50 Creative Christmas Cookie Recipes (2024)

Published: Dec 13, 2021 · Modified: Nov 8, 2023 by Rebecca Blackwell · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

There are a lot of things I love about the holiday season, but cookies are definitely at the top of the list.

From beautifully decorated cut-out cookies, to chewy gingerbread cookies, peppermint and chocolate cookies, classic spritz cookies, and buttery fruit and nut filled rugelach, the sheer number of Christmas Cookie possibilities is enough to spark inspiration for long days of baking in even the most unlikely baker.

After sifting through hundreds of recipes, I'm happy to share this list of 50 deliciously creative Christmas Cookie Recipes.

But, with so many Christmas Cookie recipes to choose from, how do you decide which cookies to bake? Just like a good charcuterie board, the perfect holiday cookie tray is all about the right variety of options.

Mix up flavors, textures, and shapes. But, also include at least a couple of options for people who might be vegan or gluten free. (Check out this list of 50 Gluten Free Christmas Cookie Recipes)

For example, you might include...

A chocolate, or chocolate dipped cookie
A cookie spiced with flavors of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
A fruit and/or nut cookie
A soft and chewy cookie
A crisp, crunchy cookie
A bar cookie, truffle, candy, or fudge

Get a Variety of Christmas Cookies with a Classic Cookie Swap

One of the best ways to get a variety of cookies is to host a classic cookie swap!

Invite guests to bring a double batch of their favorite holiday cookies - some to eat at the swap and plenty for everyone to take home. Or, if your kitchen is large enough, host a Christmas Cookie baking party.

To get your creative juice flowing, scroll through this list of 50 Creative Christmas Cookie Recipes. Then, gather your ingredients, turn on the oven, pour yourself a glass of wine (or eggnog), and get baking.

50 Creative Christmas Cookie Recipes

After sifting through hundreds of recipes, I'm happy to share this list of 50 deliciously creative Christmas Cookie Recipes.

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

These incredibly rich and tender pistachio shortbread cookies are baked with a dollop of cranberry orange sauce, then drizzled with vanilla icing, and topped with a crunchy sprinkle of roasted pistachios.

Frosted Brown Butter Citrus Shortbread Cookies

These are the BEST tasting frosted cookies I've ever eaten. Brown butter citrus shortbread is buttery, not overly sweet, and laced with the subtle flavors of orange, lemon, and lime.

The dark and white chocolate fondants are easy to work with, gorgeously glossy, and taste wonderful with the brown butter citrus flavored cookies.

Christmas Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookie Bars

Photo Credit:theshortordercook.com

Tender cream cheese dough and triple chocolate flavor make a crave-able combination in these delicious holiday cookies.

This easy, no-fuss bar cookie recipe resembles a holiday wreath, is not overly sweet, and makes the perfect addition to the dessert table at any Christmas gathering.

Christmas Funfetti Cookies

Christmas Funfetti Cookies are super soft and chewy, bursting with the flavors of butter and vanilla, and packed with Christmas funtetti sprinkles. The perfect holiday recipe for those times when you want something uncomplicated, delicious, and fun, fun, fun.

MELTING SNOWMAN OREOS --Easy Christmas or winter cookie treat.

Photo Credit:thedecoratedcookie.com

These creative and simple Christmas cookies are made from white-fudge-covered Oreos and look like cute little melting snowmen.

Malted White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Halva Buttercream

Buttery shortbread cookies flavored with white chocolate and malted milk powder filled with delicious halva buttercream and drizzled with white and dark chocolate.

Gingerbread Yule Log Cookies (with Nutella filling)

Photo Credit:foodmeanderings.com

Who knew that gingerbread, Nutella and lime make such a great trio? These flavors really do perfectly balance each other in this delicious holiday cookie.

Gingerbread Yule Log Cookies are a unique addition to any holiday baking tray and something that will stand out from the usual shortbread and lemon square suspects.

Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies

Photo Credit:www.beyondthechickencoop.com

Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies are a tasty little sugar cookies that are perfect for the holidays. Fresh cranberries and orange zest flavor the cookie dough and the filling, ensuring a deliciously flavor-packed cookie.

Marshmallow Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Brownie-like chocolate crinkle cookies sandwiched together with homemade marshmallow that's piped onto the cookies while still warm. These cookies are chewy, fudgy, soft and gooey, with crispy brownie edges.

Decorated Christmas cookies, no-fail cut-out cookie and royal icing recipes

Photo Credit:thedecoratedcookie.com

Make decorated Christmas cookies with this no-fail recipe for cut-out cookies and royal icing. The cookie recipe cuts out and bakes beautifully without changing shape, and the icing dries well enough for handling, freezing, and shipping, but it tastes delicious.

Peppermint Stripe Sugar Cookies

Photo Credit:www.plattertalk.com

Sticky Cinnamon Bun Rugelach

Photo Credit:littleferrarokitchen.com

Sticky bun, meet Rugelach! A twist on the traditional Jewish cookie, these rugelach are filled with caramelized nuts and topped with streusel and drizzled with sweet caramel.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Thumbprints

Hello chocolate lover. Meet your new favorite cookie. Butterychocolate thumbprint cookies filled with a dollop of peppermint spiked hot fudge.

Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies

Photo Credit:houseofnasheats.com

These Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies are an old-fashioned cut-out sugar cookie recipe with a chewy twist thanks to the addition of rolled oats and almond extract. We love them frosted with buttercream frosting and topped with colorful sprinkles!

Mini Gingersnaps with Sorghum and Brown Sugar

These little chewy Gingersnap Cookies are all about sugar and spice, and everything nice. They are sweet little two-bite treats, bursting with Christmas spices, and positively addicting.

Eggless Diwali Cookies (Mehendi Cookies)

Photo Credit:spicesnflavors.com

These colorful Diwali Cookies with delicate and ethnic designs are truly drop dead gorgeous. Elevate your holiday cookie spread with something colorfully different this year!

Chocolate Eggnog Cookies

Photo Credit:www.atastefortravel.ca

This easy recipe for Chocolate Eggnog Cookies combines the flavors of creamy eggnog with the rich sweetness of chocolate in one pillowy soft bite!A drizzle of eggnog icing makes them look extra pretty on a Christmas dessert tray but is totally optional.

How to Make Stained Glass Cookies

Photo Credit:livforcake.com

Learn how to make stunning stained glass cookies with this detailed tutorial! Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges or hanging on your tree.

Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Photo Credit:ofbatteranddough.com

Biscotti (delicious twice bakedItalian cookies) packed with fresh cranberries, roasted almonds, a hint of orange, and dipped in dark chocolate. A smattering of Christmas sprinkles are fun, but optional.

Rudolph Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Photo Credit:thriftyjinxy.com

This Rudolph Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is fun to make and delicious to eat. Use pretzels, mini chocolate chips and M&Ms to create your own Rudolph cookies!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES

Photo Credit:leftoversthenbreakfast.com

Peppermint Sugar Cookies are a fun and festive treat for any holiday table, cookie exchange, or given as an edible gift. Made with basic sugar cookie dough, with the addition of dark chocolate and crushed peppermint candies, they are super easy to make!

Eggnog Linzer Cookies

Photo Credit:wearenotmartha.com

These Eggnog Linzer Cookies will be the hit of the holiday cookie platter! With a delicious eggnog icing sandwiched between two eggnog cookies, these make a delightful holiday treat.

Peppermint Christmas Wreath Cookies

Photo Credit:culinaryginger.com

These Peppermint Christmas Wreath Cookies are wonderfully festive and so easy to make. Peppermint flavored sugar cookies can be decorated any way you like with peppermint flavored icing.

Involve the kids and tap into your creative side to decorated these fun, slightly crispy, holiday cookies.

Vegan Christmas Cookies with Pistachio and Cranberries

Photo Credit:www.rainbownourishments.com

These Vegan Christmas Cookies are studded with pistachios and cranberries and then shaped into festive raspberry linzer cookies! Easy to make using common pantry staples.

Christmas Sprinkle Cookies With A Surprise Inside

Photo Credit:onehotoven.com

Everyone loves a surprise, and that is what you get with these tasty buttery-almond flavored ChristmasSurprise Inside Cookies with a fudge middle layer. Rolled in red, green, and white sprinkles these are the ultimate Christmas cookies. Seriously, who can resist cookie cuteness?

Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Photo Credit:livforcake.com

The classic combination of chocolate and peppermint make these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies the perfect treat for the holidays!

Grinch Shortbread Bites - irresistible melt-in-your-mouth treats!

Photo Credit:anaffairfromtheheart.com

Grinch shortbread bites are melt in your mouth little cookies that will help your inner Grinch grow a heart three sizes bigger at least.

They are simple to make, so you won’t shrink your heart two sizes too small trying to make them either.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Roly-Poly Santa Cookie Recipe

Photo Credit:sugarandcharm.com

These Santa cookies are so adorable, so tasty and great to make with your kids! With their buttery flavor, chocolate eyes and frosted beards, they’ll stand out at any Festive party.

Hands down the yummiest Christmas cookies to come down your chimney!

Maple Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Photo Credit:www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com

If you’re collecting cookie recipes, and looking for something unique and delicious, these naturally sweetened Maple Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies are going to be a huge hit!

They’re made with granulated maple sugar, ground hazelnuts and have a dollop of pure maple cream in the center of each! The best part is they can be made ahead and frozen!

Figgy Pudding Cookies Recipe

Photo Credit:tikkido.com

This figgy pudding Christmas cookie has all of the flavors of a traditional figgy pudding in a bite-sized, adorable Christmas cookie. It's the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie tray.

Juniper Berry spiced Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Photo Credit:www.theflavorbender.com

Soft, fudgy and crunchy, these Juniper Berry Spiced Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies have so much going on, but they are so easy to make, and have a unique bittersweet, chocolatey, nutty, floral flavor profile!

