25 Days of Christmas Cookies

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

By
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora's passion for cooking began early on as a young girl, working in the kitchen at her father's Greek diner in Brooklyn, NY. Her recipes have appeared on Delish, Spruce Eats, Today.com, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Simply Recipes, and in various cookbooks.
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Published December 01, 2025
Theodora Kaloudis
Overhead view of chocolate crinkle cookies on a lined baking pan

Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

I love Christmas! The shared joy of the season, the twinkly lights, festive decorations, and, of course, the food. And by food, I really mean cookies. If you’re a fellow cookie lover and need a recipe for a cookie swap or to put out for old Saint Nick, then this collection will make both you and him jolly.

We’ve got 25 days of cookies, an advent calendar of sorts, that is guaranteed to please this Christmas. From classics, like beautifully decorated Christmas Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread, to fun twists like a two-ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark and Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread. We’ve also included perennial favorites, like soft and chewy Peanut Butter Blossoms and Brown Sugar Snickerdoodles. No matter what you choose, you will definitely be rockin’ around the Christmas tree.

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  • Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread

    Overhead view of holiday chocolate and peppermint shortbread on a platter with crushed peppermint around it.

    Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

    "These Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads are tender cookies decorated with a glossy coat of chocolate, topped with crunchy peppermint candies. They come together quickly with little fuss—just make the dough, chill, slice, bake, and decorate. These cookies are quick enough to crank out on a weeknight or as a fun weekend family project.” —Karishma Pradhan, Recipe Developer

  • Christmas Sugar Cookies

    holiday sugar cookies

    Claudia Cash

    "My absolute favorite recipe to use for holiday cookies! It's my go-to recipe. The dough is easy to work with, the shapes end up perfect, and they are delicious.” —Brenda, Reader

  • Candy Cane Cookies

    Completed Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
    Irvin Lin

    "My 13-year-old daughter baked these last night and they turned out perfect! She added a drizzle of melted chocolate.” —Laura, Reader

  • Gingerbread Cookies

    Gingerbread cookie recipe decorated gingerbread people cookies

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "I love this recipe. We make a double batch every year for Christmas. The cookies disappear so quickly, just delicious.” —Bozena S, Reader

    Continue to 5 of 25 below

  • Thumbprint Cookies

    Classic thumbprint cookies and a jar of jam and a spoon in the middle of them.
    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Don't like jam? You can also fill them with lemon curd, marmalade, melted chocolate, or even some dulce de leche or other caramel filling.” —Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • White Chocolate Peppermint French Macarons

    Overhead view of peppermint macarons with white chocolate filling on a baking sheet.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "These macarons are so delicious and festive. It honestly can feel intimidating to make them, but I found that the only tricky part to watch out for is not to over whip the egg whites. Mine came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe.” —Natasha D, Reader

  • Walnut Snowball Cookies

    Overhead view of walnut snowball cookies piled on a parchment lined decorative baking pan with the top one cut in half to show the interior.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

    "This recipe is the best. I made it last Christmas and I'm making it again due to the many requests. Thanks so much. (Also, I doubled it)” —Ann V, Reader

  • Holiday Pinwheel Cookies

    Pile of Holiday Pinwheel Cookies on a Plate and Next to It, a Napkin with More and a Bottle of Milk
    Irvin Lin

    "I've been making these with the kids three years in a row now, and it never fails! So good!! A tradition to carry on for years to come! YUM!" —MCM, Reader

    Continue to 9 of 25 below

  • Stained Glass Cookies

    Stained Glass Cookies

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "I made these mini art pieces this Christmas and hung them in our kitchen window (beneath a real piece of stained glass), and they looked amazing! Loved how glass-like the Jolly Ranchers appeared. Will definitely make these for gifts again next year.” —Erica, Reader

  • Lofthouse-Style Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

    Sugar Cookies with Christmas Frosting
    Cindy Rahe

    "I've made these three times, and they are gone within a day. The whole family loves them!” —KC, Reader

  • Almond Crescent Cookies

    Overhead view of almond crescent cookies on a parchment lined decorative baking pan.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

    "Delicious, easy to make and wowed my baking friends! Two modifications - added 2 teaspoons almond extract and put confectionery sugar in a wide bowl and rolled hot cookie tops in sugar before the cooling rack step. Be sure to beat butter and sugar about 5 minutes to get it light and fluffy—makes the cookies perfect.” —Kathy, Reader

