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Enjoy our collection of BEST Christmas cookies with plenty of family favorites to bake and share all season long!!
‘Tis the Season for COOKIES!
Christmas and cookies go hand in hand for our family. It’s one of our very favorite holiday traditions; hello sprinkles, peppermint, and those cozy spice aromas!
Many of these recipes are make-ahead and freezer-friendly, so you can plan early and still deliver fresh-baked joy in December. Whether you’re decorating sugar cookies for Santa, rolling buttery spritz, or dipping chocolate crinkles, you’ll find something delicious for every platter. Grab your cookie scoop, turn on the carols, and let’s get going. We have plenty of Christmas cookies to keep you baking all season long!
Kristyn’s Christmas Cookie Tip
My sisters and I love baking cookie trays to give to friends and neighbors for Christmas. Some use a holiday plates wrapped in cellophane and others like to purchase a festive container or box.
PRO TIP: Pin or bookmark this list so you’re ready with everyone’s favorite Christmas cookies when holiday baking season hits!
Table of Contents
Top Most Loved 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!
1 Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Bake up our favorite soft and chewy gingerbread cookie recipe with just a few simple steps – they're perfect for decorating and sharing!
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2 Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes
Soft, buttery, and festive, our Christmas Sugar Cookies are a holiday must! Perfect for frosting, decorating, and gifting.
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3 Italian Christmas Cookies
Italian Christmas Cookies
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Traditional Italian Christmas cookies are a festive version of a classic – flavored with almond extract and covered in a simple almond glaze.
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4 Spritz Cookie Recipe
Spritz Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 21 minutes
Buttery Spritz Cookies hold crisp shapes, bake tender and pale, and decorate beautifully, perfect for gifting, parties, and cookie exchanges.
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5 Snowball Cookie Recipe
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 24 minutes
Buttery pecan snowball cookies rolled in powdered sugar are melt-in-your-mouth holiday favorites that are easy, classic, and so delicious.
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6 Snickerdoodle Recipe
Snickerdoodle Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
These classic Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy, and coated in cinnamon sugar making them simple, nostalgic, and absolutely perfect every time!
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7 Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes
This is the best shortbread cookies recipe – a buttery melt-in-your-mouth treat that is perfect all year long and especially for the holidays.
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8 Butter Cookies Recipe
Butter Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
Soft and crunchy Butter Cookies are a delicious classic must-make for any holiday party and are delicious plain or frosted.
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9 M&M Cookies Recipe
M&M Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
M&M cookies are soft, chewy, packed with colorful chocolate candies and easy to customize for any gathering.
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10 Ginger Cookies
Ginger Cookies
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
These chewy and soft ginger cookies are especially delicious, and one we always make during the holidays!
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11 Molasses Cookies Recipe
Molasses Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
These soft molasses cookies are the most tender and chewy ginger-spiced cookies you'll find. They are a holiday must-make!!
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12 Peppermint Meltaways Recipe
Peppermint Meltaways Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Soft and butter-y Peppermint Meltaways are a delicious holiday cookie topped with a peppermint glaze and crushed candy canes!
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13 Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 24 minutes
My Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are so simple (perfect for the kiddos to help with). They are a holiday favorite!!
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14 Peppermint Sugar Cookie Recipe
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 28 minutes
Frosted peppermint sugar cookies are a delightful holiday twist on Mom's BEST-LOVED cookies – perfect for Christmas!
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15 Christmas Oreos Recipe
Christmas Oreos Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Classic Christmas Oreos dipped in milk or white chocolate and topped with festive sprinkles make for a decadent treat!
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Classic Favorites
These Christmas classics will never disappoint! Each is sure to add something extra yummy to your cookie platters.
16 Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipe
Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes
Chewy peanut butter Hershey Kiss cookies can be enjoyed in just 15 minutes with this beloved and simple cookie recipe.
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17 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes
Our best chocolate chip cookie recipe is soft, chewy, delicious and perfect for any occasion. They're our all-time FAVORITE!
