40+ Holiday Cookie Favorites

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40+ Easy Christmas Cookie Ideas — If you’re looking for tried and true Christmas cookie recipes that’ll be a hit with your family, friends, and cookie exchanges you’re a part of, you’ve come to the right place.

40+ Easy Christmas Cookie Ideas — If you’re looking for tried and true Christmas cookie recipes that'll be a hit with your family, friends, and cookie exchanges you're a part of, you've come to the right place.

Christmas Cookie Ideas 

I bake cookies year-round, but there’s something so special about gifting them around the holidays.

While I’ve never been one to hand out beautifully wrapped cookie boxes — I don’t have enough time or patience for that! — I do love giving my family, friends, and my daughter’s teachers a stack of homemade cookies come Christmastime. 

To me, a good Christmas cookie is easy to make, requires minimal prep work, and of course it has to taste good! 

In this post, I’ve rounded up some of my all-time favorite Christmas cookie ideas. You have to remember that I cook and bake for a living, so picking my favorites wasn’t easy! 

This list is broken down into four categories: traditional Christmas cookies, unique Christmas cookies, no-bake Christmas cookies, and latest-and-greatest. I wanted to include a little of everything, so hopefully you can find a recipe or two to make from this list.

25+ Easy Christmas Cookie Ideas — If you’re looking for tried and true Christmas cookie recipes that'll be a hit with your family, friends, and cookie exchanges you're a part of, you've come to the right place.

Traditional Christmas Cookie Ideas 

From classic chocolate chip to frosted cut-out sugar cookies, here are 15 traditional Christmas cookies that everyone loves year after year. 

Christmas Cut Out Cookies — These traditional cut out sugar cookies are just like Grandma used to make!! They’re thin but still soft, topped with a simple 2-ingredient royal icing, and loaded with sprinkles!

Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies - These traditional sugar cookies are just like Grandma used to make!! They're thin but still soft, topped with a simple 2-ingredient royal icing, and loaded with sprinkles! So festive and perfect for cookies exchanges or hostess gifts!!

Classic Gingerbread Cookies – Soft and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies filled with plenty of ginger and warming spices! Decorated with a sweet, soft royal icing and topped with cinnamon candies, these gingerbread men are a nostalgic favorite Christmas cookie that everyone adores!

Classic Gingerbread Cookies - Soft and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies filled with plenty of ginger and warming spices! Decorated with a sweet, soft royal icing and topped with cinnamon candies, these gingerbread men are a nostalgic favorite Christmas cookie that everyone adores! 

Softbatch No-Roll Holiday Cookies — These tender, buttery holiday cookies use a no-roll dough with the sprinkles baked right in so you don’t even have to decorate them!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip M&M’s Cookies — If you’re looking for a new M&M’s cookie recipe, this is THE ONE! Soft, buttery, and irresistible M&M’s Christmas cookies! 

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies — Holiday sugar cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and loaded with sprinkles! Easy, no-roll cookies that everyone goes crazy for!

The Best Snickerdoodles — Soft, pillowy puffs that are so irresistible! The closest recipe to Mrs. Fields snickerdoodles that you’ll find!

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies — Move over, butter, cream cheese makes these chocolate chip cookies thick and super soft!

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies - Move over butter, cream cheese makes these cookies thick and super soft!

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies— Soft, chewy, and hearty without being too dense! They’re thick enough, but not overly thick, and are just enough to sink my teeth into. Best of all, they’re loaded with sweet butterscotch chips!! 

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies Cookies averiecooks.com

Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Cookies — These chocolate chip red velvet cookies have a secret ingredient — cake mix! These cookies are super ooey gooey and ultra rich! 

Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, soft, buttery cookies with sweet and tangy cream cheese in the middle!! Oh my….Best thumbprints ever!!!

The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!!

7 Layer Cookies— These 7 layer cookies are loaded with graham crackers, coconut, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips. Chewy around the edges, but soft in the center!

