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Home » Course

40 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes (few ingredients!)

Published: November 17, 2023 | Updated: November 17, 2023 | By Jess | 2 Comments

4 kinds of christmas cookies
4 kinds of christmas cookies

The best place to start planning your holiday baking is with my roundup of easy Christmas cookie recipes, many that use just a few ingredients!

shortbread cookies with icing

You’ll find easy cookie recipes with simple ingredients to get you into the holiday spirit.

Whether you’re baking for a Christmas party; cookie exchange; or just for yourself, these recipes are meant for the festive season.

One of my favorite holiday memories from my childhood is decorating shortbread Christmas cookies.  It was the perfect way to enjoy time together as a family and have fun too! It’s a great family tradition and a new favorite easy holiday cookie recipe is the best place to start.

Why you’ll love this collection of easy Christmas cookie recipes using few ingredients

  • Recipes have minimal ingredients to make the baking process easier.
  • There are easy recipes for everyone’s tastes! Chocolate cookies, sugar cookies and other festive cookies to name a few.
  • A variety of dietary needs are met in these holiday cookie recipes including gluten-free and vegan options.
gallery of christmas cookies

Basic baking supplies and ingredients needed to make easy holiday cookies

  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Favorite cookie cutters
  • Basic ingredients such as: butter, white sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, chocolate chips and cocoa powder
  • Airtight container for storage

Easy Sugar Cookies for Christmas

Choose from a variety of sugar cookies for your Christmas baking! Soft & chewy, peppermint and chocolate chip cookies – you’ll find Christmas sugar cookies for everyone’s taste.

The BEST Sugar Cookies Recipe
If you’re looking for the most versatile and BEST Sugar Cookies, look no further! These buttery cookies can either be rolled out and cut into shapes or baked soft and chewy!
Check out this recipe
sugar cookies with pink icing
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
These soft and chewy sugar cookies with sprinkles have a sweet, vanilla flavor and are perfect to make for a birthday or celebration!
Check out this recipe
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Peppered with real bits of candy cane and melted dark chocolate, these super soft, dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookies are the perfect canvas for all your holiday cookie decorating needs.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
The ultimate soft and gooey chocolate chip sugar cookies recipe. They are sweet, chewy, and easy to make with 8 basic ingredients. Seriously, the best cookies ever!
Check out this recipe
chocolate chip sugar cookies
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cookies
These easy, chewy cinnamon brown sugar cookies are perfect for the holidays! Made with melted butter (no waiting for butter to soften!) and easy to mix by hand – no stand mixer required. Ready in half an hour!
Check out this recipe
cinnamon brown sugar cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

Easy gingerbread cookies are a must for a cookie exchange or holiday cookie platter!

Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Bake up a holiday memory with these super easy Gingerbread Cookies then simply decorate with royal icing, or add your favourite candy decorations.
Check out this recipe
gingerbread cookies on a plate

Festive Cookie Recipes for the Holidays

A variety of delicious cookies for your Christmas celebrations including festive treats like red velvet cookies and eggnog cookies and peppermint snowball cookies with candy canes.

Red Velvet Cookies
These easy red velvet cookies start with a cake mix and are loaded with white chocolate chips. A simple yet impressive cookie!
Check out this recipe
red velvet christmas cookies
Eggnog Cookie Recipe For The Holidays
This recipe for easy, soft, melt in your mouth eggnog cookies will knock your friends socks off! Let’s get baking!!
Check out this recipe
Eggnog Cookie Recipe For The Holidays
Peppermint Snowball Cookies
These Peppermint Snowball Cookies take everything you love about the classic butter ball cookie, but it swaps out the nuts for peppermint, making them an even more festive and adorable Christmas cookie that will be welcome on any cookie tray!
Check out this recipe
peppermint snowball cookies
Easy Authentic Italian Pignoli Cookies
Pignoli Cookies, or pine nut cookies, are a classic Italian confection. They’re chewy, sweet and only require 5 ingredients!
Check out this recipe
pignoli cookies
Soft Pecan Cookies with Maple Glaze
Are you looking for a new, favourite fall dessert recipe? Try these amazing soft pecan cookies with maple glaze – a great seasonal treat.
Check out this recipe
Soft Pecan Cookies with Maple Glaze

Easy Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are an easy way to dive into holiday baking since they generally use just a handful of ingredients. Classic and whipped shortbread plus a unique earl grey cookie, they’re a classic and easy Christmas cookie for the Christmas season.

