24 Easy Christmas Cookies You Can Bake in One Afternoon With Pantry Staples

By December the diary stops asking for finesse. It wants twenty-four cookies that hold their shape, their color and their sugar coating between the counter and a folding table in the school gym. This stack of easy christmas cookies is built for exactly that handoff: honest ratios, pantry staples, nothing that needs a stand mixer with three attachments you have never used.

Several of these doughs chill or freeze well, so the work splits across two evenings instead of one long Saturday with flour in your hair. A few contain peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or dairy, so check the list before a tin goes anywhere near a classroom with allergies on file. If the party leans more nostalgic than Pinterest-perfect, a plate of these pairs easily with 90s Christmas party ideas.

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Snap a photo before the tin closes. The cracked white top against dark chocolate reads as effort even though the whole dough comes together in one bowl.

Roll the balls in powdered sugar twice if the cracks look thin: the second coat is what makes them photograph like a bakery box, not a home kitchen.

Prep 20 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling) | Total 2 hours 40 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Whisk the oil, melted chocolate and granulated sugar together until glossy.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt just until no streaks remain.
4. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
6. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll each ball twice through powdered sugar.
7. Space the balls 2 inches apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges set.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

A thumbprint is the one shape a four-year-old presses correctly, and nobody will notice if hers is lopsided once the jam catches the light.

Swap the jam flavor for whatever is already open in the fridge: raspberry and apricot both set up firm enough to hold their shine.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 40 minutes | Makes about 28 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup jam (raspberry or apricot)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth.
4. Mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and set them on the sheets.
6. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make a well.
7. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each well.
8. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges turn golden.

Pinwheel Cookies

Cut one log and the plate suddenly looks like a bakery case, not a tray of drop cookies.

The trick is patience at the rolling stage: a chilled, well wrapped log slices clean instead of smearing the stripes together.

Prep 25 minutes (plus 3 hours chilling) | Total 3 hours 35 minutes | Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
3. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until a smooth dough forms.
4. Divide the dough in half and knead the cocoa powder into one half.
5. Roll each half between parchment into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle.
6. Stack the chocolate layer on the plain layer and roll up tightly from the long edge.
7. Wrap the log and chill for at least 3 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.
8. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), slice the log into rounds and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Snowball Cookies

These hold together like shortbread and dust the plate white the second someone picks one up, so keep napkins nearby.

Pecans are classic, but a swap to toasted walnuts or mini chocolate chips works just as well if that is what the pantry has open.

Prep 20 minutes | Total 45 minutes | Makes about 32 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 1 cup for rolling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together until smooth.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour and salt, then fold in the chopped pecans.
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space them on the sheets.
6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms are just golden, not the tops.
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then roll each cookie in the remaining powdered sugar.
8. Let cool completely and roll in powdered sugar once more before serving.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

One kiss, pressed in while the cookie is still soft enough to crack slightly around it: that crack is the whole look.

Buy the chocolate kisses before the baking aisle sells out, they vanish from shelves faster than the peanut butter does. Contains peanuts.

Prep 20 minutes | Total 45 minutes | Makes about 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 36 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until a soft dough forms.
5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll each through granulated sugar.
6. Space the balls on the sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie as soon as they leave the oven.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Candy-Coated Chocolate Cookies

A soft chocolate chip base studded with red and green candy shells covers the whole palette in one bite, no icing required.

Press a few extra candies on top right out of the oven if the scoop left any bare spots.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 30 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups red and green candy-coated chocolates

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined.
5. Fold in the candy-coated chocolates, saving a handful for the tops.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets and press a few extra candies into each.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers look soft.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Shortbread Slice Cookies

Press, bake, slice. This one needs a knife more than a cookie cutter, and it fills a tin faster than any drop cookie ever does.

Dip one end of each finger in melted chocolate and sprinkles before the chocolate sets, for color without extra icing.

Prep 10 minutes | Total 50 minutes | Makes about 24 slices

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz chocolate, melted, for dipping (optional)
• holiday sprinkles, for dipping (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth, then beat in the vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour, cornstarch and salt until the dough comes together.
4. Press the dough evenly into the pan and prick it all over with a fork.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the edges turn pale gold.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out and slice into fingers while warm.
7. Dip one end of each finger in melted chocolate and holiday sprinkles, if using.
8. Let the chocolate set before stacking in a tin.

Cake Mix Cookies

Three ingredients, one bowl, and a box of cake mix doing the job of flour, sugar and leavening all at once. This is the one to hand off to a kid who wants to help.

Swap the cake mix flavor and the cookie changes completely without changing the method at all.

Prep 10 minutes | Total 25 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz) spice or chocolate cake mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup holiday sprinkles or mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Stir the cake mix, eggs and oil together until a thick dough forms.
3. Fold in the sprinkles or chocolate chips.
4. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges look set.
6. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Empty the half-finished bags from the pantry into one bowl and nobody will know this was a cleanup job.

