These easy Christmas cookie recipes are always a hit, and they won’t keep you in the kitchen all day!
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Every year, I find myself coming back to the same handful of recipes…the ones people genuinely get excited about and the ones that disappear first from the cookie tray. These aren’t fussy, all-day baking projects or recipes that require specialty tools or hard-to-find ingredients. They’re dependable, crowd-pleasing Christmas cookies that feel special without being stressful.
Whether you’re baking for a party, gifting tins to friends, or just want something cozy to make on a cold December afternoon, these are the recipes I always reach for!
Not feeling cookies? My other Christmas Dessert Recipes satisfy all types of holiday sweet tooths.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Truly the best (these are the cookies people ask for every year)
- No complicated techniques or specialty equipment required
- Made with straightforward ingredients you can actually find
- Easy to prep ahead for parties, cookie swaps, or gifting
1
Easy Butter Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies are just as perfect as a make-ahead holiday gift, as they are enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee for a little treat-yourself snack!
Butter Cookies Recipe
2
Best Soft Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies are buttery, soft, chewy, and take less than an hour to make with absolutely no chill time needed! Perfect for holidays, birthdays, and any occasion in between, enjoy these sugar cookies year round!
Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe
3
Easy Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Buttery and crisp, these pecan shortbread cookies combine just 5 simple ingredients in just 35 minutes to make a cookie that tastes anything but simple!
Pecan Shortbread Cookies Recipe
4
Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Infused with richly flavorful brown butter, these brown butter chocolate chip cookies are chewy and soft, and a little thick just the way they should be. They’re indeed the very BEST cookies you’ll ever eat. No chill time or mixer needed.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
5
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’re looking for flourless peanut butter cookie recipe that has an intense, deep peanut butter taste and takes less than 30 minutes to make from dough to cookies out of the oven, you’re in luck! You’ve found the best peanut butter cookie recipe on the internet.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
6
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (in 25 Minutes!)
These peanut butter cookies loaded with chocolate chips are soft, flourless, intensely peanut buttery, and take only 25 minutes to make!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
7
Red Velvet Cookies (Using Cake Mix!)
These 4-ingredient red velvet cookies are soft and moist, with hints of vanilla and cocoa powder. Our little secret is that these cookies are made in 30 minutes with cake mix! Don’t forget the white chocolate drizzle.
Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
8
Soft M&M Cookies (Easiest Recipe)
Homemade M&M cookies in 45 minutes? You heard it right! These M&M cookies are the absolute best.They’re soft and chewy and irresistible.
M&M Cookies Recipe
9
Mom’s Pie Crust Cookies
You can only imagine how buttery and flaky my mom’s pie crust cookies are until you make them. With layers of cinnamon sugar in between homemade pie crust, these cookies are perfect for the holidays.
Pie Crust Cookies Recipe
10
Easy Oatmeal Cookies (Soft and Chewy!)
This soft and chewy oatmeal cookie recipe is a household staple. Whether you choose to add mix-ins or leave them as-is, these oatmeal cookies are easy to make and absolutely scrumptious!
Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
11
BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe
With no chill time required, this perfectly chewy, slightly tangy snickerdoodle recipe is a riff on my popular sugar cookies. Rolled in cinnamon sugar, best of luck having just one!
Snickerdoodle Recipe
12
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
You’re four ingredients away from peanut butter fudge with an extra intense peanut butter flavor! This easy peanut butter fudge comes out smooth and creamy with less than 10 minutes of prep, using the microwave. It's that easy!
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
13
Fantasy Fudge Recipe (Easy!)
This fantasy fudge recipe isn’t just a fantasy; it truly only takes 15 minutes to prep and comes out creamy, smooth and soft, using just the microwave. It’s that easy!
Fantasy Fudge Recipe
14
Easy Buckeyes Recipe
Buckeyes will be your new favorite indulgence during the holidays and every time your sweet tooth strikes! These creamy peanut butter balls, covered in a snappy chocolate coating, are no-bake treats that are easy to make and perfect made ahead.
Buckeyes Recipe
15
Best Christmas Crack
Christmas Crack is an easy homemade candy with a base of saltine crackers, a layer of buttery toffee, and then chocolate sprinkled with toppings of choice. This Christmas Crack recipe is next-level delicious with creamy, rich chocolate ganache instead of plain chocolate.
Christmas Crack Recipe
16
BEST Magic Cookie Bars (7 Layer Bars)
Magic Cookie Bars are layered with a buttery graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter chips, coconut, nuts, and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk to achieve the ultimate gooey consistency. Finish with coarse salt for the most heavenly 7 layer bars!
Magic Cookie Bars Recipe
If you’ve tried any of these Christmas Cookie Recipes or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
No-Bake Christmas Cookie Recipe
These are the easiest no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies with a hint of peanut butter…a perfect Christmas cookie recipe to add to your repertoire!
Ingredients
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats, not regular old-fashioned or instant
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup chocolate chips, bittersweet or semisweet
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ⅓ cup milk, nonfat or whole
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Toppings of choice, optional, like flake salt, coconut, nuts, or more chocolate chips
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients ahead of time. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the brown sugar, milk, and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and well-combined.
- Over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. Once a boil is reached, set a timer for exactly 1 minute. Without stirring, let mixture boil for that 1 minute.
- Remove from heat immediately, and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt right away.
- Then add the oats, 1 cup at a time. Mix until combined.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. They will mostly melt into the mixture.
- Make ¼ cup-sized cookies on the parchment paper, at least an inch apart. Flatten the cookies slightly if preferred, with the back of a spoon. If they crumbly slightly, push together the stray pieces.
- Add toppings if desired, by pushing the toppings slightly into each cookie. Let cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or pop them in the fridge for 20 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
- Measure ingredients before beginning the recipe. This is crucial especially for step #5 when you need to add the PB, vanilla, and salt right away to stop the cooking process of the chocolate mixture.
- Don’t use natural peanut butter that separates! Use regular smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
- The chocolate chips are necessary and will mostly melt into the cookie, adding chocolatey richness and helping to hold the cookies together. If you want more distinct chocolate chips in your cookies, I recommend pushing a few into the tops of the cookies once they’re formed in addition to the ones mixed into the “dough”.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Love how this list is a mix of old favorites plus unique recipes like the pie crust cookies. Will definitely use for my family cookie swap!
๐ Awesome. Happy Holidays!
Grace
I needed to make Christmas cookies for all my neighbors so was looking for a quick, low stress recipe to make several batches. These ideas were so helpful! I settled on the red velvet cookies and they were a big hit, plus so easy to make. Thank you!
The red velvets are sooo good. I’m glad I made your holidays less stressful!
Grace
I love this list! I wanted to change up my cookie exchange this year and landed on these cookies. I am obsessedddddd with the sugar, oatmeal, and brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Are you kidding me!? Merry christmas ๐
๐ Yay!!! Thanks for letting me know. Merry Christmas!
Grace