14 Classic and Creative Christmas Cookies to Bake This Season

Christmas cookie baking is one of the best parts of the holiday season, and this collection is full of festive favorites perfect for every baker. Whether you love soft and chewy cookies, crisp cut-out designs, or beautifully filled classics, these recipes make holiday baking fun and stress-free. Great for cookie swaps, gifting, or cozy nights at home, these Christmas cookie recipes are easy to make, full of flavor, and guaranteed to bring a little extra holiday magic to your kitchen.

Gingerbread Snowball Cookies

A bowl filled with powdered sugar-coated cookies, with one cookie broken in half to show the brown filling inside. Festive decorations are in the blurred background. — Gingerbread Snowball Cookies. Photo credit: Blend With Spices.

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These cookies combine gingerbread spices with a tender, buttery dough. After baking, they are rolled in powdered sugar for a snowy finish. The centers stay soft while the outside remains delicate. They hold their shape well once cooled.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Snowball Cookies

Homemade Biscottini

A close-up of several almond and cranberry biscotti stacked on a white plate. — Homemade Biscottini. Photo credit: Food Nutters.

These small Italian cookies bake until lightly crisp. The texture is firm without being hard. They store well for several days. Each bite delivers subtle sweetness and balanced flavor.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Biscottini

No Spread Cut Out Cookies – No Chill Sugar Cookie Recipe

Decorated sugar cookies with holiday designs and a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows on a wooden table, with a festive background. — No Spread Cut Out Cookies – No Chill Sugar Cookie Recipe. Photo credit: Kitchen Serf.

This dough holds its shape during baking without chilling. Cut out edges stay clean and defined. The cookies bake evenly across the pan. They are easy to decorate once cooled.
Get the Recipe: No Spread Cut Out Cookies – No Chill Sugar Cookie Recipe

Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies feature a soft base with a filled center. The indentation holds jam or filling neatly. The dough bakes up tender and stable. Each cookie keeps its shape on the tray.
Get the Recipe: Thumbprint Cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookies

A batch of chocolate cookies topped with swirled chocolate and melted marshmallow, displayed on a white surface. — Hot Chocolate Cookies. Photo credit: The Short Order Cook.

Chocolate dough is mixed with cocoa and chocolate pieces. The cookies bake soft with a rich flavor. Melted bits add texture throughout. They cool into thick, chewy rounds.
Get the Recipe: Hot Chocolate Cookies

Linzer Cookies

Six heart-shaped cookies with powdered sugar and jam centers are arranged in a circle on a white plate, next to a red and white polka dot cloth. — Linzer Cookies. Photo credit: What A Girl Eats.

These sandwich cookies use nut based dough. A cut out top reveals the filling underneath. The texture stays crisp yet tender. They look polished when assembled.
Get the Recipe: Linzer Cookies

Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

A stack of three colorful sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles sits on a table, with a bitten cookie on top and holiday decorations in the background. — Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies. Photo credit: Semi Homemade Kitchen.

These cookies bake with soft centers and lightly crisp edges. The dough spreads gently while cooking. Powdered sugar adds a sweet finish. They remain soft even after cooling.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

Reindeer Sugar Cookies: Easy Decorating Hack with Video Tutorial

Chocolate-covered cookies decorated as reindeer with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and red noses arranged on a festive plate and a cooling rack. — Reindeer Sugar Cookies: Easy Decorating Hack with Video Tutorial. Photo credit: The Benson Street.

Sugar cookies serve as a sturdy decorating base. Simple candy pieces create reindeer faces. The cookies bake flat and smooth. They are fun to decorate and easy to serve.
Get the Recipe: Reindeer Sugar Cookies: Easy Decorating Hack with Video Tutorial

Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies

Round cookie with white icing and crushed pecans on top, surrounded by similar cookies on a light surface. — Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies. Photo credit: XoxoBella.

Brown sugar adds depth to the dough. Chopped pecans bring crunch and texture. The cookies bake evenly with lightly golden edges. They stay soft in the center.
Get the Recipe: Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies

kolaczki Cookies (Polish Christmas Jam Cookies)

A plate of four pastries filled with yellow and red fruit jams, dusted with powdered sugar, on a light surface. — kolaczki Cookies (Polish Christmas Jam Cookies). Photo credit: Blend With Spices.

These cookies feature a soft cream cheese dough. The centers are filled with jam. The pastry bakes tender and flaky. Each cookie folds neatly around the filling.
Get the Recipe: kolaczki Cookies (Polish Christmas Jam Cookies)

Perfect Cut-out Sugar Cookies

Decorated star-shaped sugar cookies with white icing and sprinkles on a marble surface, with more cookies and a red-striped cloth in the background. — Perfect Cut-out Sugar Cookies. Photo credit: Chew Out Loud.

This dough rolls smoothly and cuts cleanly. The cookies bake flat without puffing. Surfaces stay smooth for icing. Shapes remain sharp after baking.
Get the Recipe: Perfect Cut-out Sugar Cookies

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

A stack of festive cookies with red, green, and white chocolate candies and sprinkles, surrounded by bowls of sprinkles and loose candies on a white surface. — Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe. Photo credit: Kitchen Treaty.

Classic chocolate chip dough bakes into soft centers with crisp edges. Chocolate melts evenly throughout. The cookies hold their size on the pan. They cool into sturdy, shareable treats.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Cake Mix M&M Christmas Cookie Recipe | Santa’s Cookies

A glass plate holding a batch of cookies topped with red and green chocolate candies and chocolate chips, arranged on a white surface. — Cake Mix M&M Christmas Cookie Recipe | Santa’s Cookies. Photo credit: Fox Farm Home.

Cake mix creates a quick cookie base. M&Ms add color and crunch. The cookies bake thick and soft. They are easy to make in large batches.
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix M&M Christmas Cookie Recipe | Santa’s Cookies

Lemony Sourdough Protein Shortbread Cookies

Assorted decorated cookies, including blue leaf-shaped cookies, rainbow sugar cookies, and iced shortbread, arranged on parchment paper with lemon slices. — Lemony Sourdough Protein Shortbread Cookies. Photo credit: For The Pleasure Of Eating.

Shortbread dough bakes into a firm, crumbly texture. Lemon adds brightness without overpowering. The cookies slice cleanly once cooled. They store well for gifting.
Get the Recipe: Lemony Sourdough Protein Shortbread Cookies