的85 Best Christmas Cookies to Make This Holiday Season (All Cookie Swap and Santa Approved)

• Time Commitment:50 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Cookie texture meets brownie flavor in these festive sandwich cookies. Jam is traditional, but we’ve swapped it for a vibrant pinkpeppermintganache.

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Oh hi, 25-minute frosted and decorated cookies. (Royal icing could never.)

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

Vegetables in a cookie? You better believe it. Here, the红薯lends moisture and color for a soft, bright cookie that’s better than any marshmallow-topped casserole.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Icebox cookies are aholidaysavior because you can make the dough ahead of time and bake the cookies whenever a craving strikes.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

It’s a cookie within a cookie! They’re like our favorite store-bought sammies, only a little classier and a lot tastier.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

If a softmolassescookie and a good old chocolate chip number had a very delicious baby, it would be one of these treats.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

的time you would’ve spentfrostingis spent weaving instead—and the result is a hundred times more sophisticated.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:make ahead, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Here’s an ingenious way to make good use of all those candy canes. (C’mon, no one ever finishes a whole one.)

• Time Commitment:3 hours
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Here’s a nifty baking trick: Gently simmer a can ofsweetened condensed milkand it’ll turn into homemade dulce de leche like magic.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 50 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

So you have to make the pecan brittle bark ahead of the cookies. We promise the results are worth the effort.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, make ahead

的se come together with seven ingredients. We repeat: seven ingredients.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

的buttery, almost salty cookies are the perfect foil to the tart filling. Take a batch to Aunt Jackie’s house and you’ll win major brownie (er, cookie?) points.

• Time Commitment:2 hours
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Food dye who? These adorable Christmas cookies are colored withmatcha powderfor a seasonably appropriate hue and a toasty flavor.

• Time Commitment:42 minutes
• Why We Love It:谷蛋白free, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

没有人会知道他们的无谷蛋白,甚至when they go in for round two.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:no cook, make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Are they a cookie or acandy? Who cares? They’re delicious, and you can totally start with store-bought.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Vanillaisn’t boring, it’s underrated. One cookie and you’ll understand.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Is it really the holidays if you aren’t swimming in a sea of snowflake and reindeer cutouts?

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

的se will be a hit with your Gen Z cousin who’s all over the latest trends. (Or she’ll scoff and say tie dye is *so* last year, but whatever.)

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Last-minutecookie swap? We’ve got your back. This dough can be made up to three months in advance.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

No,Ina Gartenisn’t coming to your Secret Santa party, but her cookie recipe will suffice.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

You had us at three little words: puremaplesyrup.

• Time Commitment:3 hours
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Chewy, spicy cookies are filled with moltencaramel…and the results are glorious. You’ll want a few napkins for these babies.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Go ahead, eat a few cookies for breakfast. (’Tis the season, right?)

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Pie? Way too much work. These cookies offer the best of both dessert worlds (and leave you more time to watchA Christmas Story).

• Time Commitment:50 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

的y look like little works of art, but don’t let that stop you from eating one, or a few.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

Caffeineandsugar? This has afternoon snack written all over it.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd-pleaser

We love a good ol’ jar of Nutella, butbonus points if you make your own.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Everyone needs a 30-minute cookie on their Christmas list. Especially when it involves chocolate andmarshmallows.

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

的bigger the cookie, the closer to Santa—or so they say.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Sugar cookies andmacaroonshappen to make a fantastic pair.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧

We’ve never met a person who can say no tocheesecake. Just saying.

• Time Commitment:35 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Psst: Those bagged cookies have been on the grocery store shelf sincelastChristmas. You can do better.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Honey, we shrunk the Oreos. And good thing, too. Now you can eat them by the handful.

• Time Commitment:26 minutes
• Why We Love It:谷蛋白free, dairy free, <30 minutes

You wouldn’t know it, but these babies are gluten free and dairy optional.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Forget thelittle lad: There’s a big man up north who loves this flavor combination.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

的se cookies have a secret: They’re packed with crushed freeze-dried raspberries for a sweet-tart punch of flavor.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

的y’re. So. Cute! (And you can fill them with any flavor you please.)

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, gluten free, dairy free

A cookie that’s kinda good for you? Be still our sugar-loving heart. These are flourless, not to mention dairy and egg free.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Just because the leaves have fallen doesn’t meanpumpkinseason is over, people.

• Time Commitment:15 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <15 minutes

We get it: You have a thousand presents to wrap. But we bet you can still craft a batch of these cookies.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Meet your new favorite holiday cookie: They’re sweet but not cloying, play nice withchocolateand are easy to pack into cookie boxes.

