Best Christmas Cookies
Dec 04, 2025
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My Best Christmas Cookies are here for you! Try everything from jammy Thumbprints to Chocolate Crinkles and Cut Out Cookies too.
The cookie recipes in my favorites list all hold a great deal of nostalgia for me. As any Christmas cookie should! My mother baked with so much enthusiasm every Christmas, and she instilled the great pleasure of gathering to bake with one another in me.
Prep your baking station with all of the things you need ahead of time, and shop my kitchen for links to the equipment and pantry items I use myself. Keep plenty of butter on hand so you can soften it or make clarified butter in advance as needed, and you’ll be ready to go.
I enjoy special fragrant flavors, so you’ll find orange blossom water in my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and dates in my Coconut Date Balls.
Let the baking begin! Enjoy the process and sharing them as gifts with the people you love!
Cut-Out Cookies
This is a crisp cookie with dough that handles beautifully–it must be cold, so chill in the refrigerator and if you are working with half the dough at a time, put the other half back in the refrigerator until you're ready to roll. A silpat makes rolling much easier and less flour is needed, which is better for the flavor of the cookie. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. Rather than making a double batch, Mom always made, so I make separate single batches.
Lebanese Butter Cookies, or Graybeh
The Lebanese butter cookie is one of the least elaborate, yet most delicious, cookies in my holiday parade. These cookies can be shaped in diamonds, as I’ve done here, or in simple flattened circles (start with a small ball, then flatten). Top with a blanched almond or pine nut (before baking) instead of dusting with powdered sugar. Flavor the dough with vanilla instead of orange blossom water, or nothing at all. Good butter (like Plugra) will always make these cookies taste wonderful; be sure it’s clarified. The recipe is easily doubled. This recipe has been updated to the same base recipe in my cookbook.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
These cut-out cookies can be as fancy or simple as you like. The cookie tastes so good that it's wonderful frosted or bare!
Heart Shaped Cookies
Heart shaped cookies are also called linzer cookies, using a crisp sugar cookie recipe that rolls easily and holds its shape perfectly.
Biscotti
Biscotti is a classic Italian cookie known for its crunchy texture and twice-baked method. My easy-to-follow recipe includes pistachios and dried cherries.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These cookies have a lot of flair–they’re deeply chocolatey, with both cocoa and chocolate pieces; can be made ahead (freeze the balls already rolled in confectioners’ sugar, then bake whenever you’re ready), and have an unexpected hint of orange blossom flavor (to substitute orange blossom water, just leave out and increase vanilla to 2 teaspoons).
Mint Chocolate Brownies
My Peppermint Chocolate Brownies are a family favorite for the layers of chewy brownie, cool mint buttercream, and perfectly smooth chocolate top layer. Like and Andes Mint, taken all the way to the top level! These are rich, so they are nice cut in smaller bites for a smaller nibble.
Peppermint Bark
Peppermint bark is great homemade! My recipe combines two layers of dark and white chocolate with crushed candy canes on top. My tips help avoid common pitfalls to make a snappy, excellent peppermint bark.
Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies are charming on the plate, fun to make, and rich with a shortbread cookie filled with your favorite jam. They make ahead beautifully!
Coconut Date Balls
These special little sweets are simple to make, on the stove top with no baking, and the dates impart a luscious caramel flavor. And the bonus: they are deliciously gluten-free. We devour them at the holidays! Take care to cook the egg gently, over low heat, with the sugar and butter. Makes about three dozen one-inch bite-size balls.
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