These Christmas cookies include classic sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and festive snowman Oreo balls, making them perfect for both full holiday baking days and smaller batches shared with family!

A Well-Rounded Christmas Cookie Lineup

I like to think of a good Christmas cookie platter the same way I think about a good dinner table: you need balance. Something soft, something crunchy, something chocolatey, and at least one cookie made for decorating. 

These are the Christmas cookies I rely on year after year. The ones that survive being stacked on a holiday cookie platter, travel well to a Christmas cookie swap, and still taste just as good once they’ve cooled to room temperature.

If you’re planning to bake cookies for gifting, gatherings, or just because it doesn’t feel like Christmas without it, this list is a great place to start!

Christmas Cutout Cookies

These Christmas cutout cookies are the ones I grew up decorating at the kitchen table, flour on the counter, and icing everywhere! The sugar cookie dough rolls out easily on a lightly floured surface, bakes up soft with lightly golden edges, and holds its shape perfectly with your favorite cookie cutters. 

They’re simple, and still my personal favorite to bake every holiday season.

These candy cane cookies are pure Christmas nostalgia, the kind that makes the kitchen smell like butter and peppermint before they ever hit the oven. Twisted red and white dough gives them that classic candy cane look, while a hint of peppermint keeps them festive without being overpowering. 

They’re fun to shape, making them perfect for baking with the kids!

These pecan thumbprint cookies taste like something you’d find on grandma’s Christmas table, buttery, nutty, and made with love. The soft, shortbread melts in your mouth, while the sweet icing tucked into the center adds just the right festive flair. They’re simple, timeless, and the kind of cookie folks keep reaching for long after the coffee’s poured!

These pecan snowball cookies are buttery, tender, and loaded with finely chopped pecans. These little guys are perfect for cookie tins, church platters, and nibbling straight off the cooling rack. Make sure you don’t finish them before everyone gets their share!

If you love that cool-meets-cozy flavor combo, these mint chocolate chip cookies are calling your name. They’re soft and chewy with pops of rich chocolate and just the right hint of mint; refreshing without tasting like toothpaste (a fine line, I know). Pour a glass of milk or a mug of hot cocoa and settle in.

These soft ginger cookies taste like Christmas Eve wrapped up in a cookie. Warm spices, a touch of molasses, and a pillowy-soft texture make them comforting without being overpowering. They’re especially good warm from the oven, when the edges are just set, and the centers are still tender.

These chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies are hearty, cozy, and packed with just the right mix of sweet and tart. Warm spices, brown sugar, and old-fashioned oats give them that old-school comfort, while dried cranberries add a bright pop that keeps you reaching for another. If oatmeal raisin cookies are your usual go-to, this cranberry twist just might steal their spot!

These cookie butter sandwich cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with a creamy Biscoff spread. The cookies themselves are chewy and rich, with just enough structure to hold that dreamy filling without falling apart. They’re perfect when you want something a little extra; sweet enough to feel special, but still easy enough to make at home!

These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are proof that simple really is best. With just peanut butter, sugar, and an egg, they bake up soft, chewy, and full of classic peanut butter flavor in no time at all. They’re the kind of cookie you can whip up on a whim, and once you do, they’ll become a Christmas staple!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Snowman Oreo Balls

These snowman Oreo balls are one of those Christmas treats I make every year because they’re cute, easy, and there’s never any leftovers. Crushed Oreos and cream cheese make the centers soft and chocolatey, while the white chocolate coating gives them that classic holiday candy look. 

Decorating the faces is half the fun, especially if little hands want to help.

Easy, Soft, & Chewy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

These pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices that make the kitchen smell like the holidays. The oats keep them hearty while the pumpkin purée makes them tender without turning cakey. 

Add chocolate chips or keep them simple and let the spice shine!

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies (a.k.a Cloud Cookies)

These chocolate chip meringue cookies are light as air with just enough chocolate to make them feel special. They’re crisp on the outside, a little chewy inside, and practically melt the second you bite into one.  

They look fancy, but don’t let meringue scare you; this is one of those recipes that looks harder than it is! 

Old-Fashioned M&M Cookies

These old-fashioned M&M cookies are pure nostalgia in cookie form. They bake up crisp around the edges, soft in the center, and absolutely perfect for dunking in a cold glass of milk. You’ll love how the brown sugar and vanilla give them that classic homemade flavor, while the colorful M&M’s make them feel extra fun for the holiday season!

Hot Chocolate Cookies

These hot chocolate cookies taste exactly like your favorite mug of cocoa, just baked into soft, chewy cookie form. My favorite part is how the hot cocoa mix deepens the chocolate flavor, while melty chocolate chips and gooey marshmallow bits make every bite extra cozy! 

Frosted Maple Cookies

These frosted maple cookies are soft, tender, and full of that warm maple flavor I crave during the holiday season. Pure maple syrup gives the cookies a rich sweetness, while the creamy frosting on top gives them a fluffy balance. 

Serve these alongside coffee or tea when friends stop by, or add them to a Christmas cookie platter.

Eggnog Cookies

These Eggnog Cookies capture all the cozy flavors of the holiday season in one bite. Warm spices, a touch of brown sugar, and creamy eggnog create a cookie that’s crisp on the outside and soft and chewy inside. 

Serve these with a cup of coffee or cocoa, and even eggnog skeptics usually end up sneaking seconds!

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are the ultimate cozy cookie for fall and the holidays. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and all the warm pumpkin spices coat soft, chewy cookies that smell amazing straight out of the oven. 

I always end up making a big batch to share on cookie plates or for last-minute holiday dessert trays.

Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake

You know we like to have fun here at Southern Plate! Technically a giant cookie, this Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake is baked in a pan like a cake but delivers all the chewy, buttery goodness of your favorite sugar cookies. 

The holiday M&M’s, red-and-green frosting swirls, and sprinkles practically make the dessert table sparkle!

A Cookie Season Worth Savoring

These recipes are meant to be shared generously and enjoyed during the heart of the holiday season. If you’re baking for a Christmas cookie swap, putting together a cookie plate for friends, or adding new favorites to your yearly lineup, I hope these Christmas cookies bring comfort, joy, and a little extra sweetness to your traditions!