Gingerbread Cookies: Crisp and Soft
Chilled gingerbread dough gives you both crisp edges and softer centers, with enough structure for cutters, gifts, and detailed decoration.
spiced cutout cookie
46 Christmas Cookie Recipes for Every Tray
Curated by Juniper ValeUpdated September 2, 2026
☰ Contents
Christmas cookie baking suits anyone filling a holiday tray, packing a Christmas Cookie Gift Box, or planning an afternoon of decorating with children. This list moves from crisp gingerbread and buttery shortbread to chocolate centers, jammy thumbprints, and cookies with cream cheese.
Some doughs bake in under 30 minutes. Others need a chill before the kitchen smells of cinnamon and toasted nuts.
Choose shaped cookies when decorating matters, or reach for snowballs, crinkles, and chocolate chip cookies when you want variety without elaborate piping. Watch the edges: pale centers usually firm as they cool, while darkened rims signal a crisper finish.
What Are Christmas Cookies?
Christmas cookies are small baked treats made for holiday sharing, decorating, gifting, and dessert trays. The category includes spiced gingerbread, cutout sugar cookies, thumbprints, snowballs, shortbread, crinkles, and candy cane variations. Some are crisp at the edges; others stay soft or crumbly.
Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, peppermint, and fruit preserves appear often. If a dough contains plenty of butter, chill it before shaping because warm dough spreads and blurs cutout edges. Expect both quick bakes and recipes with longer resting time.
How to Choose the Best Christmas Cookies
For a quick Christmas cookie recipe, start with the 19- to 30 minute options, such as crinkles, sprinkle cookies, and several snowballs. Choose gingerbread, sugar cookies, wreaths, or tree shapes when Christmas tree decorating cookies are the goal. Their pale surfaces show icing clearly.
Gift boxes need sturdy cookies that travel well, including shortbread, snowballs, and dipped butter cookies. If you want contrast, pair one chocolate cookie with a nut based bake and a jam filled thumbprint. A dough that feels sticky should be chilled, or the baked shapes may lose their definition.
Classic Christmas Cookies
Spices, butter, and familiar holiday shapes define these traditional bakes. The doughs range from crisp gingerbread to soft sugar cookies, so check the edges and centers rather than relying on color alone. These are the dependable choices for a mixed platter, while the decorating focused recipes appear later.
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Old Fashioned Christmas Sugar Cookies
Sharp Christmas sugar cookie shapes hold their edges for icing, so this buttery base works well for tree decorations and cutout designs.
christmas sugar cookies -
Old Fashioned Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies
Gingerbread spices meet shortbread structure here, producing a chilled dough with a denser, buttery profile than standard gingerbread cutouts.
gingerbread shortbread -
Crispy Swedish Cinnamon Cookies
Swedish Cinnamon Cookies bring Scandinavian inspiration and a crisp finish, offering a thinner, sharper spiced alternative to soft cinnamon cookies.
Swedish crisp cookie -
Cinnamon Christmas Cookies
This simply named cinnamon Christmas cookie gives the assortment another warm spice option, useful when a traditional flavor matters more than decoration.
classic cinnamon bake
Easy Cookies for Christmas
Short baking times and recognizable doughs keep these cookies approachable when the oven is already busy. Cinnamon rolls, graham cookies, sprinkles, and chocolate chip cookies bring different textures to the tray. Unlike shaped cookies, most need little or no icing to look ready for a party.