Salty pretzels and crushed potato chips against sweet chocolate read as intentional, not leftover. Keep total mix-ins around 3 cups and swap in whatever is open, toffee bits and broken candy canes both work.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 26 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed potato chips or candy-coated chocolates

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined.
5. Fold in the pretzels, chocolate chips and potato chips.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets, pressing gently to flatten slightly.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Chewy, a little tart against all the sweet cookies around it on the tray, this is the one the grandmothers reach for first.

Dried cherries work as a swap if cranberries are not in the pantry, the color just shifts a shade darker red.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter with both sugars until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
5. Fold in the oats and dried cranberries.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Molasses Crinkles

Dark, soft in the middle, and the crackled sugar top catches the light the same way the chocolate crinkles do, just in the warm half of the palette.

These keep improving for two or three days in a sealed tin, so they are the one to bake first.

Prep 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the molasses and egg.
2. Mix in the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
3. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll each through granulated sugar.
6. Space the balls 2 inches apart on the sheets.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops crack but the centers still look soft.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Mint Chip Cookies

Green from the inside out if you want it, or just speckled with mint chocolate chips if a wholly green cookie feels like too much.

Either way it tastes like a candy cane without the stickiness. A drop of green food coloring in the dough is optional, the mint chips do the flavor work regardless.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups mint chocolate chips
• green food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and peppermint extract, plus a drop of food coloring if using.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined.
5. Fold in the mint chocolate chips.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Meringue Kisses

Piped into little peaks and tinted at the tips, these weigh almost nothing and take up almost no room in a flat tin.

They need a dry day more than a skilled hand: humidity is the only thing that really beats them. Contains egg whites.

Prep 20 minutes | Total 1 hour 50 minutes | Makes about 36 kisses

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• red and green gel food coloring

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 225°F (110°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
3. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating until the meringue turns glossy and stiff.
4. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Paint 2 or 3 stripes of gel coloring up the inside of a piping bag, then fill with meringue.
6. Pipe small peaks onto the lined sheets.
7. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the kisses sit inside for 30 minutes.
8. Store in an airtight container once fully cooled.

Monster Cookies

No flour in this one, oats and peanut butter hold it together, which makes it easy to double when someone mentions a gluten sensitivity.

Candy-coated chocolates on top do the Christmas-palette work without any food coloring in the dough. If little hands are decorating the tray, they can line up the craft table from Christmas crafts preschool teachers use while the dough chills. Contains peanuts.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolates
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Beat the peanut butter with both sugars until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs and baking soda.
4. Fold in the oats, candy-coated chocolates and chocolate chips.
5. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets and flatten slightly with a palm.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden.
7. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Ginger Snaps

Thin, crisp, the kind of cookie that survives a backpack ride to school without turning to crumbs, which the soft version never quite manages.

Bake them one minute longer than feels right if a genuine snap, not a chew, is the goal.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the molasses and egg.
3. Mix in the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
4. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll each through sugar.
5. Space the balls 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with a glass.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges look deep golden.
7. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies

No oven, no waiting on a tray to cool between batches, just a saucepan and a spoon, useful on the one afternoon the oven is already busy with dinner.

Give them the full hour to set on the counter, they look done sooner than they actually are. Contains peanuts.

Prep 10 minutes (plus 1 hour setting) | Total 1 hour 20 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick oats
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Melt the butter with the sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Bring the mixture to a full boil and let it boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.
5. Fold in the oats and salt until fully coated.
6. Drop rounded tablespoons onto the parchment.
7. Let the cookies set at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.

Sugar Cookie Cups

A mini muffin tin turns a plain sugar cookie into a little cup that holds its own frosting swirl or a nest of crushed candy canes.

No cookie cutters, no rolling pin, no flour on the counter. Fill them the morning of the party, the shell holds its shape for a day if left empty.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 24 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frosting or crushed candy canes, for filling

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a mini muffin pan well.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms.
5. Press a tablespoon of dough into each muffin cup, pushing up the sides to form a cup.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden.
7. Press the centers down gently with a spoon as soon as they come out of the oven.
8. Cool completely, then fill with frosting or crushed candy canes.

Cranberry Pistachio Icebox Cookies

Slice into the log and the cross-section does the decorating: red flecks and green nuts against pale dough, no icing bag required.

Keep a log in the freezer and this becomes the cookie that bakes six at a time whenever the tin runs low, the same way the Christmas cake pops rolled from cake you did not bake fill in gaps without a full baking session.

Prep 20 minutes (plus 3 hours chilling) | Total 3 hours 40 minutes | Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
4. Fold in the chopped cranberries and pistachios.
5. Shape the dough into two 2-inch logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
6. Chill the logs for at least 3 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.
7. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), slice the logs into 1/4-inch rounds and arrange on lined sheets.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn pale gold.

