25 Classic Christmas Cookies Full of Vintage Charm
The holiday season is packed full of nostalgia. Most of our holiday activities center around traditions that we've practiced for ages—whether that means going to the Christmas tree farm the day after Thanksgiving, stewing up a big batch of Nana's slow-cooker hot cocoa, or hanging our cherished pass-down ornaments on the tree. If you're in the spirit to channel the Christmases of your childhood, the kitchen is the best place to start. While some vintage Christmas recipes may not be worth reviving—we probably will not be baking a big batch of fruit cake this year—you really can't go wrong with vintage Christmas cookies.We've collected some of our favorite cookie recipes from years past to help you capture the merriment of Grandma's kitchen. From Pinwheel Cookies to Old-Fashioned Divinities, these vintage treats have been around for ages, and they're not going out of style any time soon. Package these cute cookies in vintage cookie tins and deliver them to friends, family, neighbors, or any other loved ones to share the festive spirit.
Spritz Cookies
Recipe: Spritz Cookies
Originating in Germany and Scandinavia in the 16th century, these simple cookie-press creations will be your kids' new favorite cookie.
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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Making homemade Pecan Pralines may take a few tries, but once you get it right, you'll be making these candies every season.
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Pecan-Cranberry Shortbread
Recipe: Pecan-Cranberry Shortbread
Packed full of pecans and pops of cranberry, then drizzled with a thick sheen of chocolate, these substantial bites of shortbread will be a hit at any cookie swap.
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Chocolate Cutout Cookies
Recipe: Chocolate Cutout Cookies
Cutout cookie dough couldn't be easier; that's why it's stood the test of time and is still popular today.
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Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
Recipe: Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
Laura Bush's recipe for Cowboy Cookies first rose to prominence in the 2000 presidential bake-off, and they've since been a staple in kitchens around the country.
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Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Recipe: Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
If Grandpa is always snacking on pistachios, make his Christmas a little bit sweeter with these nutty, chocolate-dipped shortbread triangles.
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Seven-Layer Cookies
Recipe: Seven-Layer Cookies
This 1966 reader recipe features melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, flaked coconut, milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, sweetened condensed milk, and chopped pecans. So yes, they are the cookies of our dreams.
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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls
Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls
Rolled in crunchy pecans, these decadent Bourbon Balls complete any Southern dessert spread.
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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
You grew up baking these cookies with Grandma, and they're not going out of style any time soon.
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Pinwheel Cookies
Recipe: Pinwheel Cookies
Roll two different logs of dough together to create that sought-after pinwheel effect of chocolate and vanilla.
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Barbara Bush's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe: Barbara Bush's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
If this chocolate chip cookie recipe is good enough for Barbara Bush, it's certainly good enough for us.
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Copycat Berger Cookies
Recipe: Copycat Berger Cookies
These legendary Baltimore cookies are known for their tea-cake-like dough, but they're famed for their thick chocolate coating.
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Pecan Tassies
Recipe: Pecan Tassies
These little cups of pecan-pie goodness will have all your guests singing their praises.
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Pecan Snowball Cookies
Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies
Packed with 2 cups of finely chopped pecans, these cookies are so decadently nutty and utterly Southern.
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Easiest Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Recipe: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
These Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies have been there for us through many last-minute bake-sales and cookie swaps.
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Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
Rolling these deeply chocolatey, nicely spiced cookies in two coats of granulated sugar helps them develop that succulent, melt-in-your-mouth sugar crust.
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Butterscotch Cookies
Recipe: Butterscotch Cookies
Imagine the flavor of Grandma's butterscotch hard candies, distilled down into a cookie.
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Apricot-Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe: Apricot-Almond Thumbprint Cookies
The flavors of tart apricot with nutty, slightly-sweet almond are a perfect pairing coined by Grandma herself.
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Spiced Molasses Drops
Recipe: Spiced Molasses Drops
Gingery and richly colored with thick molasses, these snappy cookies will transport you back to the holidays of your childhood.
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Peppermint Divinity
Recipe: Peppermint Divinity
Who said candy-making has to be difficult? We've reimagined the classic divinity candy with peppermint instead of nuts, but it's still got all the nostalgia.
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Pecan Sandies
Recipe: Pecan Sandies
Although traditional Pecan Sandies may be the size of a half-dollar, you can make them as large as you want to satisfy your cravings.
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Miss Iona's Shortbread Cookies
Recipe: Miss Iona's Shortbread Cookies
What better place to find a tried-and-true shortbread recipe than at the church bake sale? Mrs. Iona's miniatures can even keep frozen for weeks, easing your holiday prep.
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Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies
Extra-fluffy on the inside and topped with a glossy maraschino cherry, these cookies deliver all the flavor of cheesecake in a bite-sized portion.
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Sugar-and-Spice Rugelach Cookies
Recipe: Sugar-and-Spice Rugelach Cookies
Sugar, spice, and everything nice. These sweet little roll-ups are absolutely divine.
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Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
Recipe: Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
Brown sugar lends a deeper, nuttier flavor to this twist on the classic sugar cookie. Plus, the decoration for these shining star cookies couldn't be simpler.