Bake up a Batch of These Holiday-Perfect Christmas Cookies for Santa

One of the best smells in the world is the aroma of warm Christmas cookies baking in the oven. It fills the whole house with warmth and comfort—and the promise of sweet treats to come. The moment you begin scrolling through this list of Christmas desserts, you'll want to rush to your kitchen, preheat the oven, and grab all the sugary ingredients you can. And even if it isn't quite Christmas cookie season yet, you may want to get started taste-testing, because there are dozens of must-make recipes offered on this roundup. No matter what type of Christmas sugar cookies you're in the mood for, trust us—you'll find it on this list.

Some of our favorites of these Christmas treats are the double chocolate peppermint cookie, peppermint mocha cookie, and thumbprint cookie recipes. For those who love eggnog—aka the official drink of the holiday season—there are a handful of eggnog recipes for you, such as the eggnog snickerdoodles, eggnog gooey butter cookies, and eggnog frosted chai snickerdoodle snowmen. There are also plenty of holiday desserts for the chocoholics out there. You'll absolutely love the triple chocolate cookies, hot chocolate melt-away cookies, and chocolate crinkle cookies.

Don't forget to pair these Christmas sweets with a batch of Christmas cocktails, or festive non-alcoholic Christmas drinks for the little ones. It doesn't matter which batch of Christmas cookies you decide to bake first—every single recipe on this list is amazing.

These sweet easy-to-make treats start with one dough that can then be turned into three different cookies.

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What better flavor combo is there during Christmas, besides peppermint and chocolate?

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Three layers of rich goodness—buttery shortbread, gooey caramel, and a thick layer of dark chocolate—make up this well-healed dessert.

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These easy gingerbread cookies are festive enough as-is, but they look extra great arranged on a platter in the form of a wreath!

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Think of these as the more elegant cousin to sugar cookies. With a rich, toasted-nut taste and a simple dusting of sugar, they're irresistibly good.

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An assortment of crushed starlight mints, rock candy, dragees, M&M's, and string licorice comes together for some beautiful bulbs. Varying amounts of texture add even more interest.

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This pie-style shortbread bakes up quickly and makes an excellent present.

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Line a mini loaf pan, with plain tissue paper then wax paper. Add cookies, fold over paper, then wrap with ribbon and attach a card with a mini clothespin.

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Place cookies in a glassine bag. Hole-punch the tops of bags and decorative cards, then secure with pretty ribbon.

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Line a kraft paper box with striped wax tissue paper. Add blondies, close box, then wrap exterior with decorative paper, red ribbon, and a candy cane accent.

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Line a berry basket with polka dot tissue paper and add cookies. Wrap with rickrack, and sew in place with a button and embroidery thread.

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Stack four cookies in a clear plastic bag, then tie decorative ribbon at each end of the bag to cinch. Trim ends and add a metal-rim tag, and you've got yourself a festive hostess gift.

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One tasty recipe yields four very different kinds of Christmas cookies.

Recipes: Tea Cookie Dough

Roly Polys

Jam Thumbprints

Red-and-Whites

Raspberry Bars

Traditional gingerbread takes a walk on the wild side, via critter cookie cutters. Corral the whole stable in a hand-stenciled box filled with "hay."

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After whipping up these snowball treats, fill a six-egg carton with mini lotus cupcake liners and add cookies. Tie it up with a plain tag adorned with a bottle brush wreath.

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These buttery delights are cute as, well, you know. Gather a stack together by threading ribbon through the buttonholes, and present the cookies in a perfectly sized papier-mâché box with a snowflake stenciled on the lid.

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If you love sugar cookies and buttery pie crust, these cookies are for you. They are simple, elegant, and sure to impress. Try gifting them at a Christmas cookie swap or bring them to your next holiday party.

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Displayed in a clear-topped checkerboard box, bite-size shortbread cookies—dipped in fruity glazes, chopped nuts, and citrus zest—pass for tiny works of art. Bonus: The sturdy container can later hold other petite treasures like jewelry or sewing notions.

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Begin by pressing together nine 1 1/4-inch squares of dough to make the tic-tac-toe game board, and cut out plenty of Hs and Os. The tiny letters will bake very quickly, so keep watch to prevent them from overbrowning.

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Christmas tree cookies are a traditional favorite. Prevent waste by using both the positive and negative shapes. For Linzer-Style Tree cookies, spread red currant, strawberry, or raspberry jelly or preserves on the bottom cookie so the color peeks through the top cookie's tree-shaped opening (Smucker's jelly or preserves are a good choice).

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These simple piped delights contain a secret ingredient: ground cloves! Mild and savory, these cookies taste fantastic with coffee—consider wrapping them up with a bag of roast beans.

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There are two tasty versions of this classic: square winter-spice wafers (think gingersnaps) with orange cream and bittersweet chocolate rounds stuffed with raspberry preserves.

