50 Christmas Cookie Recipes to Fill Your Tins This Year

ByNancy Williams! Updated on

Does the thought of a cookie exchange make you want to hide under the Christmas tree? 🎄 Between the chaotic baking schedule and the fear of your beautiful creations turning into crumbs in the post, the holidays can feel overwhelming. We all want that Pinterest-perfect tin, but finding recipes that are both stunning and durable is a challenge.

I have curated the ultimate list of Christmas cookie recipes designed specifically to save your sanity. Whether you are looking for easy Christmas cookies for a crowd or sturdy cookies for mailing to loved ones far away, this list is your new holiday bible. These treats are tested for durability, flavor, and that magical “wow” factor. ✨

Get ready to become the MVP of your cookie swap! 🍪 With these holiday cookies for shipping, you can pack your tins with confidence, knowing they will arrive tasting fresh and looking gorgeous. Let’s get baking!

🎄 My Top 3 Favorites

  • Best for Kids: Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Men (Sturdy and fun to decorate!)
  • Best for High Volume: Classic Spritz Cookies (Press out dozens in minutes!)
  • Most Aesthetic: Classic Raspberry Linzer Cookies (A total showstopper in any tin.)

50 Christmas Cookie Ideas You’ll Love

1. Classic Raspberry Linzer Cookies ❄️

The ultimate Pinterest-aesthetic cookie! These sandwich cookies feature a jewel-toned jam center peeking through powdered sugar—a visual anchor for any cookie tin.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Aesthetic/Centerpiece
  • Time: Prep: 45m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-1: Top-down close-up of a dusted Linzer cookie with bright red raspberry jam contrasting against white sugar.

🛒 Buy This: Linzer Cookie Cutter Set – You cannot make this specific cookie without the “window” cutout tool; a set allows for interchangeable center shapes like hearts or stars.

2. Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Men ❄️

A non-negotiable for Christmas, this recipe focuses on a sturdy snap rather than a soft bend. These are excellent Christmas cookies to mail across the country without breaking.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Kids/Tradition/Shipping
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-2: A row of gingerbread men holding hands, decorated with simple white piping.

🛒 Buy This: Wilton Comfort Grip Gingerbread Man Cutter – Standard metal cutters hurt your hands after the 20th cookie; a comfort grip is essential for large-batch baking.

3. Hershey’s Peanut Butter Blossoms ❄️

A high-volume favorite in the USA, featuring soft peanut butter cookies crowned with a chocolate kiss. Warning: These are best cookies for cookie exchange locally, as the tip can melt in warm mail trucks.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Crowd-Pleaser/Kids
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-3: 45-degree angle shot showing the texture of the sugar coating and the height of the chocolate kiss.

🛒 Buy This: Small Cookie Scoop (1 tablespoon size) – Uniformity is key for these cookies to ensure the Kiss sits perfectly in the center; a scoop guarantees identical sizes.

4. Italian Ricotta Cookies ❄️

Cake-like, soft, and glazed with sprinkles, these add a necessary soft texture to a tin usually filled with crunch. They are truly divine with a cup of coffee.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Soft Cookie Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-4: A pile of glazed cookies with festive red and green nonpareils sprinkles.

🛒 Buy This: Stackable Cooling Racks – These cookies require significant cooling time before glazing; stackable racks save counter space during a baking marathon.

5. Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti ❄️

The champion of holiday cookies for shipping! These are twice-baked, hard, and shelf-stable for weeks, with red cranberry and green pistachio making them naturally festive.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Mailing/Coffee Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 45m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-5: Biscotti leaning against a mug of hot cocoa, showing the cross-section of nuts and fruit.

🛒 Buy This: Serrated Bread Knife – Cutting biscotti without crumbling requires a high-quality serrated knife; a standard chef’s knife will crush the loaf.

🎅 Quick Question!

Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Morning? Tell me in the comments!

6. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ❄️

Fudgy, brownie-like interiors with a crackled powdered sugar exterior provide a dark contrast visually against lighter sugar cookies. A must-have for chocolate lovers.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Chocolate Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-6: Extreme close-up of the “cracks” revealing the dark chocolate fudge beneath the white sugar.

🛒 Buy This: Valrhona 100% Pure Cocoa Powder – Since cocoa is the main flavor driver here, premium Dutch-processed cocoa ensures a rich, dark color and superior taste.

7. Classic Spritz Cookies ❄️

The highest output-per-hour cookie allows you to press out dozens in minutes! These are arguably the best cookies for cookie exchange parties where volume matters.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: High Volume/Exchanges
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 8m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-7: A variety of Spritz shapes (trees, wreaths, flowers) decorated with tiny silver dragees.

🛒 Buy This: OXO Good Grips Cookie Press – Cheap presses break under stiff dough. This press is the industry standard for reliability and ease of use.

8. Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies) ❄️

Buttery, nutty spheres rolled in powdered sugar are sturdy, stack well, and fill in the “gaps” in a cookie tin perfectly.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Fillers/Nut Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-8: A pyramid stack of white snowball cookies on a rustic wooden board.

🛒 Buy This: Stainless Steel Powdered Sugar Shaker/Duster – Rolling them is messy; a shaker allows you to give them a final “snow” dusting once they are in the box for presentation.

9. Candy Cane Meringue Kisses ❄️

Naturally gluten-free and virtually weightless, these are excellent “packing material” for shipping heavy cookies. They add color and stability to the box.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Gluten-Free/Shipping Filler
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 60m+
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-9: Swirled red and white meringues looking like soft serve ice cream tops.

🛒 Buy This: Wilton 1M Open Star Piping Tip – To get the signature swirls shown in the photo, this specific large star tip is required.

10. Salted Caramel Thumbprints ❄️

A modern twist on the jam thumbprint featuring shortbread dough filled with thick caramel. The flake of sea salt makes them feel gourmet and indulgent.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Gourmet/Indulgent
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-10: Side angle showing the pool of caramel glistening with a flake of Maldon salt on top.

🛒 Buy This: Maldon Sea Salt Flakes – You cannot use table salt for finishing; the large, pyramid-shaped flakes are essential for texture.

11. Stained Glass Cookies ❄️

Sugar cookies with crushed hard candies baked into cutouts, creating a translucent, edible window. They are beautiful when hung on trees or backlit.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Decor/Kids
  • Time: Prep: 40m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-11: Cookie held up to a Christmas tree light, showing the light shining through the red and green candy center.

🛒 Buy This: Jolly Ranchers (Bulk Bag) – These melt the most consistently and offer the vibrant, clear colors needed for the “glass” effect.

12. Peppermint Mocha Cookies ❄️

Coffee-infused chocolate cookies dipped in white chocolate and crushed candy canes. These taste exactly like the famous coffee shop drink and are totally addictive.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Coffee Lovers/Trends
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-12: Cookie broken in half to show the dark chocolate interior, sitting next to a candy cane.

🛒 Buy This: Espresso Powder for Baking – Instant coffee doesn’t dissolve well in cookie dough; baking espresso powder intensifies chocolate flavor without adding liquid.

13. White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies ❄️

A chewy, texture-rich cookie that mimics the colors of Christmas without using food dye. They are hearty and perfect for a rustic box.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Rustic/Chewy Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-13: Stack of rugged oatmeal cookies showing chunks of fruit and chocolate.

🛒 Buy This: Silicone Baking Mats (Silpat) – Oatmeal cookies are prone to sticking and spreading unevenly; silicone mats prevent burnt bottoms.

14. Scottish Shortbread ❄️

A 3-ingredient classic that has no leavening agents, meaning it ships incredibly well and improves with age. The flavor deepens over time!

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Shipping/Purists
  • Time: Prep: 10m | Cook: 25m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-14: Rectangular shortbread “fingers” with fork tine marks, dusted with sugar.

🛒 Buy This: Square 8×8 Baking Pan with Sharp Corners – Traditional shortbread is baked in a block and cut; a pan with sharp corners gives the professional “finger” shape.

