41 Best Christmas Cookies to Try This Winter

Do you love the fresh mint taste of candy canes but not the tooth-shattering hardness or the time commitment?

Candy cane cookies provide all the same peppermint taste of the classic Christmas confection in a soft, quickly chewed bite. 

Baking the cookies requires a reasonably significant time investment.

Block out at least four hours, but don't worry; much of that time is dedicated to chilling the dough. 

Chocolate crinkle cookies let you indulge your love for chocolate while remaining festive.

Powdered sugar makes the delicious, fudgy rounds resemble snowballs. 

Bakers need five hours to make the cookies; however, most of that time is dedicated to refrigerating the dough, so you can wrap your last-minute presents while you wait for the cookies to chill. 

Festive sugars and sprinkles make Christmas shortbread cookies look like a yuletide explosion without requiring an artistic eye for decoration. 

The confections are simple but classic.

Amateur bakers with a few basic pantry staples, a stand mixer, and an hour to spare can whip up a batch of these delicious cookies. 

There's a reason gingerbread house cookies are synonymous with Christmas.

The spicy, festive biscuits encapsulate all the cozy warmth of the holiday season. 

The cookies primarily use baking staples; however, check your pantry before baking. The recipe calls for a multitude of spices.

Making gingerbread house cookies can take as little as 50 minutes; however, artistic bakers aiming to impress their friends and families may need more time to decorate to their satisfaction. 

Linzer cookies offer a sweet, fruity alternative to standard Christmas cookie fare.

Rich butter cookies sandwich any curd or jam the baker chooses. 

The cookies help you impress holiday guests without requiring a culinary degree. The confections look more elaborate than they are.

Bakers need only a few essential ingredients to make linzers. The cookies bake in under three hours. 

Chocolate and peanut butter go together like holly and ivy.

Peanut butter blossoms capture this timeless flavor pairing with the help of Hershey kisses. The chewy treats use pantry basics to achieve a soft, sweet bite.

The cookie dough is made with plenty of peanut butter, ensuring each bite explodes with the flavor.

These confections are perfect for the last-minute Christmas party you forgot to bake for since they take only half an hour to make.

Do you need a treat to wow the other bakers at a cookie exchange? Snowball Christmas cookies look elegant and festive while delivering a rich pecan flavor.

A simple powdered sugar coating lends the confection a clean yuletide appearance. 

Ideal for rushed bakers, snowball Christmas cookies exclusively use pantry staples.

Bakers need less than half an hour to whip up a batch of the delicious snack. 

Snickerdoodles are popular cookies that are fun to pronounce and eat.

Bakers coat the soft, melty cookies in cinnamon and sugar, giving the treats the warm, cozy flavor of the season. 

The cookies mostly call for everyday ingredients; however, they require cream of tartar, so be sure you have some on hand.

Snickerdoodles bake up very quickly, needing only 20 minutes from the time you gather the ingredients to the moment you sample the first bite. 

Prepare to inspire gasps when you unveil these stained glass window sugar cookies.

The recipe uses crushed fruit candy to fill the shapes into the classic sugar cookie dough. 

The candy melts and then hardens, creating the stained glass window effect. Aside from the hard candies, most bakers already possess the ingredients for the cookies.

Most of the baking time is dedicated to preparation; besides crushing the candy and cutting out the shapes, you'll need to chill the dough.

Bakers need three hours from start to finish to prepare the treats.  

Sugar cookies embody Christmas. Bakers can use a wide variety of cutters to shape the delicious, classic confection into their favorite symbols of the season.

The treat is soft and straightforward, using basic pantry basics.

How long bakers need to complete the cookies depends on how fancy they intend to get.

The simplest version of the recipe requires two hours and ten minutes.

However, those possessed by a decorating flair may want to dedicate more time to applying the frosting. 

M&M Christmas cookies are a fun variation of classic chocolate chip cookies.

The recipe uses festively colored sprinkles and M&Ms to create a red and green color explosion sure to delight even the grinchiest eater. 

The ingredients provide all the decoration the treats needs, so all you have to do is mix the ingredients and bake the cookies.

The confections bake up in 30 minutes, so whip up a batch before your next holiday party. 

Everyone can use a few extra brownie points around Christmas. Get yourself off the naughty list by whipping up a batch of these Santa Clause cookies.

The jolly old elf won't be able to resist the hazelnut treats and their rich, delicious frosting. 

Bakers can cut the cookies into whatever shape they choose.

The recipe calls for some slightly obscure ingredients, so check your pantry before baking. 

Even the worst bakers among us can throw together a batch of whipped shortbread cookies.

The recipe offers a gourmet sheen to a simple classic, using only four ingredients. 

The simple treats lend themselves to a wide range of decoration; the cookies can look as basic or elaborate as the limits of your yuletide imagination.

