83 Christmas Cookies Full of Sparkly Holiday Cheer
![Wreathshaped matchaswirl spritz Christmas cookies on a pink fabric background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.bonappetit.com/photos/65564d52d30ec7f28830ef52/16:9/w_320%2Cc_limit/20231003-1223-COOKIES-1744.jpg)
As you read through this collection of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes, don’t forget Dorie Greenspan’s wise words: “The reason we bake is to share.” Because once you get a taste (or even a whiff) of our best Christmas cookies, you might find it difficult to be generous with your precious goods. We’re talking about tangy cream cheese shortbread with fresh lime juice, the absolute peanutty-est peanut butter cookies, and red velvet cookies that’ll dazzle everyone who sees them. Plus caramel crunch chocolate chunklet cookies from Dorie herself—the baking maven has called it one of her top holiday cookie recipes. Needless to say, we have enough Christmas cookie ideas to keep the oven warm all winter long.
If efficiency is your priority during this busy time of year, our list of easy cookie recipes is here for you. Because sometimes the easiest cookies make the best Christmas cookies—especially if you have a party to get to.
Whether you’re planning to ship them off with love, set them on a plate for Santa, or just save them for yourself, the time has come to bake cookies. Scroll down for all of our best holiday cookie recipes below.
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- Photograph by Breanne Furlong, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht1/83
Cute-as-a-Button Gingerbread Cookies
We’d never advocate for baking only one type of Christmas cookies, but if you’re choosing a first recipe to kick off your holiday season baking extravaganza, this is the one. These come out somewhere between crispy ginger snap and chewy molasses cookies, with lots of warming cinnamon and whatever simple or elaborate decorations you dream up.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart2/83
Sugar Cookies
Our best sugar cookie recipe is highly workable: The cutouts hold their shape when baked, and, most important, they taste great. Pick up a roll of parchment for the easiest dough-rolling experience and a timeless, classic cookie without any stress.
- Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley3/83
Snickerdoodles
A crackly, cinnamon-sugared surface gives way to a plush, chewy interior in our best snickerdoodle recipe. Be sure not to flatten the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet—they’ll spread as they bake.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim4/83
Sparkly Red Velvet Cookies
Thanks to a roll in colored sanding sugar, these red velvet cookies are all dressed up for your holiday party. Bonus: This recipe comes together in just one bowl.
- Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon5/83
Chewy Molasses Cookies
Set these chewy, gingery cookies out on a big platter just after Christmas dinner, or pack them into boxes to ship to friends.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni6/83
Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
These pretty pink thumbprints–which also happen to be gluten-free—add a welcome dose of color to your holiday cookie box.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness7/83
BA’s Best Oatmeal Cookies
The best oatmeal cookies you’ve ever baked hit the oven before you even mix them: i.e., you’ll toast a tray of old-fashioned oats and chopped pecans for amplified flavor. You can absolutely stir in raisins, but raisin haters can sub in dried sour cherries or cranberries for a tart note.
- Alex Lau8/83
Pignoli Cookies
These old-school Italian cookies require only a couple of ingredients, but you’ll need to seek out a tube of crumbly almond paste to get that signature flavor and fragrance in the meringue-like dough.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton9/83
Baklava Cookies
These stuffed cookies have a filling of honey-sweetened pistachios spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. It’s a gift inside a gift.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni10/83
Lime Squiggles
A mixture of cream cheese and butter in the dough yields supple cookies that, thanks to a touch of cornstarch, practically melt in your mouth.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens11/83
BA’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
In this recipe, every ingredient brings something to the party: Brown butter adds depth, egg yolks provide richness, and chocolate chunks melt into molten pools of chocolate. And yes, the rumors are true–our best chocolate chip cookie recipe doesn’t even require a stand mixer.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton12/83
Buttery Jam Diagonals
Any jam goes in these buttery, lemon-scented sliced cookie bars, a much easier way to fill your thumbprint craving.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton13/83
Matcha Swirl Spritz Cookies
These Grinch-colored cookies sport the grassy flavor of ceremonial-grade matcha, which plays wonderfully with the butter and vanilla and makes them reminiscent of a matcha latte.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski14/83
Double Pecan Thumbprints
Give these vintage-inspired pecan button cookies the lightest dusting of powdered sugar snow as you turn on your holiday playlist and welcome guests at the door.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.15/83
Iced Spiced Hermits
These hermit cookies sort of resemble biscotti in shape but have the dense, chewy texture of old-fashioned gingerbread. A two-ingredient glaze balances the spice of the cookies with a touch of sweetness.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton16/83
Chewy Carrot Halwa Cookies
These nutty cookies are inspired by gajar ka halwa, a South Asian carrot pudding. Toasting the almonds in brown butter enriches their flavor like you wouldn’t believe.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sean Dooley17/83
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee
This is one of those holiday cookie recipes that teaches a few key baking lessons along the way. First: Bringing your ingredients to room temperature before mixing and letting the dough rest after is worth the time it takes. Second: Brown butter simply makes everything better.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.18/83
Pink Grapefruit Sugar Cookies
Inspired by the cakey, pink-frosted marvels you’ll find at the grocery store, these plush sugar cookies gain bright, complex flavor from the addition of grapefruit zest in both the dough and icing.
