83 Christmas Cookies for the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
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’Tis the season for Christmas cookies: snowflake-shaped sugar cookies, jolly gingerbread men, melt-in-your-mouth snowballs (a.k.a. Mexican wedding cakes), buttery spritz, crunchy biscotti stirred into your coffee. Every holiday season brings a chance to dust off our favorite heirloom recipes or try our hand at new ones that catch our eye. Will we make elegant pecan meringues this year? Grinch-green pistachio cookies? Below, we’ve gathered our absolute favorite Christmas cookies, including lots of buttery shortbread, jammy thumbprints, decorative sugar cookies, Austrian-inspired linzer cookies, and so many more.
Peanut butter blossoms reign supreme as the Christmas cookie of choice in the United States, so you’ll find those here, too. Plus, plenty of new-school spins like coconut sugar sandwich cookies, earthy rye and hazelnut slice-and-bakes, and espresso-spiked chocolatey wonders. So whether you’re organizing a cookie exchange, making treats for family, filling cookie tins to give as gifts, or setting out a cookie platter for Santa, the magic of the season starts now.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne2/83Classic Sugar Cookies
Every household needs a sugar cookie recipe on hand during the holiday season, and this classic from Gourmet has been a go-to for readers for almost 20 years. The straightforward, roll-out dough lets you cut out cookie shapes easily that will get topped with royal icing after baking.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi4/83Classic Thumbprint Cookies With Jam
Raspberry, apricot, and other fruit jams typically dot the centers of these sugar-dusted thumbprint cookies but feel free to get creative with chocolate ganache, dulce de leche, or lemon curd.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Zoe Denenberg & Mira Evnine5/83Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Making these stunning striped meringues is easier than you think, but if you’d rather make them plain, try vanilla meringues instead. (Or go for a one-two punch with dipped chocolate meringues).
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks6/83Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
These holiday cookies get their tangy flavor from cream of tartar and their richness from an all-butter cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough in copious amounts of cinnamon-sugar before baking for a glittery, spiced finish, and serve with eggnog to fully lean into the holiday season.
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon8/83Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne9/83Gourmet’s Best Gingerbread Cookies
This classic roll-out dough is perfect for making little gingerbread men, women, or whatever shapes you care to decorate. The options are limitless—it's just a matter of sourcing the cookie cutters. These Christmas cookies will be quite tender, so try this recipe for gingersnaps if you want a crunchier cookie.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Mira Evnine10/83Linzer Cookies
These sandwich cookies are based on Austria's beloved Linzertort. An ample dusting of powdered sugar and dollop of red raspberry jam filling makes them perfect for any Christmas cookie platter.
Photo by Mark Weinberg11/83Shortbread Cookies Four Ways
This tender, fragile shortbread cookie dough is the result of a happy accident involving an extra egg yolk. Make it with all-purpose, whole-wheat, spelt, or rye flour—or try all four for nuanced flavors. You can enjoy them as is or spruce them up with powdered sugar icing and sprinkles.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne15/83Spritz Cookies
These spritz cookies are easier to make thanks to the addition of a little cornstarch in the dough. The results: light, delicate, crunchy cookies that are perfect for sharing as gifts or putting on a Christmas cookie plate. Looking for gluten-free spritz cookies? We've got those, too.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne and Jason Schreiber16/83Lebkuchen (German Honey Bars)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton18/83Molasses Sandwich Cookies With Coffee Cream
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber20/83Peanut Butter Blossoms, but Better
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber21/83Iranian Rice Cookies
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne22/83Coconut Macaroons
Like coconut cake without nearly the effort, these five-ingredient bites, not to be confused with French macarons, come together in under an hour. You can deck them for the holiday by dipping the bottoms in melted milk or dark chocolate or by drizzling it over top.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton23/83White Chocolate Fruitcake Bars
We take our favorite elements of fruitcake–orange zest and dried fruit–and turn it into bar cookies that are blanketed in a layer of white chocolate. Not a fruitcake to shy away from, this may be one of our best Christmas cookie recipes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber24/83Pastel Butter Cookies
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber25/83Sumac and Vanilla Shortbread
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne26/83Chewy Flourless Pistachio Cookies
These verdant pistachio cookies get their crisp yet chewy, almost meringue-like texture from the addition of egg whites. Using raw or toasted pistachios will alter the cookies’ color and flavor slightly; we recommend going for a mix of both.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell28/83Black Bottom Brownie Cookies
These little chocolate bombs take a classic brownie batter and fill it with cream cheese to create decadent, gooey bites that are sure to keep you on the nice list. The flaky sea salt to finish is non-negotiable.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton29/83Pistachio-Rose Shortbread Squares
A coating of crushed, freeze-dried raspberries and pink sanding sugar adds vibrant color, sparkle, and crunch to these festive, pistachio-studded Christmas cookies. Pair them with our matcha cookies for a little red-and-green action.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne30/83Coconut-Sugar Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches
Coconut sugar has rich caramel and molasses notes, lending major holiday flavor to any Christmas dessert. It pulls double duty in these sandwich cookies by coating them in a sugar shell that turns crackly while it bakes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber32/83Goat Butter Shortbread
