There are just certain things that become traditions and feel like a requirement to make Christmas feel like Christmas. Setting up a special decoration, the smell of the “sparkling snow” candle, and of course, baking our favorite Christmas cookies!
Many of these recipes have been around in my family since before I can remember. Some are newer additions, but all of the cookies here have made their way to the must-bake list in our house. There is always a wide selection of goodies for this time of year so that we have plenty of items to fill the many (24 this year!) goodie tins that are distributed to family, friends and as thank-you gifts for teachers and other service providers.
Even though I try out a new recipe, change up a flavor a bit or tweak a recipe, everything on this list is non-negotiable. I don’t mess with these recipes – they are the same every year because they represent Christmas.
Want to jump to a specific recipe?
- Great Grandma’s Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Molasses Spice Cookies
- Butternut Balls
- Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
This is not a how-to post, but rather a cookie recipe sharing post. Most of these use the basic cookie method of creaming the butter (or shortening) and sugars, then adding eggs and dry ingredients. For a full breakdown on this method, check out my post on The Most Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies where I take you through step by step!
All of our favorite Christmas cookies freeze well, so you can make them well in advance of the holiday craziness. I use a stand mixer wherever indicated, but you can absolutely make them by hand as well – we always did when I was a kid! Just make sure you use your arm strength and get the dough mixed well. I also always pre-measure my dry ingredients into a sifter. This isn’t necessary, but I like having it organized that way.
Great-Grandma’s Sugar Cookies
We have never made cut out sugar cookies in our house. My mom never made them, and honestly, I don’t feel the loss. Instead, we always have these delicious, melt in your mouth gems. They are almost always the last cookies left on a cookie tray, because they look so unassuming and, well, plain. But, once you’ve tried them, good luck eating only one! When I was still in the Air Force Bands, I would always bring a different treat to each of our Holiday Shows, and the first time I brought these in, I could see that my colleagues were skeptical. Especially after tasting some of my other treats. Musicians, however, are always up for a free treat. And, they were gone in no time. And, every year after that, people couldn’t wait for these to show up.
Now, I say they are my Great-Grandma’s cookies. The recipe is not necessarily hers, but they are the only cookie she ever made. And, no matter what time of year, she always made them with red and green sprinkles. This recipe makes a fairly large batch, especially if you use a small cookie scoop. It does work well if you want to halve the recipe too. I like to pull them out of the oven before they look fully done so they stay a little soft, but you can also bake them longer for a light, crispy cookie.
Great-Grandma’s Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil canola, corn or avocado work well, use a neutral flavored oil
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- extra sugar for coating
Instructions
- Cream oil, butter and sugar together in a stand mixer, hand or by hand.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla until the dough looks fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Chill dough for at least 2-3 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Shape dough into balls, approximately 1" across. Roll balls sugar then place on cookie sheet. Flatten balls with a glass then decorate with colored sprinkles.
- Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. Do not brown.
- Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Is there a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter?!? These cookies are always a favorite, and contrary to the sugar cookies, they are usually one of the first to go off a cookie plate. The original recipe calls for Hershey Kisses in the middle, but when Reeses came out with the mini peanut butter cups, my Mom and I thought these would be even better with the PB cup. We were right! And, full disclosure here, my Mom and I were making these in muffin cups way before Reeses started putting the pictures on their bags and using this idea in their advertising. Hmmm….they should probably be paying us some marketing fees…. You can make these on a regular cookie sheet, in mini muffin papers (which means you can pretty much get a whole batch on one large cookie sheet) or in mini muffin pans. If you use the muffin pans, make sure you let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the pan, or you will end up with a melty mess!
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- extra sugar for rolling
- mini peanut butter cups or Hershey kisses
Instructions
- Preheat ove to 375℉
- Cream shortening and sugars together.
- Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Shape into balls, using about 1 Tbsp of dough. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet, in mini muffin cups or in a mini muffin tin.
- Bake at 375℉ for 10 – 12 minutes (do not brown)
- Immediately press peanut butter cup or kiss into center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely and chocolate to reset before storing.
Molasses Spice Cookies
Think gingerbread cookies, but soft! These little cookies just taste (and smell) like Christmas! And, by pulling them out of oven a smidge early, they stay nice and soft. Make sure you let the melted shortening and molasses cool long enough so the egg does not start to cook when you add it in!
Molasses Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Melt shortening in medium saucepan.
- Add sugar and molasses and stir.
- Cool, then add egg and beat well.
- Add dry ingredients.
- Shape into balls and roll in extra sugar. Place on uncreased cookie sheet – do not flatten.
- Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Butternut Balls (aka Mexican Wedding Cookies, aka Russian Tea Cakes)
These powdered sugar covered pecan shortbread balls are a melt in your mouth dream. I always forget how much I love these cookies until I have them each Christmas. Be careful that you don’t inhale powdered sugar when eating and choke yourself like I do at least once each year! And, the secret to perfectly coated Butternut Balls is to coat them immediately after baking, then cool and freeze, then coat them again while they are frozen right before putting them in your cookie tin or on the serving platter. Yum yum!
Butternut Balls (aka Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter – softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together, with a spoon or by hand.
- Shape into balls, approximately 1 Tbsp of dough per ball.
- Bake 10 – 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Do not brown.
- Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Cool completely. For best presentation, freeze balls, then re-coat with powdered sugar immediately before serving.
Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles
The final cookie recipe I have for you is the Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle. This is a variation of the classic snickerdoodle, and I love the extra spices for Christmastime. I originally found the recipe in the Omaha World Herald Newspaper over 20 years ago, and they quickly became a regular feature in our holiday baking.
Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Spices:
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- a couple pinches of black pepper
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup sugar divided
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Combine spices in a small bowl and set aside.
- Sift together dry ingredients and 1 tsp of the spice mix.
- In a mixer at medium speed, cream together butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy. (or use a hand mixer or mix by hand) Scrape down sides and beat in eggs. Add the sifted dry ingredients in manageable amounts and beat until dough is combined.
- Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. (can chill overnight)
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the spice mixture. Scoop small amount of dough with a cookie scoop or spoon and roll into a ball. Coat with sugar-spice mixture and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheet at the halfway point. Makes about 70 cookies using a small cookie scoop.
Other recipes we like
There are a couple of other recipes that make regular appearances in our holiday baking every year.
I always have some kind of truffles in the mix – usually Oreo Truffles. Find my full tutorial and recipe here to make your very own “Best Selling” Oreo Truffles. Even if you have never dipped anything in chocolate before, I have you covered with step by step instructions!
Another regular for us is Chocolate Crinkles. I’ve tried a few different recipes over the years, and finally settled on King Arthur Baking’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe. The only modification I make to this one is adding a bit of cinnamon to give them a little extra “special” for the holidays.
A few tips on creating cookie tins
I love giving cookie tins during the holidays. My son’s teachers always get a tin of goodies, and I use them as thank you gifts for all kinds of people in our lives. One tip, especially if you will be sending your tins through the mail – make little baggies out of wax paper for the individual cookies. This helps add padding and keeps the flavors from melding together. With the Peanut Butter Blossoms in the mix, everything can start to taste like peanut butter pretty quickly!
I hope you give some of these a try! If you do, be sure to let me know and tag any photos you post on social media!
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