15. Rugelach ❄️

A Jewish holiday classic often included in Christmas tins, featuring cream cheese dough rolled with apricot or chocolate filling. They appeal to sophisticated palates.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Sophisticated Palates
  • Time: Prep: 45m | Cook: 20m
  • Difficulty: Hard

Image-15: Crescent-rolled pastries dusted with cinnamon sugar, arranged on a platter.

🛒 Buy This: French Rolling Pin (Tapered) – Rugelach dough is delicate; a tapered pin allows for better control when rolling the circle out thin enough to shape.

16. Magic Cookie Bars (7-Layer Bars) ❄️

Technically a bar, but essential for tins because they are dense and impossible to break in the mail. They are a lifesaver for shipping boxes.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Easy/Shipping
  • Time: Prep: 10m | Cook: 30m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-16: Square cut bar showing all the visible layers of coconut, chocolate, and nuts.

🛒 Buy This: Parchment Paper Sheets (Pre-Cut) – These bars are incredibly sticky; pre-cut sheets save time and frustration during cleanup.

17. Hot Cocoa Cookies ❄️

A viral trend featuring chocolate cookies topped with a marshmallow that gets toasted and melty. Kids go crazy for these!

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Trends/Kids
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-17: Close up of the gooey marshmallow pull on top of the cookie.

🛒 Buy This: Mallow Bits (Dehydrated Marshmallows) – Fresh marshmallows can get messy in a tin; Mallow Bits give the look and flavor but stay firm and dry for packaging.

18. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies ❄️

The red version of the chocolate crinkle provides a shocking pop of color in a box of mostly brown cookies. They look stunning on a white plate.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Visual Pop
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-18: Bright red cookies contrasting against a white plate.

🛒 Buy This: Gel Food Coloring (Super Red) – Liquid dye waters down the dough; concentrated gel is required to get that deep, vibrant Christmas red.

19. Cornflake Wreaths ❄️

A retro no-bake classic! Cornflakes are coated in green-dyed melted marshmallow/butter and shaped into wreaths. They are nostalgic and fun.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: No-Bake/Kids/Retro
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-19: Green wreaths with red cinnamon candy “berries” on a white background.

🛒 Buy This: Cinnamon Imperial Candies (Red Hots) – These specific hard candies are the traditional “berries” and can be hard to find in stores.

20. Empire Biscuits ❄️

Popular in the UK and Canada, these two shortbread biscuits are sandwiched with raspberry jam and topped with white icing. Perfect for tea time.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: UK Audience/Tea Time
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-20: Top-down shot emphasizing the bright red cherry in the center of the white icing.

🛒 Buy This: Glacé Cherries – A specific type of candied cherry is needed for the traditional look that doesn’t bleed into the icing.

21. Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods ❄️

The ultimate “gap filler” for shipping! They are tall, sturdy, and provide that perfect sweet and salty crunch.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Budget/Bulk/Filler
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-21: A bouquet of pretzel rods standing in a jar, covered in white chocolate and festive sprinkles.

🛒 Buy This: Tall Cellophane Treat Bags – These are difficult to pack in a tin; wrapping them individually in tall bags makes them great party favors.

22. Buckeyes (Peanut Butter Balls) ❄️

An Ohio tradition that went national! These peanut butter fudge balls are partially dipped in chocolate and require no baking.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: No-Bake/Peanut Butter
  • Time: Prep: 45m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-22: A tray of Buckeyes showing the exposed peanut butter “eye” at the top.

🛒 Buy This: Dipping Tool Set – Using a fork often pierces the ball; a dipping loop tool allows for a smooth chocolate coating.

23. Eggnog Cookies ❄️

Soft, cakey cookies infused with nutmeg and rum extract, topped with a spiced eggnog glaze. They capture the seasonal flavor perfectly.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Seasonal Flavor
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-23: Pale cookie with a creamy glaze and a dusting of fresh nutmeg on top.

