The Best Christmas Cookies – Quick and Easy Recipes

5 from 5 votes
5 Comments

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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!

A collage of four kinds of Christmas Cookies including gingerbread, sugar, dipped, and molasses cookies
Featured in this post
  1. Christmas Cookie Recipes
  2. Christmas Cut-Out Cookie Recipes
  3. Drop Christmas Cookies with Candy
  4. Spiced Drop Cookies
  5. Easy No-Bake Christmas Cookies
  6. Christmas Cookie FAQs
  7. Chocolate Orange Cookies – BONUS RECIPE
  8. How To Make Chocolate Orange Cookies
  9. Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe

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!

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!

Gingerbread Cookies on a cooling rack next to an undecorated Gingerbread Man.
Top view of Gingerbread Cookies with gingerbread man, stars, trees and candy cane shapes.
Gingerbread Cookies
5 from 41 votes
Rich with ginger flavor, these gingerbread cookies are sure to delight young and old during the holidays!
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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!

decorated Christmas cookies on a platter
Six Christmas Sugar Cookies with bagged royal icing.
The BEST Christmas Cookies EVER (and How to Decorate Them)
5 from 90 votes
The BEST Christmas Cookies EVER begin and end with this soft, chewy, simple sugar cookie recipe. Decorate them with royal icing and you have the perfect gift for neighbors and friends!
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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!

Christmas Elf Cookies
Elf Cookies stacked on top of each other with christmas candy scattered around them.
Elf Cookies
5 from 7 votes
You have got to try these fun HOLIDAY ELF COOKIES, they are loaded with Christmas candy! It’s the only cookie recipe you’ll need this holiday season.
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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!

An Andes Mint Cookie with a bite taken out of it
A stack of Andes Mint Cookies on a plate
Andes Mint Cookies
5 from 11 votes
Andes Mint Cookies are sure to get you on the nice list if you leave them out for Santa! Chewy chocolate cookies, topped by melted Andes mints. Rich and delicious with a mild mint flavor. A definite favorite!
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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?

A stack of snickerdoodles on a dishcloth
A stack of snickerdoodles on a dishcloth
Snickerdoodles
5 from 4 votes
These Snickerdoodles are so soft and chewy. The rich sugar cookie is sprinkled with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar.
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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.

Plate of Molasses Cookies next to a glass of milk.
Hand grabbing a Molasses Cookie from a plate.
Molasses Cookies
5 from 3 votes
Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that will send you right back to your childhood. Sweet with a hint of molasses, they're like a soft gingersnap. Delicious!
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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!

Dipped Ritz cookies in a tin container
A Christmas tin filled with dipped ritz cookies
Dipped Ritz Cookies
4.95 from 39 votes
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!
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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.

Easy No Bake Cookies stacked and propped up. Glass of milk on the side.
Plate of Easy No Bake Cookies next to a glass of milk and cookies on the table.
No Bake Cookies
4.97 from 129 votes
Easy No Bake Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Be sure to follow the recipe exactly to get the best result.
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What are the most popular Christmas cookies?

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.

What is the most popular cookie for Santa?

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 with an orange peel and chocolate shavings on the side.

Chocolate Orange Cookies

5 from 5 votes
If you are a chocolate orange kind of person, you are going to go crazy over these Chocolate Orange Cookies. A rich fudge cookie base with delicious chocolate orange in every bite!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dutch
Servings 24

Ingredients

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

Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 263IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

More about Erica Walker

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I am a big chocolate and orange fan! I just love those flavors together and these cookies we excellent! So tasty!

  2. 5 stars
    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.