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18 Easy Oatmeal Cookies
Easy Oatmeal Cookies
Total Time: 22 minutes
Irresistibly easy oatmeal cookies are a family favorite because they are chewy, soft, and always gone in minutes!!
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19 Best Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Best Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 22 minutes
These best peanut butter cookies are perfectly soft and chewy and come together quickly with only a few ingredients!
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20 White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are sweet + tangy for a perfectly chewy bite. These easy cookies are fan favorites!!
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21 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 24 minutes
Chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a yummy twist on a classic cookie! They are the best cookies to satisfy that sweet tooth.
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22 Gooey Butter Cookie Recipe
Gooey Butter Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 45 minutes
Made easy with a yellow cake mix, these gooey butter cookies are prepped in 5 minutes and have a perfectly addictive chewy texture!
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23 Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 22 minutes
Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are soft and chewy with a hint of cinnamon. They are ready to eat in under 30 minutes from start to finish!
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24 Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are a sweet and crunchy twist on a classic. They will be your new favorite cookie!!
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25 Easy No Bake Cookies
Easy No Bake Cookies
Total Time: 9 minutes
Deliciously chewy easy no bake cookies are ready to enjoy in under 10 minutes – no oven required for this tasty chocolate treat!
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Chocolate Lovers
If chocolate is your thing, we’ve got a list for you! These cookie options bring the cozy hot chocolate vibe to the party.
26 Chocolate Christmas Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Christmas Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 23 minutes
Chocolate Christmas Cookies are filled with M&Ms and holiday cheer. They are festive + sweet, and perfect for sharing!
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27 Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
There's no such thing as too much chocolate when it comes to these easy, decadent Double Chocolate Chip Cookies!! They whip up in minutes!
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28 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
These homemade chocolate crinkle cookies are rich, fudgy, and chewy inside with a soft powdered sugar coating that creates the perfect crackled look.
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29 Nutella Cookies Recipe
Nutella Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
These Nutella Cookies are the most sinfully delicious chocolate cookies. They will become a new favorite in no time!
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30 Chocolate Hershey Kiss Cookies
Chocolate Hershey Kiss Cookies
Total Time: 15 minutes
There's no such thing as too much chocolate when it comes to these easy, decadent chocolate kiss cookies!! They whip up in minutes!
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31 Gooey Rolo Cookies Recipe
Gooey Rolo Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ooey Gooey Chocolate Rolo Cookies are soft and indulgent, filled with a caramel Rolo center! They are quick, easy, & Chocolatey!
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32 Andes Mint Cookies
Andes Mint Cookies
Total Time: 11 minutes
Our 4 ingredient Andes Mint cookies start with a cake mix base and are filled with crushed candies for chocolate and mint perfection!
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33 Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies are soft, chocolate cookies topped with a marshmallow and delicious chocolate frosting.
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34 Flourless Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Flourless Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 48 minutes
Flourless chocolate cookies are a fudgy, naturally gluten-free mix between a cookie and a brownie for chocolate-lover perfection!!
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35 Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 48 minutes
Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies take a shortcut on ingredients but not on flavor! They are packed with chocolate flavor.
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36 Chocolate Dipped Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Dipped Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 28 minutes
Simple Chocolate Dipped Cookies are literally melt-in-your-mouth delicious! With only 3 ingredients, they're perfect any time of the year.
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37 Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
Decadent chocolate peppermint cookies are oozing with chocolate and topped with crunchy crumbles for an easy holiday treat!
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Sugar Cookies
Start with a favorite sugar cookie and add a special holiday flair with frosting and decorations! These sugar cookies are classics for a reason.
38 Frosted Sugar Cookies
Frosted Sugar Cookies
Total Time: 25 minutes
Our ALL-TIME favorite frosted sugar cookies are so soft and have the best, creamy frosting with hints of almond!
