Inside: 21 of the very best Christmas cookie recipes for Christmas cookie exchanges and holiday parties.
Christmas is just around the corner, which means it is time for holiday baking.
I like to spend the days leading up to Christmas in the kitchen getting all my favorite kinds of Christmas cookies ready for sharing with family on the big day. Because who doesn’t love Christmas cookies?!
Below is a collection of my absolute favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
Best Christmas Cookie Recipes
From classic Christmas cookies to festive twists on the traditional, these recipes will be the star of your cookie exchange or holiday party!
Soft and chewy gingerbread cookies rolled in festive sprinkles are a must-have for Christmas day.
Packed with red and green M&M's, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, these buttery cookie bars make for a fun and festive Christmas dessert.
Melt-in-your-mouth peppermint pinwheels are swirled red and white cookies that are loaded with sweet minty flavor.
Unlike traditional snowballs, these Christmas cookies are made without nuts. Instead, they have a little surprise inside--red and green M&Ms! Yum!
Not only do these easy-to-make Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies look festive, but these holiday cookies have a festive peppermint flavor as well! Yum!
Make festive sugar cookies the easy way with this sprinkle sugar cookie recipe--no rolling, cookie cutters, icing, or fancy decorating required. You are sure to fall in love with these soft sugar cookies.
Moist and delicious cranberry cookies are packed with holiday flavor and are always a hit at holiday cookies exchanges!
These rich chocolate cookies packed with sweet white chocolate chips and pecans will make a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter.
Who doesn’t love the combination of chocolate and mint?! Made with rich and refreshing Andes Mints, these Andes Mint grasshopper cookies put all other grasshopper cookies to shame! Plus, their green color makes them a perfect addition to your holiday cookie platter this year.
No list of the best Christmas cookie recipes would be complete without a recipe for classic Italian Anise Cookies! These Italian cookies are topped with a sweet 3-ingredient icing and rainbow or holiday sprinkles.
(Another great option is A Grande’s Life anise cookie recipe!)
Sweet and crunchy peanut butter cornflake cookies are fun and easy to make with just 5 ingredients! No baking required!
This easy Christmas cookie recipe pairs a sugar cookie mix and with an easy homemade icing to make these amazing thumbprint cookies.
Another cookie that is perfect for your Christmas cookie exchange are these delicious incredible Rolo stuffed cookies. These soft and chewy chocolate cookies have an irresistible ooey gooey Rolo center. Yum!
You can't go wrong with classic chocolate chip cookies. This chocolate chip cookie recipe is easy to make and always a crowd favorite.
No holiday cookie exchange is complete without peanut butter blossom cookies! They are classic Christmas cookies that are full of delicious peanut butter flavor.
Made with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, these gingersnaps pack a whole lot of holiday flavor. To finish them off, the chewy gingerbread cookies are dipped in white chocolate and topped with crystallized ginger.
Although not technically a cookie, these salty-sweet treats are really perfect for Christmas celebrations and cookie exchanges. And you will love how quick and easy they are to make with just 3 ingredients!
These York peppermint patty cookies are soft, chewy, and full of delicious mint chocolate flavor. Plus, they are super easy to make with just 4 ingredients!
Chocolate chips meet Funfetti in these delicious cookies. These cookies are thick and have a cake batter as their base.
If you are looking for a quick and easy Christmas cookie recipe, these tasty Ritz cracker thin mints for you. The no-bake mint chocolate treats couldn't be easier to make with just 2-ingredients.
These melt in your mouth Christmas shortbread cookies are easy to make with only three ingredients!
Fresh cranberries give these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies a twist that makes them perfect for Christmas parties. This recipe is also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free so it can be enjoyed by even those with special diets.
These soft and chewy Funfetti cake mix cookies are easy to make using just 3 ingredients! You can add red and green sprinkles on top for more of a holiday look.
Why not try something a bit different this year? Shape your sugar cookies into little cups, bake, and then fill with pudding. The combination of sugar cookies and creamy pudding is absolutely delicious! Plus, the kids just love these!
A little twist on an old favorite adds a bit of spice to these Mexican crinkle cookies. These bad boys have become my new favorite cookie – they are incredible!
These fun cookies are miniature in size and are filled richly with chocolate chips and M&M! They’re irresistible for everyone and they make great gifts!
I love making Christmas cookies but we were out of town for the holidays and it never happened. I missed them though, so I am going to make these for Valentine’s Day. Think I will make tins for the neighbors. Yummmm