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20 Traditional Christmas Cookies to make your holiday bright! These are those classic cookies you can’t celebrate without and some new ones to bring spiced Christmas cheer. A professional pastry chef shares her recipes for perfect traditional cookies.
If you aren’t looking to branch out into new flavor and modern cookie territory this year, I have all the recipes you need! These are those cookies that grandma and great-grandma used to make year after year. I have a chewy gingerbread cookies and crunchy gingersnaps along with soft cut-out sugar cookies.
The recipes are grouped into preparation type, so you can find what you are looking for a little easier. If you need a quick fix, check out these 24 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes which are grouped by time! You could also peruse all our 100+ Christmas Cookie Recipes while you sip your eggnog.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love these Traditional Christmas Cookies
- Flavorful & varied. I’ve made sure that we have a large variety of flavors and textures in this list. There are chewy cookies, crunchy cookies and bar cookies. Tender, crumbly, and everything in between.
- Grouped by preparation type. Look at the drop cookies for an easy classic cookie or try a more elaborate rolled cookie. We also have traditional pressed and molded cookies for those who have the tools!
- Always adding more. We add to this list as we refine and develop more recipes. Each recipe is created by a pastry chef and she gives you all the tips and tricks you need to be successful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before Christmas to begin baking depends on you and your family traditions. Some start right after Thanksgiving and others begin the night before Christmas. If you are baking ahead of time, there are some cookies that lend themselves to early preparation like linzer cookies and Mexican wedding cookies, while others are best made fresh like chocolate crinkle cookies.
Nothing really marks a Christmas cookie beyond the season of baking, and classic cookies like chewy chocolate chip cookies are often included in gift boxes and cookie platters; however, traditional Christmas cookies often are heavily spiced, include molasses, are decorated,` or have more time-consuming preparations that others.
For longer storage, choose Christmas cookies whose flavor improves over time like linzer cookies or snowball cookies. Cookies with crumbly or crunchy texture will stay fresh the longest like speculoos cookies or gingersnaps. Store them at room temperature for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
20 Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipes
20 traditional Christmas cookie recipes categorized by preparation type. Whether you are looking for an easy drop cookie, a decorated cut-out cookie or a pressed cookie, we have a professional pastry chef’s recipe for the most traditional varieties.
Drop Cookie Recipes
Drop cookies are the life-savers during the Holidays! Between the shopping, kids parties, decorating, and events, who has time to prep platters of elaborately decorated cookies?! I love doing an array of easy drop cookies and then a few show-stopping rolled or molded cookies. You basically only need a large bowl and work surface, so leave your rolling pin and stand mixer in the cupboard! These cookies will be your go-to for easy holiday treats. So pre-heat that oven and get your sprinkles out!
These old-fashioned gingersnaps are crunchy and perfectly spiced. They have the zing of the bagged versions but with extra molasses flavor. Use a small cookie scoop for easy portioning and just scoop them right in the sugar onto your parchment paper lined baking sheets!
Gingersnaps
Nothing is easier than whipping up a batch of these chewy chocolate crinkle cookies. They are made with a box of devil’s food cake mix and they bake up perfectly every single time! Sometimes I put flaked sea salt on top. If you are feeling adventurous try these red velvet crinkle cookies! They are even stuffed with cheesecake!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Crunchy, crispy, sweet lace cookies are an old-fashioned Christmas cookie staple. They are delicate oatmeal cookie that tastes like caramel. They melt on your tongue for the perfect bite. No need to use cookie cutters for these!
Lace Cookies
This is the best snickerdoodle recipe you’ll ever try. Trust me, I tested and perfected this recipe for years in restaurants and then in my own bakery before bringing it to you! It is soft, chewy and has that perfect tang from the cream of tartar.
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie
Classic peanut butter blossoms are a cookie staple all year round but they enjoy a certain hype around the holiday. It is probably because they are the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate. The chewy peanut butter cookie is also an absolute dream and I’ve been known to just bake that on its own!
Peanut Butter Blossoms
This classic Italian cookie is chewy, naturally gluten free and a holiday necessity for any almond lover. You’ll love my slightly less sweet version of pignoli cookies. They are made with egg whites and almond paste in a simple and delicious cookie.
Pignoli Cookies
Thick chewy chocolate chip cookies have a place in my heart from January to December, but I love to serve up this classic cookie alongside more spiced cookies on cookie trays at Christmastime. Occasionally I’ll stir in white chocolate chips if I’m feeling sassy.
