Christmas cookie recipes are the heart of holiday baking, and these 21 easy Christmas cookie recipes make it simple to fill a cookie plate, a cookie exchange or a gift tin. They run from gingerbread and sugar cookies to red velvet, chocolate thumbprints and almond cookies, and many have vegan or gluten-free options. Every one comes from the Dessertlush archive and links to the full recipe with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
Times and servings for these Christmas cookie recipes come from each recipe card. Some are ready in 25 to 30 minutes, a few need time to chill, and the batches run from 12 cookies to 40, so you can pick the right Christmas cookie recipes for a small plate or a big holiday cookie swap.
Which Christmas Cookie Recipe Should You Make?
Use this quick guide to choose among the Christmas cookie recipes below by speed, batch size or diet.
- Fastest: Vegan Ginger Cookies take 25 minutes in total, Delish Soft Red Velvet Cookies take 26, and Vegan Hazelnut Cookies, Vegan Almond Cookies and Iced Almond Flour Orange Cookies take 27 each.
- Biggest batches: Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies make 40, Christmas Pinwheel Cookies and Chocolate Blossom Cookies make 36, and most of the rest make 24.
- Vegan: Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Vegan Ginger Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy!), Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies, Vegan Hazelnut Cookies and Vegan Almond Cookies.
- Gluten-free or almond flour: Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Gluten Free Sugar Cookies, Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option), Vegan Almond Cookies and Iced Almond Flour Orange Cookies.
- Gingerbread flavor: Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Gingerbread Latte Cookies, CRUMBL gingerebread cookies and Vegan Ginger Cookies.
- Red velvet: Delish Soft Red Velvet Cookies, Delish Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, Delish Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies and Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies.
- Needs the most chilling: Christmas Pinwheel Cookies takes 2 hr 50 min, and Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies and Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option) take 2 hr 27 min.
Gingerbread and Spice Christmas Cookie Recipes
Molasses, ginger and cinnamon make the most classic Christmas cookie recipes, from vegan gingerbread to a gingerbread latte cookie.
1. Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Vegan gingerbread cookies with molasses, brown sugar, a flax egg and warm spices. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the 90 minutes is resting time.
Get the recipe →2. Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Vegan and gluten-free gingerbread cookies with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, finished with an icing. 75 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →3. Gingerbread Latte Cookies
Gingerbread cookies with instant espresso powder and warm spices. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the hour is resting time.
Get the recipe →4. CRUMBL gingerebread cookies
A bakery-style gingerbread cookie with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. 20 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →5. Vegan Ginger Cookies
Vegan ginger cookies made with molasses, brown sugar and a flaxseed meal egg. 15 minutes of prep and 10 of baking.
Get the recipe →Sugar and Classic Holiday Christmas Cookie Recipes
Sugar cookies, pinwheels and crescents are the backbone of a cookie plate, and these include dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free options.
6. Easy Dairy-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies
Dairy-free Christmas sugar cookies made with a vegan butter alternative and a simple vanilla dough. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the 90 minutes is resting time.
Get the recipe →7. Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
Soft and chewy vegan sugar cookies with almond extract and cornstarch. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the hour is resting time.
Get the recipe →8. Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten-free sugar cookies made with a gluten-free flour blend, vanilla and almond extract. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the hour is resting time.
Get the recipe →9. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Red and white pinwheel cookies with peppermint extract, red gel food coloring and festive nonpareil sprinkles. 40 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; the rest of the 2 hr 50 min is chilling time.
Get the recipe →10. Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies
Vegan crescent cookies made with ground almonds or hazelnuts, cold vegan butter and a vanilla sugar coating. 20 minutes of prep and 12 of baking; makes 40.
Get the recipe →11. Baci di Dama Italian Cookies
Italian hazelnut cookies made with toasted hazelnuts and filled with dark chocolate. 45 minutes of prep and 15 of baking.
Get the recipe →Red Velvet and Chocolate Christmas Cookie Recipes
Red velvet and chocolate cookies add color and richness to your Christmas cookie recipes, from thumbprints to crinkles and blossoms.
