16 Classic Christmas Cookies Full of Vintage Charm

Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

01 of 16

Spritz Cookies

Spritz Cookies
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Spritz Cookies

Originating in Germany and Scandinavia in the 16th century, these simple cookie-press creations will be your kids' new favorite cookie.

02 of 16

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

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.

03 of 16

Pecan-Cranberry Shortbread

Red Velvet Thumbprints
Hector Sanchez

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.

04 of 16

Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies
Southern Living

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.

05 of 16

Seven-Layer Cookies

Seven-Layer Cookies
Southern Living

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.

06 of 16

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Rolled in crunchy pecans, these decadent Bourbon Balls complete any Southern dessert spread.

07 of 16

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

You grew up baking these cookies with Grandma, and they're not going out of style any time soon.

08 of 16

Barbara Bush's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Barbara Bush Chocolate Chip Cookies
Micah A. Leal

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.

09 of 16

Pecan Tassies

Pecan Tassies
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pecan Tassies

These little cups of pecan-pie goodness will have all your guests singing their praises.

10 of 16

Pecan Snowball Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies

Packed with 2 cups of finely chopped pecans, these cookies are so decadently nutty and utterly Southern.

11 of 16

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Southern Living

Recipe: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

These Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies have been there for us through many last-minute bake-sales and cookie swaps.

12 of 16

Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies

Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

13 of 16

Peppermint Divinity

Peppermint Divinity
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

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.

14 of 16

Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies
Micah A. Leal

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.

15 of 16

Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies
Caitlin Bensel

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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Brown Sugar Cookie Stars

Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

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