Our 61 Easiest Ever Christmas Cookie Recipes

Recipe: Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

With sprinkes on the inside and on the outside, these colorful funfetti-like cookies are sure to bring joy to any holiday party.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Classic, easy, and always a hit, there's a reason you baked these cookies with Grandma every year.

Recipe: Cornflake Wreath Cookies

Perfect as an afternoon activity for the kids, these Christmas wreath cookies are festive, delicious and require no baking.

Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies

'Tis the season for sugar, and these bite-sized Cheesecake Cookies are ready in just one hour.

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Always a hit, no matter the season, these brown butter cookies are especially hard to resist when they're reserved for Santa.

Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies

Decadently nutty and utterly Southern, these snowballs will bring the winter spirit to any holiday party...even if it's anything but a winter wonderland outside.

Recipe: Spritz Cookies

Pro trip: You have to break the baking rules to get a proper spritz. Use an ungreased baking sheet and do not use parchment paper. The dough has to stick to the baking sheet when it's extruded from the cookie press.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

These vibrant cookies start with a box of red velvet cake mix. It can be our little secret.

Recipe: Red Velvet Thumbprints

You don't even need a pastry bag or crazy-good baking skills to frost these festive cookies—just fill a Ziploc and snip the corner! These look just lovely set on a holiday platter.

Recipe: Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles highlight the spice of the season: cinnamon.

Recipe: Spiced Molasses Drops

These traditional spiced holiday cookies are made a little special with just a hint of black pepper for heat. Get these ready in less than an hour.

Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies

Crisp chocolate cookies with fresh peppermint filling make for a winning combination in these seasonal sandwich cookies. Though they they may take longer to make than some of our other easy holiday cookies, the sandwich cookies freeze well. Make them in advance, and your preparation come party time will be easier than ever.

Recipe: Chocolate Sugar Cookies

A twist on the classic sugar cookie, this chewy, brownie-flavored confection upps the ante by adding a dose of cocoa.

Recipe: Red Velvet Crackle Sandwich Cookies

These festive sandwich cookies are the perfect mini treats. Red velvet crackle cookies with some sweet cream cheese filling will be the star of any holiday show without too much time and effort on your part.

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Melted chocolate chips and cocoa add a double dose of chocolate in this festive confection.

Recipe: Easy Santa Cookies 

This recipe uses our basic butter cookie dough that can be made ahead. With a little imagination and Christmas cheer, you can use coconut flakes, cinnamon candies, and chocolate morsels to whip up some cute Santas!

Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies

Festive notes of cranberry and orange are the ultimate upgrade to a classic butter cookie.

Recipe: Cathedral Window Cookies

With multicolored marshmallows and lots of chocolate pieces, these simple, no-bake cookies are perfect for the kids.

Recipe: Snowy Tree Cookies

A stack of star-shaped cookies has never looked so jolly. All you need is a cookie cutter and some creativity to create this crowd-favorite dessert.

Recipe: Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Praline Filling

Your favorite New Orleans candy in a cookie form, these crisp, buttery cookies are pretty enough to package and give as gifts.

Recipe: Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies

These cake-like cookies are a chocolate lover's dream. To drop the cookies evenly, try using a tablespoon cookie scoop.

Recipe: Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies

Festive and sweet, these decorated sugar cookies are sure to be a hit on the dessert table.

Recipe: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, these sugar-dusted cookies are a chocolate lover's delight. Better yet, they only take 40 minutes to pull together.

Recipe: Brown Sugar Cookie Stars

Looking for the star of your holiday dessert spread? Bake these sparkly treats in advance, and all you'll have left before the party is a little decorating.

Recipe: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

These classic cookies combine the tart flavors of raspberry and lemon, while making a whopping seven-dozen batch you can use for a party or gifts.

Recipe: Chocolate Cutout Cookies

Meet the dark chocolate cookie addition to your holiday dessert table. Top this rich cookie recipe off with frosted red and green Christmas tree icing for seasonal flair.

Recipe: Snow Flurries 

These may look time-intensive, but don't you worry. Star-shaped cookie cutters, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar do the trick without being complicated at all.

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Short on time? You can still give Pecan Pralines a run for their money. These no-bake cookies only take 10 minutes of hands-on time.

Recipe: Snowflake Sugar Cookies

They may look complicated, but you can make these seasonal sugar cookies as intricate or easy as you'd like. It's the decorator's choice.