Soft and Chewy Seven Layer Magic Bar Cookies - Cookies Made Like the Classic Bars. Recipe at averiecooks.com

Vanilla Melting Moments Cookies with Nutella Filling — These vanilla sandwich cookies are so soft and they literally melt in your mouth! Perfect for Christmas, Easter, and family gatherings! 

Vanilla Melting Moments Sandwich Cookies with Nutella-Cream Cheese Filling - So soft & they literally melt in your mouth. Easy recipe at averiecooks.com

Soft Molasses Crinkle Cookies — In a word, these are the BEST molasses cookies you’ll ever make! Ultra chewy, easy to make, and you can really taste the spices. Make these for Christmas, or just because! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are hands down the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. Know that I don’t say that lightly! They’re melt-in-your mouth soft and chewy, and extremely moist! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (

The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies— My favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!

Unique Christmas Cookie Ideas 

Want to shake things up a bit this year? Maybe you have a competitive edge when it comes to cookie swaps (me too!). Here are 11 unique Christmas cookie recipes that stand out from the crowd while still being festive. 

Santa’s Kitchen Sink Cookies — Santa and everyone else won’t be able to resist these AMAZING cookies loaded with everything but the kitchen sink!! EASY, festive, salty-sweet treats with a FUN ingredients list!!

Glazed Eggnog Cookies — Soft, buttery tea cakes topped with a creamy eggnog glaze are a Christmas treat that everyone will love!! EASY to make, not at all dry, and great for cookie exchanges or hostess gifts!!

Crème Brûlée Cookies — Super SOFT sugar cookies topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and caramelized sugar!! If you’re a crème brûlée fan, you’re going to LOVE these cookies! So many INCREDIBLE flavors and textures in every bite!!

Chocolate Kiss Powder Puff Cookies — Easiest cookies ever with only 3 ingredients! The Kiss in the middle makes everyone smile! So fun!

Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies — Thick, rich, chocolaty cookies that are so soft you won’t be able to resist them!

Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles —These soft molasses cookies taste like a cross between chewy gingerbread cookies and crinkly snickerdoodles. An unbeatable holiday cookie recipe!

Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!

Andes Mint Chip Soft Fudgy Chocolate Cookies – Big, thick, fudgy chocolate cookies with a hint of mint and loads of chocolate in every bite!

Soft and Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies — Part soft sugar cookie, part chewy snickerdoodle, with tons of rich vanilla flavor! The best vanilla cookies you’ll ever make! 

Quadruple Chocolate Pudding Cookies — These pudding cookies are packed with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chunks, and chocolate pudding mix to deliver seriously chocolatey flavor!

Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies — Amply flavored with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Chocolate is used three times! Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks are used, making these perfect for chocolate lovers!!

Molasses Triple Chocolate Cookies 

No-Bake Christmas Cookie Ideas

No-bake Christmas cookies are especially great if you plan on sending a care package in the mail and are worried it won’t arrive on time. Or, maybe you need a fun activity to do with your kids when they’re home from school! 

Here are 5 of my absolute favorite no-bake cookie recipes that are perfect for making at the holidays.

Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

Christmas Chocolate-Covered Oreos — Oreo cookies dipped in chocolate and loaded with sprinkles are an irresistible holiday treat! Fast, EASY, no-bake, can be made in advance! Perfect for cookie exchanges and hostess gifts. Get ready to break out the sprinkles and have fun making and then eating these family favorite Christmas cookies!

Chocolate Covered Christmas Oreos - Oreo cookies dipped in chocolate and loaded with sprinkles are an irresistible holiday treat! Fast, EASY, no-bake, can be made in advance! Perfect for cookie exchanges and hostess gifts. Get ready to break out the sprinkles and have fun making and then eating these family favorite Christmas cookies!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles – Fast, EASY, no-bake, and the BEST peanut butter truffles! A creamy peanut butter filling with a bit of texture from graham cracker crumbs, dipped in white chocolate (or milk or dark), and topped with sprinkles! 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles - Fast, EASY, no-bake, and the BEST peanut butter truffles! A creamy peanut butter filling with a bit of texture from graham cracker crumbs, dipped in white chocolate (or milk or dark), and topped with sprinkles! Great MAKE-AHEAD homemade hostess gifts, for cookie exchanges, or set them out at Christmas parties.