🛒 Buy This: Whole Nutmeg + Grater – Pre-ground nutmeg loses flavor fast. Freshly grated nutmeg is the secret to authentic eggnog taste.

24. Soft Molasses Spice Cookies ❄️

Deeply spiced, chewy, and coated in sugar, these stay soft for days. They are a safe bet for shipping if sealed well!

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Shelf Life/Spice
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-24: Dark brown, crackled cookie with visible sugar crystals.

🛒 Buy This: Grandma’s Molasses (Original) – The specific moisture content of this brand ensures the cookies stay chewy rather than turning hard.

25. Checkerboard Cookies ❄️

Vanilla and chocolate dough stacked and sliced to create a pattern. High technical skill, but visually they are very impressive.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: “Show Off” Baking
  • Time: Prep: 60m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Hard

Image-25: Sharp, geometric square cookies showing the black and white pattern.

🛒 Buy This: Bench Scraper / Dough Chopper – Essential for straightening the edges of the dough logs to ensure the checkerboard pattern is square, not wobbly.

26. Pecan Sandies ❄️

Buttery, crumbly shortbread loaded with toasted pecans. A classic “dad favorite” that pairs perfectly with milk.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Nut Lovers/Seniors
  • Time: Prep: 10m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-26: Simple round cookies dusted with powdered sugar, with a glass of milk.

🛒 Buy This: Food Processor – To get the pecans finely ground enough to distribute flavor without making the dough fall apart, a processor is better than chopping by hand.

27. Pistachio Pudding Cookies ❄️

Uses instant pistachio pudding mix to create a soft cookie with a distinct green color. They are effortless to make!

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Easy/Color
  • Time: Prep: 10m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-27: Pastel green cookies with white chocolate chips.

🛒 Buy This: Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix – This is the core ingredient that provides the binding, flavor, and color in one step.

28. German Lebkuchen ❄️

Similar to gingerbread but softer, nuttier, and glazed. A staple of European Christmas markets and great for tradition.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: International/Tradition
  • Time: Prep: 40m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Hard

Image-28: Dark, glazed cookies sometimes decorated with three almond halves.

🛒 Buy This: Oblaten (Baking Wafers) – Authentic Lebkuchen is baked on top of these thin edible wafers to prevent sticking and keep the shape.

29. Turtle Cookies ❄️

Chocolate dough rolled in pecans, thumb-printed, and filled with caramel. These are decadent and incredibly rich.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Indulgent
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-29: Close up of the caramel center oozing slightly.

🛒 Buy This: Squeeze Bottle for Caramel – Spooning caramel is messy; a squeeze bottle allows you to fill the thumbprints neatly and quickly.

30. Oreo Truffles ❄️

Crushed Oreos and cream cheese dipped in chocolate. Another “filler” item that looks like a fancy bonbon but costs pennies to make.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: No-Bake/Budget
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-30: White chocolate coated balls with crushed Oreo dust sprinkled on top.

🛒 Buy This: Candy Melts (Bright White) – Standard white chocolate chips often seize when melting; Candy Melts are formulated to be fluid and smooth for dipping.

31. Lemon Curd Cookies ❄️

A citrusy break from all the chocolate and spice! Buttery shortbread with a tart lemon center creates a refreshing flavor contrast.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Flavor Contrast
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-31: Bright yellow centers dusted with white sugar.

🛒 Buy This: Microplane Zester – You need fresh lemon zest in the dough to mirror the curd flavor; a microplane gets the zest without the bitter pith.

32. Cowboy Cookies ❄️

The “Kitchen Sink” cookie featuring oats, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and cornflakes. They are hearty and filling for hungry travelers.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Hunger/Travel
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-32: Large, thick cookies with visible chunks of all ingredients.

🛒 Buy This: Large Cookie Scoop (3 Tbsp) – These are meant to be bakery-style giants. A large scoop handles the chunky dough better than spoons.

