There’s a moment every December when the house starts to smell like butter, sugar and a little bit of magic, and suddenly everything feels right. The lights are twinkling, the playlist is very festive and there’s a tray of cookies cooling on the counter that nobody is supposed to touch yet (but everybody does).
If you’re looking for the best cookie recipes to bake this holiday season, you’re in the right place. Grab your favorite mug, get cozy and let’s talk about the classic Christmas cookies that people in the US and across Europe bake year after year and why each one deserves a spot on your holiday cookie plate.
Top Cookie Recipes To Try For The Festive Season
Gingerbread Cookies
Nothing says Christmas quite like gingerbread. It’s warm, spicy and deeply cozy with that molasses-kissed sweetness that tastes like winter feels. The texture can be soft and chewy or crisp and snappy depending on how you like them and both are delicious.
Gingerbread cookies are also the ultimate festive project. Cut them into little gingerbread men, stars, or hearts, then decorate with icing and sprinkles. They’re a must for family baking days and they look adorable hanging on a tree or tucked into a gift box.
Grab the best Gingerbread Cookie recipe and other amazing holiday cookies you can bake here!
Sugar Cookies
If gingerbread is the cozy classic, sugar cookies are the creative superstar. Soft, buttery and lightly sweet with a delicate vanilla flavor, they’re the perfect blank canvas for all things Christmas.
Think snowflakes, Christmas trees, candy canes and mittens, all dressed up with smooth royal icing or a simple swirl of frosting and a shower of sprinkles. Sugar cookies are perfect for decorating parties with kids, friends or a glass of something cozy. They’re also the cookies that tend to steal the show on a Pinterest-worthy dessert table.
Bake the best Sugar Cookies and other amazing holiday cookies this holiday season!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yes, chocolate chip cookies absolutely belong on your holiday list. Golden edges, gooey centers and pockets of melty chocolate make them the ultimate comfort food especially when it’s cold outside.
They’re the cookie that disappears first from every cookie swap and they’re the one most likely to be left out for Santa (he’s a fan, we’re told). Warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk? That’s a Christmas Eve moment right there.
Bake the best Chocolate Chip Cookies and other amazing holiday cookies this holiday season!
Shortbread
Shortbread is a holiday favorite across the UK and Europe and once you taste it you’ll understand why. It’s rich, buttery and crumbly, the kind of cookie that melts on your tongue and makes you close your eyes for a second.
What makes shortbread so special is its simplicity. It’s classic and elegant, and it pairs beautifully with a hot cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. It also keeps well and looks gorgeous in a tin which makes it perfect for gifting to neighbors, teachers and coworkers.
Bake the best Shortbread and other amazing holiday cookies this festive season!
Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are the cookie equivalent of a warm hug. They’re soft and pillowy with a slightly tangy bite, rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, spiced finish that smells incredible while it bakes.
They’re a great pick if you want something festive without being fussy. The cinnamon-sugar crinkle on top gives them that homemade, nostalgic feel and they fit right in on any holiday cookie platter.
Bake the best Snickerdoodles and other amazing holiday cookies you can bake this holiday season!
Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies are pure holiday charm. A tender, buttery cookie gets a little dip in the center then it’s filled with jam, caramel or chocolate so each one looks like a tiny edible ornament.
They add a pop of color to your cookie tray and that mix of buttery cookie and sweet, fruity filling is so satisfying. They’re also a fun one to bake with kids since little fingers love to help.
The best Thumbprint Cookies recipe
Festive Butter Cookies
Think of those beautiful tins of butter cookies you see every December. Festive butter cookies are crisp, delicate and melt-in-your-mouth tender and they come in all kinds of shapes, from wreaths and swirls to stars and sprinkle-dusted rounds.
They’re especially popular in European holiday baking and they’re a wonderful choice when you want something that looks bakery-fancy and tastes like pure butter and vanilla. Stack them in a pretty box with a ribbon and you’ve got a thoughtful homemade gift.
Festive Butter Cookies and other amazing holiday cookie recipes here!
Why Cookies Are the Heart of Christmas Baking
Here’s the thing about holiday cookies: they’re about so much more than dessert. They’re the tradition you bake with your grandma, the cookie swap you look forward to all year, the tray you bring to a party, and the plate you leave out for Santa. They bring people into the kitchen and they make a house feel like home.
Plus, a mix of cookies is the secret to a stunning holiday dessert table. Soft and chewy, crisp and buttery, spiced and sweet, chocolatey and fruity: when you bake a variety, there’s something for everyone.
Want More Christmas Baking Inspiration?
If this list got you daydreaming about flour-dusted counters and the smell of cookies in the oven, I have something that will help you take it all the way.
My Ultimate Christmas Baking & Winter Drinks Cookbook is packed with 60 festive recipes to fill your whole season with joy: Christmas cookies, cakes, brownies and holiday treats, plus gourmet hot chocolate and cozy winter drinks to sip while you bake. It’s everything you need for cookie swaps, family gatherings, cozy nights in and homemade gifts.
So preheat that oven, put on your favorite Christmas playlist and make this the most delicious holiday season yet.
Get the Ultimate Christmas Baking & Winter Drinks Cookbook here and start baking your best Christmas ever. Happy baking, and Merry Christmas!
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