If you have 30 minutes, you have plenty of time to bake a batch of whipped shortbread cookies. 

Enjoy all the rich, chocolatey taste of hot cocoa without any burnt tongue regrets.

The brownie base of hot cocoa cookies is delicious on its own, but no cocoa is complete without marshmallows. The treats feature a soft, pillowy confection in every bite. 

Top it all off with cocoa icing and red and green sprinkles, and you may never drink your hot cocoa again when you could be enjoying it in cookie form. 

Every box of Christmas cookies you've ever bought prominently features spritz cookies.

Bakers hoping to easily recreate those buttery, crumbly treats can, provided they own a cookie press. 

The ingredients are straightforward; the cookie press is the only complicating factor. 

Bakers can make spritz cookies in classic Christmas shapes and decorate them simply with sugars and sprinkles.

The cookies bake up in less than half an hour, so if you have the tools and ingredients, the treat is perfect for procrastinators.

A cookie doesn't need to look festive to capture the flavors of the holiday season.

Full of warm brown sugar taste, brown sugar oatmeal cookies are a filling yuletide delight, perfect for enjoying with a glass of eggnog.

Bakers keep most of the cookies' ingredients on hand; however, you may need to add old-fashioned oats to your shopping list.

The treats need only 30 minutes to bake, so you can prepare a batch before your annual It's a Wonderful Life viewing.

Christmas isn't Christmas without cranberries.

These chocolate-dipped cranberry cookies capture the seasonal flavor and coat it with a semi-sweet chocolate layer. 

The treat's festive red hue lends the cookies a bright, cheerful appearance.

Aside from the cranberries, the recipe calls for standard baking ingredients. Bakers need 40 minutes from preheating the oven to sampling the snacks.

Christmas cookie pinwheels don't require a lot of skill, but they do need plenty of time and a healthy measure of patience.

Bakers ready to commit to the process will be rewarded with bright, festive slices of holiday cheer. 

The delicious vanilla sugar cookies swirl red, green, and white for the ultimate yuletide treat.

Bakers need two hours and 35 minutes to whip up a batch.

These white chocolate-dipped ginger cookies taste as Christmasy as they look.

A melange of warm holiday spices infuses the chewy treats with festive flavor.

Dipping the cookies in white chocolate lends the snack sweetness and a smooth holiday canvas to pipe holly leaves onto.

Allow two hours from start to finish to complete the cookies. 

Anise is a polarizing flavor; either you love it or hate it.

The licorice taste fills each bite of these classic Italian cookies.

Aside from the anise extract, you probably already have all the necessary ingredients in your kitchen. 

A sweet glaze completes each cookie.

Bakers with 25 spare minutes can throw together a batch of the treats for their next baking exchange. 

These Danish butter cookies help you impress friends and family with only four ingredients.

Every decorative Christmas cookie tin contains these crumbly buttery treats, and the homemade variety surpasses the best store-bought confections. 

The cookies use pantry staples and need less than half an hour to bake. 

Vanilla-butter sugar cookies allow you to express your artistic abilities in the form of delicious confections.

Art school graduates can frost elaborate designs, while those of us more suited to stick-figure art can allow the cookie cutter to do the heavy lifting.

The cookies call for a relatively long list of ingredients; however, most bakers already have every component.

Vanilla-butter sugar cookies can take less than an hour, but the exact time commitment depends on how involved your decoration is. 

Every baker needs a great chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The absence of the holiday favorite would land you squarely on the naughty list. 

This chocolate chip cookie recipe ensures your stocking will be packed on Christmas morning.

The basic ingredients mix easily and bake for half an hour. 

Christmas isn't the only winter holiday.

These Rugelach cookies help bakers prepare a perfect, traditional Jewish treat for Hanukkah. 

The cookies feature a filling of walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

While the cookies are easier to make than they look, allow plenty of time. There are many steps involved in making sure your rugelach comes out deliciously. 

Spicy molasses cookies offer a fun and warming option for those who don't enjoy those old Christmas chestnuts, peppermint, or chocolate. 

The molasses provides a sticky sweetness.

Check your spice rack before starting the dough. The recipe calls for a wide array of seasonings. T

he cookies bake up in less than an hour, leaving plenty of time to address your Christmas cards.

These beautiful cookies are practically decorations.

While you may be tempted to hang them on your tree, your guests will eat them up too quickly. 

The confections combine a bright raspberry flavor with the sweetness of coconut. The thumbprint cookies are soft, delicious, and sure to please holiday visitors.

If you have 45 minutes, you have plenty of time to make jeweled coconut drops. 

Cinnamon cream cheese cookies infuse classic snickerdoodles with a fresh tartness.