• Time Commitment:20 minutes
• Why We Love It:谷蛋白free, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

的Christmas season is a marathon, not a sprint. These 20-minute, three-ingredient beauties will get you through the busiest parts.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

No, it’s not Valentine’s Day. The heart shape is because we love Christmas, duh!

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Hot tip: If you bite down the middle, you get a bit of every flavor.

• Time Commitment:35 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

How’d you like to spend Christmas on a tropical island? Well, these cuties are the next best thing.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

If there’s a time to take things OTT, it’s the holidays. Pair these cookies with a scoop ofvanilla ice creamif you’re really committed.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

But if you want to keep things simple, we don’t blame you. These six-ingredient cookies are unexpectedly sophisticated.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, one bowl, <10 ingredients

的eggnog icing is optional, but we know you have an open carton lingering in your fridge.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes (+ chilling time)
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Let it snow…cookies, that is.

• Time Commitment:38 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Polvorones, Russian tea cakes, snowball cookies: Call ’em what you want, just don’t inhale as you take a bite.

• Time Commitment:20 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

的se cookies are flavored with vanilla, but you can swap in anise if you want to be traditional.

• Time Commitment:35 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

You can’t go wrong with a Santa-approved classic.

• Time Commitment:32 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

的y’re soft, rich and lightly spiced. Would pairing them with a glass ofeggnogbe overkill?

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧

的snappier, the better. (As an added bonus, these are easily made gluten free.)

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

We can’t explain it, but these are a Christmas classic.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Everyone knows the best Christmas cookies are covered in confectioners’ sugar.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Deck the halls with sugar, butter and frosting.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 25 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

的se are—dare we say?—better than the real thing.

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧, kid-friendly

Snappy, crunchy cookies aren’t for everyone. For those of you who prefer pillowier treats, these soft, spiced cookies are just like what Grandma use to make.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

If you don’t already have a stiff cocktail at the holiday party, grab one of these guys.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

You’ll need acookie pressto make these classic Christmas cookies, but look how pretty they turn out.

• Time Commitment:22 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes

Unlike Frosty, these won’t melt on you.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

的y’re made with actualhot cocoa mixfor the full effect.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

It’s two treats in one, and what could be bad about that?

• Time Commitment:26 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧

A sweet-salty number is just what your cookie plate needs to be complete.

• Time Commitment:2 hours
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy

Red and green are givens, but we have a soft spot for this millennial-loved color.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, gluten free, <10 ingredients

Who’s the winner of the cookie swap? You are.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

It’s buttery and tender like a shortbread but studded with chocolate chips and baked like a bar. Basically, it has everything.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:谷蛋白free, vegan, crowd-pleaser

What makes them magical? Well, they’re free ofnuts,谷蛋白, grains and refined sugar,andthey’re vegan (not to mention delicious.)

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧, special occasion–worthy

Christmas tree sprinkleson everything, we say.

• Time Commitment:23 minutes
• Why We Love It:<30 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

的sour creamensures these cut-out cookies are ultra-tender and just a little tangy.

• Time Commitment:25 minutes
• Why We Love It:< 30分钟,欢迎吧

Psst: They’re spiked withrum. Need we say more?

• Time Commitment:35 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Replace the usual shortbread base with store-bought gingersnaps, and suddenly you have a party-ready version of the grocery fave.

• Time Commitment:38 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

的cookie dough is flavored with vanilla andorangefor a tart twist.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Cookie butter, meet snickerdoodle cookies. (Now meet our mouth.)

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <30 minutes

Go ahead and leave them out with a note for Santa, but save us one from the batch.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Brown butter, toasty pecans, boozy bourbon: These are a few of our favorite things.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

的y looksofancy, but they’re actually super easy to pipe and bake.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy

的y’re almost too cute to eat…but we’re not about to hold back.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Merry Christmas to all, but especially to these spicy, chocolatey cookies that take less than an hour to make.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead

Since the holidays are busy even without a baking project, you can (and should!) make the curd a couple days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 2 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Not only are these cookies delicious, but according to the Contessa, the house smells amazing when you make them.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
• Why We Love It:让未来,特殊occasion-worthy,吊人

的se chewy-yet-crisp jewels are vying for the top spot at your cookie exchange, and with their sweet-tart fruit flavor, they just might win.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

If you’ve ever been torn between baking cookies orbrownies, this is the decadent mashup of your dreams.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, one bowl

的se babies are meant to be eaten in multiples (or better yet, by the handful). And since our motto is “more cookies, fewer dishes,” we made sure that the dough can be made using a single bowl.