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Our 100 All-Time-Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Updated on December 04, 2023

Spread some holiday cheer with sugar and spice—and lots of frosting!

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Photo: Renee Comet ©

Bake the Best Holiday Cookies

Whether you’re still learning the basics of cookie making or are all about using those pro baking tips you’ve mastered over the years, there’s no better time to bake from scratch than during the holidays. Whether you whip up an assortment of holiday bars and barks to pack and ship to someone special or are baking a batch of easy-to-make cookies to serve alongside homemade hot chocolate on movie night, you’ll find that cookies always spread cheer. Nut and spice cookies, fruity cookies and more: we always have a hard time narrowing down our favorites (which is why this collection has 100 recipes!). But, we have to admit that these giant, saucer-sized treats are at the top of our list! They’re packed with all your festive favorites (red and green candies, peppermint chunks, salty pretzels and white chocolate chips), so they really live up to their name. If you leave these mammoth treats for Santa, don't forget a supersized glass of milk for washing them down!

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Photo: Matt Armendariz

Gingerbread Man Mug Mates

These gingerbread men are people-pleasers — you'll love how they hang around with lots of holiday spirit.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz

Poinsettia Pinwheel Cookies

Despite the intricate design, these festive pinwheels are simple to create. The cream cheese in the cookie dough adds just the right amount of pliability, so you can cut, fold and shape with ease. We decorated the cookies with white, red and green coarse sanding sugar, sometimes called pearlized sugar, but you can feel free to swap in plain confectioners' sugar. They'll look stunning either way!

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Photo: Renee Comet ©

Eggnog Meltaway Cookies

The secret to these cookies' melt-in-your-mouth texture is the confectioners' sugar, which easily comes together with almonds in a food processor. The flavors of rum, bourbon and nutmeg make the little snowball look-alikes taste just like your favorite holiday drink. We'll say "cheers" to that!

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