33. Millionaire’s Shortbread ❄️

A three-layer bar with a shortbread base, caramel center, and chocolate top. They are very rich and popular in the UK.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: UK Favorites/Richness
  • Time: Prep: 40m | Cook: 50m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-33: Cut square showing distinct distinct layers of biscuit, golden caramel, and chocolate snap.

🛒 Buy This: Digital Candy Thermometer – The caramel layer must reach the soft-ball stage to set correctly; guessing results in runny bars.

34. Speculoos (Windmill Cookies) ❄️

Thin, crunchy, spiced cookies originating from the Netherlands/Belgium. The flavor of “Biscoff” is perfect for dipping.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Dipping/Texture
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-34: Intricate windmill or St. Nicholas shapes.

🛒 Buy This: Wooden Speculoos Mold – To get the authentic traditional relief designs, a wooden mold dusted with flour is the traditional and best method.

35. Chocolate Peppermint Bark ❄️

Not a cookie, but essential for tins! Layers of dark and white chocolate with crushed candy canes act as a colorful filler.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Filler/Visual
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-35: Shards of bark stacked up, showing the two-tone chocolate.

🛒 Buy This: Offset Spatula – Essential for spreading the chocolate layers thinly and evenly over the parchment paper.

36. Melting Moments ❄️

An Australian/UK favorite featuring very pale, tender butter cookies sandwiched with lemon buttercream. They literally melt in the mouth.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Texture
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-36: Pale sandwich cookies with fork marks on top.

🛒 Buy This: Cornstarch (Cornflour) Bulk – High ratios of cornstarch are the secret ingredient that gives these cookies their unique “melting” texture.

37. Kolaczki ❄️

Polish cream cheese dough folded over fruit jam (usually apricot or raspberry). A lovely nod to heritage baking.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Heritage/Fruit
  • Time: Prep: 45m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-37: Diamond-shaped pastries with jam centers.

🛒 Buy This: Pizza Cutter / Pastry Wheel – The dough must be cut into perfect squares to fold correctly; a wheel makes this fast and precise.

38. Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies ❄️

A hybrid of the gingerbread man flavor with the soft texture of a crinkle cookie. Great for those who hate hard gingerbread but love the spice.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Flavor Hybrid
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-38: Brown crinkled cookies that look softer than traditional gingerbread.

🛒 Buy This: Crystallized Ginger – Chopping this up and adding it to the batter gives a spicy, chewy “zing” that powder cannot achieve.

39. English Toffee Bars ❄️

A cookie base topped with chocolate and walnuts/pecans. It tastes just like a Heath bar and offers a great crunch.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Crunch/Toffee
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 25m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-39: Bar broken in half to show the cookie base and chocolate topping.

🛒 Buy This: Chopped Walnuts (Bulk) – Buying pre-chopped nuts saves significant time when making large traybakes like this.

40. Classic Sugar Cookie Cutouts ❄️

The canvas for creativity! This simple vanilla dough holds its shape perfectly when baked, making it ideal for decorating parties.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Decorating Parties
  • Time: Prep: 60m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-40: Various shapes (stars, bells) completely covered in smooth royal icing.

🛒 Buy This: Meringue Powder – Essential for making Royal Icing that dries hard and shiny (and safe to eat) without using raw egg whites.

41. Rum Balls ❄️

A no-bake “adults only” treat using crushed vanilla wafers, cocoa, nuts, and dark rum. Perfect for parties.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Adults/Parties
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-41: Dark balls rolled in coarse sugar or cocoa powder.

🛒 Buy This: Vanilla Wafers – The base of this recipe requires a specific dry, sweet cookie crumb that Nilla Wafers provide perfectly.

42. French Macarons (Red & Green) ❄️

High-difficulty, high-reward almond flour meringue sandwiches. They elevate the perceived value of any cookie tin instantly.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Experts/Impressing
  • Time: Prep: 60m | Cook: 15m
  • Difficulty: Hard

Image-42: Perfect red and green macarons standing on their sides showing their “feet.”

🛒 Buy This: Digital Kitchen Scale – Macarons cannot be made with cup measurements. Precision to the gram is required for success.

