12 Most Popular Christmas Cookies in America to Bake

Most Popular Christmas Cookies in America: 12 Holiday Favorites to Bake

American Christmas cookie traditions draw from family recipes, immigrant baking customs, commercial cookbooks, and familiar supermarket ingredients. Some cookies are closely associated with December, such as gingerbread and spritz. Others, including chocolate chip cookies, appear throughout the year but remain fixtures on holiday trays.

Recent U.S. search interest gives especially strong seasonal support to peanut butter blossoms and spritz cookies. Their appeal is practical as well as nostalgic: both have recognizable shapes, use accessible ingredients, and look festive without elaborate decoration.

Essential Concepts

• For decorated cookies, choose cutout sugar cookies or gingerbread.
• For easy holiday baking, choose snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, or snowballs.
• Spritz, shortbread, and butter cookies freeze especially well.
• Jam thumbprints and peanut butter blossoms add color and shape to a cookie tray.
• Freeze undecorated cookies whenever possible, then finish them after thawing.
• Label peanut cookies clearly and keep them separate at exchanges.

Comparing 12 Popular Christmas Cookies

Cookie	Typical texture	Difficulty	Make-ahead suitability	Best use
Cutout sugar cookies	Tender or crisp, depending on thickness	Moderate	Excellent before decorating	Decorating parties and gift boxes
Peanut butter blossoms	Soft and chewy with a firm chocolate center	Easy	Very good	Cookie exchanges and mixed trays
Spritz cookies	Crisp, delicate, and buttery	Moderate	Excellent	Large platters and tins
Gingerbread cookies	Crisp or softly chewy	Moderate	Excellent	Decorated shapes and ornaments
Shortbread	Dense, crumbly, and buttery	Easy	Excellent	Shipping and make-ahead baking
Snickerdoodles	Soft-centered with crisp edges	Easy	Very good	Casual trays and family gatherings
Jam thumbprints	Tender with a sticky fruit center	Moderate	Good	Colorful platters
Butter cookies	Crisp and rich	Moderate	Excellent	Gift tins and chocolate-dipped assortments
Chocolate chip cookies	Chewy, soft, or crisp	Easy	Excellent	Familiar crowd-pleasing trays
Molasses spice cookies	Chewy and warmly spiced	Easy	Very good	Winter assortments
Chocolate crinkle cookies	Fudgy inside with a powdered exterior	Easy to moderate	Good	High-contrast holiday trays
Snowball cookies	Crumbly, nutty, and coated in sugar	Easy	Excellent	Gift boxes and exchanges

1. Cutout Sugar Cookies

Cutout sugar cookies are the standard choice for stars, trees, bells, snowflakes, and other decorated shapes. The dough usually contains butter, sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla or almond extract. Unlike soft drop-cookie dough, cutout dough must hold a clean edge during baking.

A reliable cutout cookie should spread very little. Chilling the dough before rolling firms the butter, while chilling the cut shapes for another 10 to 20 minutes can preserve fine details. Rolling the dough to about 1/4 inch, or 6 millimeters, produces a tender cookie suitable for icing. Thinner cookies become crisper and break more easily.

Royal icing dries hard enough for stacking and packaging. Buttercream remains soft, so decorated cookies require a single layer or protective spacing.

Freezing: Freeze undecorated baked cookies for up to two or three months for good quality. Layers of parchment reduce breakage. Unbaked dough can also be frozen as flattened discs.

Best for: Decorating parties, personalized gifts, and themed Christmas cookie platters.

2. Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter blossoms combine a soft peanut butter cookie with a chocolate candy pressed into the center. The granulated sugar coating produces a lightly crisp exterior, while the center remains chewy.

These cookies are easy to portion because they begin as rolled dough balls rather than cut shapes. The chocolate is usually added just after baking, while the cookie is still hot. Pressing it into place creates the characteristic cracks around the edges.

Peanut butter blossoms receive strong seasonal search interest in the United States, and their recurring presence on cookie trays is easy to explain. The shape is recognizable, the ingredient list is familiar, and the chocolate center provides contrast without separate icing.

Let the cookies cool completely before stacking. Warm chocolate can smear or transfer onto neighboring cookies.

Freezing: The dough balls freeze well without the sugar coating. Thaw briefly, roll in sugar, and bake. Finished cookies may also be frozen, though the chocolate can develop harmless pale streaks or spots after temperature changes.

