4 Christmas Cookie Recipes

1. Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out & Iced)

Perfect for: Stars, trees, bells, snowflakes – for decorating with kids.

Ingredients

Dough

• 225 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

• 200 g sugar (1 cup)

• 1 large egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp almond extract (optional)

• 350 g all-purpose flour (about 2¾ cups)

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

Icing

• 250 g powdered sugar (2 cups), sifted

• 2–3 tbsp milk or water

• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

• Food coloring + sprinkles

Instructions

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy (2–3 min).

2. Add egg, vanilla, almond extract; mix to combine.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt in another bowl. Add gradually to butter mixture until a soft dough forms.

4. Divide dough in 2, flatten into disks, wrap and chill at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Roll dough to ~5 mm (¼ inch).

6. Cut with Christmas cutters, place on parchment-lined trays.

7. Bake 8–10 min until edges just begin to turn light golden. Cool completely.

8. For icing: mix powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsp milk. Add a few drops more milk if needed (thick but pourable). Color as desired.

9. Decorate cookies, add sprinkles, let icing dry before stacking.

2. Chewy Gingerbread Men

Perfect for: Classic spicy Christmas cookies with that deep ginger-molasses flavor.

Ingredients

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened (½ cup)

• 100 g brown sugar (½ cup, packed)

• 120 ml molasses (½ cup)

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 315 g all-purpose flour (2½ cups)

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

(Optional: simple icing from powdered sugar + milk for decoration.)

Instructions

1. Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy.

2. Add molasses, egg, vanilla; mix until smooth.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix just until combined. Dough will be soft.

5. Divide, wrap, and chill 1–2 hours until firm.

6. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Roll dough on a floured surface to 5–6 mm.

7. Cut gingerbread men and transfer to lined baking sheets.

8. Bake 8–10 min (for chewy, don’t overbake). Cool completely.

9. Decorate with icing and candies if desired.

3. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Snow-Dusted)

Perfect for: Rich, fudgy chocolate cookies that look like they’re covered in snow.

Ingredients

• 100 g cocoa powder (unsweetened, 1 cup lightly packed)

• 200 g sugar (1 cup)

• 60 ml vegetable oil (¼ cup)

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 130 g all-purpose flour (1 cup)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• ~80 g powdered sugar (⅔ cup), for rolling

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix cocoa, sugar, and oil until combined.

2. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt; add to cocoa mixture and stir to a thick, sticky dough.

4. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (or overnight) until firm.

5. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

6. Scoop teaspoon-sized balls of dough, roll into balls, then roll generously in powdered sugar.

7. Place on lined tray, 5 cm apart.

8. Bake 10–12 min until cracked and set at edges but soft inside.

9. Cool on tray 5 min, then on rack. They’ll stay fudgy in the center.

4. White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Perfect for: Festive, minty cookies with bits of candy cane – very “Christmas-y”.

Ingredients

• 170 g unsalted butter, softened (¾ cup)

• 150 g sugar (¾ cup)

• 100 g brown sugar (½ cup, packed)

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)

• 280 g all-purpose flour (2¼ cups)

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 150 g white chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

• 60–80 g crushed candy canes or peppermint candies (½–⅔ cup)

Instructions

1. Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy (2–3 min).

2. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract; mix well.

3. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix just until combined.

5. Fold in white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.

6. Cover dough and chill 30–60 min for thicker cookies.

7. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

8. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto lined baking sheets.

9. Bake 9–11 min until edges are set and centers still soft.

10. Cool on tray 5 min, then on rack. Candy cane pieces will melt a little and give a pretty, festive look.