One of my favorite things about Christmas is the cookies. My kids and I have always baked Christmas cookies for Santa, for enjoying ourselves and for giving away as gifts. I’ve made so many different versions of Christmas cookies over the years that it is sometimes difficult to choose which one I’m making each season. I do love cookies, though and there is certainly no rule against making different varieties of Christmas cookies, especially if you participate in a cookie exchange or just love giving homemade cookies out as gifts.

If you love baking as much as I do, you are really going to love these Christmas cookie recipes. There are some of the most adorable cookies and some that are absolutely out of this world delicious. With peppermint, white chocolate and even chai spiced varieties, you are definitely not going to run out of ideas for your cookie exchange, or just bake up a fresh batch every day and enjoy them with friends and family. Your house is going to smell amazing when you start baking these and you’ll have scrumptious cookies to enjoy all holiday season long. And, check out these 60 beautiful ways to decorate your porch this Christmas to make it warm and welcoming.
1. Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread is a great Christmas cookie choice and these brown butter shortbread cookies are nothing short of amazing. You use browned butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, and salt to make them and they are perfect for enjoying with a steaming cup of hot cocoa. Try these with some DIY flavored hot cocoas for a really nice treat. The trick is to brown the butter, which is a really simple process and makes the cookies taste amazing.
Recipe: completelydelicious
2. Easy Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies have brown butter, which gives them a very distinctive flavor and they are really easy to make. They will literally melt in your mouth and they are perfect for decorating if you want to add a bit of festive coloring. With browned butter, cream of tartar and egg yolks, these are the simplest and most delicious brown butter cookies you’ve ever tried.
Recipe: howsweeteats
3. Homemade Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies
These little cookies may not look as festive as others but they are doubly delicious. The cookies are an Italian recipe and are actually pretty easy to make. They have crushed nuts, sugar, egg whites, vanilla and Toblerone bars in them and let me tell you, these things are divine. If you want a more unique cookie for a cookie exchange this year, this is definitely the recipe to try. Try these with your copycat Starbucks coffee recipes.
Recipe: bellalimento
4. Yummy Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies
These cookies not only look like candy canes, they taste like them too! You shape them into candy canes and with peppermint extract, they’ll taste just like the real thing. I’ve made candy cane cookies in my life but never like these. These are super easy and kids are going to adore them – they’re the perfect cookie for sitting out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Recipe: selfproclaimedfoodie
5. Easy Homemade Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
I love Kiss cookies – they’re so easy to make and so delicious with their little Hershey’s Kisses in them. These candy cane Kiss cookies are just as easy and so delicious. You use candy cane Hershey’s Kisses and the cookies are soft and chewy and loaded with festive Christmas colors. You could even do these in a chocolate cookie and add the candy cane Kiss.
Recipe: sallysbakingaddiction
6. Candy Cane Stick Cookies
Recipe: Cheesemaking
7. Homemade Chai Spiced Cookies
These Chai spiced cookies are not only easy to make and delicious, they are gluten, grain and dairy free. They’re like a thick snickerdoodle but without the gluten and they really are tasty. You make these with almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar and maple syrup, along with a number of spices. If you have someone on your Christmas list who has an aversion to gluten or dairy, these make a wonderful gift.
Recipe: texanerin
