Whether you’re attending a cookie exchange party or looking for a new, creative recipe, these 14 Christmas cookies are playful, festive and delicious!
1. Pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
When it comes to making chocolate chip cookies your next favorite fall dessert, Sally McKenney at Sally’s Baking Addiction is a pro. Sally’s pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are everything you love about chocolate chip cookies with the added autumnal bonus of oats, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
ALSO TRY: Reindeer sugar cookies
2. Vegan, gluten-free iced holiday shortbread cookies
Let’s face it: Shortbread cookies are a must-eat for the holidays, but conventional shortbread cookies — made with both butter and flour — are off limits if you’re vegan and gluten-free. Well, we’ve crafted a deliciously irresistible vegan, gluten-free iced holiday shortbread cookie that you can joyfully devour. Shortbread cookies with no butter and flour? Yes, and even your most dedicated traditional shortbread-loving friends will gobble them up.
ALSO TRY: Christmas cutout sugar cookies
3. Red velvet cream cheese thumbprint cookie
Red velvet anything is acceptable year-round, but these Red velvet cream cheese thumbprint cookie from Something Swanky are pretty and festive and covered in a glistening sugared dust, perfect for Christmastime. So this year, skip the regular thumbprint cookies and whip up a cream cheese red velvet batch for a holiday twist.
ALSO TRY: Three Christmas cookies from grandma’s recipe cards
4. Gingerbread gooey butter cookies
You had me at “gooey butter!” These spiced and tender Gingerbread gooey butter cookies from Wicked Good Kitchen are made from scratch and will melt in your mouth. These are not your average sugar cookie (not that there’s anything wrong with those), so they’ll be a pleasant surprise at that holiday party or cookie exchange.
ALSO TRY: Classic candy cane Christmas cookies
5. Slow cooker sea salt chocolate almond clusters
It’s not Christmas without nuts and chocolate. So we present these Slow cooker sea salt chocolate almond clusters from The Magical Slow Cooker! With only four ingredients and made in the Crock Pot, these are so easy and delicious–and no baking required.
ALSO TRY: Crescent moon cookies
6. Apple crisp cookie cups
I won’t lie, these take a lot of ingredients and time, so you have to be ready to dive into this recipe for Apple crisp cookie cup from Liv For Cake! But trust us, these hand-held oatmeal cookie cups filled with homemade apple pie filling and topped with a sugar glaze are totally worth it.
ALSO TRY: Chocolate-Kahlua snowball cookies
7. Grinch Christmas cookies
Grinch Christmas cookies from Momdot are the perfect treat for the kiddos! These green Christmas cookies with “three sizes too small” red hearts will delight children of all ages. And since they’re so easy to make using a box of vanilla cake mix, grown-ups will appreciate them just as much.
ALSO TRY: Baking cookies? How to get the taste, texture, color and shape you want
8. Stained glass cookies
How beautiful and creative are these Stained glass cookies from That Skinny Chick Can Bake? And they’re so much easier to make than they look. Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe, and crush up some cherry, apple and blue raspberry Jolly Rancher candies for the windows, and voila! A stunning cookie for all your upcoming parties.
ALSO TRY: Copycat Swig sugar cookies
9. Leg lamp Christmas cookies
These Leg lamp Christmas cookies from Delish are pretty frag-ee-lay, so be careful when handling them. Just kidding–the hardest part about this recipe is making frosting fishnets with a toothpick. But everyone will get a huge “kick” out of these cookies modeled after their favorite holiday movie.
ALSO TRY: Cranberry cookies dipped in chocolate and pecans
10. Sparkly pastel meringue wreath ornament cookies
Dainty and girly, these Sparkly pastel meringue wreath ornament cookies from Pink Piccadilly Pastries really stand out among all the holiday red and green, and they only use four ingredients. But they’re still festive, and better yet–you can use them as decorations, and then eat them!
ALSO TRY: Orange-cinnamon-maple doodle cookies
11. Jameson mint chocolate chip cookies
With whiskey, mint and chocolate, we say these Jameson mint chocolate chip cookies from Mantitlement totally pass as Christmas cookies (whether or not they were intended to be). You can actually taste the booze in this recipe, so any Irish whiskey fan will enjoy them.
ALSO TRY: Best-ever cutout sugar cookies
12. Melted snowman bark
This Melted snowman bark from Creations by Kara made me laugh out loud. I love this idea and I’m sure kids would, too. And even though these aren’t necessarily “cookies,” white chocolate is delicious so we’re giving these a pass. And also, they’re just adorable.
ALSO TRY: Soft and chewy pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies
13. Chai sugar cookies with eggnog glaze
These Chai sugar cookies from Baking Mischief with Eggnog Glaze takes sugar cookies to a whole new level. It’s the classy grown-up version, if you will. With a packet of chai tea for intense flavor and a powdered-sugar icing, these sweet treats do not mess around.
ALSO TRY: Chewy chocolate chunk cookies
14. Polar bear cookies
With just four ingredients, but at max cuteness, we highly recommend these Polar bear cookies from Noshing With The Nolands. They make a fun activity for you and the kiddos, and are even more fun to eat.
