20 Best Christmas Cookies to Bake This Season
Looking for the best Christmas cookies to bake this season? These 20 festive recipes cover everything from classic gingerbread men to no-bake Grinch haystacks, so there is something for every cookie tray, exchange, and plate for Santa.
I pulled together my favorite holiday cookies from the blog in one place. Some use premade dough or cake mix for busy weeknights. Others are from-scratch classics worth the extra time. All of them look beautiful on a holiday platter.
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Why You'll Love These Christmas Cookies
- Something for every skill level. Kid-friendly decorating projects sit right alongside elegant shortbread and royal-icing cookies.
- Plenty of shortcuts. Several recipes start with premade sugar cookie dough, a cookie mix, or a boxed cake mix.
- Two no-bake options. The Grinch Haystacks and the frosted cookie bars are easy wins when your oven is full.
- Built for sharing. Most of these hold up well in a tin, which makes them perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gifts.
- Festive colors. Red, green, and snowy white treats make your cookie tray look like Christmas.
1. Christmas Wreath Cookies
These cheerful wreath cookies start with premade sugar cookie dough and a smooth layer of white icing. A ring of green M&Ms makes the wreath, and a tiny Twizzlers bow finishes it off. They are easy enough for little hands and perfect to leave out for Santa.
Get the recipe for Christmas Wreath Cookies →
2. Reindeer Sugar Cookies
Round sugar cookies get a coat of chocolate frosting, then candy eyes, a red M&M nose, and mini pretzel antlers. No piping skills needed, so this is a great decorating project for preschoolers. Break the pretzels in half for more realistic antlers.
Get the recipe for Reindeer Sugar Cookies →
3. Easy Grinch Sugar Cookies
These bright green cookies take about 10 minutes of prep thanks to a sugar cookie mix. A dusting of powdered sugar and a red candy heart pressed into each warm cookie gives them their Grinchy charm. Gel food coloring gives the boldest green without thinning the dough.
Get the recipe for Easy Grinch Sugar Cookies →
4. Sugar Cookie Blossoms
A nut-free twist on classic peanut butter blossoms. Soft sugar cookie dough is studded with red and green sugar crystals, then topped with a Hershey's Sugar Cookie Kiss right out of the oven. Swap in peppermint or milk chocolate Kisses to change things up.
Get the recipe for Sugar Cookie Blossoms →
5. Grinch Haystack Cookies
No oven required. Crunchy chow mein noodles are coated in vibrant green candy melts and topped with a big red heart sprinkle. With just four ingredients and under 30 minutes, these are a lifesaver when you need a festive treat fast.
Get the recipe for Grinch Haystack Cookies →
6. Red Velvet Cookie Bars
A boxed red velvet cake mix, oil, and eggs bake into chewy bars in a 9x13 pan. Once cool, they get a layer of cream cheese frosting and red and green sprinkles. Slicing a pan of bars is so much faster than scooping dozens of cookies.
Get the recipe for Red Velvet Cookie Bars →
7. Cream Cheese Snowman Cookies
Thick, soft cream cheese cut-out cookies become adorable snowmen with candy earmuffs, chocolate chip eyes, and an orange slice candy nose. The dough needs to chill for at least 6 hours, so make it the night before.
Get the recipe for Cream Cheese Snowman Cookies →
8. Snowflake Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
The same tender cream cheese dough is cut into snowflakes and finished with white icing, white jimmies, and sprinkles. They look elegant on a cookie platter but are simple to decorate. Add the sprinkles while the icing is still wet so they stick.
Get the recipe for Snowflake Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies →
9. Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies for Christmas
All the flavor of a classic sugar cookie with no rolling or cutting. These soft drop cookies are topped with red, green, and white buttercream and plenty of Christmas sprinkles. A medium cookie scoop gives you about 24 cookies.
Get the recipe for Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies for Christmas →
10. Peanut Butter M&M Cookies with Cinnamon
A warm hint of cinnamon turns classic peanut butter cookies into a holiday treat. Holiday-blend M&Ms are folded into the dough and pressed on top for a pop of color. One batch makes a big pile, perfect for gifting.
Get the recipe for Peanut Butter M&M Cookies with Cinnamon →
11. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
An old-fashioned favorite packed with cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate chips, then rolled in powdered sugar for that signature crackled look. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours so the sugar coating stays bright white after baking.
Get the recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies →
12. Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Skip the icing entirely. Each ball of buttery sugar cookie dough is flattened and pressed into Christmas sprinkles before it goes in the oven. The sprinkles bake right on, so decorating takes seconds and kids can do it all.
Get the recipe for Christmas Sprinkle Cookies →
13. Hot Cocoa Mug Sugar Cookies
Cut-out sugar cookies shaped like mugs of cocoa, decorated with red royal icing, a white "whipped cream" top, and a piped snowflake. A sprinkle of cocoa powder before serving makes them extra cozy. These make a show-stopping edible gift.
