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Hi Bold Bakers!
‘Tis the season to start planning on what Christmas cookies you’re going to bake this holiday season! Whether you’re giving them away as gifts, planning to leave a plate to Santa, or keeping them for you and your family — these ten cookies are always the perfect choice.
I hand-picked these 10 cookies out of all of my cookie recipes for the holiday season. I wanted to be sure to include some traditional favorites from around the world, like a classic gingerbread men recipe and polvorónes.
I adore making these cookies for the holidays, and I really feel like you will, too — maybe you’ll find a new holiday tradition for your family too! Let me know in the comments below whatyour favorite Christmas cookies are!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a holiday favorite with my family. If you have a house filled with chocolate lovers, this is the recipe for you. They’re rich, brownie-like cookies with a beautiful texture — soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside — and covered in powdered sugar.
It isn’t Christmas in our house until the first batch of these cookies gets taken out of the oven.
Classic Snowball Cookies
Homemade snowball cookies look so festive and taste even better. If you’re a fan of nutty desserts, you have to try this recipe. They’re made with finely ground toasted pecans, so you get that lovely flavor in every bite.
I love these cookies because they’re not very sweet, rather the melt-in-your-mouth snowball cookies are filled with extremely rich flavor from the butter and the nutty pecans.
Best Ever Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are a staple around the holidays, and my Best Ever recipe is one you should have in your repertoire. These are perfect for whipping up and for little ones to help out in the kitchen. Break out your holiday cutters, give them some cute decorations, and you’re good to go!
Don’t overthink the decorations. Just have fun with this one! Classic sugar cookies have a slight crunch, but if you’d like more of a chew, try my Chewy Sugar Cookies or mySoft Sugar Cookie recipe.
Homemade Gingerbread Men
When you think of Christmas cookies, aren’t gingerbread men the first ones that pop into your head? My homemade gingerbread dough is a great make-ahead dough for the busy days ahead. I like to double the recipe and pop it in the freezer for when I need it.
Loaded with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and molasses — you really can’t go wrong with classic gingerbread men.
My molasses cookies combine all of my favorite holiday flavors, packed full of rich, aromatic spices, combined with an incredible chewy texture. Thanks to the molasses, these crinkly top cookies stay soft and chewy for days.
These cookies are a big fan favorite.
Classic Austrian Linzer Cookies
Homemade Linzer cookies are a holiday tradition for a reason! They’re perfectly nutty and rich, super tender, and not-too-sweet — the tangy raspberry jam perfectly balances the almond flavor.
A bonus with these cookies (as if you needed one!) is that they are so beautiful. They’re covered in powdered sugar, and the bright jam peaks out from the hole (or heart) cut into the top of the Linzer cookie. These are bound to impress the toughest critic you may have over during the holidays.
Festive Danish Butter Cookies
Light, simple, buttery, with a vanilla flavor — these shortbread cookies melt in your mouth so fast you won’t even know you’re well onto the fourth or fifth one that you realize you’re going to have to make another batch.
Danish Butter Cookies come in many shapes and sizes, depending on who controls the piping bag, and can be flavored or topped with other sweets like chocolate or coconut.
Buttery Spritz Cookies (Spritzgebäck)
Spritzgebåck cookies, or German Spritz Cookies, are a great cookie to include on your holiday tray. They balance out the rich cookies you might make and are light, sweet, buttery, and crispy. They’re simple and simply perfect.
Traditional Spiced Pfeffernüsse Cookies
Fun to say, more fun to eat. Pfeffernüsse cookies, also known as peppernuts, are warm, sweet, complex spiced cookies. A lot of people aren’t as familiar with pfeffernüsse cookies as they are with gingerbread or molasses cookies, but if you’re a fan of those, you’ll likely love these.
All within one cookie, you have cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, along with black pepper, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and the tour de force: anise extract.
Spanish Almond Cookies (Polvorones)
Deliciously nutty and super delicate, the flavor and texture of polvorones are simply addicting. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are fantastically crumbly. They’re becoming more and more popular around the world, but they’re incredibly popular in places like Cuba, the Phillippines, the United States, and of course, Spain, where they’re a holiday favorite.
Looking For More Holiday Recipes?
Visit my Holiday Baking Headquarters for desserts, how-tos, and tips to survive the winter!
Make More Cookies At Home!
- Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Classic Austrian Linzer Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