8. Yummy Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Gingersnaps are a must in my house for the holidays and this chew gingersnap recipe tastes just like grandma used to make. These are so easy to make and the recipe gives you about three dozen cookies so there are plenty to share with others and keep a few for yourself. With cinnamon, molasses, ginger and cloves, these have a traditional gingersnap taste but in a much chewier version.
Recipe: completelydelicious
9. Chocolate Croissant Cookies
These chocolate croissant cookies are simply heaven in a bite and they are really easy to make. They’re also really attractive and are perfect for cookie exchanges or parties. The little wafers are so buttery and delicious and the chocolate filling is actually a Hershey bar. With flavors from chocolate to almond and vanilla, these are sure to be a hit anywhere you serve them.
Recipe: spicysouthernkitchen
10. Homemade Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cashew Crescents
If you want an attractive cookie – this is it. If you want a delicious and unique cookie - this is also it. These cashew cookies are really fast and easy to make and combine sweet and salty into one perfect little confection. To make them you need almond milk, vanilla, roasted cashews, vanilla bean seeds, chocolate and a few other basic cookie ingredients.
Recipe: halfbakedharvest
11. Hazelnut And Caramel Stuffed Christmas Cookies
I love a good hazelnut recipe, like hazelnut cheesecake bars, that combine the delicious flavor of hazelnut in a mouthwatering treat. These chocolate hazelnut and caramel cookies are one of those. They are super easy to make and so delicious! And, you can make these with ingredients that most people keep in their kitchens such as Nutella, caramel and a few other basic things. These melty and delicious cookies are sure to become a family favorite.
Recipe: halfbakedharvest
12. Powder Puff Cookies With Chocolate Kiss Center
These little cookies have a hidden surprise that you don’t know until you bite into them. There’s a little Hershey’s Kiss hiding inside! The cookies are really light and fluffy and dusted with powdered sugar. They taste kind of like a Russian teacake but with a gooey chocolate center. You make the cookies with piecrust and then tuck a chocolate kiss inside. These are melt in your mouth delicious!
Recipe: averiecooks
13. Homemade Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookies
Chocolate and mint are wonderful Christmas cookie flavors and these chocolate mint Christmas cookies are topped with festive sprinkles for the perfect holiday cookie. The cookies are a mint flavored – and colored – shortbread cookie that you dip in melted chocolate and then add your favorite Christmas sprinkles. These are easy and delicious and you get four dozen cookies from the recipe.
Recipe: butterwithasideofbread
14. Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies
Here’s another great Hershey’s Kiss cookie that is as easy to bake as it is delicious. These little chocolate cookies only take about an hour and a half to bake and they’re perfect for the holidays. Get Hershey’s Kisses in candy cane flavors to give them a festive look and then just add those to your chocolate cookies. They also have peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips.
Recipe: lemontreedwelling
15. Chocolate And Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
If you have never made your own sandwich cookies you are really missing out on a delicious and easy to bake treat. These chocolate and peppermint cookies have a nice chocolaty brownie base with peppermint cream sandwiched between them. They are so easy to bake up and really have a wonderful Christmas flavor. You get about a dozen and a half cookies from the recipe but it can easily be altered to give you more if you need them.
Recipe: ledelicieux
16. Christmas Funfetti Shortbread Bites
This recipe gives you more than 300 shortbread bites and they are really delicious. You need salted butter, sugar, almond extract, flour and some form of sprinkles to make these. They take a while to bake but again, you get so many! These are perfect for holiday parties and the little shortbread bites are so yummy!
Recipe: cookingclassy
17. Homemade Christmas Sugar Cookie Truffles

