Christmas cookies are not just for Santa! Everybody loves to cuddle up by the fireplace with hot cocoa in one hand and a freshly-baked cookie in another. Whether you go right to the chocolate or you’re more of a ginger snap fan, there’s a Christmas cookie for everyone, and it’s all about finding the right recipe. On our list of 21 popular Christmas cookie recipes, you’re sure to find your soulmate in sweetness. The best part about this particular treat? They’re not just dessert—they also make a fun and rewarding activity to enjoy while watching a favourite Christmas movie or cranking up the Christmas tunes.

21. Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies are a delicious holiday treat that’s soft and moist with crushed candy cane on top! They’re perfect for holiday parties and as do-it-yourself holiday gifts. The first step is to make some easy homemade dark chocolate cookies. Then you dip them halfway into melted candy melts or white chocolate. Finally, you sprinkle on some crushed candy cane or peppermint for tricolour holiday perfection! This is one of the most delicious Christmas cookie recipes ever.
Get the recipe here.

20. Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe

Soft, luscious Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are easy and perfect for holiday festivities. Whether it’s for a party, holiday cookie exchange or gifts for the neighbours, these are perfect.
Who doesn’t love food with the word gooey or butter in the title! These are not only tempting and fun, the powdered sugar coating makes them extra special. Adding almond and orange extracts makes them taste like Christmas. They are usually a favourite around the holiday dessert table. Adding the sprinkles to the dough adds colour and fun. When you add them afterwards too, it gives a bit of crunch and fun. I love the crunch from the small round sprinkles. They melt in your mouth amazing. These Gooey Butter Cookies are definitely the most delicious Christmas cookie recipes you will want to have on hand.
Get the recipe here.

19. Cranberry Orange Pecan Cookies

These Cranberry Orange Pecan cookies are pretty un-fussy. The most time-consuming part is the chilling time, but other than that you just mix everything together, shape them into logs, then slice and bake. You can freeze the dough too, which means you can make these ahead! These are soft and chewy like every good cookie should be. The flavour combination of orange and cranberry is the perfect holiday flavour!
Get the recipe here.

18. Lemon Sugar Cookies

I may be a chocoholic but these cookies got me from the first bite. Actually, I lie. It was from the first bite of cookie dough because after one taste, I was hooked! Since my Mom loves all things lemon, I decided I had to break free from my chocolate love affair and make something that she would love – a sweet, soft lemon sugar Cookie.
This cookie is bursting with fresh lemon flavour without being too tart and if you could imagine a marriage between a soft sugar cookie and a tangy lemon, you will get this delectable lemon sugar cookie. This is a soft, chewy lemon cookie with a light lemon flavour. It is a simple, crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone loves! Add more lemon zest for extra lemon flavour.
Get the recipe here.

17. Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies

These insanely delicious turtle cookies start with a chocolate batter and are loaded with caramel pieces, pecans, and chocolate chips. Chocolate caramel cookies are soft & chewy plus look at those puddles of caramel! Ready to eat in 30 minutes, you don’t have to chill the Cookie Dough!
If you like cookies that are slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these will hit the spot.
Plus the combination of chocolate, pecans and caramel is on point. And the best part is that you can modify the number of add-ins you want. Want more pecans? Add them! More chocolate? Oh yes! Bigger puddles of caramel? Do it. I’m thinking these turtle cookies will look pretty good on a Christmas cookie platter!
Get the recipe here.

16. Cherry Almond Cookies

Soft and buttery shortbread cookies flavoured with cherry and almond then finished off with sweet white chocolate. There are three main ingredients in shortbread cookies. Butter, sugar, and flour. Diet cookies? These are not. All three are imperative to the structure, texture, and taste of shortbread cookies. I’ve had a lot of problems in the past with shortbread cookies spreading. There’s so much butter that spreading is often an issue unless you have the right recipe. There are also no eggs present to give the cookies structure. This is one of the most amazing healthy Christmas cookie recipes ever.
Get the recipe here.

15. Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups made with sugar cookie dough are filled with hot chocolate ganache, have a pretzel handle and mini marshmallows on top! Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are perfect for cold winter days and they are a fun holiday cookie to bring to Christmas parties, cookie exchanges and potluck! They do take a little extra time to make because attaching the pretzel handles is time-consuming but the hot chocolate cookies cups are so cute that it’s worth it. And everyone loves the smooth hot chocolate ganache that they are filled with!
Get the recipe here.

14. Sugar Cookie Frosting

I’ve had way too many sugar cookies that are beautifully decorated but don’t actually taste good. I am ALL about flavour, so the flavour should never be secondary. This frosting won’t give you quite the precision that you get from decorating with something like royal icing, BUT, you will be blown away by the flavour difference. This is a buttercream-style frosting recipe that has a smooth and creamy texture with a sweet and buttery vanilla flavour. These are just so delicious and irresistible and it’s one of the best Christmas cookie recipes I have ever had.
Get the recipe here.

13. Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Your holiday cookie game is about to be strong. These easy pinwheel cookies are beyond mesmerizing but also so easy simple to make. A basic sugar cookie dough gets dyed red and then the doughs simply get rolled together to create the swirl. The sprinkles are optional but they add so much extra fun! These Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are sure to be the star of your holiday cookie plates! Bring them to a cookie swap and watch everyone’s eyes light up!
Get the recipe here.

12. Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies have no nuts so they’re allergy-friendly – and hello, CHOCOLATE. These are one of my MOST POPULAR Christmas cookie recipes! These chocolate chip snowball cookies are made with no eggs and just 6 ingredients! Simple, sweet, and utterly addictive, these buttery cookies melt in your mouth! Be sure to coat yours with a generous dusting of powdered sugar while they’re still warm for that classic “snowball” look. The texture is perfect as is, the cookie melts in your mouth alongside melty mini chocolate chips… pure heaven in snowball cookie form.
Get the recipe here.

11. Butter Cookies

These crisp, delicious butter cookies have lots of amazing butter flavour and a melt in the mouth consistency that will have you coming back for more. Good old fashioned butter cookies are hard to beat! These holiday staples are delicious any time of the year and the best part is the dough can be made months ahead and baked for an amazing on-demand treat!
I love the simple flavours and perfect crumb of the cookie. They’re light and not too sweet so I can eat them en masse and still have a skip in my step. This is a simple butter cookie that can be used in a cookie press, as a drop cookie or made into a roll and sliced. There is no mystery cookie for a cookie press…any stiff butter type can be used. Just be sure to chill it thoroughly so it keeps its shape while baking.
Get the recipe here.

10. Christmas Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

These Christmas Red Velvet Sugar Cookies are very easy to make and you need only basic ingredients for them. They are based on classic sugar Christmas cookie recipes but I red velvet them up. They have that delicious tang and chocolate flavour that makes a red velvet recipe perfect.
There are so many ways to make sugar cookies and adding cream cheese is most definitely my new standard. A little bit of cream cheese frosting produces a richer, softer and creamier sugar cookie. Finally, add holiday coloured sprinkles on top of each cookie and they are ready to go! Christmas Red Velvet Sugar Cookies are a family favourite Christmas cookie and perfect for holiday gift-giving. These cookies are one of my favourites.
Get the recipe here.

9. Soft Maple Sugar Cookies Recipe

With big flavour, crisp edges, and mega chewy centres, these maple brown sugar cookies are a definite favourite. Top with maple icing for the ultimate fall cookie! Chilling the cookie dough is imperative, so set aside 2 hours or prepare the cookie dough the day before. The maple icing sets, so are perfect for stacking and transporting. Because trust me, you’ll want to bring these everywhere you go. Football game? Bring them. Party? Bring them. Bake sale? Sell them. No occasion at all? Make them.
Get the recipe here.

8. Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Ginger Cookie Cups with Pumpkin Cheesecake are a delicious dessert that’s perfect for the holidays! The best seasonal flavours like molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin come together in these little bites. Ginger and pumpkin are perfectly combined in these simple & irresistible cookies. They’re easy to make and are great for holiday parties! The cookies taste like gingerbread and the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling inside just adds another level of awesome to every portable cup. These truly are some of the most perfect holiday cheesecake bites you could ask for.
Get the recipe here.

