This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Enjoy our Favorite Christmas cookies plus dozens of others to bake and share this holiday season!
More Collections: Christmas Appetizers, Christmas Desserts, Christmas Dinner Ideas
’tis the season for COOKIES!
One of our all-time favorite things to do this time of year is bake cookies!
It’s something we do all year long but something we especially look forward to during the holidays – especially for sharing.
Why we love them:
- Simple. All of our recipes are quite simple and come together easily – often quickly making them perfect for the busy time of year.
- Plan ahead. Many of these Christmas cookies can be made weeks in advance.
- Sharing! Perfect for holiday parties and functions or to package and give as gifts to neighbors, friends, and family.
Our go-to’s for the season include: classics like Snickerdoodles, Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Italian Cookies, + Shortbread Cookies.
Package for Sharing!
- Box or bin. Dress it up by putting a piece of tissue paper or holiday napkin in the box before adding the cookies.
- Wrap in cellophane. Place cookies on a holiday plate and cover with plastic wrap. Then, place the plate in the center of a piece of cellophane, bring all the sides up over the plate, and gather them together. Finally, tie closed with a holiday ribbon or tulle.
- Mason jar. Fill with a stack of similar-sized cookies. Cover the lid with Christmas fabric or paper. Tie a ribbon around the top.
- Plate. Place cookies on a paper plate so they stay stationary, and then into a gallon Ziploc bag.
Christmas Cookie RECIPES Tips
- FLAVOR. Take your favorite cookie and add some of the flavors and spices of Christmas, like: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cranberries, oranges, etc.
- STORE in an airtight container for about a week. An added piece of white bread will keep cookies soft.
- FREEZE cookie dough for up to 3 months. Do not freeze frosted, glazed, or drizzled cookies because they can become too moist.
- LINE PANS with parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking and for easy cleanup.
Best Christmas Cookies
Baking is something we love to do during the holidays, especially for sharing with friends! These are our most loved cookies that we make every year!
There are sure to be a few of your favorite holiday cookies on this list, and more soon to be favorites!
- Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Easy Shortbread Cookies
- Butter Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Ginger Snap Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- Peppermint Meltaways
- Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Oreos
Classic Favorites
These Christmas classics will never disappoint! Each is sure to add something extra yummy to your cookie platters.
- Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Nestle Tollhouse Cookies
- Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- No Bake Cookies Recipe
- Monster Cookie Recipe
Chocolatey Cookies
If chocolate is your thing, we’ve got a list for you! From chocolate and peanut butter to chocolate and mint, there are sure to be some melt-in-your-mouth favorites.
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crinkle Cookies
- Nutella Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Chocolate Kiss Cookies
- Gooey Rolo Cookies
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Cookies
- Jack Jack Cookie Num Num
Sugar Cookies
Start with the simple flavor of a sugar cookie and add your special flair with frosting or decorations! These sugar cookies are classics for a reason.
- Frosted Sugar Cookies
- No Roll Sugar Cookies
- Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
- Copycat Swig Cookies
- Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Blossoms
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Chewy Sugar Cookies
- Amish Sugar Cookies
- Funfetti Cookies
Chips and Mix-Ins
Create a unique taste with these variations on classics. Each can be adapted and flavored your way, but each is delectable just as they are!
- Almond Cookies
- Coconut Cookies
- Reeses Pieces Cookies
- Caramel Cookies
- Strawberry Cookies
- Oatmeal Scotchies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Butterscotch Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
- Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- Mint M&M Oreo Cookies
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
More Festive Favorites
Because we have too many to choose from enjoy this bonus list of cookies with many unique options that are both beautiful and scrumptious!
- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
- Christmas Snickerdoodles
- Eggnog Cookies
- Eggnog Snickerdoodles
- Peppermint Crunch Cookies
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Avalanche Cookies
- Molasses Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- White Chocolate Crackles
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
- White Chocolate Snickerdoodles
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Iced Pumpkin Cookies
- Easy Shortbread Cookies
Go-to Christmas Cookie Recipe
There are so many delicious cookies to make this holiday season!!