Here’s a great spin on a traditional Christmas cookie recipe. These sugar cookie truffles will absolutely melt in your mouth and they’re super easy to make. They only take about half an hour and you can use the sugar cookies that you have already baked up to make them. You just mix the cookies with cream cheese and roll into balls and then dip in melted chocolate.
Recipe: ifyougiveablondeakitchen
18. Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
How adorable are these little stacked Christmas tree cookies? These are perfect for Santa or serving at your office Christmas parties, and they are really easy to make. You get nearly 20 cookies from the recipe, and everything is homemade. You just bake sugar cookies in different sizes and then stack them to make a Christmas tree, using homemade buttercream frosting to give your tree decoration. Who knew there were so many wonderful creative Christmas tree projects?
Recipe: delish
19. Christmas Tree Cut Out Cookies
These traditional Christmas cookies are tasty and fun for the whole family. You use a cookie cutter to make them into Christmas tree shapes and then decorate with homemade buttercream frosting. Kids will adore helping you decorate these and you can make them with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Recipe: damndelicious
20. Homemade Christmas Lights Cookies
I love these little Christmas lights cookies. They’re such a unique twist on a plain sugar cookie and if you don’t want to bake homemade cookies, you can use refrigerated cookie dough for these. You just bake a round cookie and then decorate with just a bit of black frosting and mini M&Ms to create the colorful lights. These are so easy and kids are going to love helping to make them.
Recipe: firefliesandmudpies
21. Coconut Snowball Christmas Cookies
These little cookies look like mini snowballs – but they taste so much better! They are little coconut flavored cookies that you dip in melted white chocolate and then coat with coconut flakes. If you love a good coconut cookie, this is a great recipe and these little cookies will melt in your mouth. Plus, they are super easy to make and you get about two dozen cookies from the recipe.
Recipe: foodiecrush
22. Yummy Homemade Coffee Cake Cookies
These coffee cake cookies are so perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges or just an anytime sweet snack. They are made with classic cookie ingredients plus instant coffee for a rich coffee flavor and a delicious streusel crumble topping. They are really easy to make—you just mix the ingredients, scoop them out to bake, and finish with the buttery crumble topping. These are great with coffee, especially homemade flavored coffee creamer.
Recipe: Lovelydelites
23. Easy Cookie Press Shortbread Cookies
I have a cookie press that I get out every holiday season and it’s one of the best purchases that I have ever made. If you don’t have a cookie press, you really need to get one. They’re really cheap and make the most adorable cookies – like these cookie press shortbread cookies. Once you have your ingredients mixed up, you just load the cookie press and shoot them out for baking. Then top with frosting or sprinkles and you’re all done.
Recipe: spendwithpennies
24. Cranberry And Orange Shortbread Cookies
These little shortbread cookies are filled with flavors of cranberry and orange. They are so colorful and so very delicious. Dried cranberries and orange zest give them a wonderful flavor and you can add fresh orange juice if you want more orange flavor. These are so easy to make
and only require a handful of ingredients. They’re perfect for enjoying with a fresh cup of coffee.
Recipe: momontimeout
25. Double Chocolate Cheesecake Christmas Cookies
These delicious cookies have a gooey chocolate center and taste like chocolate cheesecake! They’re perfect for parties, cookie exchanges or Santa. It takes about an hour to make them and that includes cooling time and when they are cooled a bit, you add a scrumptious mascarpone glaze that is made with mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. These are definitely not your ordinary chocolate chip cookies.
Recipe: howsweeteats
26. Adorable And Easy Grinch Cookies
The Grinch is one of my favorite Christmas characters and he makes an amazing cookie, too! Thrill your little ones, and Santa, by making these really easy Grinch cookies this holiday season. You make them with key lime cookie mix, chocolate cookie icing and sprinkles. Lemon Tootsie Rolls and green Twizzler strings help to decorate them and they really are so adorable.
Recipe: kitchenfunwithmy3sons
27. Eggnog Sugar Cookies With Vanilla Frosting