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars — Safe-to-eat raw cookie dough that’s every bit as good and satisfying as the real thing! Easy, no-bake, and no eggs required! 

Holiday Special K Bars — Super chewy, gooey, FAST, easy, no-bake cereal bars loaded with peanut butter, chocolate, and sprinkles!! Like scotcheroos but with Special K!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars — Can’t decide if you want PB or chocolate? Make these easy no-bake fudge bars! Chocolate + PB is sooo irresistible!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chex Mix Bars – SO EASY, NO-BAKE, and ready in FIVE minutes!! Chex cereal, pretzels, and M&Ms glued together with peanut butter and marshmallows!! An IRRESISTIBLE salty-sweet combination!!

 

Here are my Newest Christmas Cookie Additions

Everyone loves seeing my newest, latest, and greatest creations and here they are!

Christmas Shortbread Cookies – Jazz up typical Christmas shortbread cookies with these two-toned, soft and buttery shortbread cookies! They have fun and festive star-shaped sprinkles and are decorated with white chocolate Christmas trees making them perfect for holiday entertaining and cookie exchanges. They look impressive, but are easy enough for beginning bakers! 

Christmas Shortbread Cookies - Jazz up typical Christmas shortbread cookies with these two-toned, soft and buttery shortbread cookies! They have fun and festive star-shaped sprinkles and are decorated with white chocolate Christmas trees making them perfect for holiday entertaining and cookie exchanges. They look impressive, but are easy enough for beginning bakers! 

Cut-Out Coffee Cup Cookies – Soft, buttery sugar cookies cut out in the shape of coffee cups and decorated with red and white royal icing! These sugar cookies are PERFECT for Christmas as well as for wintertime parties and entertaining. No one will be able to resist these unique beauties!

Cut-Out Coffee Cup Cookies - Soft, buttery sugar cookies cut out in the shape of coffee cups and decorated with red and white royal icing! These sugar cookies are PERFECT for Christmas as well as for wintertime parties and entertaining. No one will be able to resist these unique beauties!

Classic Gingerbread Cookies – Soft and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies filled with plenty of ginger and warming spices! Decorated with a sweet, soft royal icing and topped with cinnamon candies, these gingerbread men are a nostalgic favorite Christmas cookie that everyone adores!

Classic Gingerbread Cookies - Soft and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies filled with plenty of ginger and warming spices! Decorated with a sweet, soft royal icing and topped with cinnamon candies, these gingerbread men are a nostalgic favorite Christmas cookie that everyone adores! 

Snowflake Linzer Cookies – Linzer cookies are the ultimate sandwich cookies! A layer of raspberry jam is tucked in between two buttery, nutty cookies and dusted with powdered sugar! Great Christmas cookies that are perfect to serve at your holiday parties or to include in cookie exchanges!

Snowflake Linzer Cookies - Linzer cookies are the ultimate sandwich cookies! A layer of raspberry jam is tucked in between two buttery, nutty cookies and dusted with powdered sugar! Great Christmas cookies that are perfect to serve at your holiday parties or to include in cookie exchanges!

Stacked Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies – Softy, chewy, buttery sugar cookies are stacked in the shape of Christmas trees and layered with buttercream frosting! Fun and festive for the holidays and EASY to make! No need to roll out the dough nor chill it. A great holiday cookie to make with kids!

Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies - Softy, chewy, buttery sugar cookies are stacked in the shape of Christmas trees and layered with buttercream frosting! Fun and festive for the holidays and EASY to make! No need to roll out the dough nor chill it. A great holiday cookie to make with kids!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. These look amazing! Do they freeze well? I assume you make cookie balls and stick them in the freezer then defrost for 15 minutes or so and bake? My 4 year old said we have to make them all today 😜 I’ll try to oblige 😁😉

    1. Yes regarding freezing in balls and then defrosting. Or just bake straight from freezer to oven, add a couple extra mins to baking time.