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rolled Christmas Cookies
These are the most traditional rolled Christmas cookies. In my house, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas without soft sugar cookies, Mom’s gingerbread cookies, and linzer cookies. I love to have an assortment of rolled cookies, easy drop cookies and at least one more elaborate cookie like these peppermint slice and bake cookies.
These stained glass window cookies are stunning, delicious, and easier than they look! The cookie dough is an easy sugar cookie dough with a hint of molasses and the “glass” is crushed hard candies like Jolly Ranchers. If I’m feeling elaborate, I make some royal icing with a bit of food coloring in the mixture, decorate them, and keep them at room temperature in an airtight container!
stained glass window cookies
Swedish pepparkakor cookies are delightfully spiced and can be made in easy circles like these, or more elaborate shapes and decorated like these decorated pepparkakor cookies.
Pepparkakor
There is always room for soft sugar cookies on my plate! This old-fashioned rolled sugar cookie dough is made with buttermilk, which tempers the typical sweetness of sugar cookies. You will love the flavor with a touch of pure vanilla extract, and soft texture of these cookies. They pair well with my easy frosting for cookies!
Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
This is my family recipe for soft gingerbread cookies that I have adapted over time. They are soft, chewy and perfectly spiced! They are amazing decorated with a simple icing or raisins. This will soon be one of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes too!
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
These crunchy Moravian Christmas Cookies are worth the effort. A molasses spice cookie dough is rolled paper thin and then baked until crispy. Enjoy these cookies alongside other spiced cookies like cardamom snowballs for a festive treat.
Moravian Christmas Cookies
This is my recipe for linzer cookies. I have made tens of thousands of these cookies over the years as a professional pastry chef and people can’t get enough! The dough is a brown sugar almond dough flavored with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla extract. I also love using the same jam in my thumbprint cookies!
Linzer Cookies
This kolacky cookie recipe will knock your socks off! It is a traditional Hungarian Christmas cookie recipe and has hundreds of comments and reviews. It is one of the most popular posts all year round alongside Hungarian nut roll cookies. I suggest making both. Tis the season!
Apricot Kolacky Cookie (Kiffles)
Shaped Christmas Cookies
Many traditional Christmas cookies are rolled into balls or ropes and then shaped like chai spiced crescent cookies or cherry snowball cookies. Many are just as easy as drop cookies but their shape really makes them extra festive.
These traditional crescent cookies are lightly spiced with cardamom for the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea. They have a tender, buttery, shortbread-like texture that melts in your mouth.
Almond Crescent Cookies
These raspberry ribbon cookies taste like a raspberry Danish with a hint of almond extract in cookie form! They are even drizzled with an easy glaze for a beautiful finish. It is also an incredibly easy recipe that can yield 6 dozen cookies or more with minimal effort.
Raspberry Ribbon Cookies
This traditional pfeffernüsse recipe is crumbly spiced molasses cookie. I rolled them in powdered sugar but you could also cover them with an easy glaze. I love keeping these wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the freezer and thaw them for a fun snack in January!
Pfeffernüsse Cookies
This is the perfect recipe for Scottish shortbread. It is tender, buttery and crisp. These make the perfect gifts. Arrange them in a festive tin or pair them with chocolate chip shortbread cookies, spritz cookies, and gingerbread cookies for an assorted cookie box.
Scottish Shortbread Recipe
This is the best snowball cookies recipe, aka russian tea cakes. It is made with toasted pecans and the cookies are tender, crumbly and lightly sweetened. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before you powder on the powdered sugar!
Snowball Cookies
Pressed and Molded Christmas Cookies
Many traditional Christmas cookies defy the normal methods of cookie making. Many require additional time or days of preparation! Here are the 3 best cookies that are well worth the effort and additional equipment.
These delicate spritz cookies are flavored with vanilla extract and lemon zest. They can be piped like I did here or pressed through a cookie press! You can also mold the dough and shape into snowmen or candy canes.
Holiday Spritz Cookies
This traditional pizzelle cookie recipe is crunchy and light! It is made using a pizzelle press and the batter is flavored with vanilla and a hint of anise. Serve these cookies alongside chocolate biscotti for an afternoon tea or coffee!
Pizzelle
These homemade speculoos cookies are spiced with a speculaas spice mix and a little less sweet than their Biscoff counterparts. The dough can be roll and cut with cookie cutters or pressed into a cookie mold dusted with rice flour.
Traditional Speculoos Cookies
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed these traditional Christmas cookies. You might also enjoy these easy Christmas cookies, our 24 best Christmas cookies or peruse all our Christmas cookie recipes!