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Peanut Butter Cookies: Quintessential Chewy Recipe
Criss crossed peanut butter cookies add a familiar salty sweet note to holiday boxes, balancing the spiced, chocolate, and fruit filled choices.
peanut butter classic -
Soft & Glazed Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Cinnamon Roll Cookies turn a familiar swirl into a compact holiday bake, bringing visible layers where other cookies rely on toppings.
cinnamon swirl -
Healthy Cinnamon Graham Cookies
Cinnamon Graham Cookies bring a crisp outer shell and graham style flavor, offering a plainer spiced option beside gingerbread.
crisp graham spice -
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Syrup
Chewy Christmas chocolate chip cookies bring mahogany edges and familiar chocolate pieces, grounding an assortment of more decorative shapes.
chewy chocolate chip -
Old Fashioned Cinnamon Spice Cookies: Golden and Warm
A shattering sugar crust surrounds the soft center of these cinnamon spice cookies, adding textural contrast without frosting or filling.
sugar-crusted spice -
Soft Batch Easy Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Sprinkles add instant color to these easy Christmas cookies, so the batch looks festive without royal icing, cutout work, or piping.
easy sprinkle cookies -
Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies: Fudgy and Salted
Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies place a chocolate candy in the bake, giving holiday platters a recognizable filled centerpiece.
peanut butter cup
Thumbprint Cookies and Jam Centers
Thumbprints give every cookie a visible center, whether it holds raspberry preserves, peanut butter, chocolate, or peppermint. Press the well firmly enough to hold its filling, but not so deeply that the base cracks. These are smaller, decorative treats compared with the larger cutouts and chocolate chip styles.
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Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies in 30 Minutes
Raspberry centers brighten these thumbprints with fruit and color, giving a mixed cookie box a small, jewel like accent.
raspberry thumbprints -
Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate: Double Press Method
A double pressed center holds chocolate in these thumbprints, replacing raspberry preserves with a darker filling and a richer visual finish.
chocolate thumbprints -
No-Spread Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
Peanut butter dough surrounds a jam center in these thumbprints, pairing a roasted flavor with the fruit filled look of classic holiday cookies.
peanut butter jam
Chocolate Dipped Christmas Cookies
A dark or white chocolate coating changes the finish without requiring detailed piping. Let dipped cookies rest until the surface loses its wet shine before stacking, or the coating will smear.
Peanut butter and butter cookies anchor this group; the chocolate heavy crinkles and snowballs offer a softer, cocoa led alternative.
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Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies finish with a glossy chocolate shell, matching the chocolate dipped Christmas cookies query with a salty peanut center.
chocolate dipped peanut -
Old Fashioned Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies pair a crisp buttery base with a dark or white chocolate finish, suited to polished gift boxes.
chocolate dipped butter -
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cocoa Powder
Twenty five minutes brings cocoa rich crinkles with a snowy sugar crust, a fast contrast to doughs that need extended chilling.
25-minute chocolate bake -
Old Fashioned Chocolate Snowball Cookies
Chocolate Snowball Cookies combine cocoa with the traditional powdered coating, giving a darker, richer looking option for a white dusted tray.
cocoa snowballs -
Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies in 25 Minutes
Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies lean toward brownie style richness, supplying a deep cocoa option among the lighter sugar and nut cookies.
double chocolate bake
Snowball Cookies for Gift Boxes
Snowballs are round, nutty cookies rolled in powdered sugar, with lemon, coconut, almond, pecan, walnut, and chocolate variations. Their white coating hides small cracks and gives a gift box a snowy look. Cool them fully before a second coating, because warm steam can make the sugar disappear.
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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Snowball Cookies
Powdered sugar coats these round snowballs twice, giving gift boxes a bright finish and a nutty crumb without icing work.
30-minute snowballs -
Guilt-Free Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
Toasted pecans deepen these snowballs before the powdered sugar coating goes on, giving the gift box a roasted nut variation.
toasted pecan snowballs -
Snowball Cookies with Walnuts in 33 Minutes
Walnuts bring a distinct roasted flavor to these snowballs, adding a traditional nut cookie that differs from pecan and almond versions.
walnut snowballs -
Snowball Cookies Lemon with Fresh Zest
Lemon zest shifts the snowball profile from warm spice to bright citrus, giving a powdered holiday tray a sharper flavor note.
lemon snowballs -
Old Fashioned Almond Snowball Cookies
Almond flavor anchors these 25 minute snowballs, offering a straightforward powdered cookie for tins when pecan or coconut is not desired.