- Alex Lau19/83
Peanut Butter Cookies
For peanut butter cookies with a crunchy-chewy texture and a deep peanut buttery flavor that’s not too sweet, you need smooth natural peanut butter and a moment to toast the peanuts and brown the butter.
- Kelsey McClellan20/83
Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies
These festive green holiday cookies call for creamy pistachio paste. Find it online or follow our easy instructions to make it at home (with the help of a food processor).
- Kelsey McClellan21/83
Spiced Ginger Cookies
Popping with cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper, this cross between molasses cookies and gingerbread cookies has the potential to become your new favorite Christmas cookie. Now all you need is a cup of eggnog.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton22/83
Tiramisu Snowball Cookies
Mash the idea of tiramisu (espresso, chocolate, mascarpone) with powdery snowball cookie to create a sure-to-please cookie that’s both easy to make and heavy on holiday drama.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks23/83
Caramel Crunch–Chocolate Chunklet Cookies
Baked in a muffin tin, these chocolate chunklet cookies—which come from cookie maven Dorie Greenspan—gain perfectly crispy, caramelized edges and soft centers.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser24/83
Cuccidati
These buttery Sicilian cookies are generously stuffed with a medley of fruits and nuts. Proving once again that over the holidays, more is more.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski25/83
Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies
Can’t decide between chocolate and vanilla? In this recipe, one base shortbread yields two distinct doughs that, when rolled together, create a striking swirled cookie log.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton26/83
Alfajores With Coconut Dulce de Leche
We’ve baked many, many Christmas desserts over the years, but when coconut dulce de leche oozes between two crispy honey-almond cookies, it’s hard to remember any other sweet.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan Spungen27/83
Tahini Billionaire Bars
Layers of shortbread and tahini-enriched butterscotch get enrobed in bittersweet chocolate to create a creamy, crunchy confection worth not just a million, but a billion bucks.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.28/83
Galletitas de Cebada Tostada y Mermelada
Toasted barley flour brings nutty depth to these Colombian linzer cookies, which are sandwiched with tangy apricot jam.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova29/83
Chocolate-Filled Toasted Coconut Macaroons
Not to be mistaken with French macarons, these coconut-based confections can be found on plenty of holiday platters. Deeply toasted and stuffed with chocolate, these are a far cry from the dry, pale coconut macaroons of parties past.
- Romulo Yanes30/83
Rainbow Cookies
Combining the texture of dense, plush almond cake with the portability of a cookie, this colorful Italian confection is a classic for a reason.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan Spungen31/83
Roasty Toasty Pecan-Caramel Shortbread Cookies
Channeling the spirit of butter pecans, this recipe combines rich shortbread with toasted nuts and silky dulce de leche. A particularly short ingredient list makes it achievable on any odd weekday.
- Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio32/83
Trouble Cookies
According to cookbook author Roxana Jullapat, these cashew-and-toffee-loaded cookies come with a caution: It’s hard to eat just one.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott33/83
Grapefruit-Vanilla Shortbread
This shortbread recipe may be simple, but adorning the segments with dried hibiscus, rose petals, and cracked pink peppercorns is an easy shortcut to winner status at the cookie exchange.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li34/83
Pretzel and Potato Chip Moon Pies
These grown-up moon pies are made with shortbread cookies loaded with blitzed-up pretzels and salty potato chips—the perfect contrast to the sticky-sweet marshmallows and bitter dark chocolate.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li35/83
Pizzettes
With a bake time of just 8–10 minutes, these fudgy, brownie-like cookies are an ideal last-minute gift solution.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.36/83
Ginger-Almond Florentines
Florentines are notoriously finicky cookies, but not to fear: Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussein shares her technique for mastering these lacy, chocolate-dipped confections. As it turns out, they’re unexpectedly easy to pull off at home.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones37/83
Obscenely Chocolatey Chocolate Cookies
If you’re looking for chocolate, you’ve arrived. We’re talking big bittersweet chocolate chunks that melt into picturesque pools, plus ultra-rich Dutch-process cocoa in this cookie dough.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown38/83
Anzac Biscuits
Golden syrup is the signature ingredient that distinguishes these oat-and-coconut-packed biscuits as Australia’s most storied dessert. In fact, they’re so beloved Down Under that their name, shape, and recipe are protected by law.
- Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian39/83
Lavender-Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are beloved for a reason, but this softly floral and lemony variation offers a burst of sunshine during days where it gets dark much too early.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott40/83
Chocolate Blackout Cookies
Inspired by the iconic Brooklyn Blackout Cake, these blackout cookies gain depth from espresso powder and a swoop of fudgy frosting.
- Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio41/83
Einkorn Shortbreads
Showcasing an ancient grain known for its high protein content and nutty, almost chocolaty flavor, these simple shortbreads are best complemented with a cup of hot chocolate.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Beatrice Chastka42/83
Tie-Dye Butter Cookies
A simple butter cookie dough and natural food coloring yield mini masterpieces with this fun holiday cookie project. Use red dye for candy cane coloring, or go for a groovy mix of hues.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones43/83
Cocoa-Coffee Almond Cookies
Almond paste makes these Italian cookies extra chewy, while coffee underscores the chocolate and nut flavors.
- Photo by Alex Lau44/83
Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies
Not an oatmeal-raisin lover? Ditch the raisins and make these over the holidays instead. Pecan brittle brings pops of crunch to these crispy-edged, soft-centered cookies.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li45/83
Ginger-Citrus Cookies
Ginger teams up with candied citrus to deliver a bright punch in these holiday cookies.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li46/83
Marranitos Enfiestados
Your festive cookie platter needs these Mexican cookies: They’re whimsical, sprinkle-bordered, and full of baking spice, with a hint of smoke from dark molasses. And they’re a great excuse to order a pig-shaped cookie cutter.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li47/83
Tahini Linzer Torte Bars
We’ve swapped out the ground nuts in a classic linzer for tahini, which makes for a rich, buttery crust that’s ready to be filled with your favorite jam. Serve with Christmas breakfast for a more-is-more upgrade to toast and jelly.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li48/83
Coffee-Hazelnut Biscotti
Get a double dose of caffeine by dunking these coffee-loaded biscotti in your cocoa or coffee. These are best enjoyed by the fire while admiring the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.
- Alex Lau49/83
Butter Spritz Cookies
These classic spritz cookies freeze well, so you can make them now and share them later. You likely won’t need to double the batch—with a cookie press on hand, this recipe makes about 60 small cookies.
- Photo by E. E. Berger50/83
Peanut Butter–Paprika Cookies
Nutty whole wheat flour complements the natural savory notes of peanut butter in this holiday cookie, but the substantial dose of smoked paprika—three teaspoons!—dials up the drama.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens51/83
Rye Shortbread Cookies
Rye flour and black sesame bring nutty richness to these shortbread cookies, which only get better over time—an overnight rest deepens the flavor and improves the texture.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie52/83
Miso White Chocolate–Macadamia Cookies
An ode to the Pepperidge Farm Sausalito, these chewy cookies are a guaranteed favorite.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton53/83
Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies
This minty take on New York’s iconic black-and-white cookie will dazzle in your holiday cookie box. The flavor comes from mint leaves, which brings an herbaceous note to the snappy cookies. It’s a fresh update to the time-honored chocolate-peppermint combo.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski54/83
Chocolate-Tahini Linzer Cookies
Rather than the traditional layer of jam, these chocolate lovers’ linzer cookies are sandwiched with dark, milk, or white chocolate–or an assortment of all three. We love Christmas cookie recipes that come with a great-looking assortment built in.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski55/83
Snickerdoodle Party Cookies
Packed with chopped toffee bars and cornflakes, then finished with edible glitter, these crunchy cardamom-spiced sweets are all glitzed up for your holiday party.
- 56/83
Slice-and-Bake Jammy Pinwheel Cookies
This basic cinnamon-sugar cookie dough requires just one bowl (read no clunky machinery) and can be dressed up in a million ways.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton57/83
Butter Pecan Skillet Cookies
These buttery pecan cookies bake in a skillet, then get sliced like a pizza pie. They’re just as fun to make as they are to eat.
- Kelsey McClellan58/83
Honey-Vanilla Sablé Cookie Dough
These minimal yet utterly flawless honey-vanilla sablés would be a welcome sweet bite at a Christmas cocktail party. Ground cardamom and whole vanilla beans bring a boost of warm spice to the dough, which can be used as a base for lots of variations, like these linzer cookies.