If you like the chocolate and hazelnut flavor combo (think Nutella), you’ll find these cookies absolutely addictive!

Peppermint Sugar Cookie Whoopie Pies

Photo Credit:flavormosaic.com

Peppermint Sugar Cookie Whoopie Pies are an easy, sweet, fun festive dessert made with frosting between two sugar cookies and rolled in crushed peppermints.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

Photo Credit:www.thegunnysack.com

These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups made with sugar cookie dough are filled with hot chocolate ganache, have a pretzel handle and mini marshmallows on top!

Snowman Meringue Cookies

Photo Credit:www.thegunnysack.com

Cheerful Snowman Meringue Cookies are crunchy, airy, melt in your mouth treats. Place in a mug of hot chocolate to make a melting snowman!

Finnish Apricot Pinwheel Cookies

Photo Credit:mooshujenne.com

Pretty cookies are so fun to gift at the holidays. These Finnish apricot pinwheel cookies are simple to create and look wonderful when gifting. Use apricot jam or plum preserves which is traditionally used. Either way these cookies will be a hit!

Wreath Cookies - A Child-Friendly Christmas Recipe

Photo Credit:www.littlesugarsnaps.com

Christmas Wreath Cookies are perfectly beautiful & super easy to make. They are full of spices and decorated with cranberries, white chocolate & pistachios.

Hungarian Kifli Cookies

Photo Credit:mildlymeandering.com

If you haven’t tried kifli cookies, then you are sure in for a treat! I hadn’t had them either until I made this batch but after hearing stories about how incredible these cookies were, I knew I had to give them a shot.

This kifli recipe that been passed down through the family for generations and is actually authentic.

Classic Thumbprint Cookies with Carrot Jam

Photo Credit:itsavegworldafterall.com

Homemade carrot jam is a unique addition to classic thumbprint cookies, and believe me, it’s delicious!

Poinsettia Cookies

Photo Credit:www.threeolivesbranch.com

Festive and bright, these Poinsettia Cookies are a perfect way to celebrate Christmas and winter. Cherry flavored Jell-o cookies shaped like the classic flowers will be a hit!

Chocolate Dipped Cardamom Orange Paleo Shortbread Cookies (vegan)

Photo Credit:www.theroastedroot.net

These warmly-spiced cardamom orange paleo shortbread cookies are dipped in orange-cardamom chocolate for a decadent treat. Made with almond flour, coconut oil, and coconut sugar, this shortbreadrecipe is, gluten free, vegan, and paleo.

Secret Kiss Cookies

Photo Credit:themondaybox.com

Secret Kiss Cookies are soft, cake-like morsels with rich chocolaty flavor. Baking in a mini muffin pan gives these treats their distinctive round shape, perfect for hiding a candy kiss inside.

Maple Pecan Potato Chip Cookies Recipe

Photo Credit:www.anediblemosaic.com

This Maple Pecan Potato Chip Cookies Recipe features a deliciously balanced salty/sweet flavor profile and is easy to make! They’re perfect for any time of year, and are a fun addition to a festive holiday cookie tray.

Double Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Photo Credit:ofbatteranddough.com

These delicious little chocolate shortbread cookies have a surprise chocolate kiss in the center. These are especially great cookies to bake with young children. The dough is a simple shortbread requiring only a handful of ingredients, and rolling it around a chocolate kiss is a fun and easy task for small hands.

Host an ugly Christmas sweater cookie decorating party

Photo Credit:desertchica.com

Instead of wearing ugly Christmas sweaters to the party, have your guests decorate and eat them!

German Hazelnut Meringue Cookies – a German Christmas Cookie Recipe

Photo Credit:cinnamonandcoriander.com

These elegant German Hazelnut Cookies filled with hazelnut meringue and chocolate chips are a traditional German Christmas cookie that is served all through the holiday season.

Chocolate Avocado Cookies

Photo Credit:iheartvegetables.com

Did you know you can use avocado in place of oil in baked goods? These double chocolate cookies use avocado instead of oil for a deliciously fudgy texture.

Vegan Rocky Road Cookies

Photo Credit:bakedbyclo.com

These vegan rocky road cookies are soft, chewy and chocolatey. They’re filled with mini marshmallows, chunks of digestive biscuits and dairy-free white chocolate chips. They’re perfect for sharing and would make a delicious edible gift.

Raw Gingerbread Cookie Bites - Paleo & Vegan

Photo Credit:lovefoodnourish.com

Raw gingerbread cookie bites are tasty, easy to make and kids love them! If you are a fan of gingerbread, you will love these raw cookie bites. Gluten-free, dairy-Free, Paleo-friendly, Vegan.

Mini Meringues with Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate

Photo Credit:alwaysusebutter.com

These easy to make Mini Meringues with Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate in the perfect candy size are just the treat you need. Sweet and crispy with just a hint of salt - you won't be able to stop at one, or ten... Great on their own - as well as on top of ice cream and other desserts.

Chai Tea Shortbread Cookies Recipe