Best for: Exchanges, school or office gatherings, and mixed trays. Label them for peanut allergies and avoid placing them against cookies presented as nut-free.

3. Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are made from a soft butter dough pushed through a cookie press. Interchangeable discs form wreaths, trees, flowers, and ridged rounds. The finished cookies are small, crisp, and delicate.

The dough needs a specific consistency. Dough that is too cold may not pass through the press; dough that is too warm may spread and lose definition. An ungreased, cool metal baking sheet gives the dough enough grip to detach from the press. Parchment and silicone mats sometimes prevent proper release.

Spritz cookies work well for high-volume baking because a press forms each cookie quickly once the dough consistency is correct. Small amounts of food coloring, sanding sugar, or melted chocolate can create several appearances from one batch.

Freezing: Baked spritz cookies freeze very well. Place them in rigid containers so their thin edges do not snap.

Best for: Cookie tins, large platters, exchanges, and households that prefer crisp cookies.

4. Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies get their dark color and deep flavor from molasses, with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, or allspice supplying the familiar holiday profile. Recipes vary considerably. Some produce firm cookies suited to construction and hanging ornaments; others produce softer cookies meant for eating.

The intended use should guide the recipe choice. Gingerbread-house dough often contains less leavening and may be baked longer for structural strength. A softer eating cookie generally contains more fat or moisture and should not be expected to support a roof.

Chilling controls stickiness and spreading. Roll the dough between sheets of parchment if it clings to the rolling pin. Fine details require cool dough and evenly rolled sheets.

Freezing: Freeze the dough in discs or freeze baked, undecorated cookies. Royal icing decorations can become fragile in a freezer, so decorating after thawing is usually more reliable.

Best for: Shaped cookies, edible ornaments, children’s decorating activities, and traditional displays.

5. Shortbread

Traditional shortbread relies on butter, flour, and sugar, sometimes with rice flour or cornstarch added for a more fragile crumb. It contains little or no leavening. The texture should be dense and tender rather than chewy.

Shortbread may be pressed into a pan and cut into fingers, shaped in a mold, or formed into rounds. Docking thick pieces with a fork lets steam escape and limits bubbling. Low to moderate oven heat helps the cookies bake through without deep browning.

Because shortbread contains relatively little moisture, it stores and ships better than soft cookies with perishable fillings. Chocolate, citrus zest, chopped nuts, or dried fruit may be added, although heavy additions can interfere with the classic crumb.

Freezing: Both dough and baked shortbread freeze well. Thaw baked pieces in their closed container to limit condensation on the surface.

Best for: Shipping, early holiday preparation, tea trays, and simple gift tins.

6. Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are soft or chewy sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. Cream of tartar, commonly paired with baking soda, gives traditional versions a mild tang and contributes to their cracked surface.

They require no special equipment, filling, or decoration. A cookie scoop keeps the portions even, and a generous cinnamon coating provides enough visual interest for a holiday assortment.

Baking time strongly affects texture. Cookies removed when the centers still look slightly soft will continue to set on the hot pan. Longer baking creates a crisper result.

Freezing: Freeze portioned dough balls before coating them. Apply cinnamon sugar shortly before baking. Baked cookies also freeze well.

Best for: Beginners, family gatherings, and trays that need a soft, spice-scented cookie.

7. Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprints begin with small balls of tender dough indented and filled with jam or preserves. Raspberry and apricot are common because their colors stand out, but cherry, blackberry, and lemon curd also appear in holiday assortments.

The indentation can be made with a thumb, the rounded end of a wooden spoon, or a small measuring spoon. Press gently. Deep or sharply formed wells may split the dough. If cracks appear, press the edges back together before adding the filling.

Some recipes add jam before baking; others fill the cookies after baking. Jam baked with the cookie becomes thicker and slightly chewy. Jam added later retains a fresher flavor but may remain sticky during storage.

Freezing: Unfilled baked shells freeze better than fully assembled cookies. Jam-filled versions can be frozen, but condensation may make the centers tacky.

Best for: Adding fruit flavor and jewel-like color to a Christmas cookie platter.

8. Butter Cookies

Butter cookies overlap with spritz and shortbread, but the categories are not identical. Butter-cookie dough often contains more sugar and egg than shortbread, giving it a crisper, lighter structure. It may be piped, sliced, rolled, or formed into rings.