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39 Drop Sugar Cookies Recipe
Drop Sugar Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes
Drop sugar cookies will satisfy that sweet tooth in under 30 minutes with no rolling pin required – just drop and bake for delicious cookies!
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40 Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Total Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
Cream cheese sugar cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth cutout cookie. Easy to make and fun to decorate!
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41 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookie Recipe
3 Ingredient Sugar Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Quick, easy, and delicious 3 ingredients sugar cookies are ready in minutes. You can't get easier than that!!
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42 Sugar Cookie Blossoms Recipe
Sugar Cookie Blossoms Recipe
Total Time: 17 minutes
Sugar Cookie Blossoms are a chewy, soft sugar cookie rolled in sugar and topped with a Mint Meltaway candy. They're simple and delicious!
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43 Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar Cookie Bars
Total Time: 35 minutes
Frosted sugar cookie bars are one of everyone's favorite cookies in bar form! They're ready in 30 minutes, and perfect for sharing.
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44 Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
These Chewy Sugar Cookies are SO yummy! A hint of almond extract and a bit of glaze makes these cookies irresistible!
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Chips + Mix-Ins
Easy cookie twists with nuts, candies, and flavored chips for a little extra magic.
45 Almond Cookie Recipe
Almond Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 23 minutes
Tasty almond cookies are soft and a bit chewy. They are easy to make, FULL of flavor, and are sure to be a family fav in no time.
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46 Caramel Cookies Recipe
Caramel Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 22 minutes
Soft and chewy caramel cookies sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt. The perfect combination of sweet and salty in one delicious cookie!
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47 Oatmeal Scotchies Recipe
Oatmeal Scotchies Recipe
Total Time: 27 minutes
These oatmeal scotchies are soft and chewy with pops of butterscotch morsels. They are everything you want in an oatmeal cookie!
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48 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
Soft peanut butter chocolate chip cookies truly knock the socks off of anyone who tries them. They are out of this world!!
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49 Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 49 minutes
Luscious red velvet white chocolate chip cookies are rich yummy. They are loaded with white chocolate chips and under baked to perfection!
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50 White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Total Time: 16 minutes
Our favorite white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are bursting with melty white chocolate and crunchy macadamia nuts in a soft, chewy dough.
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51 Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
Butterscotch cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with butterscotch chips making them a sweet and irresistible treat that’s quick and easy to make.
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52 Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Total Time: 55 minutes
Soft and decadent peanut butter cup cookies are stuffed with a Reese's center for a sweet and salty bite in under 30 minutes!
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53 Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Recipe
Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies are a deliciously tropical twist on the classic oatmeal cookie. They are so tasty, it's impossible to only eat one!
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More Festive Favorites
Festive and full of holiday flavor, these cookies will light up any dessert table.
54 Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 23 minutes
Beautifully delicate thumbprint cookies are quick, easy, and melt-in-your-mouth tasty! They are a best-loved classic cookie.
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55 Christmas Snickerdoodles Recipe
Christmas Snickerdoodles Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Super soft white chocolate dipped Christmas snickerdoodles are chewy and full of cinnamon. They are both festive and delicious!
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56 Eggnog Cookies Recipe
Eggnog Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 22 minutes
Eggnog Cookies bake soft and spiced with nutmeg and a sweet eggnog glaze, easy to mix and make ahead, perfect for gifting and cookie trays.
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57 Eggnog Snickerdoodles Recipe
Eggnog Snickerdoodles Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Our eggnog snickerdoodles are rolled in a nutmeg mixture and topped with an eggnog glaze – a favorite holiday drink turned cookie!
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58 Peppermint Crunch Cookies Recipe
Peppermint Crunch Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
White chocolate dipped Peppermint Crunch Cookies are sprinkled with candy cane bits for double the peppermint and holiday charm.
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59 Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Indulge in nostalgia with these easy no-bake Christmas wreath cookies – fun, kid-friendly goodies, perfect for Christmas!!
