Home Holidays Christmas
ByEmily Racette Parulski
Taste of Home's Editorial Process
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Have you ever tried a new Christmas cookie recipe and knew instantly that you would make it again the following year? We bet you’ll feel that way after making these creative Christmas cookies.
Find the Taste of Home team’s essential tools for holiday baking and more.
1/31
French Macarons
Even decorated simply—a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of icing—these stylish beauties are part of our creative Christmas cookies collection. They will be the showstoppers on any cookie tray. —Josh Rink, Photo Stylist Taste of Home
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2/31
No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms
Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
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Store your cookies in these adorable Christmas cookie tins!
3/31
Jeweled Coconut Drops
Red raspberry preserves add a festive flair to these tender coconut cookies. Perfect for holiday potlucks and cookie exchanges, these shaped cookies never last long when I make them for my husband and two sons. -Ellen Marie Byler Munfordville, Kentucky
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Find even more thumbprint coookie recipes.
4/31
Reindeer Tracks
This is the first cookie recipe I’ve ever created! It captures the essence of the holidays because there’s a trace of eggnog flavor in these adorable reindeer hoof prints. You can add red and green frosting to make them even more Christmasy or use brown sprinkles for a more natural reindeer look. —Pam Sano, Voorhees, New Jersey
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5/31
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies
I got this recipe from my daughter years ago. I've taken these chewy filled cookies and the treasured recipe to many cookie exchanges.
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6/31
Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Frosting
When I spread these spicy gingerbread rounds with my lemony cream cheese frosting, I knew I had a hit. Cardamom and allspice add a hint of chai tea flavor. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho
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7/31
Peppermint Puff Pastry Sticks
I wanted to impress my husband’s family with something you’d expect to find in a European bakery, and these chocolaty treats are what I came up with. The flaky pastry melts in your mouth. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
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8/31
No-Bake Christmas Wreath Cookies
Cornflakes take the place of traditional rice cereal in these sweet, no-bake Christmas wreath cookies. Dressed up with green food coloring and red candies, they’re a pretty addition to cookie platters and dessert buffets. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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9/31
Chocolate Mint Creams
This recipe came from an old family friend and is always high on everyone’s cookie request list. I make at least six batches for Noel nibbling and give some away as holiday food gifts. —Beverly Fehner, Gladstone, Missouri
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10/31
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
When I baked this moist, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe for the first time, my three preschool children went wild over them! But I like them because they're lower in fat and easy to mix and bake. —Maria Groff, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
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11/31
Lemon Snowflakes
You’ll need just four ingredients to make these delightful lemon snowflake cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas
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12/31
Festive Thumbprints
I never cared for jam-filled thumbprints, so I decided to fill them with frosting instead. This makes them easy to ship, which you can’t do with the sticky jam filling. I sent these to my daughter while she was serving in Iraq, and they made the long haul in perfect condition. —Wendy Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota
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13/31
Chocolate Caramel Kiss Cookies
I make this cookie every Christmas with my family. It’s a fun twist on a classic peanut butter blossom because of the cinnamon in the batter and the caramel kiss on top. We love the cinnamon-caramel combination, but you could switch out the kiss with a different festive flavor. —Kristen Heigl, Staten Island, New York
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14/31
Double Whammy Eggnog Cookies
These cookies are an amazing way to use extra eggnog. They’ve become a new family classic. — Teresa Morris, Laurel, Delaware
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15/31
Santa's Coming Cookie Puzzle
This clever confection is easy to make with store-bought cookie dough and is entirely edible to boot! Blanched almonds make it simple for little hands to grasp the puzzle Pieces, which are completely removable.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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16/31
Holiday Almond Tassies
I make so many of these fancy tassies, I use up a 7-pound container of almond paste every year! They’re one of my family’s holiday favorites. —Donna Westhouse, Dorr, Michigan
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17/31
Spearmint Thins
No time to bake Christmas cookies from scratch? Create a tasty treat in little more than half an hour by doctoring butter-flavored crackers with vanilla chips and mint candies.—Kathleen Felton, Fairfax, Iowa
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18/31
Triple-Ginger Gingersnaps
Ginger cookies are holiday hits. To package these Christmas cookies, tuck them into clean, recycled coffee cans wrapped in decorative paper. With a glue gun, add ribbon or trim. —Jessica Follen, Waunakee, Wisconsin
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19/31
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies
This is a variation of the cookies my mother made when I was growing up. Now my 13-year-old daughter and I bake them together. They’re always a huge hit! The taste is like rich holiday hot chocolate baked into a scrumptious cookie. —Larry Piklor, Johnsburg, Illinois
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20/31
Fruitcake Christmas Cookies
As holiday gifts, these rich fruit-and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. These are great make ahead Christmas cookies —the taste actually gets better over time! —Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa
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21/31
Holly Wreaths
I've never come across another spritz cookie like this - one calling for cream cheese as an ingredient. That helps to keep these wreaths moist a long time, while also adding a delicious flavor. —Dee Lein, Longmont, Colorado
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22/31
Chocolate Snowballs
This is my favorite Christmas cookie recipe. The cookies remind me of the snowballs I packed as a child during many cold Wisconsin winters. —Dee Derezinski, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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23/31
Cream Cheese Spritz
A hint of orange and cinnamon highlights these Christmastime classics. I like to add colorful sprinkles before baking them. The recipe is from a booklet that came with a cookie press in the 1950s…and I still have the press! —Sarah Bedia, Lake Jackson, Texas
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24/31
Chocolate Gingersnaps
When my daughter Jennifer was 15 years old, she created this recipe as a way to combine two of her favorite flavors. They're perfect with a glass of milk. —Paula Zsiray, Logan, Utah
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25/31
Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Santa is sure to stop by your house if you leave these minty chocolate cookies waiting for him. They’re quick and easy for the whole family to make together. —Teresa Ralston, New Albany, Ohio
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26/31
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Guests will stand in line to kiss the cook when these treats are served! For a change of pace, try them with chunky peanut butter, too. —Canada60, Tasteofhome.com Community
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27/31
Drizzled Gingerbread Biscotti
After stumbling across a community recipe for gingerbread biscotti, I made several batches and tweaked it to our tastes. These became an instant obsession at our house.—Susan Board, Palmer, Alaska
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28/31
Raspberry Pistachio Thumbprints
Thumbprint cookies are a Christmas classic, and I especially like my updated version with pistachios. The rich, buttery bites are not only delicious, but they are also pretty enough to give for gifts—if you manage to share them! —Laura Murphy, Columbus, Mississippi
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29/31
Silver Bells
My mom and grandma are known for their signature Christmas cookies. I decided to create my own, inspired by one of my favorite Christmas songs. Edible shimmer dust gives them their iconic shine. Look for the dust in the cake decorating section of craft or grocery stores. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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30/31
Holiday Rum Balls
I make these rum balls for special occasions with my wonderful family and friends. The treats are so easy to make and pack a festive punch. — Diane Duschanek, Council Bluffs, Iowa
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31/31
Cinnamon Sugar Crackle Cookies
I get lots of compliments on these crunchy cookies. They're always part of my Christmas cookie platter. —Sarah Miller, Wauconda, Washington
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Originally Published: October 10, 2019
Author
Emily Racette Parulski
As a senior editor, Emily manages Taste of Home’s newsletter and promotions team and edits digital content. She has been writing and editing food and lifestyle content professionally for more than a decade. When she’s not working, Emily can be found in her kitchen baking something sweet or enjoying a scoop of frozen custard somewhere in Milwauk...
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