27+ Best Christmas Cookie Recipes - Easy Holiday Cookies

Desserts are one of the BEST parts of any holiday season, and this time of year, Christmas cookies are where it’s at. Luckily, there are myriad opportunities to try them all out, whether you’re making them for a party or cookie exchange, to give as gifts, or just to enjoy during a cozy night in at home. Whether you’re a master baker looking for a new challenge or a kitchen novice looking for easy recipes, you can get in on the holiday baking fun. Check out our favorite Christmas cookies for ideas—don’t forget to make enough to leave out for Santa and his reindeer too.

When creating this list, we thought of the perfect Christmas cookie box that’s got a little something for everyone in it. You’re going to want to start with whatever recipes you think are the most classic—like gingerbread cookies, spritz cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, peanut butter blossoms…then go wild.

Want to add a little whimsy? There’s SO much you can do with a basic sugar cookie, whether you want to add color to the dough itself, like in our Christmas pinwheels, our candy cane cookies, or our checkerboard cookies; or on top in the form of royal icing or frosting, like in our snowflake cookies, our tie-dye Christmas tree cookies, our leg lamp cookies, or our Santa cookies (in the shape of the big man’s face).

Looking to bowl people over with unexpected flavor? Try our Santa’s trash cookies, our white chocolate cranberry orange biscotti, our panettone cookies, or our molasses cookies. Another way to add intrigue to your cookie selection is to bake up traditional holiday cookies from around the world, like our Middle Eastern ma’amoul, our Polish kolaczki cream cheese cookies, our Italian cuccidati, or our Mexican polvorones.

While we’re all for completely homemade recipes, Christmas is also one of the best holidays to get creative with store-bought options. You really just need some icing or frosting, some miniature candies, and a little bit of creativity to create holiday masterpieces. Check out our melted snowmen cookies, our Milano reindeer cookies, our rolo ornament cookies, our Christmas light cookies, or our Oreo Christmas tree for ideas, but feel free to get creative. The fun of decorating is the best part!