Because these Christmas Cookies are so fun and festive, they’re definitely our main go-to. Simple, delicious, rave reviews, and it’s one even the kids can help make.
How to Make them
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
- WET INGREDIENTS. Cream butter, oil, and sugars. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. Add baking soda, salt, powder, vanilla, and flour. Mix well.
- SPRINKLES + M&Ms. Fold in sprinkles. Use a cookie scoop to put on greased cookie sheet. Top with a few M&Ms.
- BAKE. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool before adding them to Santa’s plate. Or you can STORE them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. ๐
85+ Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- ยฝ cup butter
- ยฝ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ยฝ cup sprinkles (or mini chocolate chips)
- 1 cup M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.ย Cream butter, oil, and sugars. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
- Add baking soda, salt, powder, vanilla, and flour. Mix well.
- Fold in sprinkles.ย Use a cookie scoop to put on a greased cookie tray. Top with 4-5 M&Ms.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Holiday Cookies
Christmas and cookies go hand in hand for our family. We love to enjoy them during our holiday festivities and to bake up batches to show our love to friends and family!
Whether you choose the classics or something more unique, we have plenty of Christmas cookies to keep you baking all season long!
More Collections: Christmas Side Dishes, Mexican Christmas Food, Italian Christmas Dinner Ideas
Can you freeze these after making them?
I haven’t, but you sure could ๐
My batter turned out crumbly. Any idea why?
I wish I knew for sure. I know too much flour, using margarine instead of butter, or over cooking can cause crumbly cookies. Did you happen to do any of those, if not, I’m not sure?? They aren’t a crumbly cookie, so they shouldn’t have turned out that way.
Flavor turned out amazing, but same issue with mine, it turned out crumbly? and very dense when cooking them….I softened the butter in the microwave, would that cause crumbly batter/cookies?
Was the butter melted? There are a few reasons cookies can become crumbly, like to much flour, over-baking, butter substitutes…but, I’m not sure what exactly caused yours to do that?
mY GRANDKIDS ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE! dO YOU KNOW IF THESE FREEZE WELL? i’D LIKE TO MAKE THE COOKIE BALLS AHEAD, FREEZE THEN BAKE FOR A BIT LONGER THE DAY i NEED THEM. OR JUST MAKE THE COOKIES THE WEEK AHEAD AND FREEZE. aNY ADVICE? tHANK YOU!
Yep, they should be ok ๐ Have fun & enjoy!
These are delicious!!!! tested them out tonight before making them for a cookie exchange party, and wow!!! so good. i made some without m&ms and they’re great that way too. truly the perfect cookie. mine stayed very full and were the right amount of crispy on the outside but gooey on the inside. i baked them for a little longer. 350 for 9 minutes. they seem to get even more delicious as they settle.
Yes, they do get more delicious! Thank you so much for giving them a try & for letting me know!
I have made 135 of these over the past 3 days to give as Christmas gifts. This recipe is so easy. Decoration variation is endless. Thank you for a great recipe. I will be using it for years to come. Merry Christmas!
Awe, thank you so much!! I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well ๐
I dont havea cookie scoop. Would one table be the right measure?
No right or wrong. Just use a regular sized spoon to get a scoop. You can really make them as big or as small as you want.
I just took a batch out of the oven. Are they supposed to be super soft, almost still undercooked? Will they harden when cold?
They are soft, but they do harden a little when they set. You can always add a couple minutes, if they are too gooey.
Tastes good but first batch came out too oily and flat, had to make the second batch with less oil for it to come out a bit better. Creative using m&ms and sprinkles for the Christmas feel
Very tasty and cute! They are a hit in our house!
I am so glad they are!! Thank you for letting me know!
The main recipe doesn’t call for chocolate chips, yet i swear i see them in the photos. What gives?
Could just be broken m&m’s. You could for sure add chocolate chips.
Gotcha. Appreciate the prompt response, kristyn. Enjoy your holidays!
You too ๐
I made these and they were super easy, but mind turned out a little salty? i know i only put in 1/2 tsp of salt, just like the recipe said…anyone have any idea why? was is because i used salted butter?
I like to use unsalted butter when baking. That could be why.