  • Pfeffernusse Spice Cookies

    Pfeffernüsse Spice Cookies
    Irvin Lin

    "Holy yum, are these cookies ever good! My sweetheart grew up in a German home, and these are going to be our new Christmas tradition, not to mention how amazing it makes the house smell!” —Laureen, Reader

    Continue to 13 of 25 below

  • Cranberry Orange Shortbread

    Overhead view of multiple cranberry orange shortbread cookies on an off-white background

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "I baked these delicious cookies today (made the dough yesterday and refrigerated overnight). They came out exactly as shown. I rolled the logs in chopped pistachios, and they have a pretty Christmas look with the cranberries. Thank you!” —Marie, Reader

  • Pecan Tassies (Pecan Pie Cookies)

    Stack of three pecan pie cookies on a counter (top cookie bitten into), and in the surroundings, more pecan pie cookies on the counter and on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "The real magic here is in the crust. Whereas most tassie recipes have you beat softened butter and cream cheese with flour, I take a pie crust approach, pulsing cold, cubed butter and cream cheese with a blend of flour, sugar, and salt to form the dough. This means the crust is light and flaky.” —Kayla Hoang, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

    A plate with several chocolategingerbread cookies
    Irvin Lin

    "I made these before Christmas, and my husband keeps asking for them again. They were soft and very tasty. I am making them again today.” —Ginger, Reader

  • Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

    Plate of peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top
    Aaron Hutcherson

    "I suck at baking…until I made these cookies! I followed the recipe to a “T” and they came out ooeyyyy goooeyyy. I used two baking sheets at once, so I followed their recommendation and swapped spots halfway through baking. Thank you for this killer recipe!” —Shea, Reader

    Continue to 17 of 25 below

  • Brown Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies

    stack of brown sugar snickerdoodle cookies

    Sally Vargas

    "I just love this recipe. Thank you for sharing. It brings back great memories of the first thing I learned to make in the kitchen with my aunt and mom. … It's so soft and lovely. Last Christmas I baked dozens of these and mailed them to my international friends. I am happy to report that the cookies I made from this recipe made it all the way to Iceland and were happily received!” —Ashleigh, Reader

  • 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

    Overhead view of a cooling rack of twenty four macaroon cookies on a wooden table background

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "If you must have chocolate in your desserts (I know many people who fall into this category), either add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dough or get fancy with it and dip the bottoms of the macaroons in 10 ounces of melted chocolate candy melts after baking. If you have any chocolate leftover, drizzle it over the tops.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Marzipan Shortbread Cookies

    Overhead view of a plate with marzipan stamped cookies.

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "These cookies are flattened and decorated with a cookie stamp. The design of the cookie stamp is up to you. I went with snowflakes for a winter holiday theme for this batch.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Molasses Spice Cookies

    Platter of molasses spice cookies, one plated cookie, and a glass of milk

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

    "This is the second time I’ve used this recipe, and it is simply amazing! They have the perfect amount of sweet and spice. The crispy edges with a soft chewy inside, you can’t ask for more! My wife and I make holiday cookies every year, and we’re happy to add these to the rotation!” —Dasia K, Reader

    Continue to 21 of 25 below

  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

    Overhead view of chocolate crinkle cookies on a lined baking pan

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

    "My fiancé asks me to make these all the time! He loves these cookies, and I will be adding them to my holiday baking this year as well.” —Jenny, Reader

  • Linzer Cookies

    Side view of a stack of classic linzer cookies on a plate.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "While bright and fun, the holiday season can also be stressful when planning treats for all the different gatherings and festivities. Luckily, these cookies give you plenty of options to make them ahead or store them for all your upcoming plans.” —Mark Beahm, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark

    Chocolate chip cookie bark on a baking tray

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall

    "The first key to success is to really spread out the dough into a thin, even thickness. The second is baking the bark long enough. Let it go until it’s a nice deep brown all over, but not so long that it burns. The result: A crispy, crunchy cookie topped with melted chocolate that everyone will love.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Hungarian Butterhorn Cookies

    Butterhorn cookies arranged in a bowl and on a plate with a few of them showing their interior filling
    Coco Morante

    "Every year, my husband’s Aunt Colleen makes batches of Hungarian Butterhorns. Everyone loves them so much that Colleen actually has to hide them in various spots around the house so no one person can hoard them all!” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

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  • Oatmeal Lace Cookies

    A stack of oatmeal lace cookies and additional cookies arranged nearby
    Irvin Lin

    "I made the oatmeal lace cookies and dipped one side in melted semi-sweet chocolate, then let them set in the fridge. After chilling, place in an airtight container. One of my favorites. Delish!” —Sue H, Reader

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