146 christmas cookie recipes

Instead of letting the Gingerbread Man run away, these scrumptious cookies will make your kids run to the kitchen!

Traditionally baked during 'Sinterklaas', a feast on 5 December (6 December in Belgium and Germany) on which little children receive gifts from the holy St. Nicholas, the partial inspiration for Santa Claus. In Germany, Pfeffernüsse are traditionally made during the Christmas season.

Festive slice-and-bake sugar cookies studded with colorful gumdrop pieces that create a translucent "stained glass" effect when held to light—perfect for holiday treats or kids favorite Christmas cookies.

Almond crescent cookies, a classic holiday shortbread shaped into delicate crescents with chopped almonds, vanilla, and almond extract, rolled in powdered sugar after baking. Buttery, tender, slightly sandy.

Ginger bread is one of the classic and traditional cookies people make for Christmas. The rich flavor from brown sugar and molasses is so good and the spices make the uniquely delicious taste.

Chocolate cream rum balls made from melted semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, dark rum, and icing sugar, then rolled in chocolate vermicelli, coconut, or cocoa. Five-ingredient no-bake holiday treat.

Chewy spice cookies are low-fat molasses cookies sweetened with applesauce, scented with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, then drizzled with lemon icing. Holiday spice cookies without butter or eggs.

Rich flavor from brown sugar and molasses, these gingersnaps are so buttery and flakey. Ginger, cinnamon and cloves spice them up, giving the cookies delicious flavor. Use them to make crust for pie or cheesecake, or just eating these yummy treats is a joy thing to do.

Just like Santa, I have big orders to fill when it comes to the holidays. Everyone wants me to make them some.

These rich cookies are delightfully crisp, buttery and nutty, with just the right amount of sweetness from the filling and the sugar dusting.

German gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen-style) with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and dark molasses. A classic Christmas cookie that bakes drop-style or chills overnight for cookie-cutter shapes.

Lemon snowflake cookies with a tender lemon-zest dough rolled thin, cut with fluted cutters, and decorated with lemon royal icing piped into snowflake patterns. A beautiful holiday cookie.

An Eastern European pastry with a rich history and cultural significance. They are traditionally made from a simple dough consisting of cream cheese, butter, and flour, and filled with sweet fillings like jam, nuts, or cheese.

Buttery crescent cookies with ground nuts, chilled overnight, then shaped into half moons and rolled hot in powdered sugar. A traditional Christmas cookie with crumbly shortbread texture.

What an excellent cookie! Not too sweet with just the right amount of spices...

Date-pecan pinwheel cookies, delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.