30 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes for Holiday Baking

Christmas cookie recipes are the first thing I start bookmarking each November, and every year I want a few new ones to bake alongside the family favorites. This roundup is my answer to the yearly question of what to bake: 30 of the best Christmas cookies, from jam-filled Linzers and buttery spritz to snowballs and old-fashioned molasses cookies.

Every recipe comes from a talented food blogger, and each one links to the original post so you can get the full recipe there.

How to Choose Your Christmas Cookie Recipes

A good Christmas baking plan mixes textures, flavors and effort, so the tray looks generous without wearing you out. I like to pick from a few different families of cookie rather than baking five versions of the same thing.

Start with one classic: a butter cookie, spritz or shortbread gives you a reliable base for the rest of the tray.
Add something jam-filled: Linzers and thumbprints bring color without any icing.
Include a spiced cookie: ginger and molasses cookies balance all the butter and sugar.
Pick one showpiece: a decorated cookie or a chocolate standout gives the plate a focal point.
Check the timings: look for chilling, pressing or setting time in each recipe before you plan your baking day.

Linzer Cookies, Thumbprints and Jam-Filled Christmas Cookies

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Jam-filled cookies are the jewels of a Christmas cookie tray. Linzers show off their filling through a little window in the top cookie, while thumbprints hold a spoonful of jam right in the center, and both are lovely ways to use a favorite jar of preserves.

Nutella Linzer Cookies

Photo credit: Feels Like Home

Nutella takes the place of jam in these Linzer sandwich cookies, which look like they came from a fancy bakery but are surprisingly simple to make at home. The post walks you through with clear step-by-step tips.

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Photo credit: Combine Good Flavors

Raspberry and almond is a classic pairing, and a bright jam center makes these thumbprints one of the prettiest cookies on a holiday tray.

Raspberry Ribbon Cookies

Photo credit: Risa's Family Kitchen

Buttery, tender cookies with a ribbon of raspberry jam running down the middle and an almond icing on top. They bring a little old-fashioned charm to the cookie plate.

Festive Spice Linzer Cookies

Photo credit: Rachel Phipps

Austrian-style Linzers gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and sandwiched with damson jam. Even better, the dough needs no chilling.

Grinch Thumbprint Cookies

Photo credit: Hip Hip Gourmet

Soft, buttery Grinch-inspired thumbprints made from scratch, each with a sweet red jam heart in the middle. A playful one for a family baking afternoon.

Vegan Linzer Cookies

Photo credit: Addicted to Dates

Tender almond shortbread sandwiched with fruity jam and made without eggs. A thoughtful choice when you’re baking for friends who eat plant-based.

Mulled Wine Thumbprint Cookies with Plum Jam

Photo credit: Tasty Cue

Soft, spiced thumbprints rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with mulled wine plum jam. They only need 11 minutes in the oven.

Spritz Cookies, Butter Cookies and Shortbread

These are the buttery classics so many of us grew up with. Spritz cookies need a cookie press, while butter cookies and shortbread come together with the tools you already have, and all of them are the kind of cookie people reach for twice.

Holiday Spritz Cookies

Photo credit: Dear Crissy

Buttery spritz pressed into little Christmas trees and wreaths, just like the ones from Grandma’s tin. Crissy also shares her trick for shapes that stick to the pan every time.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Photo credit: My Rad Kitchen

Light, buttery shortbread that melts in your mouth, made with simple ingredients and finished with festive sprinkles.

Classic Butter Cookies

Photo credit: Small Town Woman

One of Beth’s all-time favorite Christmas cookies, with helpful tips that make these pretty, classic butter cookies easy to get right.

Toblerone Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Photo credit: Style and Grace

Tender, buttery shortbread with a big chunk of Toblerone in the center. These are made to be a hit on the holiday sweet table.

Buttery Spritz Cookies

Photo credit: The Short Order Cook

A classic recipe for rich, buttery spritz made with a cookie press in cheerful holiday colors. Bake a batch to sit beside the traditional ones.

Snowball Cookies, Crescents and European Christmas Classics

Snowballs go by plenty of names, from Russian tea cakes to Mexican wedding cookies, and their powdered sugar coat is a Christmas tradition in its own right. I’ve added a few European favorites here too, from Austrian vanilla crescents to German almond cookies and Greek kourabiedes.

Snowball Cookies

Photo credit: Mom Foodie

Buttery snowball cookies that melt in your mouth, finished with a snowy coat of powdered sugar. Few cookies say Christmas quite like a plate of these.

Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Photo credit: Combine Good Flavors

Traditional Austrian Vanillekipferl: melt-in-your-mouth crescents dusted with vanilla sugar. A lovely way to bring a European Christmas tradition into your kitchen.

Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

Photo credit: Trop Rockin

A twist on the classic, with mini chocolate chips in buttery snowballs coated in powdered sugar. Made with holiday cookie trays in mind.

