Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipes

These classic cookie recipes will instantly evoke warm Christmas memories. Choose from sugar cookies, gingerbread, spritz butter cookies, thumbprints, shortbread, biscotti, and more.

The whole family will have a ball transforming sugar cookie dough into charming Christmas characters with our holiday cookie templates, a rainbow of royal icing colors, and a little imagination.

The colors of three types of cookies (two gingerbreads, one chocolate) echo the graduated tones of the wood they are resting on. Dusting sanding sugar onto freshly piped icing gives the impression of new-fallen snow.

Get the Honey-Spice Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Get the Dark-Chocolate Cutout Cookies Recipe

Get the Boiled Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

A trio of sweet, simple embellishments -- chocolate chunks, boozy dried fruit, and coconut with pecans -- sends a classic cookie over the top. Stick with the classic shortbread recipe or turn it into chocolate-chunk shortbread, fruitcake shortbread, or coconut-pecan shortbread.

Use our clever no-frosting technique for colorful Christmas cookies that will surprise and delight everyone on your list.

The snowy sugar surface of pfeffernussen contrasts with the peppery flavor of these German cookies.

You'll need specially designed springerle molds to shape the fragrant spiced dough for these traditional Dutch cookies.

The German town of Nuremberg has been famous for its lebkuchen since the late 1300s; the soft, cakey cookies are traditionally made with several spices, candied citrus peel, hazelnuts, and almonds.

A combination of fresh and ground ginger, molasses, and chunks of semisweet chocolate makes the cookies sophisticated enough for adults but chocolaty enough for children.