Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (2024)

Sugar cookies, chocolate cookies, butter cookies and more will add a little sparkle, a little dazzle and lots of memories to your holiday season.

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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies with Watercolor Icing

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (1)

These crisp, airy cookies taste like old-fashioned bakery cookies—but they're decorated in a totally modern way that's fun and so kid-friendly. The "canvas" is royal icing, and the "paint" is just food coloring!

How to Decorate Dazzling Cookies

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Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Stars

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (2)

These buttery cookies are a staff favorite at Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor and look beautiful on a holiday cookie plate. The recipe comes from the cookbook Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day (Chronicle, $30).

Zingerman's Cooking Classes Teach What You Knead to Know (Really!)

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Pepparkakor

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Kim Van Patten says these Swedish spice cookies are popular at Christmas. Heart shapes are traditional to encourage kindness and sweetness. It certainly is nice that her Iowa State Fair blue-ribbon winners are mixed up in one saucepan!

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Macarons

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (4)

This festive recipe comes from Nathan Sivitz of Macaron Bar in Cincinnati. Try with his White Chocolate and Vanilla Whipped Ganache—or fill cookies with fruit curd, dulce de leche or dark chocolate ganache. Check out Sivitz's step-by-step guide and problem-solving tips.

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Vanilla Bean Sables

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (5)

Simple. Elegant. Buttery. These vanilla bean cookies are the perfect slice-and-bake treat, and you can make them four ways.

5 Sweet Holiday Gifts

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

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These easy, nostalgic-tasting cookies are a favorite of Stephanie Simmons, the Wisconsin blogger behind Blue Bowl Recipes and author of the cookbook, The One-Bowl Baker. Use your favorite preserves—Stephanie likes raspberry.

The Midwest's Best Cookie Recipes

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Sandbakkels

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (7)

Sandbakkels means "sand tarts" because the cookies (which, flipped over, can double as tiny shells to hold cream and fruit) have such a fine, crisp texture. Find them in Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

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Sugar Cookies Like You Remember

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (8)

Nutmeg lends unmistakable holiday flavor to these puffy, old-fashioned cut-out cookies. They do spread a bit, so don't use this recipe for delicate shapes. It's best-suited for circles, bells and the like.

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Peanut Butter Temptations

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (9)

Calling all peanut butter fans! These cookies offer double-the-PB compared to the classic peanut blossom cookie with a chocolate kiss on top. And they couldn't be easier.

So-Good Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes

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Mindy Segal's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (10)

These to-die-for cookies use special chocolate and two kinds of salt, and they call for an overnight chill—and you can absolutely taste the difference. Because of the expense and time involved, we don't recommend them for any old weekend, but they are incredible for a gift or other special occasion. The recipe comes from Chicago chef Mindy Segal's cookbook Cookie Love.

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Valencia Delights

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (11)

Orange and chocolate: a holiday cookie match that will tempt every Santa to take seconds. This recipe comes from Jill Drury in Milwaukee, who created these cookies with her grandmother.

Favorite Family Holiday Recipes

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Oaxacan Mexican Chocolate Cookies

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The recipe for these ultra-rich, cinnamon-laced cookies comes from the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago.

Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

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Caramel Heavenlies

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (13)

Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. The recipe comes from Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan.

Best Holiday Desserts

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Lebkuchen

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (14)

The secret to perfect lebkuchen is in the resting phase after glazing. An apple wedge in the storage container provides moisture that softens the cookies. This German classic is from Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

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Crispy Gingerbread

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (15)

This festively spiced recipe (with a hint of orange zest) makes thin, crunchy cookies that work well for gingerbread houses, edible place cards and ornaments.

Gingerbread Recipes for the Holidays

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Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheels

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (16)

These cookies are easier than they look. Make one batch of dough, divide it in half, and blend cocoa into one portion and crushed candy canes and peppermint extract into the other.

Holiday Peppermint Recipes

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Fanciful Raspberry Ribbons

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These festive "bake-and-slice" cookies look stunning on a tray of holiday desserts.

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Lemon Sugar Cookies

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (18)

The light lemon flavor gives these sparkling sugar cookies a little special twist. Judy Kiburz Harrison's recipe won best-in-class at the Iowa State Fair.

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Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

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These cookies from the Inn at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio, make a colorful treat anytime of year.

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Tosca Diamonds

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (20)

These cookies are extremely rich, so cut them into small bars. We love the indulgent flourish of the caramel sauce, but the cookies are delicious without it.

11 Scandinavian Cookie Recipes

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Holiday Seven-Layer Bars

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (21)

Chocolate, nuts, coconut and more fill our easy-to-make bar cookies. Mixed dried fruit bits and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces are among the layers that make this bar cookie distinctive.