Looking for a cookie to serve with Christmas cocktails? Goat butter adds a subtle something to these otherwise rather traditional shortbreads. Everyone will wonder what your secret could possibly be.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova33/83Salted-Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by M. Pearl Jones34/83Grated Shortbread Bars With Rose Jam
These delicate jam-filled bar cookies are made with dough that you freeze and then grate into the pan. They have a delightful light and crumbly texture.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Diana Yen35/83Ombre Christmas Tree Cookies
A rubber or offset spatula helps to easily spread icing over these sugar cookies. Shake on layers of sugar in various shades of green while the icing is still wet to create a gradient from dark to light. Gold dragees, or the oversized, embossed sprinkles, make for simple tree toppers that bring your decorating skills to a new level.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi37/83Pistachio Cardamom Butter Cookies
White chocolate gives a creamy, almost tangy finish to these deliciously spiced slice-and-bake cookies. For the best flavor, buy the highest quality white chocolate you can find. High-quality milk or dark chocolate can be substituted, however, if white chocolate isn't your thing.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi39/83Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Hazelnut Thumbprints
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton41/83Chocolate, Pistachio, and Tahini Truffles
You can make these dairy-free, two-bite truffles ahead of time, and you can even use your microwave if your stove is otherwise occupied. We roll the no-bake truffles in chopped pistachios and replace heavy cream with tahini to maximize the nutty flavor.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson42/83No-Bake Pistachio–White Chocolate Cookies
Photo by Peden + Munk44/83Soft Gingerbread Tiles With Rum Butter Glaze
Cookie stamps give these tender cookies their embossed look and a rum-butter glaze lends a festive, antique-looking finish. You can also make these as regular cookies using round cookie cutters or by cutting them into squares with a knife.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton45/83Flourless Almond Cookies With Cardamom, Orange Zest, and Pistachios
Photo by Tara Donne, food and prop styling by Diana Yen46/83All-in-One Sugar Cookie Dough
Classic sugar cookies are a blank canvas for decorating, and this dough is the perfect base to cut out shapes of Christmas trees, candy canes, and Santa and decorate with a powdered sugar glaze, royal icing, and sprinkles.
Photo by Davide Luciano48/83Coffee Malteds
Freshly ground espresso beans (or instant coffee or espresso) and unflavored malt powder are what give these holiday cookies the comforting, warm flavor that’ll make you want to eat them beside a roaring fire.
Photo by Kelsey McClellan49/83Hazelnut Lace Sandwich Cookies
Keep your dough balls the same size so they stack up neatly when you fill them with the blueberry jam and powdered sugar filling. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to avoid cracking the dainty design when removing these cookies to cool.
Photo by Peden + Munk50/83Spiced Praline Meringues
No, these extra-large meringues aren't ornaments, but they'd still look stunning strung up on a Christmas tree—which you can totally do, because they stay fresh for up to 10 days.
Joy Wilson52/83Melty Chocolate-Truffle Cookies
We recommend slightly underbaking these morsels for a delightfully molten effect, like hot chocolate in cookie form. The generous dusting of powdered sugar transforms them into chocolatey little snowball cookies that practically melt in your mouth.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell53/83Pannelet Cookies With Sweet Potato and Coconut
France Ruffenach54/83Kolacky
Sometimes spelled kolache or kolace, variations of these Central European cookies can be made with a yeast dough or even ice cream, but this version calls for cream cheese. If you have the time to make your own prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling, kudos—for the rest of us, store-bought jam or fruit paste works well.
Tara Donne, food styling by Liza Jernow56/83Gluten-Free Lacy Oat Sandwich Cookies
These crispy, lacy sandwich cookies call for oats and a touch of gluten-free flour. A silky dark chocolate ganache, sweetened with brown rice syrup and a dash of orange liqueur, fills the centers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi58/83Triple-Ginger Cream Sandwiches
These sparkly holiday cookies take classic gingerbread and turn the volume way up with three types of ginger: freshly ground, candied, and finely grated ginger root. Use the cookies to sandwich a rich cream cheese filling.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton62/83Cinnamon–Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie
The holidays are the perfect time to take things over the top, and that's exactly what this oversized, cinnamon-spiced chocolate chunk cookie does. It's the perfect thing to serve for a Christmas dinner among good friends. Add scoops of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce before serving.
Kimberly Sentner67/83Simply Splendid Sugar Cookies
Using a blend of all-purpose and whole-wheat white flour in these sugar cookies adds a subtle nuttiness—and don't forget the decorative sprinkles and buttercream frosting if you feel fancy.
Chris Gentile68/83Buttery Sugar Cookies
Although this dough makes delightful sugar cookies on its own, it also serves as the base for four more surprisingly different yet super delicious holiday confections, including Chocolate Peppermint Stars, Raspberry-Almond Linzer Cookies, and Chocolate-Dipped Spritz Washboards With Pistachios. Make one recipe, or make all five.
Photo by Leigh Beisch69/83Spiced Chocolate Molasses Buttons
Heavy on chocolate, heavy on spice, these thumbprint cookies get rolled through turbinado sugar, which bakes into a crunchy, sparkling finish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks70/83Stollenkonfekt
Making stollen (the classic German Christmas cake) is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, it takes a fraction of the time to prepare confection-sized stollenkonfekt (and they’re quite cute).
Kimberley Sentner78/83Bourbon Balls
These bite-sized truffles get their flavor from good bourbon and powdered sugar, but the inclusion of ground wafer cookies and pecans adds crunchy bits throughout.
