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These 29 easy Christmas cookie recipes make holiday baking feel doable. Choose from soft and chewy favorites, colorful cookies for trays and exchanges, classic cutouts, and no-bake options when the oven is already full.
Every recipe card below opens to its own ingredient list, directions, and storage notes, so you can compare ideas here and plan the details on the individual cookie page.
Planning the rest of the menu? Save these Christmas brunch recipes, Christmas appetizer ideas, and Christmas pies, too.
Why you’ll love my Christmas cookie recipes!
I started baking Christmas cookies in the kitchen with my mom, and now it’s something I do every year with my own kids—and honestly, with you too. These Christmas cookie recipes are the ones I come back to because they’re easy, reliable, and made for real life during a busy holiday season.
Every recipe in this list is simple enough to fit into December but still feels special. Whether you’re baking for your family, a cookie exchange, or just because the house needs to smell like Christmas, these easy Christmas cookies are the kind you’ll actually enjoy making.
If you need a quick win, my No-Bake Christmas Crunch Cookies are always a favorite. And for a classic, my Frosted Sugar Cookies never disappoint.
I hope this list helps you create sweet memories—just like I did growing up, and just like I’m doing now with my kids. 💛
Choose Your Christmas Cookie
- Need a no-bake option? Start with No-Bake Christmas Crunch Cookies.
- Want a decorating project? Try Frosted Sugar Cookies.
- Baking for a cookie exchange? Choose colorful Christmas M&M Cookies.
- Need a gift-worthy swirl? Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies.
29 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
Use the list below to compare flavors, textures, and decorating styles. Each button takes you to the complete recipe so you can check the ingredients and instructions before adding it to your holiday baking plan.
1. Christmas M&M Cookies
Red and green M&M Christmas cookies are a true classic. Everyone adores these iconic Christmas cookies and, with our recipe, they’re so easy to make! (Use extra M&Ms to make my Christmas crack recipe!)
2. Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
These incredible butter cookies completely melt in your mouth. We cover them in red and green sprinkles to make them perfect for any Christmas cookie tray. Just a warning, they’re addictive and tend to disappear fast!
3. No Bake Christmas Crunch Cookies
Sweet, crunchy, and ready in minutes, these no bake Christmas cookies are a go-to option when you’re in a hurry or just need to save some oven space for the holiday how to cook a spiral ham .
4. Christmas Butter Cookies
Classic butter cookies bring a simple shape and festive sprinkles to a holiday cookie tray. Use the full recipe for the ingredient amounts, piping instructions, and baking details.
5. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
These pinwheel cookies are easier to bake than you may think. Make three batches of simple cookie dough, use food coloring to help you out, and roll them all together for a stunning treat that makes enough to easily serve a crowd.
6. Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
These spritz cookies are a classic choice when you want a small, decorative cookie for holiday tins and trays. The complete recipe explains how to shape and bake them.
7. Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
These Christmas cookie bars are soft, gooey, and perfectly sweet. They have everything you want in a cookie bar and will be a recipe you make on repeat.
8. Very Best Rolled Sugar Cookies With Frosting
Nothing says Christmas quite like classic cut-out cookies, and this version is the absolute best! Use it to make fun shapes, and get the kids involved in decorating for endless fun.
9. No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles
Imagine a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a truffle combined and that is what you get with its amazing recipe. These no-bake truffles look decadant and fancy but are actually very easy to make.
10. Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate and mint give these crinkle cookies a holiday-ready flavor, while the powdered sugar coating creates their crackled finish.
11. Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
These red velvet cookies look stunning on your Christmas table. Even better, you can whip them up in minutes, thanks to the use of boxed cake mix!
12. Haystack Cookies
We’re not sure how haystack cookies became so popular at Christmas time, but they are definitely a classic December cookie! We love how easy these perfect haystack cookies are to make. Add some Christmas cookie sprinkles and you will have a tasty, holiday treat!
13. Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Soft and chewy with pockets of sweet and tart flavor, these oatmeal cookies are studded with cranberries and white chocolate chips for a festive-looking recipe that will be a welcome addition to any holiday dessert table.
