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Christmas cookie season is the best kind of busy. The kitchen smells like butter and spice, there is flour on the counter, and someone small is always asking to lick the spoon.
I like cookies that are simple to make and fun for kids to help with. Rolling dough balls, pressing in candies and shaking on sprinkles are perfect jobs for little hands. Many of these doughs can also be made a day or two ahead, which helps a lot in December.
Here are 15 easy Christmas cookies the whole family will love, from classic gingerbread to cute melted snowmen.
The Best Easy Christmas Cookies
This article is all about the best easy Christmas cookies.
1. Gingerbread Cookies
What it is: Soft but sturdy cutout cookies made with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, then decorated with a simple powdered sugar icing.
The spice is warm without being too strong, so kids enjoy them as much as grown ups do. Cutting out gingerbread men and piping on faces is a great family project. Tip: The dough can chill in the fridge for up to 2 days, so make it ahead and bake on a free afternoon.
2. Snowball Cookies
What it is: Buttery little cookies made with powdered sugar, vanilla and finely chopped pecans or walnuts, then rolled in more powdered sugar.
They take only seven ingredients and melt in your mouth. Kids love rolling the cookies in sugar, and you can use mini chocolate chips instead of nuts. Tip: Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are still warm, then roll them a second time once they cool for that snowy look.
3. Melted Snowman Cookies
What it is: Soft drop sugar cookies topped with a messy pool of white icing, a marshmallow head, mini M&M’s and piped arms and noses.
These are pure fun to decorate, and they do not need to look perfect since the snowmen are supposed to be melting. They are a hit at class parties. Tip: The icing can take up to a day to harden, so decorate them the day before you plan to serve or pack them.
4. Grinch Cookies
What it is: Bright green sugar cookies rolled in granulated sugar and powdered sugar, with a red candy heart pressed into each one.
Kids who love the Grinch will go wild for these. The dough is a simple sugar cookie dough with a little green gel coloring. Tip: Press the heart candies into the cookies right after they come out of the oven so they stick.
5. Christmas M&M Cookies
What it is: Soft, chewy, buttery cookies made with brown sugar and vanilla, packed with M&M’s instead of chocolate chips.
They taste like a classic chocolate chip cookie, and red and green candies make them look ready for the holidays. Kids can press the candies on top. Tip: Mix half the M&M’s into the dough and press the rest onto the outside of each dough ball, then chill for 2 hours before baking.
6. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
What it is: Soft, chewy cookies made from red and green dough that is stacked, rolled into a log and sliced into swirls.
They look fancy on a cookie tray, but the dough is a basic butter and brown sugar dough. Kids love watching the swirl show up when you slice the log. Tip: Chill the wrapped log for at least an hour so you can slice clean ½ inch cookies.
7. Jam Drop Thumbprint Cookies
What it is: Buttery vanilla shortbread cookies with a little well in the center filled with strawberry or raspberry jam.
The dough comes together with pantry staples, and little thumbs are perfect for making the indents. The red jam looks so festive. Tip: Pack the dough tightly when you roll each ball so the cookies do not crack, then fill each one with about ½ teaspoon of jam.
8. Three Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
What it is: Classic melt in your mouth shortbread made with just butter, powdered sugar and flour.
With only three ingredients, this is one of the easiest cookies on the list. You can pat the dough into a pan and cut it, or shape it into cookies. Tip: Bake at 325°F only until they are slightly golden and take them out before they turn brown.
9. Spritz Cookies
What it is: Buttery cookies made with butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and flour, pressed into shapes with a cookie press.
Kids love pulling the trigger on the cookie press and seeing the shapes come out. One batch makes a big pile, which is great for cookie trays and gifts. Tip: Sprinkle the cookies with sugar before baking for a little sparkle.
10. No-Spread Sugar Cookies
What it is: Simple cutout sugar cookies made with butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour that hold their shape in the oven.
You do not have to chill the dough, so you can roll, cut and bake right away. They are a blank canvas for sprinkles or icing. Tip: Bake them just until the edges barely start to turn golden so they stay soft.
11. Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
What it is: Chewy peanut butter cookies made with brown butter, rolled in sugar and topped with a chocolate kiss.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a combo most kids already love. Unwrapping the kisses and pressing them in is an easy job for little helpers. Tip: Chill the dough for at least 4 hours, then let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so it is easy to scoop.
12. Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
What it is: Soft and chewy brown sugar cookies with Christmas sprinkles mixed into the dough and pressed on top.
This is a small batch of about 15 cookies made with simple ingredients. Sprinkles make anything feel like a party to kids. Tip: Chill the scooped dough for 2 hours before baking for the best soft and chewy texture.
13. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
What it is: Fudgy chocolate cookies made with cocoa powder, sugar, oil and eggs, rolled in powdered sugar before baking.
The powdered sugar cracks as they bake, so every cookie looks like it was dusted with snow. One batch makes about 4 dozen. Tip: Bake closer to 8 minutes if your family likes a fudgy middle.
14. Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
What it is: Soft sugar cookies baked in three sizes and stacked with green buttercream, then topped with a yellow star sprinkle.
There is no rolling or cutting the dough, and kids love building their own little trees. They make a cute centerpiece for a holiday table. Tip: Make the dough balls in three sizes (1, 2 and 3 teaspoons) and bake each size on its own since they need different times.
15. Cranberry Christmas Cookies
What it is: Soft, buttery cake-like cookies studded with fresh cranberries and drizzled with a lemon glaze.
The sweet cookie balances the tart berries, and the red pops of color look so pretty on a plate. It is a nice change from all the chocolate. Tip: Beat the eggs and sugar for 5 to 7 minutes until they almost double, which gives the cookies their light texture.
Tips for Baking Christmas Cookies With Kids
- Make the dough ahead. Many cookie doughs keep in the fridge for a day or two, so you can split mixing and baking into two easy days.
- Give everyone a job. Little kids can roll balls and add sprinkles while older kids measure and use the cutters.
- Use parchment paper. It keeps cookies from sticking and makes cleanup much faster.
- Cool before decorating. Icing slides right off warm cookies, so wait until they are completely cool.
- Store each kind separately. Soft cookies and crisp cookies stay their best in their own airtight containers.
Pin this post so you have all 15 easy Christmas cookies in one place when baking season starts.