Piped butter cookies require dough soft enough to pass through a sturdy pastry bag but firm enough to retain ridges. If the dough is too stiff, forcing it through the bag can split the seam. Slightly warming the dough at room temperature is safer than adding extra liquid, which can cause spreading.

Half-dipping the cooled cookies in melted chocolate creates a finished appearance without detailed decorating. Let the chocolate set fully before packing.

Freezing: Plain baked butter cookies freeze very well. Chocolate-dipped cookies can also be frozen, though the chocolate surface may lose some gloss.

Best for: Gift tins, coffee service, and assortments that need a crisp, rich cookie.

9. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are not limited to Christmas, but their familiarity makes them dependable holiday cookies. Seasonal versions may include red and green candies, toasted nuts, dried cranberries, white chocolate, or a small amount of warm spice.

A standard chocolate chip cookie offers useful contrast on a tray dominated by crisp butter cookies and decorated cutouts. Dough temperature determines much of the final shape. Chilled dough spreads less and often produces a thicker cookie; warmer dough usually spreads farther.

For gift boxes, medium-sized cookies are easier to pack than oversized bakery-style cookies. Avoid underbaking cookies intended for mailing because very soft centers may compress or break.

Freezing: Portioned chocolate chip dough freezes exceptionally well. Bake frozen portions with a modest increase in baking time rather than thawing them completely.

Best for: Mixed-age gatherings, informal exchanges, and trays intended for broad appeal.

10. Molasses Spice Cookies

Molasses spice cookies are usually softer and simpler than rolled gingerbread. The dough is formed into balls, coated in sugar, and baked until the tops crack.

Molasses retains moisture, so these cookies often stay chewy longer than plain sugar cookies. Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves provide the familiar flavor, while dark or blackstrap molasses produces a stronger and sometimes bitter profile. Standard unsulphured molasses is the safer choice for a balanced cookie unless a recipe specifies otherwise.

Freezing: Freeze baked cookies or uncoated dough balls. Sugar coating applied before freezing may dissolve into the dough.

Best for: Winter trays, make-ahead baking, and people who prefer soft ginger cookies over decorated gingerbread.

11. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies have dark, brownie-like centers and a powdered sugar coating that separates into irregular white patches during baking. Their appearance depends on contrast, so a generous coating matters.

Many recipes require chilled dough because the mixture is too soft to roll immediately. Coat each ball first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar if the confectioners’ sugar tends to dissolve. The first layer creates a barrier against moisture.

These cookies can become dry if baked until the centers look completely firm. They generally finish setting as they cool.

Freezing: The dough can be frozen in portions, but apply the sugar coatings shortly before baking. Frozen baked cookies remain usable, although the white coating may become less distinct.

Best for: Chocolate-focused assortments and platters that need visual contrast.

12. Snowball Cookies

Snowball cookies are small, crumbly butter cookies containing finely chopped nuts and coated in powdered sugar. Related versions may be called Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, or pecan balls, though recipes and naming traditions differ.

Walnuts and pecans are common. Finely chopped nuts distribute more evenly and make the cookies less prone to cracking. The cookies are often rolled in sugar once while warm and again after cooling. The first coating adheres to the surface; the second restores the white finish.

Powdered sugar can scatter during packing, so snowballs are better placed in paper liners than directly beside dark or sticky cookies.

Freezing: Freeze the baked cookies before the final sugar coating. Thaw them, then roll them again in powdered sugar.

Best for: Exchanges, small gift boxes, and make-ahead assortments. Mark the container clearly because the nuts may not be visible.

Building a Balanced Christmas Cookie Platter

A useful Christmas cookie platter varies texture, shape, color, and flavor. Twelve different varieties are rarely necessary. Four to six well-chosen cookies can produce a balanced assortment without creating an excessive baking schedule.

A practical six-cookie platter might include:

• Cutout sugar cookies for decorated shapes
• Peanut butter blossoms for chocolate and chewiness
• Spritz cookies for crisp texture and small size
• Jam thumbprints for fruit flavor and color
• Molasses spice cookies for a soft, spiced option
• Shortbread for a plain, buttery counterpoint

Keep strongly flavored cookies, especially peppermint or heavily spiced gingerbread, away from mild butter cookies during long storage. Aromas migrate inside closed tins.

