20 Christmas Cookie Recipes for the Ultimate Holiday Cookie Tray

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Nothing says the holidays like a kitchen that smells of butter, molasses, and peppermint. Whether you’re planning a cookie exchange, filling gift tins for the neighbors, or baking with the kids, this list has a cookie for every kind of baker.

You’ll find cut-out classics, no-fuss drop cookies, elegant sandwich cookies, and even a no-bake treat. Every recipe comes from a talented baker, with their photo and a link to the full recipe.

How to Plan a Christmas Cookie Tray

• One cut-out cookie for decorating: gingerbread (No. 1) or Christmas tree sugar cookies (No. 7).
• Something chocolatey: crinkles (No. 3), chocolate peppermint kiss cookies (No. 11), or Andes mint cookies (No. 16).
• A buttery melt-in-your-mouth bite: snowballs (No. 5), whipped shortbread (No. 10), or classic shortbread (No. 18).
• A showstopper: linzer cookies (No. 6), rugelach (No. 9), or the gingerbread thumbprints (No. 13).
• Quick and kid-friendly: peanut butter blossoms (No. 2) and no-bake cornflake wreaths (No. 20).

Christmas Baking Essentials

• A tilt-head stand mixer: makes creaming butter and big batches much easier
• A medium cookie scoop: for even, same-size drop cookies
• A half sheet pan with cooling grid: bakes evenly, and the grid doubles as a cooling rack
• A silicone baking mat: for no-stick baking and easy cleanup
• A French rolling pin: for cut-out cookies
• A Christmas cookie cutter set: for trees, stars, and other holiday shapes
• Disposable piping bags: for icing and decorating
• Christmas cookie tins: for gifting and storing

1. Gingerbread Cookies

Soft but sturdy cut-out gingerbread cookies, warmly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses, and made for decorating. The dough is sturdy enough to handle rolling, cutting, and decorating.

Why it works: A dough built to be soft yet sturdy is the sweet spot for cookies that are fun to decorate and still pleasant to eat.

Make-ahead: Chill the dough up to a few days ahead and bake when the kids are ready to decorate.

Tools you need: a gingerbread boy cookie cutter, a French rolling pin, and disposable piping bags

👉 Get the recipe at Handle the Heat

2. Peanut Butter Blossoms

The classic cookie-tray staple: soft peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar and crowned with a chocolate kiss while still warm. The creator’s card puts them at under 20 minutes, which makes them one of the quickest bakes here.

Time: About 19 minutes from start to finish, per the creator’s card.

Best for: Baking with kids. Unwrapping the kisses is the perfect small-helper job.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and a half sheet pan with cooling grid

👉 Get the recipe at Spend With Pennies

3. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Fudgy, brownie-like chocolate cookies are rolled in powdered sugar so they crack into a snowy crinkle pattern as they bake. The dough needs a long chill, so start them early.

Why it works: Cocoa and oil keep the centers soft and fudgy, while the powdered sugar coating gives the dramatic crackle.

Make-ahead: Chilled dough is easier to roll, so this is a good one to mix the night before.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and glass mixing bowls

👉 Get the recipe at Dinner, then Dessert

4. Spritz Cookies

Crisp, buttery pressed cookies that taste somewhere between shortbread and a sugar cookie. One batch makes dozens of little trees, wreaths, and flowers, and they’re easy to tint with food coloring.

Best for: Cookie exchanges. The creator’s batch makes about 84 cookies.

Why it works: A soft, butter-rich dough moves easily through the press but still holds sharp shapes in the oven.

Tools you need: a cookie press set and a half sheet pan with cooling grid

👉 Get the recipe at Live Well Bake Often

5. Classic Snowball Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth balls packed with ground pecans and rolled twice in powdered sugar. They’re also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, and they’re easy to make with a short ingredient list.

Swap it: Walnuts or almonds work in place of pecans if that’s what’s in your pantry.

Make-ahead: They keep well in an airtight tin, which makes them great for gifting.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and Christmas cookie tins

👉 Get the recipe at Bigger Bolder Baking

6. Linzer Cookies

Tender almond shortbread cookies are sandwiched with raspberry or apricot jam, with a little window cut in the top so the jam shines through. They are as pretty as anything from a bakery case.

Why it works: Ground almonds keep the dough tender and give it a gentle nutty flavor that pairs well with the tart jam.

Best for: Gift boxes and holiday parties, anywhere looks matter.

Tools you need: a linzer cookie cutter set and a French rolling pin

👉 Get the recipe at Once Upon a Chef

7. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Soft, buttery cut-out sugar cookies with tender centers and a rich vanilla flavor, decorated as little Christmas trees with icing and sprinkles. A tree cutter and a few sprinkles go a long way.

Time: About three hours with chilling and decorating, per the creator’s card.

Best for: A cookie-decorating afternoon with family.

Tools you need: a Christmas cookie cutter set, a French rolling pin, and disposable piping bags

👉 Get the recipe at OMG Chocolate Desserts

8. Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, chewy cookies studded with crushed candy canes and creamy white chocolate chips, with a hint of peppermint extract. They’re festive enough for the cookie tray but easy enough for a weeknight.

Why it works: Crushed candy cane gives little pockets of crunch and color, while the white chocolate keeps the mint from being too sharp.

Swap it: Use semisweet chips for a chocolate-mint version.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and a silicone baking mat

👉 Get the recipe at Cooking Classy

9. Rugelach

Flaky crescent cookies rolled around a sweet berry jam filling and finished with powdered sugar. This creator’s family version uses a soft, yeasted dough, which makes them part pastry and part cookie.

Time: Plan on a little over two hours, per the creator’s card.

