Christmas Cookie Challenge 2023

Christmas Cookie Challenge

The Christmas cookie challenge can be difficult especially if you are headed to a cookie exchange. You want your cookies to be yummy and look beautiful when you show up to the party or even have your own guests this Christmas season. I have sourced out some simple recipes so your challenge won’t be as hard this season.

The holidays are one of my favourite times to make homemade baked goods, especially cute and colourful cookies. From gingerbread men to easy no-bake ideas, I have gathered some of my Pinterest favourites as well as creative ideas from top food bloggers and even myself! Need a last-minute dessert for that holiday party tonight? Never fear, some of these quick cookie recipes can be made in no time. Impress all with these delicious cookies you made yourself!

Creative Christmas Cookie Ideas

1.White Chocolate Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes

Christmas Cookies White chocolate candy cane
BY liv FOR cake White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

These White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies are simple to make. Crush up some candy canes and throw them into a standard cookie dough.

2. Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Cream cheese sugar cookies
by JUST A PINCH recipes Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Every year during the Christmas Holidays, I like to pre-make my Christmas cookies and store them in a freezer for when family and friends come over to bring on the cheer. However, I like to make these cream cheese cookies the day of or the day before because they are so soft and delicate. I have not yet tried to freeze these as I think it would affect the texture of the cookies. I have many recipes that I like to make but when I came across this one It is a definite go-to and an all-time favourite for Christmas.

3. Butter Cookies with Royal Icing

Butter Cookies with Royal Icing-Classic Christmas cookie
By Cute DIYS– Butter Cookies with Royal Icing -Classic Christmas cookie

I have been looking for a Christmas cookie recipe that was as delicious as it was decorative, this recipe fits the bill. I have to say, these Christmas butter Cookies are delicious and they are actually really simple. I would even go as far as to say they are easier to create than traditional sugar cookies. I love the icing it’s so simple and fast to use. I have frozen these cookies and they come out nice just ensure there is nothing laying on top of them else you may reck the icing I also use parchment or wax paper when I freeze them.

4.Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out Cookies)

Gluten free sugar cookie
By eating bird food – Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Gluten-free cut-out cookies using coconut flour! It turns out, coconut flour lends itself well to cut-out cookies and worked like a charm. Don’t be intimidated by gluten-free baking it is a very easy process and the reward is simply delicious dainty, little cookies.

5. Stained Glass Christmas Cookies

Stained Glass Christmas cookies
By Preppy Kitchen – Stained Glass Cookies

These cookies just scream Merry Christmas! Stained glass cookies are SO EASY to make and look very impressive even just to look at. You can sneak a peek through the light in the centres and yes you can even decorate the Christmas tree with them! The hardest part was keeping the kids from eating the hard candy before I had a chance to make the cookies!

6. White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

white chocolate cranberry shortbread
By our balanced bowl White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

These White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are so tasty and are the butteriest cookie ever! White chocolate chips or chopped-up white chocolate and tart chunks of cranberry, they’re sure to be a hit at any gathering! To make them extra festive for the holidays, I loaded them with white chocolate chips! I don’t often bake with white chocolate, because I usually prefer dark chocolate…but the white chocolate in these Christmas cookies is so decadent and delicious. Another festive ad? The cranberries! These are specifically dried cranberries made for baking. They add a delicious texture and tartness to the cookie that is needed to balance out the richness of the buttery goodness. 

7. Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread cookies
By recipetineats – Gingerbread Men

Is there any cookie more Christmas-y than Gingerbread Men? The aroma from the kitchen when I bake these is always so incredible. They look so cute with colorful icing and are defiantly a part of my holiday season.

You will love these Gingerbread Men. You can not only smell the ginger when you are baking them you can actually taste the ginger and spice flavour. They are so moist inside, and you can make the dough up ahead of time – super handy to bake up fresh when the necessity arises or make and freeze and have on hand.

8. Easy-No-Bake Grinch Cookies

Grinch Christmas cookies
By NOSHING WITH THE NOLANDS – Easy No-Bake Grinch Cookies

These are an Easy no- Bake cookie and so cute if you are planning a Whoville Christmas party. The Grinch cookies are so fun to make. I have loved watching the Grinch when Christmas came around, ever since my first child was born. Making these is one of my holiday favourites.

9.Eggnog Cookies

eggnog cookies
By COOKING CLASSY – Eggnog Cookies

Eggnog is my favourite beverage at Christmas time, you can’t imagine my excitement when I found this eggnog cookie recipe. One part of the Christmas and New Year’s magic, which gives a special flavour to the holidays is certainly – cookies. Easy to prepare, these cookies are incredibly soft inside and unavoidable and very popular at my house during the holiday season. Their lightly sweet taste is perfect for dipping in espresso….or a big glass of milk!

10. Gingerbread Donut Cookies

ginger bread donut cookies
By STUDIO DIY– Gingerbread Donut Cookies

Every Christmas I go all out to make Christmas morning really special. There were hoof-prints from Santas reindeer in the snow outside of our house and every year Santa leaves a note in place of the cookies we put out the night before by the stockings. We change our cookies of choice every year and leave them out with a tall glass of milk. These gingerbread cookies are a cute recipe for Santa’s cookies are easy and are great for the kids to help with and I think Mrs. Clause likes them too with a side of hot cocoa.

