A holiday cookie tray needs variety: something frosted, something buttery, something chocolatey and a few shapes that look festive. This guide collects 26 Christmas cookie recipes in one place, from classic sugar cookies and gingerbread to shortbread, thumbprints, peppermint cookies and air fryer versions.
Each recipe links to the full recipe with ingredients, steps and notes. Recipes from my other sites open in a new tab and are marked with their source. Pick three or four from different sections and you have a balanced cookie box.
Quick Picks
- Most classic: Gingerbread Men With White Icing
- Easiest for a crowd: Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Bars (no cutters needed)
- Best for gifting: Pistachio Shortbread Dipped in White Chocolate
- Best with kids: Stained Glass Window Cookies
Classic Christmas Cookies
The cookies people expect on a holiday tray: frosted sugar cookies, gingerbread, snowballs and chewy favorites.
1. Soft Frosted Christmas Sugar Cookies
Soft, thick sugar cookies with a fluffy frosting, decorated in pastel colors. A good choice when you want a frosted cookie that is tender rather than crisp.
2. Gingerbread Men With White Icing
The classic spiced gingerbread man with simple white icing details. Easy for kids to decorate and a staple of any holiday cookie tray.
3. Gingerbread Cookies (Cut-Out)
From: Easy Dessert Hub
Classic cut-out gingerbread with molasses and warm spices, rolled 1/4 inch thick for soft centers. Includes tips for keeping the shapes crisp at the edges.
Get the recipe on Easy Dessert Hub →
4. Holiday Sugar Cookies With Glaze Icing
From: Easy Dessert Hub
Cut-out sugar cookies that hold their shape, finished with a simple glaze icing. The recipe explains the roll-then-chill method.
Get the recipe on Easy Dessert Hub →
5. Snowball Cookies
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies rolled in powdered sugar. One of the most classic Christmas cookies and easy to make ahead.
6. M&M Christmas Cookies
Soft, chewy, buttery cookies loaded with red and green M&Ms. A no-fuss favorite that kids can help make.
7. Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
Warm spices and deep molasses flavor in a soft cookie with a crackly top. A cozy alternative to gingerbread when you do not want to roll and cut.
Shortbread, Butter Cookies and Cutouts
Buttery cookies that look pretty on a platter and keep well for gifting.
8. Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Christmas Trees
Buttery tree-shaped shortbread dipped in glossy chocolate. They look festive on a platter and keep well.
9. Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Buttery, crumbly shortbread with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest. A bright cookie for a tray full of chocolate.
10. Pistachio Shortbread Dipped in White Chocolate
Buttery, nutty shortbread with pistachios, dipped in white chocolate. Elegant enough for gifting.
11. Orange Glazed Shortbread Stars
Shortbread cut into stars and finished with a bright orange glaze. A citrusy, pretty cookie for the tray.
12. Almond Crescent Cookies
Delicate, buttery crescents coated in powdered sugar. They look like a dusting of snow and melt in your mouth.
13. Snickerdoodle Christmas Trees
From: Easy Dessert Hub
Cinnamon-sugar cutout cookies shaped like Christmas trees, made with cream of tartar and a shape-holding dough.
Get the recipe on Easy Dessert Hub →
14. Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Soft, buttery sugar cookie dough swirled with cinnamon-brown sugar filling. All the flavor of a cinnamon roll in cookie form.
Chocolate and Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate cookies, thumbprints and bars with peppermint, marshmallow and cookie-butter flavors.
15. Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies
Soft chocolate cookies with a creamy peppermint center. A cute, festive treat for a holiday tray.
16. Peppermint Bark Cookies
Chocolate cookies topped with white chocolate and crushed peppermint, like a cookie version of peppermint bark.
17. Hot Cocoa Cookies
Thick, gooey chocolate cookies topped with melty marshmallows, like sipping hot cocoa in cookie form.
18. Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
Soft buttery cookies rolled in toasted hazelnuts and filled with silky chocolate. A cozy, elegant twist on the thumbprint.
19. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Soft, fudgy red velvet cookies rolled in powdered sugar so the red cracks through. Very festive on a cookie tray.
20. Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Bars
Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy frosting and crushed candy canes. The easiest way to bake Christmas cookies for a crowd, since you do not cut out any shapes.
Fruity, Nutty and Special Cookies
Jam-filled, cranberry, pecan and stained glass cookies to round out the tray.
21. Linzer Raspberry Cookies
Delicate, buttery sandwich cookies filled with bright raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar.
22. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Soft, chewy, buttery cookies with sweet white chocolate and tart cranberries.
23. Maple Pecan Brown Butter Cookies
Cookies made with nutty brown butter, maple and toasted pecans. A warm, toasty flavor for the tray.
24. Stained Glass Window Cookies
Sugar cookies with sparkling candy centers that look like real stained glass. A fun project to bake with kids.
Christmas Cookies in the Air Fryer
Small-batch versions from my air fryer site, for when the oven is busy.
25. Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies
From: Simply Air Cook
Cut-out gingerbread baked at 320°F in small batches. It covers the dough-chilling, thickness and parchment tips that matter in an air fryer.
Get the recipe on Simply Air Cook →
26. Air Fryer Red Velvet Cookies
From: Simply Air Cook
A smooth-topped red velvet drop cookie built on a light cocoa-and-buttermilk ratio, made in the air fryer.
Get the recipe on Simply Air Cook →
How to Build a Christmas Cookie Tray
Choose a mix of textures and colors. A good starting point is one frosted or decorated cookie, one buttery shortbread or crescent, one chocolate cookie, one jam or fruit cookie and one chewy cookie. Add a simple bar if you need to feed a crowd.
Baking Tips for Christmas Cookies
- Chill cut-out dough before you roll and cut so the shapes keep their edges.
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs unless a recipe says otherwise, so the dough mixes evenly.
- Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for even browning.
- Cool completely before icing or dipping so glaze and chocolate set instead of sliding off.
Make Ahead and Storage
Many cookie doughs can be made ahead and chilled, and shortbread, gingerbread and snowball-style cookies keep well in an airtight container. Store frosted cookies in a single layer, and keep crisp and soft cookies in separate containers so the crisp ones do not soften. Check each recipe for its own storage notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest Christmas cookies to make?
Drop cookies such as M&M cookies and white chocolate cranberry cookies, and bars such as the candy cane sugar cookie bars, need no rolling or cutting.
Which Christmas cookies are best for gifting?
Shortbread, almond crescents and chocolate-dipped cookies keep well and travel well in a box or tin.
Which cookies can I make with kids?
Gingerbread men, stained glass window cookies and cookies with sprinkles or M&Ms are good choices, since kids can decorate them.
Can I make Christmas cookies in an air fryer?
Yes. The air fryer gingerbread and red velvet cookies in this list are baked in small batches.
More Christmas Baking
See our 25 Christmas cookies that look straight out of Pinterest, 10 gingerbread cookie recipes, Christmas fudge recipes and Christmas cookie decorating ideas for kids.