Get the recipe for Hot Cocoa Mug Sugar Cookies →
14. Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
All the flavor of sugar cookies without the chilling, rolling, and cutting. A soft, buttery bar with a hint of almond bakes in a 9x13 pan, then gets a thick layer of cream cheese frosting and holiday sprinkles. Perfect for a crowd.
Get the recipe for Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars →
15. Gingerbread Man Cookies with Royal Icing
The classic. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give these cut-outs their cozy holiday flavor. Bake them for 9 to 10 minutes for soft cookies, then let everyone decorate with red, green, and white royal icing.
Get the recipe for Gingerbread Man Cookies →
16. Walnut Snowball Cookies
Rich, buttery, and full of finely chopped walnuts. Roll them in powdered sugar while warm, then again once cool, for a snowy coating that will not melt away. Swap in pecans if that is what you have.
Get the recipe for Walnut Snowball Cookies →
17. Raspberry Shortbread Cookies
Tender shortbread is shaped into logs, filled with raspberry preserves, baked, and drizzled with a light lemon glaze. Then you slice the logs on the diagonal. No shaping individual cookies, and every slice looks bakery-worthy.
Get the recipe for Raspberry Shortbread Cookies →
18. Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Buttery shortbread balls are rolled in colorful sprinkles, baked with a thumbprint in the center, and filled with a silky milk chocolate ganache. Use red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or any colors for other holidays.
Get the recipe for Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies →
19. Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Chocolate cookies sandwiched with pink peppermint frosting, with the edges rolled in crushed candy canes. They are a little more work than drop cookies, but the minty crunch is worth every minute.
Get the recipe for Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies →
20. White Chocolate Dipped Molasses Cookies
Chewy inside and crisp outside, these spiced molasses cookies are rolled in sugar, baked, then dipped in white almond bark and finished with holiday jimmies. Your kitchen will smell like Christmas while they bake.
Get the recipe for White Chocolate Dipped Molasses Cookies →
Tips for Baking Christmas Cookies
- Plan around chill time. The crinkle, gingerbread, and cream cheese cut-out cookies all need chilled dough. Make those doughs a day ahead and bake the quick drop cookies while they rest.
- Use a cool pan for every batch. A hot baking sheet makes dough spread too fast. Rotate two or three pans so each one cools between batches.
- Line pans with parchment paper. It prevents sticking without the buildup that cooking spray leaves behind.
- Pull cookies a little early. Most soft cookies should come out when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. They finish baking on the warm pan.
- Cool completely before decorating. Icing and frosting slide right off warm cookies.
- Reach for gel food coloring. It gives brighter red and green without adding extra liquid to dough or icing.
How to Store and Make Ahead
- Room temperature: Most of these cookies keep 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. Layer decorated cookies between sheets of wax or parchment paper so the toppings stay put.
- In the fridge: Anything with cream cheese frosting, like the red velvet bars and Christmas sugar cookie bars, should be stored in the refrigerator.
- In the freezer: Freeze baked, undecorated cookies on a sheet pan until firm, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and decorate.
- Make the dough ahead: Shortbread logs, gingerbread dough, and cream cheese cut-out dough can all be made a day or two early and kept wrapped in the fridge.
Cookie Exchange Tips
- Pick sturdy cookies. Crinkle cookies, snowballs, molasses cookies, and peanut butter M&M cookies travel well.
- Bake big batches. Bars and drop cookies make the most cookies for the least effort.
- Mix colors and textures. A tray with something chocolate, something spiced, something frosted, and something fruity looks the most festive.
- Label your cookies. Note common allergens like nuts, peanut butter, and dairy for your guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest Christmas cookies to make? The Grinch Haystacks need no oven at all. The Christmas Wreath Cookies, Reindeer Sugar Cookies, and Easy Grinch Sugar Cookies start with premade dough or a cookie mix, so they are ready in about 30 minutes.
Which cookies are best for baking with kids? The wreath, reindeer, and sprinkle cookies are all about simple decorating with candy and sprinkles. No piping bags required.
How far ahead can I bake Christmas cookies? Most of these keep 4 to 5 days at room temperature. For longer, freeze the baked cookies undecorated for up to 3 months.
Are any of these nut-free? Several recipes contain no nuts or peanut butter, including the sugar cookie blossoms, sprinkle cookies, and gingerbread men. Always check your candy and sprinkle labels for allergen warnings.
Final Thoughts
Whether you bake one batch or all 20, these Christmas cookies are an easy way to fill your kitchen with holiday cheer. Pick a couple of quick favorites, add one show-stopper, and you will have a cookie tray everyone remembers.
Which one will you bake first? Let me know in the comments, and tag me on Instagram @marathonsandmotivation when you make them.
Looking for more holiday treats? Try my 17 No-Bake Christmas Treats and Easy Christmas Cookies to Make with Kids.
