6 Homemade Christmas Cookies For The Holiday Season

When we think of the holiday season, we think of decorations, snow, Santa, and cookies! There's nothing quite like indulging in your favorite variety of Christmas cookies, but it's not just the taste that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Making Christmas cookies from scratch is one of the best ways to get pumped for the holidays, which is why we have 6 spectacular Christmas cookies made from the baking classics: shortbread dough, gingerbread dough, and sugar cookie dough. Not only do these cookies look fantastic, they're also super fun and easy to make, even for all the newbies out there. Usher in the holiday spirit with our great Christmas cookie recipes – 'tis the season!

A – Almond Shortbread

You'll Need:

• 1¾ sticks butter
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 2 cups flour
• 1 pinch of salt

Here's How:

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the ground almonds, flour, and salt, and form the dough into a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

1. Melted Snowmen Cookies

You'll Need:

• almond shortbread dough
• icing (2 cups powdered sugar + 3-4 tbsp water)
• marshmallows
• colored icing
• licorice strings

Here's How:

1.1 Form the dough into small balls (about the size of ping pong balls). Use a glass to press down on the balls until flat, then use a small glass bowl to cut out circles. Bake at 350°F for about 7 minutes or until golden brown, and then let the cookies cool down.

1.2 Mix powdered sugar with water to make the icing and spread some on each cookie to look like melted snow. Draw faces on the marshmallows with colored icing and stick them on the cookies. Decorate with more colored icing and licorice strings.

2. Christmas Tree Cookies

You'll Need:

• almond shortbread dough
• 2-inch round glass
• 1-inch round glass
• sugar + green food coloring (or green sprinkles)
• Rolos or miniature peanut butter cups
• icing
• peppermint candies
• sugar pearls
• star sprinkles

Here's How:

2.1 Roll out the dough and cut out circles with 2 different sized glasses – you'll need 4 circles per Christmas tree (2 large and 2 small). Bake the circles for 4-5 minutes at 350°F.

2.2 Once the cookies have cooled, sprinkle green sugar crystals or sprinkles over them.

2.3 Now you can start assembling the Christmas tree cookies. Start with a Rolo for the tree trunk, add a drop of icing, and put a large cookie on top. Then add: icing, peppermint candy, icing, large cookie, icing, peppermint candy, icing, small cookie, icing, peppermint candy, icing, and small cookie. Finish by decorating the trees with icing, sugar pearls, sugar stars. 

B – Gingerbread

You'll Need:

• ¾ cup honey
• 1⅓ cups brown sugar
• 1¼ sticks butter
• 5 cups flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp water

Here's How:

Add the honey, brown sugar, and butter to a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat, let the mixture cool to room temperature, and pour it into a large bowl. Add the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, gingerbread spice, and egg to the bowl and knead the mixture with the dough hooks of a hand mixer. Dissolve the baking soda in water and add it to the gingerbread mixture. Continue to knead the dough on high until it's firm and malleable and then knead it with your hands. Form the gingerbread dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

3. Gingerbread Men

You'll Need:

• gingerbread dough
• gingerbread man cookie cutter
• aluminum foil
• peppermint hard candies
• 2 tbsp lemon juice +1¼ cups powdered sugar for the icing

Here's How:

3.1 . Take the dough out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out the figures and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Form small balls out of aluminum foil and place them on the chests of the gingerbread men. Lightly flatten their arms by pressing down, then fold them in toward the middle so it looks like they're holding the tin foil balls. Transfer the baking tray to a preheated oven and cook at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

3.2 Let the gingerbread men cool completely and then remove the tin foil balls, replacing them with peppermint hard candies. Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar for the icing and use it to decorate the gingerbread men.

4. Reindeer Cookies

You'll Need:

• gingerbread dough
• brown & red M&M's
• chocolate-covered pretzels

Here's How:

4.1 Form ping pong-sized balls out of the dough, form them into the shape of a reindeer head, and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 325°F.

4.2 While the dough is still warm, press 2 brown M&M's and 1 red M&M into each cookie for the eyes and nose. Give the reindeer antlers with chocolate-covered pretzels and you're done!

C – Sugar Cookie Dough

You'll Need:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 sticks butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• flour for the work surface

Here's How:

Beat the sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, and eggs until frothy, then sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Work everything into a smooth dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Stained Glass Cookies

You'll Need:

• sugar cookie dough
• gummy bears
• sprinkles
• melted white chocolate

Here's How:

5.1 Divide the cookie dough in half and set one half aside for the next recipe. Roll out the other half, cut out circles with a glass, then cut out a smaller circle within the large circle, leaving rings.

5.2 Place the rings on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place 2 gummy bears of the same color in the middle of each cookie ring. Bake for about 5-7 minutes at 325°F.

5.3 Once the cookies have cooled, fill half of the cookies with sprinkles.

5.4 Spread melted white chocolate on the back of the cookies without sprinkles.

5.5 Glue the cookies with melted white chocolate to the ones with sprinkles and wait at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to set.

6. Colorful Christmas Cookies

You'll Need:

• sugar cookie dough
• red, green & white food coloring
• Christmas cookie cutters

Here's How:

6.1 Divide the rest of the sugar cookie dough into 3 equal pieces. Dye one piece red, one piece green, and one piece white, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6.2 Tear the dough into small pieces and spread them all over your floured work surface.

6.3 Place a piece of parchment paper on the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Cut out cookies with festive cookie cutters and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes at 350°F.

Was that enough to get you into the Christmas spirit? In any case, now you're definitely an expert when it comes to cookie dough! With these 3 different types of cookie dough in your arsenal, you're going to be making the most amazing Christmas cookies ever. Just don't tell Grandma!