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During the holiday season, we love nothing more than good homemade Christmas Cookies. From quick-and-easy to make to indulgent, these cookie recipes are perfect for eating and sharing. Don’t miss the bonus recipe for our new Chocolate Orange Cookies!
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Christmas Cookie Recipes
One of our favorite family Christmas traditions is baking homemade Christmas cookies and then filling up plates to deliver them to neighbors and friends. Everyone has a different image that comes to mind when they hear “Christmas cookies”. For me, I think of colorful sugar cookies with sprinkles. Others might think of drop cookies with Christmas M&Ms. What the “perfect Christmas cookie” is for me could be something completely different for you. Or maybe you are searching for a new recipe to make your favorite. Either way, we are sure you will find something here you will love to make… and eat!
Christmas Cut-Out Cookie Recipes
Gingerbread Cookies
Just looking at an image of a gingerbread cookie takes me back to the warm, inviting aroma of a kitchen at Christmas time. You can use cookie cutters to make gingerbread men or even a Mickey Mouse gingerbread man (pictured at the top of the post). The cinnamon, ginger and cloves in this recipe make these cookies smell — and taste — amazing!
Christmas Sugar Cookies
The BEST Christmas Sugar Cookies ever begin and end with this soft, chewy, simple sugar cookie recipe with a hint of almond to give it that Christmas-y flavor. Decorate cut-out candy canes, bells, stockings, stars, and ornaments with royal icing and you have the perfect gift for neighbors and friends!
Drop Christmas Cookies with Candy
Elf Cookies
These Elf Cookies are much like the ever-popular chocolate chip cookie, but we decided to kick them up a notch by making them “Christmas Style”. What elf wouldn’t want a big batch of cookies filled with tons Christmas candy? Try adding nuts, pecans, peppermint candies, chopped chocolate bars… the possibilities are endless! The hardest part is keeping the kids out of the cookie dough!
Andes Mint Cookies
Andes Mint Cookies are sure to get you on the nice list if you leave them out for Santa! A spin on thumbprint cookies, these chocolate cookies are topped with melted Andes mints. Rich and delicious with a mild mint flavor. A definite favorite!
Spiced Drop Cookies
Snickerdoodles (Cinnamon Sugar Cookies)
Snickerdoodles are rich, soft sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. To me, the best Snickerdoodle has crunchy golden edges with an ultra soft and chewy center. What more could you ask for?
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that will send you right back to your childhood. The molasses is the PERFECT amount, not too overpowering. Try melting some white chocolate chips and drizzling it over the tops of the cookies for a little design.
Easy No-Bake Christmas Cookies
Dipped Ritz Christmas Cookies
The saltiness of the Ritz Crackers and the sweetness of the chocolate is a winning combination in these dipped Ritz Cookies with caramel or peanut butter filling. The peanut butter filled ritz is a no-bake cookie. The caramel filling is made by melting a Rolo candy on the Ritz cracker, so it does require a few minutes in the oven. Both fillings make delicious Christmas treats!
No Bake Cookies
No Bake Cookies are such a yummy treat to make when you’re pressed for time during the holidays. They make a great addition to a plate of goodies. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they come together in a snap. These can easily be made gluten-free cookies by using gluten free oats.
Christmas Cookie FAQs
The top three most popular Christmas cookies based on sheer traffic volume on Favorite Family Recipes are: Christmas Sugar Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, and No Bake Cookies.
The most popular cookie for Santa BY FAR is Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Chocolate Orange Cookies – BONUS RECIPE
If you want to “WOW” people this year with a new, different Christmas cookie, this Chocolate Orange Cookie recipe is the one for you. I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate oranges. But, I went out on a limb here and created these chocolate orange cookies because for some reason they seemed like they would be a tasty combination. Let’s just say, I might be converted to the chocolate-orange thing after all. These cookies are seriously to die for! The fudgy cookie base with chunks of chocolate orange made these chocolate orange cookies out-of-this-world good. You can use a milk or dark chocolate orange.
How To Make Chocolate Orange Cookies
Chocolate Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 chocolate orange chopped (milk or dark)
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1-2 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl or mixer. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir until well mixed. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, and cocoa powder until blended (dough will be soft and creamy).
- Add chopped chocolate orange, mini chocolate chips, and orange zest. Mix until well combined.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets 3-inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool 1 minute on wire rack; remove from baking sheets and cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.
Nutrition Information
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These are the best! Love making them year round.
So easy and the orange/chocolate combo is amazing!
I am a big chocolate and orange fan! I just love those flavors together and these cookies we excellent! So tasty!
Chocolate and orange go so well together and these cookies are perfect! They are great for holiday cookie exchanges.
Chocolate oranges are my favorite thing ever. I love that you made a cookie recipe using them! I know already they’re going to be my new favorite treat.