Eggnog is certainly a holiday flavor and these eggnog sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas. Yu can make them in any shape that you want using your favorite Christmas cookie cutters and they have the wonderful aroma of eggnog. You can get up to four dozen cookies from this recipe, depending on the size and shape that you want and decorate them with homemade vanilla frosting along with sprinkles and colored sugar.
Recipe: halfbakedharvest
28. Frosted Traditional Sugar Cookies

I love these simple sugar cookies that you decorate with just a bit of homemade frosting. The snowflakes are a great shape for Christmas and they are so easy to decorate, too. These vanilla flavored cookies don’t spread when you bake them, either so you get a cookie that stays true to the shape that you create. They’re quick and easy to bake and so delicious to taste!
Recipe: bakingamoment
29. Homemade German Chocolate Cookies
I love German chocolate cake and I love that you can recreate that same taste in these delicious Christmas cookies. You make these with chocolate cookies – which you can bake yourself – along with brown and white sugars, unsweetened cocoa and a delicious homemade German chocolate frosting. The frosting has coconut, pecans and chocolate candy and it is absolutely divine.
Recipe: adashofsanity
30. Gingerbread Man Cookie Sticks
If you want to forgo the traditional gingerbread man for something a bit more unique, these gingerbread men cookie sticks are it. They’re made from normal gingerbread cookie dough but instead of shaping them into the favored Christmas character, you make them into stick cookies and then decorate them like little gingerbread men. These are really adorable and are super easy to make.
Recipe: munchkinmunchies
31. Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
These festive cookies truly live up to their name, offering a light, velvety texture that literally melts in your mouth. Infused with cool peppermint and topped with a silky buttercream and crushed candy canes, they provide a bright, refreshing flavor that perfectly balances the richer treats on your holiday platter. They’re easy to make, look beautiful, and are guaranteed to be a crowd favorite.
Recipe: Sallysbakingaddiction
32. Traditional Gingerbread Men Cookies
Gingerbread men are a must at my house over the holidays and I really love this traditional recipe. These little cookies are soft in the middle and crispy around the edges, just like grandma used to make. With molasses, brown sugar and of course, cinnamon, allspice and cloves, this is such a wonderfully traditional recipe and these little gingerbread men are so much fun to decorate!
Recipe: sallysbakingaddiction
33. Easy Gluten Free Linzer Cookies
Linzer cookies are a favorite for many during the holidays and this recipe is gluten free, so they can be enjoyed by everyone. If you don’t know what a linzer cookie is, it’s a delicious cookie that is layered with a filling in the center. You can use preserves or jam or even fill them with a chocolate hazelnut spread. The cookies are so simple to make and since you can choose your favorite filling, they’re sure to be a family favorite this holiday season.
Recipe: cafejohnsonia
34. Yummy Mint Grasshopper Cookies
Chocolate mint is a wonderful holiday flavor and these cookies really make it special. These little grasshopper cookies are made with a devil’s food cake mix and they are topped with chocolate glaze and Andes mint candies. I love those little mint candies and they’re perfect on top of these Christmas cookies.
Recipe: yourcupofcake
35. Easy Jelly Filled Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
Here is another traditional Christmas cookie recipe. These thumbprint cookies are so easy to make and you can fill them with your favorite preserves. You just combine your ingredients and roll the dough into a ball. Then press them down in the center with your thumb and then bake. When they are cooled, add your chosen preserves to the thumbprint and then bake again for just a few minutes and dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe: amandascookin
36. Adorable Hot Cocoa Christmas Cookies
These are perhaps the most adorable Christmas cookies I have ever seen and they are utterly delicious. You can use pre-baked cookies for these, which makes it much easier to make them. Just add a marshmallow to the top of your cookie and then decorate with cookie icing, mini candy canes and sprinkles. How cute would these be on a plate for Santa?
Recipe: kitchenfunwithmy3sons
37. Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
Here is another adorable hot cocoa cookie that you bake and then decorate to look like a steaming mug of hot chocolate…complete with mini marshmallows. For these, you can use refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Just bake your dough in mini muffin pans to create the mug and then top with a homemade chocolate ganache and some mini marshmallows. The handle is made from broken pretzel twists and held on with melted white chocolate. These are the perfect cookie cups for Christmas.
Recipe: thegunnysack
38. Homemade Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies
I love lemon, especially for the holidays. Lemon pies are my favorites and I also love these little lemon curd sandwich cookies. They are super easy to make and have such a wonderful flavor thanks to the lemon curd in the cookie and in the frosting. You can use a cookie press to make these, which makes it much easier and then just fill and sandwich when the little cookies have cooled.
Recipe: aspicyperspective
39. Christmas Piñata Star Cookies
These cookies are not only pretty to look at, they are filled with a surprise. You bake the light and fluffy cookies and then fill them with mini M&Ms or any small candy of your choosing. Then just decorate with a homemade frosting and you’re all done. You can also add Christmas sprinkles or other decorations to make them really festive.
Recipe: taste
40. Homemade Mickey and Minnie Swirl Cookies
My kids love Mickey and Minnie Mouse, so these cookies are the perfect Christmas treat at my house. They look like the beloved Disney characters and are made with classic sugar cookie dough. You just swirl red and green food coloring into the dough, shape one large circle for the head and two smaller circles for the ears, then bake and decorate however you wish.
Recipe: Gonnawantseconds
41. Mickey Mouse Oreo Cookies

