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In this roundup, you’ll find the very best Christmas cookies and treats, from classic sugar cookies and peppermint shortbread to peanut butter balls, homemade caramels, and more. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, gifting homemade treats, or just making memories in the kitchen, this list has something everyone will love.
Growing up, baking Christmas cookies was how we kicked off the holiday season — rolling dough, stealing tastes, decorating cookies, and sharing trays with neighbors and friends. Today I still love carrying on that tradition with recipes that are simple, delicious, and always a hit.
Classic Christmas Cookies
These are the cookies that feel like home — soft sugar cookies, classic gingerbread, and nostalgic favorites that every holiday baking list needs. Perfect for cookie plates, decorating traditions, and sharing with neighbors and friends.
Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies
Warm spices, rich molasses, and a perfectly chewy texture make these gingerbread men the nostalgic favorite everyone wants at Christmas.
Soft Sugar Cookies
Melt-in-your-mouth soft with a sweet vanilla flavor, these are the classic bakery-style sugar cookies everyone loves. Top with Christmas sprinkles!
Peppermint & Chocolate Favorites
Rich chocolate meets cool peppermint for the ultimate Christmas flavor combo. These cookies look festive, taste decadent, and always feel like the holidays in every bite.
Peppermint Double Chocolate Cookies
Ultra fudgy chocolate cookies with peppermint mixed in and topped with a chocolate ganache — rich, festive, and perfect with a mug of hot cocoa.
Gingerbread Holiday Cookies
Warm spices, deep molasses flavor, and that unmistakable scent that instantly feels like Christmas. These gingerbread treats are cozy, classic, and perfect with a mug of hot cocoa.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Everything you love about gingerbread in a soft, delicate cookie that’s perfectly spiced and full of classic holiday flavor.
Kid-Friendly & Crowd Favorites
These are the cookies the kids (and grown-ups!) go straight for — cheerful, colorful, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. Great for cookie swaps, school parties, and family baking days.
Snickerdoodles
Soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon-sugar, these are the classic snickerdoodles that belong on every Christmas cookie tray.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Nutty peanut butter cookies topped with a milk chocolate kiss — nostalgic, simple, and always a hit at cookie exchanges.
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Bright, festive, and soft with a hint of cocoa, these red velvet crinkles are pretty enough for gifting and easy enough for any baker.
Christmas Magic 7 Layer Cookie Bars
These Christmas Magic 7 Layer Cookie Bars are a festive twist on the classic! With a buttery graham cracker crust, layers of chocolate, nuts, and holiday M&M candies, they’re gooey, colorful, and impossibly easy to make.
Pretty & Festive Cookies
Delicate, gorgeous, and guaranteed to impress. These cookies look bakery-perfect but are surprisingly easy to make — ideal for gifting or holiday dessert boards.
Linzer Cookies
Buttery sandwich cookies filled with sweet jam and dusted with snowy powdered sugar — stunning, delicious, and perfect for holiday gifting.
Meringue Cookies
Light, crisp, and beautifully airy, meringue cookies are a delicate treat that practically melt as soon as you take a bite.
No-Bake Holiday Treats
Quick, simple, and still completely delicious. These no-bake goodies are perfect when you’re short on time but still want something festive and sweet.
5 Minute Christmas Snack Mix
This no-fuss Christmas snack mix comes together in just five minutes and is perfect for last-minute gifting, party bowls, or holiday movie nights.
Rice Krispie Treats
Soft, chewy marshmallow cereal bars that kids and adults both love — especially when decorated with holiday sprinkles.
Christmas Chex Mix
Cozy, nostalgic, and coated in creamy white chocolate, this festive Chex mix is the treat everyone looks for at holiday parties.
Homemade Christmas Candy
Soft caramels, rich fudge, and classic holiday candy that tastes like tradition. These treats are wonderful for gifting and guaranteed to make someone’s day.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate-dipped peanut butter bites that taste like buckeyes — no baking, no fuss, and impossibly hard to stop eating.
Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls
Rich chocolate and sweet coconut come together in this classic holiday bite that tastes like a homemade truffle. They’re simple to make, no bake, and disappear faster than you can set them out!
M&M Pretzel Hugs
These M&M pretzel hugs are the easiest holiday treat you’ll make all season—sweet, salty, melty, and totally irresistible. Perfect for gifting, snacking, or filling cookie trays in just minutes!
Fudge Recipe
Creamy, rich, and deeply chocolatey — the holiday fudge everyone looks forward to year after year.
Cream Cheese Mints
Sweet, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth, these old-fashioned cream cheese mints are a nostalgic holiday favorite.
Christmas baking is one of my favorite traditions, and nothing makes the season feel cozier than filling the kitchen with delicious smells and sharing homemade treats with the people we love.
Whether you’re decorating sugar cookies with the kids, making neighbor gifts, or keeping it low-key with a batch of fudge on a quiet winter night, the memories matter just as much as the treats. I hope this roundup helps you find new favorites and start (or continue!) traditions that make the holidays feel special.
read more: If you need ideas for Christmas dinner, head to our Christmas dinner recipes roundup!