The soft cookies twist the traditional snickerdoodle recipe just enough to make a unique and new creation.

While the ingredient list is relatively long, every element is a pantry staple.

Cinnamon cream cheese cookies are perfect for beginners; they whip up easily and quickly, requiring only 20 minutes to bake. 

The baking impaired among us can still impress our holiday guests with these Christmas tree Oreos.

The no-bake recipe allows you to choose your favorite flavor of the beloved sandwich cookie, dip them in white chocolate and decorate them with candy melts and sprinkles. 

While these cookies don't display any baking prowess, the confections allow steady-handed artists to display their skills in delicious sugar.

Frosted eggnog cookies capture the flavor of the quintessential Christmas cocktail.

The soft treats infuse both the cookie and the frosting with eggnog's custard flavor.

Multiple spices provide the confections with dimension and complexity. 

The cookies call for some unconventional ingredients, like buttermilk and the titular eggnog, so check the recipe before you start baking. 

Mr. Grinch is a mean one, but these Grinch cookies are nothing but sweet.

The heart-shaped sprinkles adorning the soft green cookies are sure to bring a smile to holiday guests' faces.

Let the little ones help whip up a batch of these cookies. The essential ingredients mix quickly and easily, requiring only 30 minutes from start to sampling. 

White chocolate candy cane cookies allow snackers to enjoy some of their favorite holiday flavors without choosing between a love for chocolate and a passion for peppermint.

The cookies are beautiful, chunky, and round with bright bursts of flavor. 

Bakers need 45 minutes and some basic pantry staples for the treats.  

Christmas maraschino cherry shortbread cookies add a pop of cherry tartness to a classic, buttery shortbread foundation.

The recipe calls for baking basics. The cookies come together very simply; however, the dough needs to be chilled, so allow adequate time for refrigeration and baking.

The bright bursts of cherry red make the confections look as festive as they taste. 

Gifters looking for a delicious, homemade present that requires little time and fewer ingredients can't do better than oreo balls for Christmas.

These treats combine crushed Oreos and cream cheese to make an easy, fudgy truffle. 

The simple confections fool eaters into thinking the treat is complicated. However, a batch comes together in about 15 minutes and makes excellent last-minute gifts. 

Bakers don't need to limit the flavors of their festive cookies to only chocolate or peppermint.

Raspberry, almost shortbread cookies may not seem as classically Christmas; however, the thumbprint treats are soft, warm, and delicious. 

The recipe relies on basic baking essentials. The cookies take an hour and 30 minutes to make.

Christmas sugar cookie bars cut sugar cookie baking time down considerably without sacrificing any of the delicious flavors.

The bars are soft and delicious, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Red and green sprinkles give the snow-white bars a pop of yuletide color. Bakers already have most of the necessary ingredients on hand. 

Thumbprint cookies are a holiday must-have.

The soft treats allow for plenty of variation; while this recipe calls for strawberry and apricot jams, bakers can substitute any fruit flavor they enjoy. 

Thumbprint cookies need only six ingredients, all of which are pantry staples.

The treats bake up quickly; thumbprint cookies need 45 minutes from start to finish. 

Cherry pistachio snowball cookies let you enjoy the coziness of a snowball fight without freezing your toes off.

Snowball cookies are a yuletide favorite. This recipe spruces up the recipe by adding cherries and pistachios to the dough for a bright, fruity punch.

Aside from the pistachios and cherries, most bakers have the necessary ingredients in their pantry already. The treats come together in less than an hour. 

Shortbread blossoms combine two beloved cookie recipes.

Adding a Hershey's kiss to a shortbread cookie makes a good thing great. 

These are great cookies to bake with the whole family. The ingredients are straightforward, and the mixing process is basic.

Brightly colored sprinkles and sugar lend a pop of yuletide color to each treat. The cookies take only 25 minutes to complete.

Chocolate-chip biscotti allows you to enjoy one of the quintessential tastes of the season with a refined twist. 

The crunchy, delicious treats are perfect for dipping in a cup of cocoa or coffee.

The recipe calls for pantry basics but allows plenty of preparation time. The cookies require at least an hour and 25 minutes to make. 

Cowboy cookies have something for everyone.

The treats feature cinnamon, coconut, chocolate chips, and rolled oats. 

The ingredients are straightforward; however, the recipe calls for quite a few components, so assess your pantry before baking.

The cookies are big and hearty, perfect for a holiday on the range. 

Loaded holiday slice-and-bake cookies combine all of the best yuletide flavors into one delicious cookie.

These treats include peanut butter, pecans, hazelnut spread, M&M's, and coffee.

Loaded holiday slice-and-bake cookies come together quickly and easily despite the long ingredient list.

The cookies require one hour and twenty minutes from the start to sample.