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I’m sharing my very best Christmas cookies to bake this season! This list is big, cozy, and filled with my family’s favorite Christmas cookies—plus cookie bars and a few festive homemade candies, too. Below are the classics we all know and love: my fat Santa cookies, Christmas monster cookies, updated favorites, extra-festive frosted gingerbread cookies, and those salty–sweet chocolate pretzels everyone goes crazy for. It’s holiday-cookie central! These recipes are perfect for cookie boxes, gifting, sharing with family and friends, or enjoying warm with a cold glass of milk or a mug of cocoa.
We’re less than two weeks out from Christmas, and the holiday parties, last-minute shopping, and cozy traditions are in full swing. If you can’t tell, I’m excited! And I have zero shame in bringing allll the cheesy, festive holiday energy everywhere I go.
I am that girl spreading Christmas Cheer… and sharing the BEST Christmas cookie recipes too.
It truly makes me so happy!
After more than ten years of creating holiday cookie boxes, I’ve shared countless cookie recipes. At this point, I feel like a cookie-box specialist—and I’m still SO excited to keep creating magical boxes you can find inspiration through.
I’ll be sharing my 2025 cookie box next week, so today I’m rounding up some of our tried-and-true Christmas favorites. The list is big, sweet, nostalgic, and honestly just so cute.
Enjoy! And please let me know what cookies you’re baking this holiday season!
All the Christmas Cookies!
Christmas Monster Cookies
Festive, easy, and sweet…these cookies are perfect for packing up and gifting for the holidays!
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Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies
Flip each gingerbread man upside down to create the sweetest reindeer that are even more delicious to eat!
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Chocolate Pretzel Toffee
Each piece has a salty chocolate bite with just the right amount of crunch – perfect for eating and gifting!
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Jolly Santa Cookies
Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
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The Santa Clause Cookies.
Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
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Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
A cross between a really great soft, chewy gingerbread cookie and a delicious steaming gingerbread latte!
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Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
These taste like your favorite mug of creamy vanilla hot chocolate…perfect to bake, share, and gift!
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Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Fun to bake, delicious to eat, amazingly flavorful…a festive add to your holiday cookie box!
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Salted Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Blondies
Start with melted butter and creamy peanut butter. Add some brown sugar and plenty of vanilla extract. Then add flour and a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips, stir everything up in one bowl (yes stir). Seriously so easy.
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Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles
For your holiday cookie baking. Crispy edges, soft and gooey centers…with just a little pretzelly crunch.
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Salted Pretzel Praline Cookies
Slightly crisp on the edges, soft and gooey in the center with a little salty pretzel crunch and sweet pralines!
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Chewy Christmas Snickerdoodles
Made with browned butter, holiday M&M's, pretzels, chocolate chips, and chunks of dark chocolate…so yummy!
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Vanilla Brown Sugar Eggnog Cookies
The perfect Christmas sugar cookies – with a whimsical feel plus yummy flavors!
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Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Christmas Sugar Cookies w/Whipped Buttercream.
These delicious treats are for people who want to have fun making cookies,Â
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Salted Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Truffles.
Although these truffles may sound like they could potentially be a bit of work, they’re actually very simple. Everything gets made in one pot, then you roll, dip in chocolate and eat till your stomach is full of chocolatey, caramel goodness. Yup. That’s the way you do it.
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Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
With pockets of butter cinnamon swirl and sweet cream cheese icing – delicious Christmas Cookies!
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Frosted Gingersnaps
Crisp, gingery, and lightly frosted, these snow dusted gingersnaps are the sweetest holiday cookie to bake this season – simple, festive, and so delicious!
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Vanilla Ginger Wreath Cookies
So easy to make, so pretty, and are so especially delicious. Be sure to include these cozy winter cookies in your holiday boxes!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies.
These cookies are the bomb. And by that I just mean SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. Covered in chocolate, rolled in peanut butter, and doughy in the center, yum and YUM.
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Chocolate Espresso Thumbprint Cookies.
Chocolate cookie with chocolate coffee ganache…too good!Â
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Brown Butter Chewy Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
Generously glazed brown sugar cookies with a sweet, thick, and creamy maple glaze that melts in your mouth!
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Easy Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Fun and easy to bake, even yummier to eat, great for gifting, a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
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Frosted Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars
Chewy brown butter blondies layered with cinnamon sugar and topped with cozy apple cider frosting. Perfect for fall baking and gifting!
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Vanilla Pecan Snowball Cookies
Sweet, nutty, and snowy-soft—these vanilla pecan snowball cookies are a must-bake this holiday season. So simple, nostalgic, and delicious!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars
Similar to a classic Millionaire Bar but with a sweet, creamy peanut filling…so delectable!
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Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies
Package for gifting, or serve for Christmas dessert…simple to make and guaranteed to be hit!
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Eggnog Frosted Chai Snickerdoodle Snowmen
Made with a simple cookie base, I used a little cream cheese in my dough to keep the snickerdoodles extra soft and doughy. I then rolled each dough ball in my homemade chai sugar and placed one smaller dough ball on top of a larger one to create a snowman. Simple, fun & delicious!
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Chewy Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
These cookies are soft, chewy, filled with molasses and a good amount of ginger, plus sweet and chocolatey…basically they’re just all things perfection.
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Christmas Puppy Chow
The easiest dessert to mix up with zero baking required…it's the perfect treat to package up in a cute box or tin!
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Easy Decked Out Christmas Tree Cookies
Easy Decked Out Christmas Tree Cookies: The perfect Christmas cookie to make with kids and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
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Chocolate Covered Espresso Pretzels
Kind of like your favorite holiday latte, but with a salty pretzel crunch!
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Brown Butter Christmas M&M Cookie Bars
Slightly crisp on the edges with soft and gooey centers. Christmas cookie perfection and super easy too!
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Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels.
I officially bow down to these pretzels. They are that good!
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Lastly, if you make any of these 40 Christmas Cookie Favorites for the Season, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
First time coming across your page, and as a homemaker for my family and friends only. I have to say that all your stuff looks amazing. I can’t wait to make it.
Thanks so much!! I hope you love any of the recipes that you make!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes i made the gooey chocolate crinkle cookies for work’s cookie exchange everyone loved them 🙂
Thanks so much, Maggie! Happy Holidays!!
Slice and bake Vanilla Bean cookies are the absolute best. Your slice and bake salted chocolate butter pecan cookies should definitely be on your list!
Thanks so much, Aimee! Love to hear your feedback on the cookies:)
Happy Holidays!
The Christmas Monster Cookies are one of my absolute favorites, and I make them every year! Thank you for posting such fun, delicious recipes throughout the year!
Thanks so much, Julie! The monster cookies are a family fave over here as well:)
Happy Holidays!
PLEASEEE make a holidays cookbook!
Thanks Gabrielle, I would love to!
Can you please point me in the direction of the recipe for the iced bar/blondie item that was in your Raptive dinner cookie boxes? Thanks!
Hey Liz,
You bet! Here is the link for those cookies:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/snickerdoodle-blondies/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays!
So many gorgeous cookies! Looking forward to seeing your 2025 cookie box! Xx
Thanks a lot, Kelly-Jane! Let me know if you make any of these this year:) Happy Holidays!