25-minute almond bake -
Coconut Snowball Cookies with Coconut Flour
Coconut flour gives these snowballs a tropical note and a longer 66 minute schedule, making them distinct from quicker nut based versions.
coconut snowballs
Christmas Cookie Decorating Recipes
Tree cookies, wreaths, royal icing, and a stacked cookie tree turn baking into a table centerpiece. Chill shaped dough when the cut edges begin to soften, because firm dough keeps stars, rings, and branches recognizable in the oven.
These recipes suit Christmas Cookies Tree Decorations more than the scoop and bake options.
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Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Glaze
Butter and vanilla keep these tree cookies simple to shape and decorate, with a firm outline suited to Christmas tree displays.
tree-shaped cutouts -
Christmas Cookies With Royal Icing: Crisp Base
Royal icing turns baked Christmas cookies into outlined, flooded, or detailed decorations, giving this recipe a more precise finish than plain sugar cookies.
royal icing designs -
Christmas Sugar Cookie Icing with Meringue Powder
This ten minute icing supports Christmas cookie decorating, especially when tree and sugar cookie shapes need a coating that sets firm.
10-minute cookie icing -
Christmas Tree Cookie Stack: 3D Sugar Cookies
A Christmas Tree Cookie Stack turns several baked tree shapes into a three dimensional centerpiece, adding assembly and height to the dessert table.
stacked tree centerpiece -
Holiday Wreath Cookies with Almond Extract
Almond extract flavors these wreath cookies, whose ring shape works for hanging style displays, platter decoration, and holiday icing.
almond wreath shapes -
Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies: Sandy Crumb
Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies offer a sandy buttery crumb in a tree shape, pairing sturdy structure with simple seasonal decoration.
tree-shaped shortbread -
Buttery Christmas Swirl Sugar Cookies
Christmas Swirl Sugar Cookies reveal colorful pinwheel layers when sliced, bringing visual movement that ordinary round cookies do not provide.
colorful pinwheel layers
Peppermint and Candy Cane Cookies
Peppermint adds a cool finish, while crushed candy canes bring color and a faint crackle as they bake. Keep peppermint pieces away from the hottest pan edges because sugar can melt quickly. This group covers striped shapes, chocolate combinations, kisses, shortbread, and snowballs rather than one repeated cookie base.
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Candy Cane Cookies: Buttery Peppermint Snap
Candy Cane Cookies use striped dough for a recognizable holiday shape, standing apart from scoop and bake peppermint cookies.
striped candy cane -
Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Peppermint sugar cookies keep the base familiar while adding a cool mint note, useful when you want decoration without a complex shape.
peppermint sugar cookie -
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies in 19 Minutes
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies add a mint chocolate candy center to a quick 19 minute bake, with less shaping than striped candy canes.
mint candy center -
Chewy Chocolate Chip and Candy Cane Cookies
Brown sugar keeps these chocolate chip cookies chewy while crushed candy cane adds mint and crunch, combining two familiar holiday flavors.
peppermint chocolate chip -
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread: Artisan Style
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread brings cocoa and mint into a crisp butter cookie, bridging the shortbread and candy cane sections.
chocolate mint shortbread -
Candy Cane Snowball Cookies in 45 Minutes
Candy Cane Snowball Cookies fold peppermint pieces into a powdered round cookie, combining the snowy look of snowballs with candy crunch.
candy cane snowballs -
Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies: Fudgy Base
Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies combine a chocolate leaning center with a mint finish, giving thumbprint fans a distinctly seasonal variation.
peppermint thumbprints
Cookies with Cream Cheese
Cream cheese softens the bite and adds a mild tang to sugar, spritz, and pecan cookies. These doughs often look paler after baking, so judge doneness by set edges and a dry surface. They differ from classic shortbread through their tender texture and from royal iced cookies through their understated finish.
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Christmas Cream Cheese Cookies: Tender Finish
Cream cheese adds mild tang and tenderness to these 25 minute cookies, separating them from butter only sugar cookie recipes.
