The classic types of Christmas cookies are gingerbread, sugar cookies, shortbread, Linzer cookies, snowballs, chocolate crinkles, jam thumbprints, and coconut macaroons. This guide shows each one with a picture and explains what it is made of, how it tastes, and what makes it different, followed by more holiday cookies worth adding to your tray.
Types of Christmas Cookies at a Glance
| Cookie | Main flavor | Texture | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gingerbread | Ginger, molasses, spice | Firm, crisp or chewy | Europe |
| Sugar cookies | Butter and vanilla | Soft or crisp | United States |
| Shortbread | Butter | Crumbly | Scotland |
| Linzer cookies | Almond and jam | Tender | Austria |
| Snowballs | Butter and nuts | Sandy | Europe and Mexico |
| Chocolate crinkles | Chocolate | Fudgy | United States |
| Jam thumbprints | Butter and fruit jam | Tender | Sweden |
| Coconut macaroons | Coconut | Chewy | Europe |
Different Types of Christmas Cookies with Pictures
1. Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are the cookie most closely tied to Christmas. The dough is flavored with ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and sweetened with molasses, which gives the deep brown color and a slightly bitter-sweet taste. It is a firm dough that is rolled out and cut into people, stars, trees, and hearts, then decorated with white royal icing. Spiced honey and ginger cakes have been baked in Europe since the Middle Ages, and the same dough, baked a little harder, is used to build gingerbread houses.
Taste and texture: Warm and spicy, with a firm bite. Bake for a shorter time for soft and chewy, or longer for crisp.
Baking tip: Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling, and chill the cut shapes again before baking so the edges stay sharp.
2. Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are made from a simple dough of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and vanilla. They have a mild, buttery flavor that makes them the perfect base for decoration. The dough is rolled flat and cut with cookie cutters into trees, bells, snowflakes, and stars, then covered with royal icing, buttercream, or colored sugar. Decorating them is a holiday activity in its own right, especially with children.
Taste and texture: Buttery and sweet, soft in the middle with slightly crisp edges.
Baking tip: Roll the dough to an even quarter-inch thickness so the cookies bake at the same rate, and let them cool completely before icing.
3. Shortbread
Shortbread comes from Scotland and is made with just three main ingredients: one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. There are no eggs and no raising agent, so the flavor is almost pure butter and the texture is rich and crumbly. It is traditionally baked in a round and cut into wedges called petticoat tails, or cut into fingers. In Scotland it is closely linked with Christmas and New Year, and it keeps well, which makes it a favorite for gift tins.
Taste and texture: Rich, buttery, and tender, with a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Baking tip: Use good butter, since it is the main flavor, and bake at a low temperature until pale gold, not brown.
4. Linzer Cookies
Linzer cookies are a smaller version of the Linzer torte, a jam tart from the city of Linz in Austria that is one of the oldest known cake recipes. Two cookies made from a buttery almond or hazelnut dough are sandwiched with raspberry or red currant jam. The top cookie has a shape cut out of the middle, often a star or heart, so the jam shows through like a window, and it is dusted with powdered sugar.
Taste and texture: Tender, nutty, and buttery, with a sharp, fruity center.
Baking tip: Dust the top cookies with powdered sugar before you assemble them, so the jam in the window stays bright and clean.
5. Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies are small, round butter cookies packed with finely chopped pecans or walnuts and rolled in powdered sugar so they look like snowballs. The same cookie has many names around the world, including Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cookies. The dough contains no eggs, which gives a short, sandy texture that dissolves in the mouth.
Taste and texture: Buttery and nutty, with a soft, sandy crumb and a sweet, powdery outside.
Baking tip: Roll them in powdered sugar twice: once while still warm so the first layer sticks, and again once they are cool for a clean white finish.
6. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are made from a soft, dark, fudgy dough. Each ball of dough is rolled in powdered sugar before it goes in the oven. As the cookie spreads and rises, the white coating splits apart and reveals the dark chocolate underneath, creating the cracked pattern that gives the cookie its name. The contrast of black and white makes them stand out on a cookie tray.
Taste and texture: Fudgy and brownie-like in the middle, with a thin, crisp shell.
Baking tip: Chill the dough well, then roll each ball in granulated sugar first and powdered sugar second. The first layer stops the powdered sugar from melting away.
7. Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies are butter cookies with a small hollow in the center that is filled with jam. The name comes from the method: each ball of dough is pressed with a thumb before baking. The cookie has roots in Sweden, where it is called hallongrotta, meaning raspberry cave. Raspberry, strawberry, and apricot jam are the usual fillings, and some bakers roll the dough in chopped nuts first.
Taste and texture: Soft and buttery, with a sweet, sticky, fruity center.
Baking tip: Press the hollow before baking, and press it again gently halfway through if it puffs up. Fill with jam before baking so it sets.
8. Coconut Macaroons
Coconut macaroons are chewy mounds made from shredded coconut bound with egg whites and sugar, or with sweetened condensed milk. They contain no flour, so they are naturally gluten-free. The outside bakes to a golden, slightly crisp crust and the inside stays moist. The bottoms are often dipped in dark chocolate. They should not be confused with French macarons, which are smooth almond sandwich cookies.
Taste and texture: Sweet, chewy, and moist, with a strong coconut flavor.
Baking tip: Line the tray with baking paper, because macaroons stick, and bake until the tips of the coconut are well browned for the best flavor.
More Christmas Cookies to Try
- Spritz cookies: buttery German cookies pushed through a cookie press into wreaths, trees, and stars.
- Snickerdoodles: soft cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a slight tang from cream of tartar.
- Pfeffernusse: small German spice cookies with pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, covered in a sugar glaze.
- Biscotti: Italian cookies that are baked twice so they are dry and crunchy, made for dipping in coffee.
- Peanut butter blossoms: soft peanut butter cookies with a chocolate candy pressed into the center.
- Peppermint cookies: chocolate or sugar cookies topped with crushed candy canes.
How to Build a Christmas Cookie Tray
A good tray mixes flavors, textures, and colors. Choose one spiced cookie such as gingerbread, one buttery cookie such as shortbread, one chocolate cookie, one with jam, and one decorated cookie for color. Serve them with a hot drink from our guide to types of coffee, and for a savory side see types of cheese and types of bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular type of Christmas cookie?
Sugar cookies and gingerbread are the two most popular Christmas cookies, mainly because both can be cut into holiday shapes and decorated.
How long do Christmas cookies stay fresh?
Most Christmas cookies stay fresh for one to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Crisp, dry cookies such as shortbread and biscotti last the longest.
Can you freeze Christmas cookies?
Yes. Most baked cookies and most cookie doughs freeze well for up to three months. Freeze decorated cookies in a single layer first so the icing does not smear.
Which Christmas cookies are best for mailing?
Sturdy cookies travel best. Shortbread, gingerbread, biscotti, and snowballs hold up well, while thin or heavily iced cookies are more likely to break.
What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?
A macaroon is a chewy coconut cookie. A macaron is a French sandwich cookie made from almond flour and meringue with a creamy filling.