Easy Shortbread Cookies (Classic Recipe + Tips!)
Buttery, crumbly and light classic shortbread cookies that are easy to make with the minimal amount of ingredients you ALWAYS have in your kitchen! Make the classic version or scottish shortbread.
Check out this recipe
classic shortbread cookies
Best Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
These tender, buttery earl grey shortbread cookies are the best! Flavored with earl greay and vanilla for a “london fog” inspired shortbread. Easy to make!
Check out this recipe
earl grey shortbread cookies
Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Icing
Easy shortbread cookies for the holidays with a delicious lemon icing. The perfect cookie to decorate, gift and enjoy.
Check out this recipe
shortbread cookies with lemon icing
Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
These Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are comprised of a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie base with real crushed candy cane.
Check out this recipe
candy cane shortbread cookies
Best Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Whipped Shortbread Cookies are delightful holiday cookies will melt in your mouth. They are light, buttery and SO easy to make.
Check out this recipe
whipped shortbread

Chocolate Cookie Recipes to make for Christmas

You cannot go wrong with a chocolate cookie for the holidays! Chocolate brownie cookies along with chocolate and peppermint, there are many delicious treats to make with chocolate for your cookie plate at Christmas.

Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These double chocolate mint cookies are the perfect holiday cookie. Made with rich chocolate cookie dough, chopped Andes mints and peppermint extract.
Check out this recipe
Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These peppermint chocolate chip cookies are a holiday twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie! Loaded with candy cane pieces and lots of chocolate chips, they are the best Christmas cookie!
Check out this recipe
peppermint chocolate chip cookies
Brownie Crinkle Cookies with Peppermint White Chooclate
Chewy dark chocolate brownie batter cookies with peppermint white chocolate chunks folded in. The perfect winter holiday dessert!
Check out this recipe
brownie crinkle cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies With Orange
These chocolate chip pecan cookies are wonderfully rich and filled with pecans and orange zest. Ready in 30 minutes and perfect for Christmas.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies With Orange
Salted Mocha Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Part brownie, part cookie, these salted mocha brownie cookies are super fudgy and ready to eat in 20 minutes with no chilling time!
Check out this recipe
Salted Mocha Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
These chewy chocolate peppermint kiss cookies are the ultimate Christmas cookie! Perfect for your next holiday gathering, cuddled in for a Christmas movie marathon, or for a cookie exchange with friends!
Check out this recipe
peppermint cookies
Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
These easy Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies are everything you love about brownies BUT in cookie form! Chewy & decadent & hard to resist!
Check out this recipe
Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Cake Mix Christmas Cookies

If you’ve never used cake mix to make cookies, now is the time to try it! You can make an easy cookie dough using a boxed cake mix and a few simple baking ingredients. Then you have a perfect holiday cookie in no time!

Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cake Mix
Full of chocolate chips and rolled in sweet powdered sugar, these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cake Mix are a must make!
Check out this recipe
cake mix chocolate crinkle cookies
Cake Mix Cookies
These cake mix cookies are a 5 ingredient dessert that can be made in tons of different flavors and decorated for any occasion.
Check out this recipe
cake mix cookies