Use firm cookies on the bottom of a tray and fragile spritz or powdered cookies near the top. Sticky jam centers and unset chocolate should not touch neighboring cookies. Mini paper liners can separate snowballs, thumbprints, and dipped butter cookies.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Guidelines

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for longer storage, but the exact period depends on the ingredients and recipe. Follow recipe-specific directions when they are available.

For efficient holiday baking:

1. Mix sturdy doughs first, including sugar-cookie, gingerbread, and shortbread dough.
2. Freeze dough in labeled discs or individual portions.
3. Bake plain cookies before decorated or filled varieties.
4. Cool every cookie completely before packing or freezing.
5. Add icing, jam, powdered sugar, or chocolate finishes after thawing when practical.

Use airtight freezer containers rather than thin bags for fragile cookies. Separate layers with parchment or wax paper. Write the cookie name, preparation date, baking temperature, and any allergy information on the label.

Frozen cookies should thaw inside the closed container. Keeping the lid closed while the cookies warm reduces condensation on the cookie surfaces.

Raw flour and raw eggs can carry harmful microorganisms. Do not eat unbaked cookie dough unless it is made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized egg products under a recipe intended for raw consumption. Wash bowls, utensils, and work surfaces after handling raw dough.

Choosing Cookies for Exchanges and Shipping

Cookie exchanges favor recipes that are easy to portion, stable at room temperature, and recognizable without explanation. Peanut butter blossoms, spritz cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, and snowballs meet those needs, though nut-containing cookies require clear labels.

Shipping demands firmer choices. Shortbread, sturdy sugar cookies, gingerbread, and crisp butter cookies generally tolerate movement better than jam-filled or very soft cookies. Pack cookies in snug rows with parchment between layers. Place the tin or rigid container inside a shipping box with cushioning around every side.

Avoid mailing cookies with soft frosting, loose fillings, or decorations that depend on refrigeration. Delivery time, climate, and carrier handling can affect even well-packed baked goods.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many kinds of cookies should go on a Christmas cookie platter?

Four to six kinds are enough for most home gatherings. Select different textures and shapes rather than making several similar butter cookies. Two or three pieces per person may be adequate when other desserts are served; larger gatherings or cookie-focused events may require more.

Which Christmas cookies stay fresh the longest?

Shortbread, spritz cookies, firm gingerbread, and crisp butter cookies generally retain good quality longer than soft or filled cookies. Airtight storage limits moisture exchange, but local humidity and recipe composition affect the exact storage period.

Which holiday cookies are easiest for beginners?

Snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, molasses spice cookies, and snowballs require little shaping or decoration. A cookie scoop, accurate measurements, and fully preheated oven address many common problems.

Can several types of cookies be stored in one container?

Cookies with similar textures can share a container. Separate crisp cookies from soft ones because moisture from soft cookies can make crisp cookies lose their snap. Strongly spiced, peppermint-flavored, and peanut butter cookies may also transfer aromas.

Why do spritz cookies refuse to stick to the baking sheet?

The pan may be warm, greased, or lined with a nonstick surface. Use a cool, ungreased metal baking sheet. Dough consistency also matters: very cold dough may not release from the press, while warm dough may smear.

Why do cutout sugar cookies lose their shape?

Warm dough, excess leavening, over-creamed butter, or a hot baking sheet can cause spreading. Chill the dough and cut shapes, use a cooled pan, and measure flour according to the recipe’s method.

Can Christmas cookies be frozen after decorating?

Some can, but plain cookies usually freeze more predictably. Royal icing may survive freezing if fully dry, while buttercream, powdered sugar, and glossy chocolate can change appearance. Freeze a single sample before committing an entire decorated batch.

A Practical Holiday Baking Plan

Choose cookies according to the time, equipment, and storage space available. A pressed spritz cookie saves decorating time but requires a working cookie press. Cutout sugar cookies permit elaborate designs but need rolling, chilling, and drying time. Shortbread requires little decoration and can be baked weeks before the gathering, provided it is frozen or stored according to the recipe.

For a manageable assortment, combine one decorated cookie, one soft drop cookie, one crisp butter cookie, and one filled or chocolate-centered cookie. That structure creates contrast without turning holiday baking into an extended production schedule. Accurate measuring, cool baking sheets, complete cooling, and sensible storage matter more than the number of varieties on the tray.