15 Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bring Holiday Cheer

Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies

Classic sugar cookies are a holiday staple because they provide a simple buttery base that works beautifully with Christmas decorations. The dough can be rolled and cut into stars, trees, snowflakes, bells, or other seasonal shapes.

For the best texture, avoid adding too much flour when rolling the dough. Chilling the dough also makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies hold their shapes during baking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For decorating:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Holiday sprinkles, as desired

Instructions

1. Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
5. Divide the dough into two portions, wrap, and chill for about 1 hour.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
8. Cut into Christmas shapes and transfer to the baking sheets.
9. Bake for approximately 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
10. Cool completely before decorating.

Helpful Tip: Keep the dough cold between batches. Chilled dough is easier to cut and generally produces cleaner cookie shapes.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies bring the unmistakable flavors of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and other warming spices to the Christmas table. They can be cut into traditional gingerbread people or simple seasonal shapes.

A slightly thicker dough produces softer cookies, while thinner cookies will bake more quickly and become crisper.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in molasses, egg, and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
4. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F.
7. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
8. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets.
9. Bake for approximately 8–10 minutes.
10. Cool before decorating with icing if desired.

Helpful Tip: Let the cookies cool completely before adding detailed icing so the decoration stays crisp.

Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter blossoms combine a tender peanut butter cookie with a chocolate candy pressed into the center while the cookies are still warm. The contrast between the soft cookie and chocolate center makes them especially popular on assorted Christmas cookie trays.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
• 24 chocolate candies, unwrapped

Instructions

1. Beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
2. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt separately.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture.
5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.
6. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
7. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes.
9. Immediately press one chocolate candy into the center of each warm cookie.
10. Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to a rack.

Helpful Tip: Allow the chocolate centers to set before stacking or packaging the cookies.

Buttery Christmas Shortbread

Shortbread is wonderfully simple: butter, sugar, and flour create a rich cookie with a delicate crumb. Its understated flavor makes it a natural companion to coffee, hot chocolate, or tea during holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Mix in vanilla.
3. Gradually add flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
4. Press or roll the dough to approximately ½-inch thickness.
5. Cut into rectangles, rounds, or other simple shapes.
6. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Chill for 20–30 minutes.
8. Bake at 325°F for 14–18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
9. Cool completely before serving.

Helpful Tip: Avoid overmixing after adding the flour. A gentle mix helps preserve the tender shortbread texture.

Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies add a jewel-like pop of color to a Christmas cookie assortment. A tender buttery dough is shaped into small rounds, indented in the center, and filled with raspberry, strawberry, or apricot preserves.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup raspberry or strawberry preserves

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
3. Add flour and salt gradually.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
5. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Press a small indentation into the center of each ball.
7. Spoon a small amount of jam into each indentation.
8. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
9. Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.
10. Transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Helpful Tip: If the jam is very thick, gently warm it before filling the cookies so it spreads more easily.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

These delicate nutty cookies are also known as Russian tea cakes or snowball cookies. Their crumbly texture and generous coating of powdered sugar make them particularly fitting for a snowy holiday dessert table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until creamy.
2. Mix in vanilla.
3. Add flour, salt, and pecans.
4. Shape the dough into small balls.
5. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, avoiding excessive browning.
7. Let the cookies cool for several minutes.
8. Roll warm cookies gently in powdered sugar.
9. Cool completely.
10. Roll them in powdered sugar again before serving.

Helpful Tip: The second coating gives the cookies their characteristic snowy appearance.

Classic Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies make a beautiful addition to holiday cookie boxes because the colorful jam center shows through a small cutout in the top cookie. Their combination of nutty pastry, fruit preserves, and powdered sugar feels especially festive.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup finely ground almonds
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup raspberry preserves
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Add egg and vanilla.
3. Mix flour, almonds, cinnamon, and salt separately.
4. Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the butter mixture.
5. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
6. Roll to about ⅛-inch thickness.
7. Cut equal numbers of solid and small-window shapes.
8. Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.
9. Cool completely.
10. Spread jam over the solid cookies, top with the cutout cookies, and dust with powdered sugar.

Helpful Tip: Choose a brightly colored jam so the center provides a strong visual contrast.

Classic Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are recognizable by their decorative shapes, traditionally pressed directly onto a baking sheet using a cookie press. Their buttery flavor and small size make them ideal for filling a mixed holiday cookie tray.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Holiday sprinkles or colored sugar, optional

Instructions

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
2. Add egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
4. Fill a cookie press with the dough.
5. Press cookies directly onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Add sprinkles if desired.
7. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes.
8. Remove when the edges are just lightly golden.
9. Cool before transferring.

Helpful Tip: Do not grease the baking sheet when using a cookie press; the dough needs to grip the surface.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies have a deep brown sugar flavor with warm spices and a pleasantly chewy center. Rolling the dough in sugar before baking gives the cookies a lightly crackled exterior.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Beat in egg and molasses.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
4. Add the dry mixture gradually.
5. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
6. Shape into 1-inch balls.
7. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
8. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes.
10. Cool for several minutes before moving to a rack.

Helpful Tip: Remove them while the centers still look slightly soft for a chewier texture.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies bring a rich cocoa flavor and dramatic powdered-sugar coating to a Christmas cookie collection. Their cracked white exterior makes them especially attractive when arranged alongside lighter cookies.

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup powdered sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Whisk oil, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture.
4. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F.
6. Shape the dough into small balls.
7. Roll generously in powdered sugar.
8. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for approximately 10–12 minutes.
10. Cool before serving.

Helpful Tip: Coat the dough balls generously with powdered sugar so the white contrast remains visible after baking.