German Almond Christmas Cookies

Photo credit: Little Nomads Recipes

Marie’s German mother-in-law’s Mandelplätzchen: slice-and-bake cookies with ground almonds in the dough and flaked almonds on top.

Chocolate Kourabiedes

Photo credit: Chef's Pencil

Kourabiedes are one of the symbols of a Greek Christmas, and this version gives the traditional butter cookies a chocolate twist.

Old-Fashioned Ginger, Molasses and Spice Cookies

Nothing makes a kitchen smell more like Christmas than a batch of spiced cookies in the oven. These range from soft, chewy molasses cookies to thin, crisp gingerbread and Swiss Läckerli, so there’s a texture for everyone.

Amish Molasses Cookies

Photo credit: Two Pink Peonies

An old-fashioned favorite with crisp edges, soft and chewy middles and just the right amount of spice and sweetness.

Soft Ginger Cookies

Photo credit: Mommy Evolution

Warm spices and rich browned butter, finished with a crackly sugar coating. Soft, sweet and very easy to love.

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

Photo credit: Next Level Baker

Soft-centered gingerbread cookies rolled in powdered sugar for that classic crackle on top. They’re easy to make and always disappear fast.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Ginger Molasses Cookies

Photo credit: Liv's Little Muffins

Chocolate, spice and sweetness all in one chewy cookie. A good pick when you can’t decide between chocolate and ginger, and lovely with a hot drink on a cold day.

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

Photo credit: The Oregon Dietitian

All the cozy warmth of a holiday molasses cookie, in a recipe made a little healthier with a sneaky dose of fiber.

Piparkukas Latvian Gingerbread Cookies

Photo credit: The Lavender Apron

Thin, crisp Latvian gingerbread made with malt extract and honey, rebuilt from Marissa’s family Christmas recipe.

Basler Läckerli Swiss Gingerbread Bars

Photo credit: An Edible Mosaic

A traditional spiced Christmas cookie from Basel, Switzerland, made with honey, nuts, candied citrus peel and kirschwasser.

Decorated, Chocolate and Gift-Ready Christmas Cookies

If you’d like to go further with one style of cookie, I have a dedicated roundup for each of these. Here are a couple of favorites from each to get you started.

For the Decorating Table

These two are made for an afternoon of icing and sprinkles. For more designs, from simple sprinkle cookies to piped cutouts, browse my Christmas cookie decorating ideas for every skill level.

Christmas Polar Bear Cookies

Photo credit: EatCookBake

Shortbread rounds become cute polar bears with glacé icing, chocolate buttons and coconut. Fun, festive and easy to make.

Cut Out Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Photo credit: Creators of Coffee

Simple cut out sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees. They add a festive touch to your holiday baking and a Christmas cookie box.

For the Chocolate Lovers

Chocolate cookies are always the first to disappear. You’ll find crinkles, hot cocoa cookies and plenty more in my chocolate Christmas cookies for chocolate lovers.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Photo credit: State of Dinner

Soft, brownie-like cookies sprinkled with crushed peppermint. They’re easy to make and need no chill time.

Nutella Candy Cane Cookies

Photo credit: Unique Cooks

Soft chocolate hazelnut cookies with Nutella centers and a peppermint topping, made with just five ingredients.

For Gift Boxes and Cookie Swaps

When you’re baking to share, choose cookies that hold their shape and keep well. My easy Christmas cookies for cookie swaps and gift boxes has lots more ideas that travel well.

German Cinnamon Stars (Zimtsterne)

Photo credit: Rachel Phipps

An easy festive bake that Rachel recommends making as Christmas gifts, or serving with coffee after a holiday meal.

Double-Dusted Pecan Snowballs

Photo credit: Dear Crissy

Buttery pecan cookies rolled twice in powdered sugar. They melt in your mouth, freeze well and travel happily to cookie swaps.

How to Plan Your Christmas Baking Days

Spreading your holiday baking over a few sessions keeps it fun rather than frantic. A little planning also means you’re not buying butter at 9pm on Christmas Eve.

Make a short list: choose four to six recipes and note which ones need chilling, a cookie press or decorating.
Read the storage notes: each blogger explains how long their cookies keep, so bake the longest keepers first.
Save filling and decorating for later: sandwich jam cookies and add icing closer to serving or gifting.
Store each type separately: keep crisp and soft cookies in different containers so they hold their texture.
Put it in your plan: pencil your baking days into your Christmas planner so they don’t get squeezed out.

For more help getting ready for the holidays, my Christmas planning ideas page brings budgets, menus and food shopping together in one place. For cupcakes, fudge and other sweets to round out your tray, browse the Christmas treats collection. Happy baking, and I hope your kitchen smells wonderful all December.

Luci McQuitty Hindmarsh

Hello, I’m Luci, founder of Mums Make Lists. The site is full of useful and fun ideas for life and seasonal celebrations. Plus a growing selection of instantly downloadable fun printables and party planners. Read more.

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