- Kelsey McClellan59/83
Frosted Malt-Chocolate Cookies
If you’re making these malted cookies in advance, hold off on frosting until the last minute. These will look great next to your annual gingerbread men and peanut butter blossoms.
- Kelsey McClellan60/83
Blood Orange and Poppy Polenta Shortbread Cookies
If you’re going for maximum visual appeal with your holiday cookie platter, consider these vibrant blood-orange-glazed shortbread cookies, complete with a ribbon of poppy seed filling.
- Peden & Munk61/83
Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies
These cutout cookies can be circles instead of rectangles, and you can use any smaller cutter (think stars or hearts) to punch out windows to the jammy filling.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Jessie YuChen62/83
Salted Caramel Apple Cookies
Change up this year’s Christmas cookie recipes and make these soft and tender cookies to serve with mugs of hot apple cider.
- Kelsey McClellan63/83
Hazelnut Lace Sandwich Cookies
Cracker-thin hazelnut tuiles sandwich a buttery, jammy filling in this whimsical holiday cookie recipe.
- Deb Perelman64/83
Pretzel Linzers With Salted Caramel
Half of the “flour” in these cookies is actually pulverized pretzel twists, which add a salty, toasty note to the dough.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore65/83
Chewy Date and Dark Chocolate Cookies
Dates deliver natural sweetness to these dark chocolate chunk cookies, which boast crispy edges and chewy centers.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li66/83
Chocolate Sablés With Date Sugar
This chocolaty take on the classic French butter cookie melts on your tongue. The date sugar adds a caramelly, slightly malty flavor.
- Peden & Munk67/83
Ombré Rainbow Cookies
For Italian rainbow cookies with a particularly jazzy look, tint each batch with varying amounts of matcha or freeze-dried raspberries.
- Kelsey McClellan68/83
Cranberry Wafer Cookies
Make one vanilla-scented cookie dough, then use it to make pistachio thumbprints, jewel-toned linzers, and these cranberry-dotted wafers.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton69/83
Ancho Mole Cookies
Chocolate wafers, hazelnuts, dried fruit, and subtly spicy ancho chile make every bite of these slightly savory cookies a little surprise.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh70/83
Raspberry-Tahini Thumbprint Cookies
Raspberry jam offers a striking contrast to black and white sesame seeds in these thumbprint cookies, which will look great in any gift tin.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Frances Boswell71/83
Miso-Almond Butter Cookies
Miso amps up the flavor of smooth almond butter and nutty brown butter in these simple holiday cookies, which can be made two days ahead.
- Peden & Munk72/83
Danish Salted-Butter Cookies
Deck the halls with salted butter wreaths! Or maybe just devour the wreaths, and deck the halls with boughs and garlands.
- Peden & Munk73/83
Black and White Sesame Seed Cookies
Imagine black-and-white cookies, but without the often-too-sweet frosting. These two-tone sesame seed cookies create big visual drama with very little effort.
- Peden & Munk74/83
Chocolate Chunk–Pumpkin Seed Cookies
Toss pumpkin seeds (for texture) and smoked paprika (for a hint of heat) into these lightly spiced, not-too-sweet chocolate chunkers.
- Photo by Laura Murray, styling by Judy Mancini75/83
Tahini Cookies
A coating of toasted sesame seeds adds texture to these cookies while accentuating the tahini’s nutty flavor.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Michelle Gatton76/83
Chewy Ginger-Rye Cookies
Load up these toasty rye cookies with both ground and crystallized ginger, then toss them in a buttery spiced streusel before baking.
- 77/83
Brown Butter Wedding Cookies
These six-ingredient cookies are even better after they sit overnight. But we won’t blame you for snagging a few while you wrap presents.
- 78/83
Tuckers
These frilly pink pyramids from Dorie Greenspan look fabulous on a cookie platter. Be sure to start with unsweetened shredded coconut since you’ll add sugar along the way.
- Alex Lau79/83
Toasted-Flour Sablés
Some of the best cookie recipes make simple ingredients work a little harder for you. Toasting the all-purpose flour in this recipe gives it a slightly nutty, complex flavor, while sieved hard-boiled egg yolks prevent too much gluten from developing in the dough, delivering maximum tenderness.
- 80/83
Cardamom Crescents
Buttery pecans, cardamom, and a flurry of powdered sugar make for a crisp cookie you won’t forget.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott81/83
Matcha–White Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Matcha gives these sugar cookies their all-natural green hue. For a festive plate, you could set them next to these sparkly red numbers.
- Photo by Laura Murray82/83
Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Umami-rich miso pairs with light brown sugar to give these cookies deep caramel base notes.
- Alex Lau83/83
Anise Cookies
These old-school Italian Christmas cookies are light and moist, with a simple anise glaze on top.