Serve with: Coffee or tea on Christmas morning or for a holiday brunch.

Tools you need: a French rolling pin and parchment paper

👉 Get the recipe at Natasha’s Kitchen

10. Whipped Shortbread

Light, airy shortbread made with just four pantry ingredients, whipped until fluffy so the cookies melt on your tongue. They are simple to pipe or scoop and easy to dress up with sprinkles.

Why it works: Cornstarch and a long whip give these a delicate, almost cloud-like texture.

Best for: Last-minute baking. You likely have everything in the pantry already.

Tools you need: a tilt-head stand mixer and disposable piping bags

👉 Get the recipe at Momsdish

11. Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Rich chocolate cookie dough with crushed candy cane and peppermint extract, topped with a mint kiss right out of the oven. They look festive with almost no effort.

Time: About 35 minutes, per the creator’s card.

Swap it: No mint kisses? Use classic milk chocolate kisses or a dollop of white chocolate.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and a wire cooling rack

👉 Get the recipe at Averie Cooks

12. Italian Ricotta Cookies

Soft, cakey Italian cookies made with whole-milk ricotta, a little lemon, and a simple glaze. They are a beloved bakery-style cookie in many Italian American homes at Christmas.

Why it works: Ricotta keeps the cookies moist and pillowy for days, which makes them good for baking ahead.

Best for: Anyone who prefers a soft, light cookie over a crisp one.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and a Microplane zester

👉 Get the recipe at Bake or Break

13. Gingerbread Thumbprints with Lemon White Chocolate Ganache

Chewy gingerbread thumbprints are rolled in sugar for a crackly coating and filled with a lemony white chocolate ganache. It’s a fresh twist on the usual gingerbread flavors.

Why it works: The bright lemon ganache cuts through the warm molasses spices, so they don’t feel heavy.

Make-ahead: Bake the cookies ahead and fill them once the ganache is set enough to pipe.

Tools you need: a digital kitchen scale and a medium cookie scoop

👉 Get the recipe at Baking with Butter

14. Bourbon Molasses Cookies

Soft, chewy molasses cookies made with brown sugar, plenty of warm spices, a touch of orange zest, and bourbon. This big-batch recipe is great when you need cookies for gifting.

Time: The dough needs a long chill; the creator’s card lists about four and a half hours total.

Swap it: Omit the bourbon or replace it with a splash of vanilla for an alcohol-free version.

Tools you need: a tilt-head stand mixer and a medium cookie scoop

👉 Get the recipe at Baker by Nature

15. Hermit Cookies

Old-fashioned spiced cookies with brown sugar, raisins, and chopped nuts. They’re soft and cozy, and the kind of recipe that gets handed down in family recipe boxes.

Swap it: Use chocolate chips instead of raisins if that suits your crowd better.

Best for: Mailing to family. Soft spiced cookies travel and keep well.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and Christmas cookie tins

👉 Get the recipe at An Italian in My Kitchen

16. Andes Mint Cookies

Rich chocolate cookies with chopped Andes mints folded into the dough, so every bite is chocolate-mint. They are quick, at under half an hour.

Time: About 27 minutes, per the creator’s card.

Serve with: A glass of cold milk or hot cocoa.

Tools you need: a medium cookie scoop and a half sheet pan with cooling grid

👉 Get the recipe at Baked by an Introvert

17. Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Bakery-style cookies with nutty brown butter, chopped white chocolate bars, and toasted macadamia nuts. They’re thick and indulgent, the kind of cookie people ask about.

Why it works: Browning the butter adds a toasty, caramel depth that makes the white chocolate taste less sweet.

Best for: Anyone who wants a cookie that isn’t strictly Christmas themed.

Tools you need: a silicone spatula and a medium cookie scoop

👉 Get the recipe at Butter Be Ready

18. Classic Shortbread

Buttery shortbread made with only three ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, and flour. It’s a simple, elegant cookie that pairs well with tea and holds up in gift tins.

Why it works: Powdered sugar gives these a finer, more tender crumb than granulated sugar would.

Best for: Gifting. Shortbread keeps well in a sealed tin.

Tools you need: a French rolling pin and Christmas cookie tins

👉 Get the recipe at Jo Cooks

19. Lace Cookies

Thin, crispy, delicate oat cookies that spread into lacy rounds in the oven. They’re buttery and sweet, and very pretty on a cookie platter.

Why it works: The butter and sugar melt and spread, leaving a crisp oat lattice behind.

Swap it: Drizzle with melted chocolate, or sandwich two together with chocolate in the middle.

Tools you need: a silicone baking mat and an angled offset spatula

👉 Get the recipe at Cincy Shopper

20. Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

A no-bake holiday classic: cornflakes are coated in green marshmallow and butter, then shaped into small wreaths and dotted with red candies. They’re quick, colorful, and a favorite with kids.

Best for: Little helpers and anyone without oven space. They’re no-bake.

Why it works: Marshmallow works like edible glue, so the wreaths hold together once they set.

Tools you need: parchment paper and a silicone spatula

👉 Get the recipe at Amanda’s Cookin’

Christmas Cookie Baking Tips

• Chill when the recipe says to. Chilled dough spreads less and is far easier to roll and cut.
• Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for the most even results, and let the pans cool between batches.
• Store crisp and soft cookies separately in airtight containers so the crisp ones stay crisp.

Pick four or five of these and you’ll have a cookie tray with something for everyone. Click through to each baker’s full recipe for exact amounts and steps.

You might also like: easy peppermint bark, Christmas desserts, no-bake Christmas treats, Christmas cake recipes, homemade eggnog, and old-fashioned peanut brittle.