Snickerdoodles With Red Sugar

Cinnamon sugar is the usual coat, red sugar mixed in gets the same cookie into the Christmas palette without touching the dough itself.

These keep their shape better than most drop cookies, useful if the tray is going somewhere bumpy on the way to school.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons red sanding sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
5. Stir the red sanding sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
6. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll each through the cinnamon sugar mix.
7. Space the balls 2 inches apart and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

A dark chocolate cookie with crushed candy cane folded through tastes like the stocking-stuffer version of a brownie, and the pink flecks do the decorating for free.

Crush the candy canes in a sealed bag with a rolling pin, not a food processor, uneven pieces look better than dust.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 35 minutes | Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter with both sugars until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Fold in the crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Coconut Macaroons

Five ingredients, no mixer required, and the shaggy shape looks intentional even when it is really just coconut doing what coconut does.

A dip in melted chocolate on the base turns the plain version festive without touching the color inside. Naturally gluten-free, good for a mixed tin.

Prep 15 minutes | Total 40 minutes | Makes about 20 macaroons

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups shredded coconut
• 4 oz chocolate, melted, for dipping (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk the egg whites and salt until foamy.
3. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Fold in the shredded coconut until evenly coated.
5. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet, pressing gently into mounds.
6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the tips turn golden brown.
7. Cool completely, then dip the bases in melted chocolate if using.

Butterscotch Haystacks

No oven, no dough, just a melted bowl and a fork, these are the one to make when the littlest helper wants a job that cannot go wrong.

Chow mein noodles give the haystack its crunch and shape, chopped pretzel sticks work as a swap for a salty version. Contains peanuts.

Prep 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes setting) | Total 40 minutes | Makes about 20 haystacks

Ingredients

• 2 cups butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Melt the butterscotch chips and peanut butter together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
3. Remove from the heat and fold in the chow mein noodles and marshmallows, if using.
4. Drop small mounds onto the parchment using two spoons.
5. Let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or chill to speed it up.
6. Store in an airtight container once fully set.

Linzer Cookies

A cut-out window, a dusting of powdered sugar, and the jam glowing through: this is the one cookie on the tray that photographs like a Vienna bakery window.

Use a small round or star cutter for the window if a true Linzer cutter is not in the drawer. Contains almonds.

Prep 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Total 2 hours | Makes about 20 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
2. Mix in the flour, ground almonds and salt until a dough forms.
3. Divide the dough in half, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll one half to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into rounds, then cut a small window from half of them.
5. Repeat with the second half of the dough, chilling scraps as needed.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake the rounds for 8 to 10 minutes until pale gold.
7. Dust the windowed cookies with powdered sugar, then spread jam on the solid rounds and sandwich together.

Russian Tea Cakes

Walnuts instead of pecans, a touch of almond extract instead of plain vanilla: otherwise this is the snowball’s quieter cousin.

The two look near identical, so they fill a tin together without anyone noticing the difference. Double rolling in sugar while still faintly warm keeps the coating from going translucent. Contains walnuts.

Prep 20 minutes | Total 45 minutes | Makes about 32 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 1 cup for rolling
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together until smooth.
3. Beat in the almond extract.
4. Mix in the flour and salt, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space them on the sheets.
6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms turn light gold.
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then roll each warm cookie in the remaining powdered sugar.
8. Let cool completely and roll in powdered sugar once more before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance can I make Christmas cookies?

Most of these doughs hold in the fridge for a few days and freeze for up to three months if rolled into balls or logs first. Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or freeze for the same stretch if you need more lead time.

Can I freeze the cookie dough instead of baking everything at once?

Yes, and it is often the better plan for a busy week. Shape the dough into balls or logs, wrap tightly, and freeze; most bake directly from frozen with just an extra minute or two in the oven.

How do I store Christmas cookies so they stay fresh for the party?

Keep plain drop cookies and shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for three to five days. Anything frosted, filled or delicate, like meringue kisses or sugar cookie cups, is best eaten within a day or two since moisture softens them faster.

Which of these cookies freeze best for a cookie tin or school party?

Drop cookies, icebox cookies and shortbread freeze the most reliably once fully cooled and double wrapped. Meringue kisses and anything with a fresh frosting fill, like sugar cookie cups, are better made closer to the day.

What is the easiest cookie on this list for a first-time baker or a kid helper?

Cake mix cookies need only a bowl and three ingredients, and butterscotch haystacks skip the oven entirely, both are forgiving enough to hand to a child who wants a real job in the kitchen.

Can I bake several different cookies in one afternoon?

Yes, if you stagger the chilling. Mix the doughs that need to rest first, let them sit in the fridge while you mix and bake the no-chill doughs, then slice and bake the chilled ones back to back at the same oven temperature.