7 Easy and Impressive Christmas Cookies for the Holidays
The countdown to Christmas and all things holiday starts now! We know everyone’s holiday calendars fill up quickly with events that call for festive Christmas cookies. If you’re looking for the best Christmas cookie recipes to make for cookie swaps, neighbor gifts, holiday guests, or just need a sweet pick-me-up for yourself, we’re sharing our 7 favorites you can try today.
Earthquake Cookies
Recipe by All Recipes
Get ready to shake up your holiday baking with these delightful earthquake cookies that are not only delicious but also incredibly easy to whip up! This recipe is a game-changer for anyone looking to add a touch of excitement to their Christmas cookie repertoire. With a simple base of cake mix, these cookies are a breeze to prepare — you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried them sooner!
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
- Mix cake mix, eggs, shortening, and water in a medium-sized bowl; mix with a spoon. Chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Shape dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
White Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies
Recipe by Food Network
Elevate your festive baking game with this decadent creation — White Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies! Picture a rich chocolate cookie base crowned with a layer of heavenly white peppermint bark. It’s a match made in holiday-treat heaven.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Peppermint Bark:
- 1 pound good-quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 20 soft peppermint candies, crushed
Directions
For the chocolate cookies:
Cut two 13-by-18 pieces of parchment. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 2 minutes more.
Place a sheet of parchment on a work surface. Transfer the dough to the parchment and cover with another sheet of parchment. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into an even layer that reaches the edges of the parchment. Slide the parchment and dough onto a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Remove the top parchment from the dough and bake until firm and no longer shiny, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool completely.
For the peppermint bark:
Put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the saucepan over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 1 cup white chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted; return the bowl to the saucepan for 5 to 10 seconds at a time as needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt all the chocolate.
The Best Peanut Butter Blossoms
Recipe by Food Network
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers will rejoice over this classic cookie that looks like a million dollars. Another great thing is this is a big batch recipe — 4 dozen! — so you’ll have plenty to give or keep back for yourself.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 48 milk chocolate candies, such as Hershey’s Kisses
Directions
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
Add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter and continue beating until fluffy, 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.
Roll half the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Chill the remaining dough while the first batch bakes.
Bake, rotating and switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden, 10 to 11 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate candy into the center of each cookie. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cook’s Note:
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) Use regular creamy commercial-style peanut butter in this recipe and not the “natural” variety. We like the sweetness and texture it provides.
Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies
Recipe by All Recipes
This gingersnap cookie recipe will quickly become a seasonal tradition in your household. Everyone’s grandmother we know seems to have made these, and they smell like Christmas while they’re baking!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup cinnamon sugar
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shortening or butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup dark molasses
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place cinnamon sugar in a bowl; set aside.
Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture until blended, then sift a second time into another bowl.
Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in white sugar. Add egg and molasses and beat until light and fluffy.
Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture and mix together until a soft dough forms.
Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll them with your hands into 1-inch-diameter balls. Place balls in cinnamon sugar and roll to coat, then place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes, switching racks halfway through. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Florentine Cookies
Recipe by All Recipes
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, these Florentine Cookies are a testament to the magic that can be created with just a handful of ingredients and a dash of imagination. Kickstart your holiday baking and gifting with these edible works of art!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole raw almonds
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
Direction
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
Place almonds into the bowl of a food processor; alternate pulsing and running at full speed every few seconds until finely chopped and crumblike. Be careful not to go too far; you don’t want them too fine and pasty.
Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir a few times and cook until melted and dissolved. Bring to a boil, then carefully remove from the heat.
Add vanilla extract, salt, and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add chopped almonds and mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
Drop eight uniformly sized, rounded spoonfuls of batter (each about 2 teaspoons, or 15 grams) onto the prepared sheet. Fine-tune the cookie shapes and make sure they are evenly spaced.
Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and a bit darker around the outsides, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Remove from the oven and slide the silicone liner off the baking sheet and directly onto the countertop. Allow to sit until cool and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, then gently peel cookies off the liner. Repeat to bake remaining batches.
Spread melted chocolate over the flat side of one cookie. Place a second cookie, flat-side down, on top to make a sandwich and press very gently to seal. Repeat to form remaining cookies. Let sit until chocolate has firmed up, about 30 minutes.
Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
Recipe by Laura Bush; tested by Southern Living Kitchens
Why a cowboy cookie for Christmas? If you know any of us at Brumbaugh’s, you don’t even have to ask. This yummy cookie is great any time of the year but we’re adding it to our must-bake list for the holidays. While the origin of the cookie is disputed and steeped in folklore, we are betting it was indeed crafted first in Texas. This gem of a recipe is tweaked by none other than former First Lady Laura Bush.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups light-brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Direction
Combine dry ingredients:
Heat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
Cream butter and sugar:
In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
Scoop cookie dough:
For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake cookies:
Bake in 350°F oven 17 to 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, then remove cookies to rack to cool.
Tip:
Recipe update June 2022: This recipe yields 24 large cookies—the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of dough per cookie. Some might even call these cowboy cookies giant. The measurements for baking powder and baking soda (1 tablespoon of each) are correct in ratio to the amount of flour.
Easy Sugar Cookies
Recipe by Southern Living
Who doesn’t love a good frosted sugar cookie? We imagine these cookies won’t last long — whether out on a plate for Santa or en masse for your friends, you’ll want to make a few extra batches.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
Direction
Combine dry ingredients:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Make dough:
Using an electric stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine between each addition, vanilla extract, and almond extract; beat until combined. Reduce mixer speed and gradually spoon flour mixture in with butter mixture, beating on low speed until dough is smooth and well-blended.
Chill dough disks:
Turn dough out on work surface. Cut dough in half and shape each portion into a compact disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Cut out cookies:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk and roll on lightly-floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Cut into chosen shapes and place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes to help them keep their shape when baked.
Bake cookies:
Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies just start to turn golden around the edges, rotating halfway through baking. Cool cookies completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.