Recipe: livinglocurto
42. Mocha Coconut Crinkle Christmas Cookies

Recipe: howsweeteats
43. No Bake Reese’s Krispies Cookies

Recipe: kitchenfunwithmy3sons
44. Homemade Orange Almond Biscotti

Recipe: completelydelicious
45. Oreo Peppermint Crunch Christmas Cookies

Recipe: insidebrucrewlife
46. White Chocolate Oreo Reindeer Cookies

Recipe: Theshortordercook
47. Fun Melted Snowman Christmas Cookies

Recipe: myimperfectkitchen
48. Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies

Recipe: chelseasmessyapron
49. Homemade Peppermint Pattie Cookies

Recipe: howsweeteats
50. Pink Peppermint Macaroon Cookies

Recipe: howsweeteats
51. Homemade Pistachio Snowball Christmas Cookies

Recipe: completelydelicious
52. Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe: savingdessert
53. Delicious Raspberry Bowtie Christmas Cookies

Recipe: beyondthechickencoop
54. Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprints

Recipe: Somethingswanky
55. Red Velvet Melting Snowmen Cookies

Recipe: iambaker
56. Reese’s Cookie Cup Christmas Cookies

Recipe: bakerella
57. Homemade Rugelach Cookies

Recipe: sallysbakingaddiction
58. Salted Peanut Butter Shortbread Christmas Cookies

Recipe: howsweeteats
59. Sicilian Christmas Fig Cookies

Recipe: Mangiabedda
60. Slice And Bake Butter Pecan Cookies

Recipe: halfbakedharvest
61. Dutch Speculoos Spice Cookies

Recipe: theviewfromgreatisland
62. Spiced Polar Bear Christmas Cookies

Recipe: pintsizedtreasures
63. Family Favorite Sugar Cookies
You have to make sugar cookies for Christmas, right? This recipe is an all-time favorite for so many, and it can easily be doubled or even tripled if you need to make a huge batch. The best part is that you do not have to chill the dough prior to baking, which saves you a lot of time during your holiday preparations. The dough holds its shape perfectly in the oven, and these cookies are a dream to decorate once they’ve cooled
Recipe: Sallysbakingaddiction
64. Chocolate Covered Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Recipe: makebakecelebrate
65. Snowmen Thumbprint Christmas Cookies

Recipe: inkatrinaskitchen
66. White Chocolate Peppermint Wreaths

Recipe: foodiecrush
67. Easy Snowman Cookies

Recipe: tasteofhome
68. White Chocolate Strawberry Cookies

Recipe: omgchocolatedesserts
69. Homemade World Peace Cookies

Recipe: food52
70. Triple Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Recipe: carlsbadcravings










































Rhonda
Love all these. I am looking forward to my Christmas Baking now. Thank you so much!
Anna
One is the best collections, I’ve ever come across! Thank you!
Rose
I’m so excited about making these wonderful Christmas cookies for family and friends!
Bobbie Meseck
Where does a person get these recipies?
Vanessa Beaty
Under each, you'll find a link towards the recipe.
Cheryl
This is a fantastic collection of cookies! Usually I find nothing that sparks my interest, but have printed several of these and am planning a day of cookie trial with excitement. Thank you!
Cheryl
Clarification: I usually don’t find cookie recipes that interest me in the Pinterest lists of Christmas cookies that are somewhat repetitive. Your list is diverse and looks delicious! Again, many thanks!
Rose
I’m so excited to bake these adorable Christmas cookies for my family and friends this year!