These 42 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes Are the Gift That Keeps On Giving

Whether you pair them with a cup of homemade hot chocolate, pile them high on a cookie plate (which makes the perfect edible gift!) or bake a batch to ship to someone special, it’s always a good idea to have a few cookie recipes you can rely on during the holiday season. We like to think that these are those recipes. Once you have a few cookie basics down and learn a couple of handy tips, the rest is simple—especially with this collection of festive recipes, perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Wondering where to start? Try these sweet-and-spiced treats that taste just like a cup of Yuletide cheer!

These jolly little Santas will delight everyone at your next holiday gathering. You can bake the cookie bites ahead of time and decorate them at the last minute, so Santa’s strawberry hat stays perky and fresh.

Sweet potato and snickerdoodle lovers unite! A generous amount of canned sweet potato puree in the dough produces a fluffy cookie with the perfect chewy edge. Eddie tops them off with the quintessential cinnamon-sugar coating, then adds a piping of fluffy cream cheese frosting for a festive finish.

These classic jam thumbprint cookies from Ina Garten feature a rich, buttery base and sweet fruity centers, making them a festive favorite for cookie swaps and holiday platters alike.

A classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting has been taken to new level of ooey gooey buttery goodness, just in time for the holidays.

Cornflakes get dressed for the holidays when mixed with a green marshmallow coating. Shaped into individual wreaths and topped with festive candies, these crunchy treats are a fun no-bake project.

These chocolatey, coconutty cookies are sure to be a hit at your next holiday cookie swap. It’s important to add the chocolate candy to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven, while they’re still soft and pliable; so, if your kitchen is on the cooler side, simply turn off your oven (to prevent overbaking) and work with one baking sheet at a time. The secret to that telltale coconut cookie chew is letting them cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing.

We love the imperfection of these festive smashed cookies. The addition of two eggs gives the centers a tender and soft texture, while the crinkled edges get ever so slightly golden and crisp. Top with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze for a holiday treat perfect for a cookie tin.

The combination of white peppermint bark atop a chocolate cookie base equals the ultimate holiday treat. This big-batch recipe is ideal for cookie swaps, festive parties or even wrapping up as gifts. It is also easy enough for baking with the whole family. Instead of forming individual cookies, you break the giant sheet into pieces, just like you would with traditional bark.

Loaded with gooey chocolate and melty peanut butter cups, these irresistible cookies from Ree Drummond are a fun and decadent addition to any holiday dessert spread.

If you love cutesy gingerbread cookies, but not the work it usually takes to make them, then this recipe is for you. These cookies have the same great flavor as the classic cutouts but there’s no need for a rolling pin, cookie cutters, icing or special equipment like piping tips. Instead, just shape the gingerbread people by pressing your fingerprint into the dough as you would with a thumbprint cookie. Then fill the indentations with easy microwave-melted chocolate and top off the holiday treats with festive sprinkle buttons.

This quick and easy bake-sale classic goes over the top for the holidays — we've loaded the bars with your favorite Christmas candies.

These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays, thanks to the generous addition of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and refreshing peppermint candies. Make sure to chill the dough before baking to ensure a thick and fluffy cookie that your friends and family will enjoy in their holiday tins.

These powdery snowball-shaped treats melt in your mouth create a sugary mashup of nutmeg, rum, and bourbon. Yum!

These biscotti have the same warm spices and crispy-crunchy texture that you love in a traditional gingerbread person, but require less time and effort than the classic cutout cookie! Each one gets an extra dip of melted white chocolate and a sprinkle of sanding sugar, for a sparkly holiday treat fit for a cookie tin. By Amanda Neal for Food Network Kitchen.

Bring the holiday cheer with these festive cookies. They're exploding with sprinkles and yummy drizzled white chocolate.

These holiday sugar cookies sparkle like winter snow! Vegan marshmallows don't have gelatin in them and are the key to an ooey gooey center that stays fluffy throughout baking.

The only way to make this chocolate delight any better? Aromas of espresso and snowy, crackled powdered sugar!

Thanks to the help of a muffin tin, these peppermint-spiked sugar cookies are perfectly round every single time. They're also easy enough for everyone in the family to pitch in to help. Frozen peppermint patties are stuffed in the middle to ramp up the flavor and provide a hidden surprise with the first bite. No need to decorate after baking -- the sprinkles go right on top before going into the oven so that once they are cool, they are ready to go.

Rolling a woven doily over cookie dough leaves an impression which, after baking and glazing with a simple green frosting, looks like the fluffy pine needles of a holiday wreath. A paper doily doesn’t provide enough of an indentation, so using a woven doily is a must—plus it can be washed and used year after year! Tart raspberry jam pairs well with the almond Linzer cookie, but feel free to mix it up with your favorite flavor.

Sandra wishes every holiday cookie was as easy to make as these tropical-inspired sweets (that start with store-bought sugar cookie dough). "The hardest part," Sandra says, "is eating just one!"

A vibrant twist to your standard sugar cookie: The elegant icing swirls and smooth, glossy finish will remind you of a pepperminty candy cane.

Ina's cookies are filled with spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, plus chopped crystallized ginger. A coating of sugar before baking gives them a crinkly crust.

These familiar cookies have crispy edges (thanks to superfine sugar) and a slightly soft middle. The small amount of baking powder ensures that they puff just a little without spreading too much—so they're perfect for cut-outs in all your favorite holiday shapes.

Pignoli cookies may be standard at any Italian bakery but they're actually simple to make at home. Mix them in one bowl and they're ready in less than an hour. Anne Burrell's special touch? A bit of honey.

Cream your butter and sugar until they're very light and fluffy to get a great consistency for these quick-cooking sugar cookies.

Simple, decadent and made in just 35 minutes, Ina's Coconut Macaroons make a great take-along treat.

Who wouldn't love a cookie that's set with a good dose of cinnamon-sugar but still nice and soft in the center?

These golden wreaths give the perfect amount of holiday spirit with their sweet taste and playful appearance.

Crispy cookies with butterscotch and walnut fillings are the best way to treat yourself on a cold winter day!

These peanut butter-filled cookies are creamed together all in one bowl. What could be easier than that?

Feeling a little nutty this Christmas? Add that into your baked goods for some crunchy yumminess with a macadamia and almond combo!

Get festive with this cute and creative treat! Gather your traditional dessert ingredients and experiment with chow mein noodles for the layered structure. Pouring the melted chocolate and the holiday sprinkles over the cookie is what really seals the deal.

Anne is a dark-chocolate fan so she chops it up with walnuts to make these oatmeal cookies nice and chunky. Top them with a sprinkle of sea salt to give them a little something special.

The best alternative to your favorite winter drink? Hot Cocoa Cookies, of course! They've got cinnamon spice wrapped in a chocolatey cookie (perfected with a bonus of tasty almonds and dulce de leche).

Guy folds hazelnuts, coconut and chocolate chips into his blondie batter for an easy, but delicious, treat. Simply spread the batter into a pan, bake for 40 minutes and cool before slicing into individual squares.