11. Ugly Sweater Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies

ugly Sweater Cookies
By mom loves baking

This sugar cookie recipe is one of the cutest Christmas cookie recipes I’ve seen in a few years, so I thought I’d share it with you. Use your own personal touch and decorate these with red and green frosting and get your ugly on, even more, add sprinkles to showcase some tacky sequence. Perfect Christmas cookies.

12.Coconut Sugar Christmas Cookies

Coconut sugar cookies with sprinkles
By Easy and Delish– Coconut Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

These are the best coconut sugar cookies with sprinkles you’ll ever have! This cut-out cookie recipe requires no chill time and is decorated for Christmas with frosting and sprinkles and ready to eat within 40 minutes.

13. Chai Chocolate Dipped Christmas Cookies

Chai Christmas Tree cookies
By Camille Styles – Chai Chocolate Dipped Christmas Cookies

I’m so excited for the cookie exchange this year and it’s so cool to see what everyone else brings. These Little trees are Simple, festive, and delicious and I absolutely love the dark chocolate. The melted chocolate on top of them is just divine and goes so well with the chai flavours.

14. No- Bake Peanut Butter Corn Flake Christmas Cookies

No bake peanut butter corn flake cookies
By Chocolate Slopes– No-Bake Peanut Butter Corn Flakes Christmas Cookies

These NO-Bake Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies are delicious and the simplest Christmas cookies to make with only 2 ingredients! These are great for a last-minute Christmas cookie idea.

15. Raspberry Bow Tie Christmas Cookies

Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies
By Beyond the Chicken Coop – Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies

Make these Christmas Cookies a holiday classic. They are so pretty to serve and every bite has just the right amount of raspberry jam that oozes out into your mouth.

16. Pfferminskeuchen- Long Name Awesome Cookie!

Pfferminskeuchen-"Peppermint Cookie"
By Best Ever Cookie Collection – Pfferminskeuchen

This is a traditional Mennonite cookie that is light and puffy with a crisp thin crust. It has a mild peppermint flavour but it is the peppermint icing that really gives the cookie a holiday feel. These may look plain but are far from that.

These Peppermint cookies are baked with baking ammonia something that my grandma used many years ago. Some people like to use peppermint extract instead But I truly love the original version with the baking ammonia. I found this recipe to be the truest to grandma’s I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

I also find that these cookies are best after they have cooled down completely. If you are using baking ammonia be super careful not to inhale it when you open the jar. It is very strong and will make your eyes burn.

17. Newfoundland Snowball Cookies

Newfoundland Snowball Christmas cookie
By Rock Recipes – Newfoundland Snowballs

This recipe is a Newfoundland icon. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has spent any time in the province of Newfoundland and has not sampled a Snowball. So get your baking sheet out and give these snowballs a whirl!

18. North Pole Cookie Dough

North Pole cookie dough
By PITCHFORK FOODIE FARMS – North Pole Cookie Dough

These are a nice change for Christmas cookies. The kids love the name and every bite has chocolate and mint and tastes amazing. Your Family and friends will love these over the holidays.

19. Christmas Cookies and Natural Food Dye (Vegan)

Vegan Christmas Cookies
By going zero waste– Vegan Christmas Cookies

These Sugar Christmas cookies are food coloring free and Vegan! After you bake cookies it’s time to decorate them with unbelievable homemade icing options. The Color of the icing is made with Turmeric for gold, Matcha for green and Beets for red.

Make this sugar cookie recipe a healthy option this year for the Christmas exchange challenge.

20. Christmas Macarons

Christmas Macarons
By Pies&Tacos– Christmas Macarons

From Ginger Bread Macarons, Filled with buttercream and topped with a few festive sprinkles. These Christmas Cookies have the perfect flavour

ginger bread Macarons
Ginger Bread Macarons

Next is the Butterbeer Macarons great for those Harry Potter fans famous for the butterbeer!

Butterbeer Macarons
Butterbeer Macarons

Peppermint Macarons are pretty and with the peppermint flavour they are a must this season for that Christmas Cookie challage!

Peppermint macarons
Peppermint Macarons

Here are some cookies for vegan and green tea lovers!Vegan Matcha Macarons with a festive green colour that gives these cookies a Christmas vibe.

Vegan matcha macarons
Vegan Matcha Macarons

Eggnog Macarons are defiantly the ultimate Christmas Macaron. These Macarons freeze nicely until you are ready to box them up.

eggnog macarons
Eggnog Macarons

Pecan turtle macarons. I just cannot go through my Christmas without Turtle candy and these wonderful bites are topped with them. Pecan Turtle Macarons are totally appropriate for the holiday this season!

pecan turtle macarons
Pecan Turtle Macarons

So if you have a Christmas challenge this Christmas season and hope that Santa will drop by for a visit and try some of your delicious cookies. Fire up your oven and get ready to spread some of your holiday cheer!

Beautiful for the Christmas holidays “DIY Cinnamon Stick Coasters”

Cinnamon stick coasters
Christmas DIY -Cinnamon Stick Coasters by CuteDIY
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