies are sure to be a new family favorite!
RELATED: 19 Fun and Festive Christmas Treats for Toddlers
Easy Nutter Butter Reindeer, Snowman, and Santa Cookies
These Nutter Butter reindeer, Santa, and snowman cookies are fun for kids to decorate. No baking needed!
Twix Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Twix Thumbprint Cookies are deliciously buttery, with a mouthwatering shortbread cookie base. They’re little bites of bliss. You might proclaim these cookies even better than Twix candy bars.
Perfect Cut-out Sugar Cookies
Cut-out Cookies are easy, keep their shape well after baking, and are tender and buttery. They are light in color even after baking, which makes them a great canvas for your decorating whims.
Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies are a festive addition to your Christmas cookie tray! They’re soft and buttery, and perfect for giving.
Corn Flake Candy
This classic Corn Flake Candy can be made into mounds or shaped into Christmas wreaths. It’s a fun and easy no-bake treat.
Zimtsterne: German Cinnamon Stars
Classic German cinnamon stars are a traditional Christmas cookie that you can enjoy in your home! Naturally gluten free and perfect for gift-giving, these will be a favorite!
Pecan Praline Cookies
If you adore the rich taste of Southern praline candy and have a a weakness for chewy cookies, you’ll fall in love with this 1986 winner’s recipe from the Chicago Tribune’s annual cookie contest.

Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with crispy, caramelized edges and perfectly gooey centres that can be ready in under 30 minutes!

White Chocolate Oatmeal Christmas Cookies
An oatmeal cookie in general is delicious but, a Christmas oatmeal cookie is even better. Loaded with white chocolate chips and Christmas M&Ms. These taste scrumptious.

These absolutely delicious bar cookies are perfect for dessert, packing in a festive lunchbox, or bringing to a Christmas Cookie Exchange party. Their rich flavor means you can cut them into smaller pieces, making plenty to share.
Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies with Frosting
These cookies are the ultimate festive treat, boasting a soft, buttery texture and a fluffy frosting topping. Spread the joy by sharing these old fashioned cookies and celebrating the season with the sweetest bites around.
Homemade No Bake Buckeye Cookie Recipe
You can’t have a holiday cookie treat without the old timey buckeye balls! So maybe they aren’t exactly cookies but we had to keep them on the list.
Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
These Cranberry White Chocolate chip cookies would make a fantastic addition to your holiday treats menu. Classic shortbread cookie base is made festive with the addition of dried cranberries plus a hint of orange extract.
RELATED: 31 Best Sweet and Savory Holiday Dips {perfect for Christmas parties}
No-Bake Christmas Wreath Cookies
These charming Christmas Wreath Cookies are crafted with nostalgic Cornflake cereal, tinted green to mimic the look of festive wreaths. Held together with a sweet marshmallow base, they have the classic flavor of classic Rice Krispies treats. Embellished with bright red candies for a bow, these cookies are as cute as they are delicious.
Nutmeg Cookies
These chewy, spiced cookies are an easy to throw into your holiday baking lineup. With only six ingredients they are so simple and turn out great every time.
Homemade Biscottini
This timeless recipe marries the rich crunch of nuts with the natural sweetness of dried fruits, all nestled within a perfectly baked biscuit—twice baked, as tradition demands, for that signature crispness.
Molasses Ginger Cookies
Step into the past with these classic old-fashioned Molasses Ginger Cookies, except this time they are made gluten-free. With their perfectly crispy edges and chewy centers, these crinkly, spiced cookies are a timeless favorite.