Bright Idea: Mini-Bundt, cupcake, and loaf pans double as gift "boxes" that recipients can put to good use.

Recipes: Winter-Spice Sandwich Cookies with Orange Cream

Bittersweet-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry Preserves

These creations give standard vanilla cream a run for its money. Here, a maple-spice center holds pumpkin cakes together, while a peppermint cloud does the same for her chocolate option.

Bright Idea: Cheery vintage tins add a personal touch to baked goods.

Recipes: Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Filling

Pumpkin Whoopie Maple-Spiced Filling

For a professional finish, sprinkle on a little fleur de sel before popping these lemon-olive oil and chocolate-pistachio biscotti in the oven.

Recipes: Lemon-Olive Oil Biscotti

Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

The addition of cream cheese produces a softer, more cakelike texture than you'll find with typical shortbread. The perfect pairing for these fine-crumb shortbread cookies? A jar of decadent dulce de leche or caramel sauce.

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Semisweet chocolate chips, light-brown sugar, and Dutch-processed cocoa powder yield a refined richness.

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Fancify traditional sugar-cookie dough, by filling in with a mixture of figs, chocolate, and orange marmalade, then scoring a pretty fan pattern on top.

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Simple sugar cookies go glamorous, thanks to ornament-shaped cutters and colorful icing.

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To create these sweet name tags, follow our recipe for sugar cookie dough. Form the cookies with a tag-shaped cutter, then use a plastic straw to punch a hole in the pointed end of each treat before baking.

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All you need are two different-colored doughs, a rolling pin, and a knife. Form one dough ball into a log, then wrap the rolled-out colored dough around it, chill, slice into cookies, and bake.

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To create marbled cookies, shape vanilla and chocolate dough into ropes. Twist together for a swirled effect. Chill, slice, and bake.

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Bavarian cookies called springerle are known for their distinctive flavor. The dough is rolled onto a floured surface, imprinted with clean, floured rubber stamps, dried overnight, and then baked.

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Keep it simple with these candy cane cookies that melt in your mouth.

Get the recipe at Cookies and Cups.

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Switch up your cookie offerings with these cute meringue cookies that are so easy to make with just five ingredients!

Get the recipe at Taste and Tell Blog.

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Elevate your favorite snowball cookie with this recipe that uses tasty raspberry jam as a surprise in the middle.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

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Crinkle cookies always satisfy, but these red velvet ones really take the cake (erm, cookie).

Get the recipe at Broma Bakery.

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These cookies are reminiscent of the stained glass windows at church on Christmas morning—and they're so much easier to make than you think.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! These sugar cookies are adorable without the cover, but can easily be added with plastic ornament halves and white nonpareils.

Get the recipe at Sweets to Impress.

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Include seasonal cranberries with these cookies. Easily make your cookies soft, thick, and chewy by adding a touch of cornstarch to your dough.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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Now you don't have to wear an ugly sweater to the holiday party—you can bring an edible version. Another idea is to turn this into a family game. Whoever creates the ugliest sweater on a plain cut-out is the winner!

Get the recipe at Mom Loves Baking.

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Not only are these delicate cookies beautiful, but they're also very easy to decorate. Just follow this blogger's tips and tricks and your batch will look just as stunning as hers.

Get the recipe at The Café Sucre Farine.

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Add this idea to the top of your eggnog recipes to make this year. It features the holiday beverage in both the cookie and the icing.

Get the recipe at Love From the Oven.

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Chocoholics won't be able to get enough of these rich bites. Each cocoa-infused cookie is loaded with white chocolate chips and dipped in a white chocolate coating.

Get the recipe at Broma Bakery.

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When a cookie is loaded with M&M's, you know the kids are going to go crazy for it. However, adults will love these candy-loaded treats too!

Get the recipe at Cooking With Karli.

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Candy cane Hershey's Kisses make for the sweetest adornment in these thumbprint cookies. You could personalize this recipe by adding in any candy flavor you'd like.

Get the recipe at Inside BruCrew Life.

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If you're involved in a holiday cookie exchange, you must bake these candy canes. They're sure to stand out from all the other cookies—and will be gone in no time.

Get the recipe at Home Cooking Memories.

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Frosty has never looked (or tasted!) this good. Enlist your little ones to help decorate the smiling faces.

Get the recipe at Cookies and Cups.

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These salty-sweet cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, sprinkles, pretzels, and potato chips.

Get the recipe at Delish.

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This blogger notes to use white chocolate baking bars and not white chocolate chips for the coating in her recipe. Although the two products sound similar, there's actually a big difference.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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A melty Andes Mint makes for a crowd-pleasing topping on each one of these chocolatey confections. You'll be reaching for a second before you've even finished the first.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

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To make these spiced sweets even more mouthwatering, this blogger recommends dipping each one in milk chocolate and coating with sprinkles. If you prefer to leave them plain, they're still delicious.