7. Christmas Sprinkle Cookie Cups

These Christmas sprinkle cookie cups are exactly what you want in a holiday cookie. They are cute, simple to make, festive, and of course, they’re delicious. It’s no secret that I love sugar cookies and decorating them with the kids is one of my favourite traditions. But sometimes you just need a recipe that doesn’t involve chilling dough, rolling it out, cookie cutters, and the mess of 4 kids with bowls full of icing. And for those times I bring you these sugar cookie cups. The cookies are made from a basic sugar cookie dough with plenty of red and green sprinkles mixed in. You bake them in a mini muffin tin so that they form these cute little festive cookie cups. After they cool you top them with a little dollop of vanilla frosting and then add even more sprinkles. The end result is adorable and delicious!
Get the recipe here.

6. Raspberry Pinwheel Cookies

One of my favourite things about these Raspberry Pinwheel cookies is that it is easy to make look good. There is no complicated decorating for these cookies. You just roll them and slice them and they come out round with swirls of jam topped off with sparkling sugar. The only thing you need to make these cookies look good is some patience because making them does involve some waiting while the dough chills. These are just so delicious to resist and is one of the best Christmas cookie recipes ever.
Get the recipe here.

5. Original Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies Recipe

These Peppermint Oreo Cookies are tender, chewy, and melt in your mouth. A perfect cookie to make ahead that’s always a hit at any party! The Peppermint Oreo Cookie is a phenomenal cookie because this cookie includes mint, dark chocolate chips, and it’s SIMPLE! Remember, I’m all about making baking easy, so this cookie recipe is up to my alley. The Peppermint flavour is NOT strong, which is really nice because I don’t like the mint overpowering the rest of the flavours. I really hope you guys love this cookie as much as I do, please let me know if you do try this recipe!
Get the recipe here.

4. Cinnamon Roll Cookies

This cinnamon roll recipe makes classic, home-style cinnamon rolls. They’re fluffy, soft, and topped with vanilla glaze. It’s taken me some time to develop quick cinnamon rolls that maintain all the flavour of traditional overnight cinnamon rolls. If you love cinnamon, these are one of the best ones among the Christmas cookie recipes.
Get the recipe here.

3. Peppermint Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies stuffed with peppermint patties. These Peppermint Patty Stuffed Chocolate Cookies are a perfect treat for any time of year! Are you a fan of peppermint patties? I absolutely love the combination of mint and chocolate. It’s right up there with peanut butter and chocolate for me, I really can’t get enough of the two.
If it were perfectly acceptable, I could probably live off of them. The chocolate cookie dough only takes a few minutes to whip up. Once you’re done making it, you want to chill the dough. I know I say this all the time, but chilling the dough is important especially in this recipe. The dough will be quite sticky, chilling it will make it MUCH easier to work with when you’re stuffing the peppermint patties into it.
Get the recipe here.

2. Maraschino Cherry Cookies

Maraschino Cherry Cookies are so pretty! A shortbread cookie dough with chopped maraschino cherries and miniature chocolate chips – perfect for cookie trays and gift-giving. These delicious Maraschino Cherry Cookies have been a STAPLE in our Christmas cookie list every year for at least the last 5 years!
Something about the combination of chocolate and cherry in these cookies makes them so pretty and addictive! Be sure to wear gloves when chopping the maraschino cherries or the red juice will definitely stain your hands for a day or two. This is a job you can give older kiddo that wants to help with the cookie baking this season!
Get the recipe here.

1. Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Santa Cookies

Hey, Christmas is on its way, and I know there is a lot to do at home. From decorating to shopping and what else not, in that much chaos, it becomes tough to come up with something delicious to treat your guests. Are you looking for a super easy recipe? If so, then today I’m here with my super delicious recipe— Cake Mix chocolate chip Santa cookies. Yeah!!!
This recipe is the best for Christmas. Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Santa Cookies are the best, and children love them a lot and crave them. You can give these cookies to kids in the morning with a hot glass of milk. The recipe is super fun and easy. So what are you waiting for guys? Let’s make some awesome Christmas cookie recipes this Christmas and enjoy with your family and friends.
Get the recipe here.

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21 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes That Everyone Will Love!