43. Haystacks ❄️

Chow mein noodles coated in butterscotch and peanut butter. Sounds weird, tastes addictive! A crunchy, salty-sweet filler.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Texture/Budget
  • Time: Prep: 15m | Cook: 0m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-43: messy piles of golden-coated noodles.

🛒 Buy This: Butterscotch Chips – The primary flavor driver; difficult to substitute with caramel.

44. Dark Chocolate Dipped Madeleines ❄️

Soft, sponge-like cakes shaped like shells. Dipping them in chocolate makes them elegant and helps seal in moisture.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Elegant/Soft
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-44: Shell-shaped cakes half-dipped in dark chocolate.

🛒 Buy This: Madeleine Pan – You literally cannot make this cookie without the specific shell-mold pan.

45. Slice-and-Bake Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies ❄️

Dough logs you make now, freeze, and slice later. These are perfect for “emergency” fresh cookies when guests drop by.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Prep-Ahead/Freezer
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-45: Perfect round slices with visible nuts and fruit.

🛒 Buy This: Plastic Wrap (Industrial Size) – These logs must be wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn; high-cling wrap is essential.

46. Florentines ❄️

Thin, lace-like cookies made from nuts and candied fruit held together with honey/caramel. They are delicate and all about texture.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Texture/Delicate
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 10m
  • Difficulty: Hard

Image-46: Very thin, lacy cookies with light shining through the nut gaps.

🛒 Buy This: Sliced Almonds (Blanched) – Whole almonds won’t work; you need thin, blanched slices to create the delicate lace structure.

47. Peppermint Meltaways ❄️

Similar to wedding cookies but flavored with peppermint and dusted with crushed candy canes. They offer a lovely melting texture.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Melting Texture
  • Time: Prep: 20m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-47: White dusted cookies with pink specks of candy cane.

🛒 Buy This: Peppermint Extract – Mint extract can taste like toothpaste; Peppermint extract is sweeter and specifically festive.

48. Whoopie Pies (Red Velvet or Gingerbread) ❄️

Two soft cake-cookies sandwiched with marshmallow creme filling. These are large, impressive, and perfect for cake lovers.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Cake Lovers
  • Time: Prep: 30m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-48: Side view of the sandwich showing the thick white filling layer.

🛒 Buy This: Whoopie Pie Pan – While you can scoop them, a shallow-well pan ensures perfectly round, flat cakes for stacking.

49. Cinnamon Roll Cookies ❄️

Sugar cookie dough rolled with cinnamon sugar filling, sliced and baked to look like mini cinnamon buns. Ideal for brunch.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Breakfast/Brunch
  • Time: Prep: 40m | Cook: 12m
  • Difficulty: Med

Image-49: Swirled cookies with a light glaze drizzle.

🛒 Buy This: Cinnamon (Saigon/Vietnamese) – For a recipe where cinnamon is the main star, Saigon cinnamon offers a much stronger, sweeter kick than generic brands.

50. The Ultimate “Cookie Care Package” Strategy ❄️

Not a recipe, but the method for packing the tin. Put heavy cookies on the bottom, fillers in the gaps, and use parchment between layers for the best presentation.

✨ Why It Works:

  • Best For: Execution
  • Time: Prep: 20m
  • Difficulty: Easy

Image-50: A beautiful, open cookie tin showing 5-6 varieties separated by cupcake liners or parchment.

🛒 Buy This: Holiday Cookie Tins (Nesting Set) – The vessel is just as important as the cookie. A nesting set allows you to create different sized gifts for neighbors vs. family.

***

And there you have it! 50 incredible ideas to make your holiday baking easier and your cookie exchanges more delicious. 🎅 Whether you are wondering how to package cookies for shipping without breaking or just need a sturdy cookie for mailing, this list has you covered.

Can I freeze Christmas cookies with icing? Generally, yes—just be sure to let them thaw on the counter, not in the container, to avoid condensation! Happy Baking, friends! xo

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