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60 Avalanche Cookie Recipe
Avalanche Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes
Avalanche cookies are crispy, crunchy, and filled with peanut butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. They are no-bake and such a fun recipe to try with kids!
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61 Molasses Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Molasses Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Old Fashioned Molasses Crinkle Cookies are perfectly spiced. They are simply delicious, and great for sharing!
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62 Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Chewy chocolate chip cookies bites are mini, but pack a flavor punch! They are filled with creamy chocolate for the perfect bite.
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63 How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
Total Time: 1 hour 26 minutes
Mexican wedding cookies are soft and buttery with almonds in every bite! These powdered sugar-covered cookies are crumbly and delicious.
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64 White Chocolate Crackles Recipe
White Chocolate Crackles Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
White Chocolate Crackles are studded with nuts and white chocolate for a simply tasty cookie that everyone will love!!
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65 White Chocolate Snickerdoodles Recipe
White Chocolate Snickerdoodles Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
White Chocolate Snickerdoodles are the classic cookie with white chips baked throughout! They take regular snickerdoodles to a whole new level of yum!
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66 Easy Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Easy Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 48 minutes
Our 3-ingredient easy shortbread cookies are ready to bake in only 30 minutes and are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
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67 Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes
Soft and chewy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are festive and easy, perfect for the holidays! They bake up in under 15 minutes!
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65+ BEST Christmas Cookies
Enjoy our Favorite Christmas cookies plus dozens of others to bake and share this holiday season!
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
Gingerbread Men
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the cookies
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger, or use 2 tsp for a stronger flavor
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsulphered molasses, spray the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray first to avoid sticking
Royal Icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons clear corn syrup
- food coloring
Confectioners Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- food coloring
Instructions
Gingerbread Men
- In a medium bowl whisk flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and molasses.
- Carefully beat in the flour mixture until it's incorporated.
- Divide the dough in 2, form each half into a round disc, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Work with one ball of dough at a time. If the dough was in the fridge overnight, you may need to let it warm up for 10-15 minutes first.
- On a well-floured countertop using a well-floured rolling pin, roll out one disc of the dough until it's about ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes and place 1-2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes until the tops are set. (This will depend on the size of your cookie cutters and the thickness of the dough). This yields between 25-36 cookies.
Royal Icing
- Whisk powdered sugar, corn syrup, and milk. Mix in a little more milk or powdered sugar as necessary.
- Divide into small bowls and mix with food coloring.
- Decorate the cookies using piping bags, or a knife. We use disposable piping bags and a 4M tip.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy.
- Beat in powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, then beat in 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream. Add in a little extra powdered sugar or milk/cream as necessary.
- Divide the icing into small bowls and mix with food coloring.
- Frost the cookies using piping bags or a knife.
Notes
Pro tip. The dough must stay chilled otherwise it can spread too much in the oven producing a thin flat cookie. Also, be sure that you roll the dough between ¼-⅓ inch thick.
Freeze the dough. Instead of refrigerating the dough, place it into a freeze Ziploc and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
Store. Let the frosting set then store in an airtight container for 3-5 days or place cookies in a freezer-safe bag, separate layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. (Note that any candy decorations may fall off in the freezer.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 54mg, Potassium: 94mg, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 185IU, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The cookies came out perfect and very tasty and delious
I’m so glad they turned out so well for you!
So many cookie recipes to try for Christmas. Thank you for all your great recipes and hope you have a beautiful and Blessed holiday season.
I made the holiday cookies. I omitted sprinkles because I didn’t have any but used the red and green m and m s. They turned out beautifully and are delicious!
Just checking is it better to use regular butter or unsalted butter for your recipes for your butter cookies /sugar cookies double choc chip cookies . Please let me know . Cant wait to try all of these
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your beautiful family! Thank you so much for all of your delicious recipes, your e book, and these cookie recipes!
I can not wait to bake!
Thank you!! That means so much! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!