Italian Wedding (a.k.a Snowball) Cookies
One bite of these Italian wedding cookies will immediately have you thinking of Christmas in the past! Everyone loves these snowball cookies!
Linzer Cookies
Buttery and tender, with tangy cranberry jam in the middle, these Linzer cookies are delicious and festive-looking sandwich cookies that you can make for any holiday or special occasion.
Gingerbread Cookies
Made with molasses and brown sugar, these soft gingerbread cookies are an ultimate Christmas sweet treat recipe that’s both delicious and fun to make with the family. These cookies are perfectly flavored with ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
Peanut Butter Blossoms (Gluten-Free)
All peanut butter chocolate lovers have to try these peanut butter kiss cookies (peanut butter blossoms.) They are wonderfully satisfying and happen to be gluten-free. Talk about a real classic!
3-Ingredient Buttery Shortbread Cookies
These buttery shortbread cookies are simply divine. They are melt-in-your-mouth amazing, bursting with the goodness of butter, and easily dressed up or down.
Healthy Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies {Gluten-free}
Festive shortbread cookies that only require 5 ingredients! Similar to traditional shortbread cookies but they’re a good source of fiber and protein.
RELATED: 49 Fun and Festive No Bake Christmas Treats
M&M Cookies
M&M cookies are festive, soft and chewy, and loaded with goodies. Bonus: both the dough and baked cookies freeze beautifully.
Chewy, Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Gingersnap cookies are chewy, soft, and stay that way for many days. They are perfect for gift giving and holiday cookie trays. They look basic, but they taste amazing.
Lofthouse Cookies (Soft Sugar Cookies)
Made with a secret ingredient, these Lofthouse cookies are extra fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and topped with a sweet buttercream frosting for a truly decadent soft sugar cookie dessert. Whip them up for birthdays, holiday parties, and more!
Shortbread Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipe
Simple buttery shortbread cookies with a milk chocolate kiss are a classic nut-free option for your Christmas cookie tray.
Crispy Ginger Molasses Cookies Recipe
Ginger molasses cookies feature the perfect combination of crispy edges with a chewy center that everyone will love. Talk about nostalgia!
Strawberry Jam Cookies
Similar to the thumbprint cookies, I think we would classify jam cookies…as well, a classic! I remember my grandma making these when I was little! Plus, you can swap out the jam and make tons of different flavors.
Cocoa Blossom Cookies
I love the crinkles in the chocolate blossom cookies! They are rich, decadent, and I promise there won’t be any leftover!
RELATED: 42 Christmas Activities for Kids
Mexican Christmas Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies are nostalgic treats that melt in your mouth. These buttery shortbread cookies are packed with finely chopped nuts and generously coated in powdered sugar—twice, to ensure a perfect sweetness. This classic Christmas cookie recipe is a must-have for your holiday cookie platter.
Snow Cookies
Snow cookies are a delightful addition to a Christmas cookie tray or box. Two butter cookies are sandwiched together with jam and topped with icing and coconut to resemble freshly fallen snow!
Reindeer Cookies
Chewy peanut butter cookies decorated to look like Santa’s favorite reindeer. Super fun to make with the kids to leave for Santa.
Christmas Oreos
Christmas Oreos are a festive and fun treat for the holiday season! This quick and easy recipe takes just 15 minutes to make. They can be decorated and frosted in various ways and will add a pop of color to your Christmas cookie tray!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Rich Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are loaded with semisweet chocolate chips and a refreshing peppermint flavor, topped with crushed candy canes for an extra burst of flavor and texture. These cookies are easy to make and add a festive touch to your holiday cookie trays.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Easy Reindeer Cookies

Easy Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches

Red Velvet Cookies

Stained Glass Window Cookies

Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies

Matcha Dipped Chocolate Wafer Cookies

Twix Cookies

DIY Spritz Cookies

Buttery Toffee White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Pinwheel Cookies

Chocolate Reindeer Cookies

Soft Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Stamped Sugar Cookies

Christmas Pretzel Hugs

Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies

Easy Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Coffee Shortbread

Einkhorn Gingerbread Cookies

Vanilla Bean Christmas Sugar Cookies
These cookies are incredibly easy because they are slice and bake! Plus they are iced with whipped buttercream – a delicious addition to any Christmas party or bake tray.

Lollipop Sugar Cookies
Add a cute candy land touch to your holiday baking tray this year! These also make wonderful gifts for friends or coworkers.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
Rich chocolate base with a delightful mint frosting, you really cannot go wrong with these cookies.

Grinch Cookies
Green Grinch heart cookies, coated in powdered sugar, have become a beloved staple on holiday dessert trays. They bring a classic vibe from one of our favorite movies.
Homemade White Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe
White chocolate drizzled gingerbread biscotti are easy-to-make spiced cookies for the holiday season. They store and ship well, making them perfect for holiday gifts and cookie swaps, and they go perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa.
Gingersnap Cookies
This easy cookie recipe will remind you of your nana’s recipe and you can have a batch on your tray in less than 30 minutes.
Amish Christmas Cookies
These Amish Christmas cookies are a delicious holiday cookie to bake. They are an old fashioned Amish cookie recipe that use simple ingredients.
RELATED: 25 Christmas Charcuterie Boards To Make This Holiday Season!
Viennese Whirl Butter Cookies
Melt in your mouth Viennese whirl butter cookies dipped in white and dark chocolate and topped with nuts. Perfect for your holiday cookie exchange.
Christmas Pudding Brownie Bites
Mini Christmas Pudding Brownie Bites! A whimsical twist on the English traditional Christmas pudding. These would make the perfect little treats to add to your cookie trays and holiday dessert bars.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
With a soft and simple dough that yields perfectly crinkled, chocolatey treats, these cookies are a must have holiday indulgence. Rich in flavor and absolutely nostalgic, they are the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter.