14. Frosted Sugar Cookies
Soft sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles are an easy way to add color to a Christmas cookie tray. Open the recipe for the full decorating method.
15. Shortbread Cookies
Buttery and tender, these Christmas shortbread cookies are a classic. With no frosting and no crazy decorations, they are very easy to make. Make these cookies big or bite-sized. They are great either way!
16. Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies are laced with pecans, packed with delicious butter, and rolled in fluffy powdered sugar. They look like snowballs, but they taste like heaven.
17. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies look like they were left out in the Christmas snow. They are rich and chocolatey and perfect for any chocolate lover this holiday season.
18. Hot Chocolate Blossom Cookies
Everyone is going to go crazy for these intensely chocolate Christmas cookies. The melty Hershey’s kiss on the top is pure perfection. I dream about these cookies all year long and, now that Christmas is here, it is time to make them by the dozens!
19. Thumbprint Cookies
A traditionally Swedish recipe, thumbprint cookies are a staple in many homes during the Christmas season. And for good reason! Filled with raspberry or strawberry jelly, they’re perfectly poppable and great for when you just want a bite of something sweet.
20. Icebox Cookies
Icebox cookies are the ultimate make-ahead Christmas cookie. You can make the easy cookie dough, flavor it in all different ways, and store it in the freezer until you are ready to bake. Make a big batch to keep on hand for unexpected visitors and last-minute parties!
21. Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
These are the best peanut butter kiss cookies ever! Soft and chewy, they’re full of peanut butter flavor and topped with a rich Hershey’s kiss for a holiday dessert you’ll find yourself making all year long.
22. Cutout Sugar Cookies
Decorating sugar cookies for the holidays is one of my favorite childhood memories and a tradition I continue with my kids to this day. This recipe is my go-to because it comes together so quickly, meaning you can start decorating right away! (It’s also great with this easy sugar cookie icing!)
23. Classic Spritz Cookies
Spritz cookies are everyone’s Christmas favorite. These easy-to-make Spritz cookies are perfect for preparing ahead of time as they stay fresh for weeks! Use a cookie press or a piping bag to create bakery-worthy shapes.
24. 7-Layer Magic Cookies
These 7-layer Magic Cookie Bars are made with seven delicious layers – crushed graham cracker crumbs, butter, sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. This 7-layer cookie recipe is a classic that everyone loves any time of year!
25. Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
No Christmas cookie tray is complete without a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies! Unlike any recipe you’ve had before, this version is made with pudding for an extra rich flavor and a soft, chewy texture that no one can resist!
26. Pizzelles
Pizzelles are a classic Christmas cookie that you have likely seen in fancy bakeries and pastry shops. But I’ll let you in on a secret. They’re actually not hard to make when you use my easy recipe and an electric pizzelle press!
27. Macadamia Nut Cookies
Macadamia nuts are a pretty fancy nut which is why they are perfect for Christmas. You need to treat yourself this time of year and these decadent cookies will help you do just that!
28. Christmas Wreath Cookies
How beautiful are these easy Christmas cookies! They remind me of Rice Krispies treats with a little extra crunch and a lot more Christmas cheer.
29. Raspberry Cookies
These raspberry cookies add a bright, fruity option to a tray filled with chocolate, spice, and buttery classics.
FAQs
Start with the No-Bake Christmas Crunch Cookies, Haystack Cookies, or No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles in this list. Open the individual recipe for its exact ingredient and storage details.
The rolled sugar cookies, cutout sugar cookies, frosted sugar cookies, and spritz cookies are the most decoration-friendly choices in this collection. Choose the individual recipe that matches the shape and finish you want.
Mix a few textures and shapes, such as a soft cookie, a crisp cookie, a chocolate option, and a colorful or decorated cookie. Use the yield and storage instructions on each individual recipe to plan how much to make.
Make-ahead and storage guidance varies by recipe. Check the instructions on each individual cookie page before deciding whether to refrigerate dough, freeze baked cookies, or store them at room temperature.
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