40 Christmas cookies recipes
One of the best parts of the holidays is the baking. After all, nothing adds a little sweetness to the season quite like a fresh plate of sugar cookies or a warm yule log.
The practice of baking cookies specifically for Christmas dates back to the 16th century, and can be seen across the world in countless variations today. Most still consider gingerbread to be the ancestor of the modern Christmas cookie. Gingerbread itself originated with the German lebkuchen, a soft, spiced biscuit that dates back to at least the 13th century. Inventions like icing and cookie cutters arrived over the following centuries, opening up new possibilities for Christmas cookie designs
In the years since, professional and amateur chefs have developed hundreds of thousands of different recipes for everyone's favorite holiday treat. Some of them are mind-blowingly delicious, others less than delectable. In order to help you narrow down your options this holiday season, Stacker compiled a list of the best and most unique Christmas cookie recipes from Allrecipes.
Perfect Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 20 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 20
- Yield: 20 to 24 cookies
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Hedgehog Cookies
- Prep: 1 hr
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs
- Total: 3 hrs 10 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 4 dozen cookies
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Royal Icing II
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 3
- Read more about the recipe here
Russian Tea Cakes I
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Additional: 3 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Additional: 10 mins
- Total: 80 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Chocolate Pecan Sandies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Additional: 30 mins
- Total: 65 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Citrus Shortbread Cookies
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 4 hrs
- Total: 4 hrs 35 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Crescent Butter Biscuits
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 40 mins
- Servings: 100
- Yield: 100 cookies
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Chocolate Crinkles II
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Additional: 4 hrs 28 mins
- Total: 4 hrs 60 mins
- Servings: 72
- Yield: 6 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Peanut Blossoms II
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Additional: 48 mins
- Total: 90 mins
- Servings: 84
- Yield: 7 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Sugar Cookie Icing
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 1 dozen cookies' worth
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here
Easy Sugar Cookies
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 15 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 18
- Yield: 1 1/2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Additional: 40 mins
- Total: 80 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 16
- Read more about the recipe here
Original Nestle® Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 9 mins
- Additional: 15 mins
- Total: 39 mins
- Servings: 60
- Yield: 60 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Scotcharoos
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 30 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 24 bars
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Soft Christmas Cookies
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 8 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs 32 mins
- Total: 2 hrs 60 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Date Nut Pinwheel Cookies II
- Servings: 60
- Yield: 5 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Drommar
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Total: 57 mins
- Servings: 25
- Yield: 50 cookies
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Pizzelles III
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Cinnamon Stars
- Servings: 18
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Cranberry Cornmeal Linzer Cookies
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 55 mins
- Servings: 42
- Yield: 42 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here
Meringue Mushrooms
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 45 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 36 mushrooms
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Gingerbread Cookies
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 30
- Yield: 2 1/2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 25 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Sicilian Fig Cookies
- Servings: 72
- Yield: 6 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Prep: 1 hr 20 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 1 hr 35 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 3 dozen cookies
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Traditional Springerle
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Additional: 8 hrs
- Total: 8 hrs 35 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 48 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Speculaas Cookies or Spicy Sinterklass Cakes
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 30 mins
- Servings: 30
- Yield: 30 small cookies
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here
Perfect Coconut Macaroons
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 45 mins
- Total: 80 mins
- Servings: 18
- Yield: 18 macaroons
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs 30 mins
- Total: 2 hrs 60 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Orange Slice Cookies I
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 6 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Chocolate Mint Candies Cookies
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 50 mins
- Total: 80 mins
- Servings: 40
- Yield: 3 to 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Eggnog Thumbprints
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Additional: 28 mins
- Total: 60 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Oma Kiener's Hazelnut Christmas Cookies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Additional: 8 hrs
- Total: 8 hrs 27 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 48 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Reindeer Cookies
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 36
- Yield: 3 dozen cookies
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Tina's Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Fudge Puddles
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Servings: 60
- Yield: 5 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 25 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