Recipe: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to classic combinations, it doesn't get much better than chocolate and peanut butter. We love this recipe for many reasons, but mostly because even an amateur baker can whip up a batch.

Recipe: Butterscotch Cookies

Swap your everyday chocolate chips with butterscotch for a cookie that tastes even better than Grandma's butterscotch hard candies.

Recipe: Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios and sea salt, these shortbread cookies are truly something special.

Recipe: Pecan Tassies

Petite and more fun to eat than your everyday Pecan Pie, these little cups offers just the right amount of decadence in an adorable package.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms

A true classic among holiday cookies, a Christmas party isn't complete without a tray of peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss on top.

Recipe: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Four ingredients? We'll be baking these simple treats for every cookie swap this season.

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dark chocolate keeps things interesting and pairs just as well with a tall glass of milk.

Recipe: Barbara Bush's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everything's bigger in Texas, including this batch of cookies. Get ready for a mixing bowl filled to the brim. This recipe yields enough cookies for your holiday party and then some.

Recipe: Chocolate-Caramel Cookie Cups

Filled with ooey-gooey caramel and topped with crunchy pecans, these cookie cups will make a stunning addition to your holiday treat lineup.

Recipe: Triple Mint Cookies

A triple threat for mint dessert lovers, this winter treat combines brownie-like cookies, chopped mint candies, and minty icing for a sweet that's easier to make than it looks.

Recipe: Funfetti Sugar Cookies

The kids won't be able to keep their hands off of these colorful cookies. For extra holiday flare, use red and green sprinkles.

Recipe: Butterscotch-Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

Toasted oats and brown sugar blend perfectly with butterschotch chips in this oatmeal cookie recipe with a little something extra.

Recipe: Soft Sugar Cookie Trees

Planning a cookie decorating party? The dough for these cookies can be made up to two days ahead so you're fully prepared come party day.

Recipe: Chewy Ambrosia Biscotti

Enjoy the buttery, crunchy texture of biscotti studded with festive marashino cherries.

Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

Like a brownie in cookie form, these fudgy cookies are freezer-friendly.

Recipe: Pecan Sandies

When you bake Pecan Sandies at home, you can make them any side you'd like.

Recipe: Peppermint Divinity

This reimagined divinity candy recipe uses peppermints instead of nuts, but it's still full of nostalgia.

Recipe: Lemony Sandwich Cookies

Add a bit of citrus to your holiday dessert table with these soft sandwich cookies with creamy lemon filling.

Recipe: Copycat Berger Cookies

Known for their tea-cake-like dough, these legendary Baltimore cookies are covered in chocolate.

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing beats a chocolate chip classic at Christmas time.

Recipe: Caramel-Stuffed Ginger Cookies

Though they need a bit of time to bake, these caramel-stuffed Christmas cookies only take 30 minutes of hands on time to make. Serve them straight from the oven so the ooey-gooey caramel centers shine.

Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

These cookies are a Christmas classic with gooey white chocolate and dried cranberries. 

Recipe: Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Linzer Cookies

Packed with PB&J nostalgia, this recipe transforms the beloved flavors of childhood into a classic Linzer confection.

Recipe: Pinwheel Cookies

These cookies use our basic butter cookie dough and some melted chocolate to make a festive treat in minutes.

Recipe: Reindeer Cookies

Cute-as-can-be and a breeze to assemble.

Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Crackle Cookies

You can't beat the pretty, unfussy look of a crackle cookie. This dough requires chilling, which you can do up to five days in advance or just an hour before baking. Other than that, you'll get these ready to bake in 15 minutes!

Recipe: Almond Snowballs

Festive treats that don't take so much time icing and decorating. Toasting the almonds is the secret touch to a perfect nutty flavor.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

With only a few ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time, you'll have these ready for your next party.

Recipe: Crispy Praline Cookies

You get that classic pecan praline flavor in a crispy bite with these cookies that are too easy to grab and snack on throughout the holiday season. Easy prep and few ingredients are an added bonus.

Recipe: Ambrosia Macaroons

Soft, chewy macaroons that are festive and fun with their ambrosia-inspired look and flavor. You can switch up the garnishes from red cherries to green cherries or orange peels if you prefer!

Recipe: Marble Snickerdoodles

Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans makes these two-toned snickerdoodles with his daughter each year, and they're easier than they look.