Our 40 Easiest Ever Christmas Cookie Recipes
Christmas means cookies. Lots of cookies. When the season is upon us, it's time to start thinking what cookies to bake for our family, fill up our cookie tins with for gifts, serve at our potlucks, and munch on as we start wrapping yet another present. Are you going for a festive cookie to decorate with icing and candies or a more subdued cookie that evokes the season with flavors like cinnamon, peppermint, ginger, and—of course—chocolate? Well, sometimes our schedules dictate what treats we're baking. We just don't always have the time to make batches of complicated masterpieces. Sometimes, we want a delicious, simple cookie that, if we're being honest, tastes just as good but with half the hassle. That's where these scrumptious yet easy holiday cookie recipes come in—they give you all of the Christmas cheer with a little less effort. (And we are all for it). Check out these easy Christmas cookies you'll be making all season long.
Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies
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.
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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Classic, easy, and always a hit, there's a reason you baked these cookies with Grandma every year.
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Wreath Cookie
Recipe: Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Perfect as an afternoon activity for the kids, these Christmas wreath cookies are festive, delicious and require no baking.
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Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies
'Tis the season for sugar, and these bite-sized Cheesecake Cookies are ready in just one hour.
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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.
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Pecan Snowball Cookies
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.
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Spritz Cookies
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.
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Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
These vibrant cookies start with a box of red velvet cake mix. It can be our little secret.
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Snickerdoodles
Recipe: Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles highlight the spice of the season: cinnamon.
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Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies
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.
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Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
Festive notes of cranberry and orange are the ultimate upgrade to a classic butter cookie.
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Cathedral Window Cookies
Recipe: Cathedral Window Cookies
With multicolored marshmallows and lots of chocolate pieces, these simple, no-bake cookies are perfect for the kids.
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Snowy Tree Cookies
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.
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Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies
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.
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Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies
Recipe: Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies
Festive and sweet, these decorated sugar cookies are sure to be a hit on the dessert table.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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.
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Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
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.
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Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
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.
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No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
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.
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Snowflake Sugar Cookies
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.
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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
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.
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Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies
These Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies are perfect for the holiday season.
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Pecan Tassies
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.
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Peanut Butter Blossoms
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.
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Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Four ingredients? We'll be baking these simple treats for every cookie swap this season.
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Barbara Bush's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
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.
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Butterscotch-Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
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.
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Soft Sugar Cookie Trees
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.
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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
Like a brownie in cookie form, these fudgy cookies are freezer-friendly.
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Pecan Sandies
Recipe: Pecan Sandies
When you bake Pecan Sandies at home, you can make them any side you'd like.
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Peppermint Divinity
Recipe: Peppermint Divinity
This reimagined divinity candy recipe uses peppermints instead of nuts, but it's still full of nostalgia.
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nothing beats a chocolate chip classic at Christmas time.
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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
These cookies are a Christmas classic with gooey white chocolate and dried cranberries.
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Reindeer Cookies
Recipe: Reindeer Cookies
Cute-as-can-be and a breeze to assemble.
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Chocolate-Peppermint Crackle Cookies
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!
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Almond Snowballs
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.
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5-Ingredient Sugar Cookies
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.
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Crispy Praline Cookies
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.
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Ambrosia Macaroons
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!
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Marble Snickerdoodles
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.