25-minute cream cheese -
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies: Buttery with a Creamy Tang
Cream cheese spritz cookies use pressed shapes rather than rolled cutters, creating small decorative pieces with a tangy, delicate crumb.
pressed spritz shapes -
Cream Cheese Pecan Snowballs in 30 Minutes
Cream cheese and pecans give these snowballs a tangy nut profile, adding a tender variation to classic powdered sugar cookies.
cream cheese pecan -
Tender Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
A cornstarch based dough keeps these frosted sugar cookies soft, making them a tender alternative to crisp decorated cutouts.
soft frosted cookie
Linzer and Pistachio Holiday Cookies
Almond flour Linzer cookies bring a cutout window and fruit filling, while pistachio crinkles show a green speckled dough beneath a powdered crust. Chilling matters in both styles because soft dough loses sharp edges and defined cracks.
These internationally inspired choices add color and shape beyond standard sugar cookies.
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Linzer Cookies: Austrian Style
Almond flour Linzer cookies sandwich a fruit center beneath a cutout window, adding a European style filled cookie to the holiday tray.
almond jam sandwich -
Chewy Pistachio Crinkle Cookies
Pistachio Crinkle Cookies need a 2 hour 30 minute total schedule, then deliver green nutty dough beneath a powdered crackle.
chilled pistachio crinkle
Storage and Food Safety Tips for Christmas Cookies
Cool cookies completely before sealing them, or trapped warmth will soften crisp edges and fog icing. Store dry cookies in an airtight container at room temperature; cream cheese or soft frosted varieties generally belong in the refrigerator.
Keep strong peppermint flavors separate from delicate vanilla cookies because aromas travel.
FDA guidance suggests two hours as the limit for perishable foods at room temperature. If a cookie develops a sour smell, visible mold, or unusual moisture, discard it. Separate layers with parchment, and thaw frozen cookies while still wrapped to reduce condensation.
Quick Comparison
| # | Recipes | Best For | Time | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gingerbread Cookies: Crisp and Soft | spiced holiday shapes | 2 hr 30 min | Not provided |
| 2 | Christmas Sugar Cookies: Buttery | cutout decorating | Time varies | Not provided |
| 3 | Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies for 28 | spiced shortbread boxes | Time varies | Not provided |
| 4 | Swedish Cinnamon Cookies: Crispy | Scandinavian cinnamon baking | Time varies | Not provided |
| 5 | Cinnamon Christmas Cookies | straightforward cinnamon baking | Time varies | Not provided |
| 6 | Peanut Butter Cookies: The Quintessential Chewy Recipe | classic peanut butter flavor | Time varies | Not provided |
| 7 | Cinnamon Roll Cookies in 25 Minutes | cinnamon swirl fans | 25 min | Not provided |
| 8 | Cinnamon Graham Cookies in 25 Minutes | crisp cinnamon cookies | 25 min | Not provided |
| 9 | Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chewy | familiar chocolate chip trays | 22 min | Not provided |
| 10 | Cinnamon Spice Cookies in 27 Minutes | sugar-crusted spice cookies | 27 min | Not provided |
| 11 | Easy Christmas Sprinkle Cookies for 20 | easy party cookie batches | Time varies | Easy |
| 12 | Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies: 26 | peanut butter cup centers | 26 min | Not provided |
| 13 | Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies for 20 | bright jam centers | 30 min | Not provided |
| 14 | Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate: Baked | chocolate-filled thumbprints | Time varies | Not provided |
| 15 | Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies for 16 | peanut butter jam pairing | 32 min | Not provided |
| 16 | Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies: Baked | chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies | 29 min | Not provided |
| 17 | Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies: 20 Min | white or dark chocolate dipping | 20 min | Not provided |
| 18 | Chocolate Crinkle Cookies in 25 Minutes | quick chocolate trays | 25 min | Not provided |
