Cookies for Christmas: 9 Festive Recipes

If you like baking cookies for Christmas as much as we do, you’ve come to the right place! Cook It has put together a collection of the most splendid festive pastries: from classics to next-level creations. Each recipe personifies our love for chocolate, and we are beyond excited to share this roundup with you.

From shortbread cookies with Nutella to red velvet cookies to chocolate “shots” — each recipe will surprise you and your loved ones. Trust us — they have not yet tried such delicious treats!

Molten Lava Cookies

Large chocolate cookies with Nutella filling.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp shortening
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ⅓ cup chocolate chips
• ¾ cup Nutella

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing in between each.
2. Add cocoa, both types of flour, shortening, baking powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Whisk on low speed until just combined before incorporating chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 410 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
4. Divide the dough into 8 portions, flatten each into a flat cake, and add 1 ½ tablespoon of Nutella to the center. Form the cake into a ball, making sure that Nutella does not seep out.
5. Place half of the balls on a baking sheet, keeping a fairly large distance between them. Top with 5-6 chocolate drops.
6. Place one baking sheet in the oven and the other in the fridge. Bake the first batch until the surface looks just set, about 11 minutes. Remove the molten lava cookies from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before transferring them to a platter. Bake the second batch.

Nutella Shortbread Cookies

Buttery cookies that melt in your mouth — exactly what you need on Christmas day.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• ½ cup Nutella
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and powdered sugar with a mixer until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and Nutella. Add flour, continuing to mix until the dough thickens. Finally, fold in chocolate chips.
2. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it into a quarter-inch-thick rectangle. Pop the dough in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. Once chilled, cut the dough into rectangles.
4. Bake at 325 °F for 18-20 minutes, or until the cookies turn brown at the edges. Let cool before serving.

Red Velvet Cookies

Deep-red festive Christmas cookies with milk and chocolate flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp powdered buttermilk
• 2 tsp red food coloring
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy before adding remaining ingredients and mixing on low speed until smooth. Fold in half of the chocolate chips.
3. Form one-and-a-half-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet, keeping a fairly large distance between them. Top each ball with 4-5 chocolate chips. Gently flatten with your palm. Bake until just set, about 9 minutes.
4. Let cool before transferring to a platter.

Marshmallow Cookies

Hot chocolate chip cookies with melted marshmallows. Delicate, gooey, and fabulously festive.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup hot cocoa mix
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 7 large marshmallows
• 1 tbsp chocolate shavings

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy before adding egg, flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until just combined.
3. Form one-inch balls and arrange them on a baking sheet. Next, cut marshmallows crosswise into two and press the sticky side into the dough ball, forming a flat cake.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Set the oven to a low broil and toast the cookies for another 30 seconds.
5. Let cool before removing from the baking sheet.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Giant Christmas cookies that are soft on the outside and gooey, chocolate-y inside.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups walnuts
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 410 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream cold butter and sugars with a mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat again.
3. Mix in both types of flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda. Add in nuts, and chocolate chips, continuing to mix after each addition.
4. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and form each into a loose ball.
5. Place half of the balls on one baking sheet, the other half — on another. Pop one baking sheet in the fridge while you bake the first batch. Bake the cookies until just set and light brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

Chocolate Shots

Sweet baked “shots” you can fill with milk or cocoa. To make them, you will need a silicone shot glass mold.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ cup butter
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
2. Next, add flour, baking soda, salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Finally, fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon the dough into the shot mold and spread it out using a spatula so that it completely coats the bottom of the mold, making sure there are no gaps. Take another spoonful and cover the sides. You should have a thin layer that completely covers the surface, but it shouldn’t rise to the rim because the cookie dough will expand during baking.
4. Bake until the tops turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the mold from the oven and let cool. Trim any tops that have expanded past the rim. Once cooled, refrigerate the cookie cups for a few hours before removing them from the molds.
5. Melt half of the chocolate chips over a pan of simmering water. Use a brush to coat the bottom and crevices with chocolate. Pop in the freezer for another half hour.
6. Let cookie cups sit at room temperature for a quarter of an hour before filling them with milk or cocoa.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tender Christmas cookies that remain soft for days.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer before adding vanilla and egg.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, starch, salt, and baking soda. Incorporate into the dough and beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Line two baking sheets with parchment and preheat the oven to 350 °F.
4. Scoop two spoonfuls of the dough and form a ball. Arrange the balls on the baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball into a flat cake. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then remove from the baking sheet.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy cookies that are crisp on the outside and chocolate-y inside.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cup chopped large chocolate chunks

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed; add vanilla and egg.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Incorporate it into the butter and egg mixture and mix on low speed until uniform. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chunks. Pop the dough in the fridge for an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Take 3 tablespoons of the dough and form it into a flat cake. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving large gaps between them.
5. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the cookies. Place two baking sheets in the fridge while you bake the first batch. Bake until the edges turn light brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet. Bake the other two batches, one at a time.

Gingerbread Cookies

It’s not Christmas without classic gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp honey
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup butter
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp shortening
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 10 dried apricots
• 1 oz (30 g) walnuts
• 10 prunes
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¾ tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1. To begin with, roast walnuts in a skillet for a couple of minutes.
2. Sift flour coupled with baking powder into a deep bowl. Put dried apricots, prunes, and walnuts through a meat grinder.
3. Combine the mixture with flour, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Grate butter on a coarse grater.
4. In a separate bowl, cream together eggs, brown sugar, and honey, add grated butter and flour with spices, mix everything well again. Stir in the dried fruit and nuts mixture. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.
5. In a deep bowl, use a mixer to cream powdered sugar and egg white. Gradually add lemon juice.
6. Roll out the chilled dough. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and pop them in the oven preheated to 320 °F for 10-15 minutes.
7. Let cool and decorate using the icing.

Treat your family and friends to irresistible Christmas cookies to help them get into the holiday spirit. We guarantee that each of these recipes will produce a holiday-worthy, delicious result. Bon appetit, and merry Christmas!

Valerie

I am an English major with a love of languages and fiction, and with an incurable travel bug. In my free time, I read fantasy, drink copious amounts of coffee, and like to go see movies. Culinary art means everything to me. My main hypostasis is the taster, though. The music school has taught me to appreciate the symphony of airy meringues, to create harmonious overtures of light snacks, hard rock of meat, fish, and vegetables on the grill. Choir classes have accustomed me to hear and feel the people nearby and create perfect harmonies of sounds.