19 Easy Christmas Cookies Ideas That Will Save Your Holiday Baking (And Sanity!)
Christmas isn’t Christmas without cookies, right? I mean, what’s the point of decking the halls if there aren’t at least three tins of cookies hiding somewhere in the kitchen?
But let’s be real for a sec—holiday baking can feel like a marathon. Between shopping, wrapping gifts, and pretending you enjoy Aunt Linda’s fruitcake, finding time to bake a dozen different cookie recipes feels… borderline impossible.
That’s why easy Christmas cookies ideas are the real MVPs of the season. I’ve rounded up 19 simple, festive, and downright delicious cookie ideas that won’t leave you stressed or knee-deep in flour.
Whether you’re baking for a cookie swap, the kids’ school party, or just because your sweet tooth doesn’t take vacations, these recipes will have you covered.
So, ready to whip up cookies that look like you’ve put in hours when you actually haven’t? Let’s do this.
1. Classic Sugar Cookies (with a Twist)
You can’t talk about Christmas cookies without sugar cookies. They’re the OG holiday treat. But instead of making the same old shapes, why not jazz them up? Add some crushed peppermint, drizzle white chocolate, or even sprinkle edible glitter. They look fancy but take zero extra effort.
2. No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies
Ever get halfway through baking and realize you forgot eggs? Been there. These no-bake cookies are foolproof. All you need are oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and sugar. Mix, scoop, let them set. Boom—done. Plus, no oven means no burnt bottoms.
3. Gingerbread Men (or Lazy Gingerbread Squares)
Everyone loves gingerbread men until you’re halfway through cutting out 50 tiny arms and legs. My hack? Roll the dough into a rectangle and just cut squares. Same flavor, half the work. And let’s be honest, nobody really cares if their cookie has arms.
4. Peanut Butter Blossoms
These are the cookies with the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle. Simple dough, bake, press chocolate on top. The combo of warm peanut butter and melty chocolate? Pure magic. And FYI, they look way more complicated than they actually are.
5. Snowball Cookies (a.k.a. Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Snowball cookies scream Christmas. They’re buttery, nutty, and rolled in powdered sugar until they look like little snowballs. The best part? They only need like six ingredients. And yes, you’ll end up covered in powdered sugar too—it’s part of the fun.
6. Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
Shortbread alone is buttery heaven, but dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and sprinkle crushed candy canes? Now you’ve got a Christmas showstopper with basically no effort.
7. Chewy Molasses Cookies
If Christmas had a flavor, it’d probably be molasses. These cookies are soft, chewy, and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. Honestly, they taste like a warm hug.
8. Easy Fudge Brownie Cookies
Cheat alert: Use a boxed brownie mix. Mix in an extra egg and a little flour to make a dough, then bake them as cookies. Rich, fudgy, and no one needs to know you hacked it.
9. Candy Cane Crinkle Cookies
Take any crinkle cookie recipe (red velvet works great), and roll the tops in crushed candy canes before baking. They look festive AF without extra decorating time.
10. Thumbprint Cookies with Jam
These are the ones where you press your thumb in the middle and fill it with jam. Simple? Yes. Gorgeous? Also yes. Bonus: you can swap jam for Nutella or caramel if you’re feeling extra.
11. Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
Okay, technically not a cookie, but hear me out. Shape green-tinted Rice Krispie treats into little trees, stick a candy star on top, and you’ve got the cutest (and easiest) Christmas treat on the table.
12. Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies
Take store-bought chocolate wafer cookies, slather them with melted chocolate, and sprinkle with crushed peppermint. It’s basically “fake baking,” but nobody will complain.
13. Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are like cinnamon sugar hugs in cookie form. They puff up beautifully, and you don’t need to frost or decorate them. They’re cozy, simple, and always a crowd-pleaser.
14. M&M Christmas Cookies
Here’s a trick: make a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but swap the chips for red and green M&Ms. Suddenly, you’ve got Christmas cookies with zero extra work. Genius, right?
15. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Sweet, tart, chewy, and a little fancy. These cookies look holiday-worthy and taste amazing. IMO, they’re perfect for gifting because they seem “elevated,” but really, they’re just a basic dough with mix-ins.
16. Hot Cocoa Cookies
Add cocoa powder and mini marshmallows to your cookie dough. Bonus points if you press a square of chocolate into the top while they’re still warm. It’s basically hot chocolate in cookie form.
17. Almond Biscotti
Okay, these aren’t soft and chewy, but they’re perfect for dipping in coffee or hot chocolate. Plus, they keep forever, so you can bake them ahead of time and still look like you’ve got it all together on Christmas morning.
18. Chocolate-Covered Ritz Cookies
Hear me out: Ritz crackers, peanut butter in between, dipped in chocolate. Technically not a cookie, but they’re salty, sweet, crunchy, and completely addictive. Warning: you will eat six before realizing it.
19. Lazy Decorated Store-Bought Cookies
Running out of time? Buy plain sugar cookies from the store, whip up some frosting, and let the kids go wild with sprinkles. They’ll look festive, you’ll look like the fun parent, and nobody has to know you didn’t bake them yourself.
Pro Tips for Stress-Free Christmas Cookie Baking
Alright, before you go preheating your oven, let me give you a few sanity-saving tips:
- Batch your baking. Make one big dough, then split and flavor it different ways. Saves time, saves dishes.
- Freeze your dough. Most cookie dough freezes beautifully. Roll into balls, freeze, and bake whenever you need fresh cookies.
- Don’t overthink decorations. A drizzle of chocolate or a dusting of powdered sugar goes a long way.
- Use parchment paper. Trust me, scrubbing cookie sheets at midnight is not the holiday vibe you want.
Why Easy Christmas Cookies Are the Best
Here’s the truth: nobody’s judging your baking skills at Christmas. They just want cookies. Easy recipes mean you actually enjoy making them instead of resenting every sprinkle. Plus, you’ll have more time to sip hot cocoa, watch cheesy Hallmark movies, and, you know, actually enjoy the holiday.
And honestly, half the fun is sharing them. Whether you’re dropping off a tin for your neighbors or bribing Santa with the good ones (yes, Santa notices), cookies bring people together. That’s kind of the whole point of Christmas, right?
Final Thoughts
So there you have it—19 easy Christmas cookies ideas that’ll make you look like the Martha Stewart of your friend group without breaking a sweat. Whether you go classic with sugar cookies, cheat with no-bake recipes, or just decorate store-bought ones, the key is keeping it simple and fun.
Remember: Christmas baking doesn’t have to be stressful or perfect. It just has to be sweet.