Get the recipe at The Recipe Critic.

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Made with a dark chocolate cookie base and filled with a whipped peppermint cheesecake, these cups are bites of pure decadence. They'll definitely be one of the most impressive treats you bake this December.

Get the recipe at Liv for Cake.

Homemade sugar cookies + buttercream frosting = an instant classic.

Get the recipe at Jenny Cookies.

This blogger's chewy chocolate cookie pairs perfectly with the sweet peppermint frosting.

Get the recipe at Crazy Little Projects.

Children will love decorating this dessert. The more sprinkles, the better!

Get the recipe at Averie Cooks.

Turn everyone into an eggnog lover with this sugared and spiced recipe.

Get the recipe at Lil' Luna.

Chocoholics will love this treat filled with a molten chocolate center.

Get the recipe at Inside BruCrew Life.

White chocolate adds just the right amount of sweetness to this no-chill dough.

Get the recipe at Liv for Cake.

This blogger offers different variations to her original recipe, including options for red velvet and German chocolate cookies.

Get the recipe at Dinner at the Zoo.

Use a cookie press to mold this classic recipe into any shape you'd like.

Get the recipe at If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen.

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A chocolatey, sprinkle-rolled cookie—finished with a Hershey’s Kiss—will definitely be one of your kid's favorites.

Get the recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod.

Get inspired by these adorably decorated cookies to DIY your own Christmas wreath.

Get the recipe at Your Cup of Cake.

These white-chocolate dipped treats have just a hint of espresso powder.

Get the recipe at Baker by Nature.

Your little one will have a blast decorating these snowmen. How cute are those Reese's Peanut Butter Cup hats?

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

This burst of holiday flavors is made of a brownie base, peppermint cream cheese frosting, and crushed candy cane topping.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

This spiced recipe gets a festive touch—and extra crunch—from Christmas colored M&Ms.

Get the recipe at Crazy for Crust.

Anything loaded with sprinkles and topped with vanilla frosting is definitely kid-approved.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

With one pound of chocolate in each batch of these cookies, they're definitely a holiday decadence.

Get the recipe at Dinner at the Zoo.

This blogger recommends to slightly under-bake her recipe for a "super chewy and soft interior."

Get the recipe at Chelsea's Messy Apron.

Bake a batch of this perfectly named dessert right before you see the Grinch movie!

Get the recipe at The Recipe Critic.

These chocolate ganache-topped treats will melt in your mouth.

Get the recipe at Creme de la Crumb.

Cranberry + orange = a match made in Christmas heaven.

Get the recipe at The Cookie Rookie.

It's not Christmas without a powdered sugar-covered crinkle cookie (or five).

Get the recipe at Gimme Some Oven.

These chewy snacks get a hint of peppermint flavor in both the dough and the frosting.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

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A hidden piece of melted dark chocolate underneath each marshmallow makes these treats absolutely mouthwatering.

Get the recipe at Averie Cooks.

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Upgrade your usual gingerbread recipe with a melt-in-your-mouth spiced white chocolate filling.

Get the recipe at Swanky Recipes.

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Kids will have a ton of fun decorating these cookies with Christmas sprinkles.

Get the recipe at Just So Tasty.

Be sure to layer in plenty of M&Ms into this brown sugar-pudding mix—the more, the merrier!

Get the recipe at Crazy for Crust.

Add a dash of peppermint extract into the dough for an extra burst of minty flavor.

Get the recipe at Hot Beauty Health.

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Calling all chocolate lovers: This supremely rich recipe will be your new winter go-to.

Get the recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod.

Have a holiday cookie exchange coming up? These colorful pinwheels will impress the lucky recipient with both taste and presentation.

Get the recipe at Baked by Rachel.

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These absolutely adorable gingerbread men are super-simple — you don't even have to chill the dough.

Get the recipe at Creme de la Crumb.

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Even if you're not a fan of the drink, you won't be able to resist these eggnog-spiced snickerdoodles.

Get the recipe at Amy's Healthy Baking.

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The best part of these cookies is the creamy white chocolate center.

Get the recipe at Creme de la Crumb.

Grab the kiddos to help you decorate these adorable Christmas lights cookies.

Get the recipe at Firesflies + Mudpies.

Switch up the classic gingerbread cookie recipe by adding a touch of white chocolate.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

Shortbread is always a good option for Christmas, and this cube-shaped version is both easy to prepare and decorative.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

Skip the same-old tin and give cookies in a festive (airtight!) jar instead.

Step 1: Use a fine-tipped brush to paint small white dots on the outside of a glass jar.

Step 2: Fill bottom of jar with snowball cookies. Place small plastic trinkets inside for a snow globe-inspired vignette.

Step 3: Tie gift tag to jar with ribbon.

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