12. Delish Soft Red Velvet Cookies
Soft red velvet cookies made from a cake mix, eggs and oil, rolled in powdered sugar. 15 minutes of prep and 11 of baking.
Get the recipe →13. Delish Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Red velvet cookies made with cocoa and chocolate chips. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking.
Get the recipe →14. Delish Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies made with cocoa and red food coloring. 25 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →15. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Red velvet crinkle cookies made with cocoa and red food coloring. 2 hr 15 min of prep, mostly chilling the dough, and 12 minutes of baking.
Get the recipe →16. Chocolate Blossom Cookies
Classic chocolate blossom cookies made with cocoa and rolled in granulated sugar before baking. 20 minutes of prep and 10 of baking; makes 36.
Get the recipe →17. Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate thumbprint cookies with a semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream filling. 20 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →Almond, Hazelnut and Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookie Recipes
Nutty, citrusy and make-ahead cookies round out these Christmas cookie recipes.
18. Vegan Hazelnut Cookies
Vegan hazelnut cookies with finely ground roasted hazelnuts and vegan dark chocolate. 15 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →19. Vegan Almond Cookies
Vegan almond cookies made with blanched almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil and sliced almonds. 15 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →20. Iced Almond Flour Orange Cookies
Almond flour cookies flavored with fresh orange zest and juice and topped with an orange glaze. 15 minutes of prep and 12 of baking.
Get the recipe →21. Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option)
Slice-and-bake cookies made with a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour, vanilla and almond extract, with a dairy-free option. 2 hr 15 min of prep, mostly chilling the dough, and 12 minutes of baking.
Get the recipe →Tips for Baking Christmas Cookies
Chill the dough ahead. Several of these recipes have long total times because of resting, including Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies and Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option), so make the dough a day early and bake on the day you need them.
Build a mixed cookie plate. Pick one cookie from each section, such as Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Easy Dairy-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies, Delish Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies and Baci di Dama Italian Cookies, for a plate that looks and tastes varied.
Bake for every diet. Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Gluten Free Sugar Cookies and Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option) are gluten-free, and Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Vegan Ginger Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy!) and Vegan Hazelnut Cookies are vegan, so the plate covers most guests.
If you want more ideas, see our 23 easy cookie recipes, the 21 easy dessert bar recipes, the 25 easy Christmas desserts and the 21 easy no-bake desserts.
Christmas Cookie Recipes FAQs
What is the fastest of these Christmas cookie recipes?
Vegan Ginger Cookies are the fastest of these Christmas cookie recipes at 25 minutes in total, followed by Delish Soft Red Velvet Cookies at 26 minutes.
Which Christmas cookie recipes make the most cookies?
Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies make 40, Christmas Pinwheel Cookies and Chocolate Blossom Cookies make 36, and most of the other Christmas cookie recipes here make 24.
Are there vegan Christmas cookie recipes here?
Yes: Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Vegan Ginger Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy!), Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies, Vegan Hazelnut Cookies and Vegan Almond Cookies.
Are there gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes here?
Yes: Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Gluten Free Sugar Cookies and Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option) are gluten-free, and Vegan Almond Cookies and Iced Almond Flour Orange Cookies use almond flour.
Which Christmas cookie recipes take the longest?
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies takes 2 hr 50 min in total, mostly for chilling. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies and Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free Option) take 2 hr 27 min each.
How many Christmas cookie recipes are on this list?
There are 21 Christmas cookie recipes here: 5 gingerbread and spice, 6 sugar and classic holiday, 6 red velvet and chocolate, and 4 almond, hazelnut and slice-and-bake.
Can I find more Christmas cookie recipes on Dessertlush?
Yes, the recipe archive has many more Christmas cookie recipes, so browse it for extra ideas.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Want to keep baking? Browse every cookie recipe, all the Christmas dessert recipes, or the full recipe archive for more Christmas cookie recipes.