| 19 | Chocolate Snowball Cookies in 25 Minutes | cocoa snowball variety | 25 min | Not provided |
| 20 | Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies: Rich | brownie-style chocolate cookies | Time varies | Not provided |
| 21 | Snowball Cookies in 30 Minutes | powdered sugar gift boxes | 30 min | Not provided |
| 22 | Pecan Snowball Cookies in 30 Minutes | toasted pecan flavor | 30 min | Not provided |
| 23 | Snowball Cookies with Walnuts in 33 Min | walnut-based gift tins | 33 min | Not provided |
| 24 | Snowball Cookies Lemon in 29 Minutes | citrus-forward snowballs | 29 min | Not provided |
| 25 | Almond Snowball Cookies in 25 Minutes | classic almond snowballs | 25 min | Not provided |
| 26 | Coconut Snowball Cookies in 66 Minutes | coconut cookie tins | 66 min | Not provided |
| 27 | Christmas Tree Cookies in 30 Minutes | tree decorating cookies | 30 min | Not provided |
| 28 | Christmas Cookies With Royal Icing Baked | detailed icing designs | Time varies | Not provided |
| 29 | Christmas Sugar Cookie Icing: 10 Min | hard-setting cookie icing | 10 min | Not provided |
| 30 | Christmas Tree Cookie Stack in 90 Minutes | stacked edible centerpiece | 90 min | Not provided |
| 31 | Holiday Wreath Cookies with Almond Extract | wreath-shaped decorating | 60 min | Not provided |
| 32 | Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies: 65 Min | tree-shaped shortbread | 65 min | Not provided |
| 33 | Christmas Swirl Sugar Cookies for 20 | colorful pinwheel slices | Time varies | Not provided |
| 34 | Candy Cane Cookies in 45 Minutes | striped holiday shapes | 45 min | Not provided |
| 35 | Peppermint Sugar Cookies in 30 Minutes | minty sugar cookie trays | 30 min | Not provided |
| 36 | Candy Cane Kiss Cookies in 19 Minutes | fast mint-topped cookies | 19 min | Not provided |
| 37 | Chewy Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies | peppermint chocolate chip fans | Time varies | Not provided |
| 38 | Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread for 20 | chocolate mint shortbread | Time varies | Not provided |
| 39 | Candy Cane Snowball Cookies in 45 Minutes | minty powdered cookies | 45 min | Not provided |
| 40 | Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies for 16 | mint chocolate thumbprints | Time varies | Not provided |
| 41 | Christmas Cream Cheese Cookies in 25 Min | tangy tender cookies | 25 min | Not provided |
| 42 | Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies in 32 Minutes | pressed spritz shapes | 32 min | Not provided |
| 43 | Cream Cheese Pecan Snowballs in 30 Min | tangy pecan snowballs | 30 min | Not provided |
| 44 | Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies: Tender | soft frosted cookies | Time varies | Not provided |
| 45 | Linzer Cookies with Almond Flour | jam-window sandwich cookies | Time varies | Not provided |
| 46 | Chewy Pistachio Crinkle Cookies | green pistachio crinkles | 2 hr 30 min | Not provided |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between classic and decorated Christmas cookies?
Choose gingerbread, sugar cookies, wreaths, or tree cookies when shape and icing matter. Snowballs, shortbread, and chocolate chip cookies need less decoration and suit mixed gift boxes.
Can I make these Christmas cookies ahead of time?
Generally, yes. Dry cookies can be baked ahead and stored airtight, while dough can often be chilled or frozen according to its recipe. Add icing or chocolate after thawing when possible.
What belongs in a Christmas Cookie Gift Box?
Use a mix of shapes and textures: one spiced cookie, one chocolate cookie, one powdered sugar snowball, and one jam filled or dipped cookie. Keep peppermint heavy pieces separate from delicate flavors.
How do I keep decorated Christmas tree cookies from spreading?
Chill the shaped dough before baking and avoid placing it on a warm baking sheet. If the dough feels soft or the edges lose definition, return it to the refrigerator before continuing.
What are thumbprint cookies filled with?
Raspberry preserves, chocolate, peppermint fillings, and jam are common choices in this collection. Add the filling carefully so it stays in the center rather than running over the edges.
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