Easy Classic Christmas Cookie Recipes

From peanut butter blossoms to snickerdoodle cookies, these are some of the most classic and easy Christmas cookies for the season.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms (Quick & Easy!)
These quick and easy 3-ingredient peanut butter blossoms are soft and chewy with crackly sugar-coated edges. Naturally gluten-free and yummy!
Check out this recipe
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms (Quick & Easy!)
Snowball Cookies
These snowball cookies are light and tender cookies studded with pecans and chocolate chips, then rolled in powdered sugar.
Check out this recipe
classic snowball cookies
Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Soft and chewy snickerdoodles that use standard pantry ingredients! Ready in 30 minutes, these snickerdoodles without cream of tartar are perfect any time of year!
Check out this recipe
Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Pecan Sandies (Vintage Recipe)
Pecan Sandies have a shortbread-like cookie base studded with pecans and dusted with powdered sugar. Nostalgic and SO good!
Check out this recipe
pecan sandies cookies
Chewy Coconut Macaroons
If you love chewy coconut cookies, these chocolate dipped macaroons are for you. Drizzled with dark chocolate, chewy coconut macaroons are a holiday tradition.
Check out this recipe
macaroons

Gluten-Free and Vegan Christmas Cookie Recipes

For family and friends with special dietary needs, these gluten-free cookies and vegan Christmas cookie recipes are for you! There are homemade cookies for both types of dietary needs including easy peanut butter cookies, gluten-free gingerbread cookies and vegan ‘shortbread’ cookies too since everyone should be able to enjoy delicious Christmas cookies. 

Vegan Christmas Cookies
Soft, light, and buttery vegan Christmas cookies. With vegan royal icing, these easy sugar cookies make a fun Christmas baking project!
Check out this recipe
vegan christmas cookies
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men Cookies
These super delicious Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men Cookies roll out and cut beautifully, are packed with big flavor and couldn’t be easier to make.
Check out this recipe
gluten free gingerbread cookies
Paleo Cinnamon Snowflake Christmas Cookies Using Coconut Sugar | Grain, Gluten, Dairy, & Egg Free
Celebrate the season without the sugar overload and make these festive and fun Paleo cinnamon snowflake cookies!
Check out this recipe
shortbread cookies
Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
My easy Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies are the perfect festive treat. The shortbread is rich, buttery, and melt-in-the-mouth delicious.
Check out this recipe
Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies With 4 Ingredients
Easy peanut butter cookies recipe made with no flour. These simple chewy cookies are made with only 4 ingredients! These are one of my family’s favorite cookies and I love how quick they are to make!
Check out this recipe
easy peanut butter christmas cookies
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
The ultimate cookie for the peanut butter and chocolate lover. These Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms are a classic during the holiday season.
Check out this recipe
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chewy Amaretti Cookies (Gluten Free)
Chewy Amaretti Cookies are one of the easiest recipes you will make. Containing just five ingredients, these delicious cookies will become a favourite.
Check out this recipe
Chewy Amaretti Cookies (Gluten Free)
Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
3 ingredient almond flour peanut butter cookies – vegan with Maple syrup! Almond flour peanut butter cookies — keto option included!
Check out this recipe
almond butter gluten free cookies
Vegan Cinnamon Cookies
These vegan cinnamon cookies are sweet, crunchy and easy to cut-out…an excellent bake for the festive season, delicious topped with icing.
Check out this recipe
cinnamon shortbread cookies
German Marzipan Balls (vegan & gluten-free)
These German Marzipan Balls are the easiest Christmas Cookies ever! Vegan, gluten-free and only 2 ingredients needed! Have you got 5 minutes?
Check out this recipe
marzipan cookies in a bowl
ingredients to make shortbread cookies

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About Jess

I started Cooking in my Genes to bring people around my virtual table and share simple and seasonal recipes that make you smile and fill your belly. I hope to help inspire you to create your own meals and memories around the table with the people that matter to you. Read more...

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  1. Sara

    November 17, 2023 at 9:45 pm

    So many choices, so little time! LOL! These all look fantastic! Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Jess

      November 18, 2023 at 1:10 pm

      So true! So glad you like this Christmas cookie roundup!

      Reply

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