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Polvorones

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (22)

Polvorones are Mexico's crispy, airy answer to shortbread (you may know them as Mexican wedding cookies). Food writer Shauna Sever coats them in cinnamon sugar for a churro-like effect.

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Lingonberry Hearts

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A "window" on the top of these cookies shows off the jam inside, but if you're feeling lazy, just sandwich the preserves between two solid cookies. They'll taste just as good.

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Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (24)

This tender pastry cookie, a cousin to Jewish rugelach, has Polish origins. In her book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, Shauna Sever's apricot filling nods to Hungary.

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Fat Molasses Cookies

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (25)

Packed with flavor from molasses, ginger, cinnamon and brown sugar, these cookies look especially nice when cut with a scalloped or round cutter and sprinkled with coarse sugar or crystallized ginger.

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Triple Peanut Butter Streusel Bars

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Dry-roasted peanuts, peanut butter-flavored pieces and peanut butter bring triple flavor to this make-ahead bar cookie.

Our Best Bar Cookies

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Anisette Buttons

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (27)

"Anisettes feel so Italian because it's about abundance," says Chicago food writer Shauna Sever, of these deliciously soft, cakey cookies with a licorice flavor. "Small bites, but a huge yield."

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Date Pinwheel Cookies

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (28)

Minneapolis blogger Alyssa Ruesch says it's not Christmas without these slice-and-bake cookies. It's her grandma's recipe.

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White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (29)

Dip these cherry-studded cookies in melted white chocolate, then roll in nonpareils and edible glitter for extra color.

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Cranberry Date Puffs

Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (30)

These addictive, puff pastry-wrapped cookies have a sweet, nutty filling and are delicious when they're still slightly warm. If you have a food processor, they're a cinch to make.

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Christmas Cookie Recipes to Treasure (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

#1 Iced Sugar Cookie

The Iced Sugar Cookie takes the top spot, stealing the show as the most favorite Christmas cookie with classic sweetness and festive decorations. Simple, delicious, and a canvas for creativity- it's the “go-to” for holiday bakers.

What is the favorite Christmas cookie survey? ›

Among those who can make a single choice, frosted sugar cookies lead the list (32%), with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) rounding out the top three.

What was the first Christmas cookie? ›

History. Modern Christmas cookies can trace their history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits, when many modern ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the west.

How to do the cookie challenge? ›

Have you heard of The Cookie Challenge? The rules are simple, but winning is difficult. To start, tilt your head back and place your favorite cookie on your forhead. In less than 60 seconds, can you navigate the cookie down your face and into your mouth - without using your hands.

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

What is the most loved cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one.

What does Santa eat instead of cookies? ›

In the United States, many children leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Santa. Some families deviate from the norm by leaving Santa and his reindeer carrots, pizza, or even celery.

What cookie was not invented until 1938? ›

It wasn't until very recently, around 1938, that chocolate chip cookies were first invented. Unlike a lot of other things, the chocolate chip cookie was not invented by accident. During the 1930s, a chef named Ruth Graves Wakefield decided to give something different to her customers.

What is the oldest cookie in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.

What is the name of the Christmas man cookie? ›

A gingerbread man is a biscuit or cookie made from gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized human being, although other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.)

Is the umbrella cookie hard? ›

Dalgona is one tough cookie- pun intended. My fiancé thought that he could best umbrella since I had done it with 5 whole minutes to spare! I decided to give him a grace period of just completing it in the 10 minutes without breaking it. Umbrella is definitely harder than it looks!!

What is the cookie game rule? ›

Place a cookie in the center of your forehead, not touching the eyebrows. Use only your face to move the cookie from your forehead to your mouth. The cookie must remain in contact with your face, so you can't try to toss it from your forehead and catch it in your mouth.

How does the Christmas cookie challenge work? ›

About the show

In Christmas Cookie Challenge, five confident and daring bakers compete to prove their holiday cookie-making skills. Tough-love judges are on hand to crown the holiday cookie master, who will go home with a $10,000 prize!

What is the number one selling cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

Which cookie has been deemed most popular during Christmas? ›

According to Google Trends data, first published by Axios, a lot of people took to the internet between December 3 and December 9 to hunt down different cookies (to buy or to bake, we don't know, but either way, it's a tasty search). However, there was one cookie that topped them all: gingerbread.

Which Christmas cookies last the longest? ›

Shortbread cookies and spritz cookies are real holiday troopers, lasting a bit longer than the rest. These buttery and crumbly cookies are a great option for a holiday cookie. Shortbread is known for its rich flavor, while spritz cookies are often made with a cookie press.

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