The best easy Christmas Cookie Recipes and decorating tips for your annual holiday party, family baking day and Christmas cookie exchange. Amazing, classic and creative cookies everyone will love!
Fill your cookie jar with festive homemade cookies, frosted and decorated for the holiday season. These also make the cutest gifts for friends, family, neighbors and everyone on your list!
Every holiday has its own fun and bit of magic, but Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year when traditions are celebrated and memories are made.
One of the most special traditions? Baking! I’ve been developing recipes for years. That’s led to far too many cookie taste-testing scenarios in my kitchen but it means a plethora of delicious baked goodies for you and 50+ Christmas Cookie Recipes.
This post is packed to the brim with tips, tricks, and suggestions for making your Christmas cookie baking so much easier and more fun.
Make it a family tradition and bake with loved ones this weekend! You’ll never regret the time spent together in the kitchen. Baking Christmas cookies with the girls is one of my favorites!
The Best Baking Tools
Baking Supplies
Before you get started, stock and refresh your pantry for stress free baking with this complete baking supply checklist.
The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes
Creative Cookies
Meringues
Pecan Cookies
Stuffed Cookies
Mint Cookies
Classic Cookies
Gooey Butter Cookies
Bars
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Christmas Cookie Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Bring refrigerated ingredients (eggs, butter, cream cheese, etc) to room temperature for best results. This prevents them from being too soft, making your cookies fall flat, or too cold, where they do not incorporate or add enough air into the mixture.
- Measuring Matters – Use dry and liquid measuring cups. Spoon or sift flour into dry measuring cup. Level dry ingredients using the dull side of a knife. This will ensure an exact amount without packing down your ingredient.
- Oven Temperature – Use an oven thermometer to ensure temperature accuracy or bake 1-2 cookies before baking an entire batch.
- Bake Time – Cookies typically take 7-10 minutes to bake. Less bake time produces a gooier, chewier cookie. More bake time yields a crunchier cookie. Let cookies cool on baking sheet 1 minute to set, then transfer to a wire baking rack to prevent them from continuing to bake on the hot cookie sheet.
Baking Substitutions
The ultimate baking substitution guide.
Christmas Cookie Storage Tips
- Store in a Christmas tin or airtight container.
- Room Temperature – Fresh cookies will last at room temperature for about three days, up to seven depending on the style of cookie.
- Freeze – Shortbread and Sugar Cookies freeze especially well. Use parchment to layer undecorated cookies in a freezer safe bag. Freeze up to three months. Most cookies can be frozen. Stack in a freezer bag and place in an airtight container to prevent freezer odors from seeping in. Remove from freezer and freezer bag. Bring to room temperature to serve.
- Choose wisely – some cookies ship better than others, like shortbreads, sugar cookies, etc.
- Use food safe materials. Parchment paper is easy to cut to fit any box and of course, food safe.
- Choose sturdy materials. If they need to be airtight, use tins.
- Package your cookies inside a box, then fill a second box with packing material, insert the box and surround it with packing material.
- Don’t skimp on the packing supplies. Save peanuts, bubble wrap, etc to ensure that the box inside the box won’t move.
- Ship USPS Priority. It’s quick, reasonable and can deliver anywhere…even military bases. Lesson learned.
I hope you enjoy all of these Christmas Cookie recipes! I can’t wait to hear which one is YOUR favorite!
Wow, Julie, thanks for this amazing list! I’ve made your Pecan Pie Cookies and they’re sooooo goooood!
Thank you, Becky! Those are one of my favorites, too. I love the texture! Happy Baking!
Best flight ever !
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes! I can hardly wait to get started! My Christmas cookies are going to be amazing, thanks to you! Blessings!
Hello Lupe,
Thank you for the kind words, you made my day!
I hope you enjoy them- Merry Christmas!
Julie
I am excited to try your cookie recipes. They look delicious. Is there a way to print all 50 of the recipes at once? I’d like to try to these throughout the next year. Thanks!
Unfortunately, no, you’d have to go to each individual recipe, but I can’t wait to hear which is your favorite!
I ?your cookies!!
Thank you!