The short answer: for Christmas treats, make a baking list first, then bake doughs and candy that keep well early in December and decorate closer to the day. The Christmas baking list helps you plan it.
- Cookies: Christmas cookies and a Christmas cookie box.
- Candy: Christmas candy, fudge and peppermint bark.
- Hosting a swap? How to host a cookie exchange.
Our picks for christmas treats & baking
Printables
Family Recipe Binder
Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.
$6.99Buy
Printables
Christmas Budget & Gift Planner
Set a budget for every person, log each purchase, and watch what's left - plus printable gift, card, menu and to-do pages.
$4.99Buy
Ideas and how-tos
- Christmas Cookies Start here81 Christmas cookie recipes priced per dozen (52¢ to $3.19), Christmas sugar cookies, a shopping list, a baking schedule and freez…
- Chocolate crinkle cookiesAn easy chocolate crinkle cookies recipe made with cocoa: exact amounts, the chill time that makes the crackle, bake times, fixes,…
- Christmas Crack RecipeAn easy Christmas crack recipe with 5 ingredients: saltine toffee, step-by-step directions, fixes for chewy toffee, 10 variations …
- Christmas Desserts30 Christmas desserts by type, from easy no-bake candy to yule log, with a make-ahead timeline, how much to make and food safety a…
- Christmas baking listA Christmas baking list template: choose what to bake, build one grocery list, bake in a smart order, plan a baking week and store…
- Christmas candyChristmas candy you can make at home: 20 easy and classic recipes, a candy thermometer stage chart, how long each keeps, and tips …
- Christmas cookie box ideasChristmas cookie box ideas: a balanced lineup, how many cookies per box, a baking timeline, packing and shipping tips and a cost p…
- Christmas jamMake Christmas jam with strawberries, cranberries, sugar, pectin and warm spices. Small-batch fridge version, gift tag ideas and s…
- Christmas snacksEasy Christmas snacks for parties, kids and movie nights, grouped into sweet, savory, healthy and make-ahead ideas, plus a budget …
- Fudge recipeAn easy fudge recipe with chocolate chips and condensed milk, a classic cooked fudge with temperatures, flavor variations, fixes, …
- Gingerbread cookiesA soft gingerbread cookie recipe for gingerbread men: amounts, chilling and rolling tips, bake times for soft or crisp cookies, ic…
- Gingerbread house ideasGingerbread house ideas for beginners and pros: 20 easy designs, candy roof and wall ideas, no-bake graham cracker houses and tips…
- Homemade eggnogMake creamy homemade eggnog on the stove: ingredients, how to cook the custard to 160°F, spiked and alcohol-free options, dairy sw…
- Hot chocolate recipeA rich homemade hot chocolate recipe with cocoa and real chocolate, amounts for 1, 4 or 12 cups, a slow cooker version, a dry mix …
- Hot cocoa bar ideasHot cocoa bar ideas with a setup checklist, 40 toppings, five themes, how much to buy for 10, 20 or 30 guests, food-safety tips an…
- How to make peanut brittleHow to make peanut brittle: exact temperatures, a step-by-step stovetop method, a microwave version, fixes for chewy brittle and t…
- Molasses cookiesA soft, chewy molasses cookie recipe with exact amounts and spices, how to get crinkly tops, chill and bake times, make-ahead free…
- Peppermint barkPeppermint bark recipe with 4 ingredients: exact amounts for 12 oz dark and white chocolate, how to keep the layers stuck, gift pa…
- Royal icingAn easy royal icing recipe for sugar cookies: meringue powder and egg white versions, piping and flood consistency, coloring, dryi…
- Rum ballsAn easy no-bake rum balls recipe with vanilla wafers, pecans and cocoa: exact amounts, how long to let them age, non-alcoholic swa…
- Shortbread cookiesA classic shortbread cookie recipe with butter, sugar and flour: exact amounts, pan or cut-out methods, bake times, flavor swaps, …
- Snickerdoodle recipeA snickerdoodle recipe for soft, chewy cookies: exact amounts, why cream of tartar matters, the cinnamon sugar coating, bake times…
- Snowball cookiesAn easy snowball cookies recipe with 6 ingredients: exact amounts, the double sugar roll, nut-free swaps, fixes for flat or crumbl…
- Spritz cookiesA classic butter spritz cookie recipe for a cookie press: amounts, why the dough won't stick and how to fix it, bake times, decora…
- Sugar cookie recipeA sugar cookie recipe for soft cut-outs that keep their shape: exact amounts, chilling times, bake times by thickness, decorating,…
- Thumbprint cookiesA buttery jam thumbprint cookie recipe: amounts, how to keep the wells from cracking or spreading, filling ideas, make-ahead freez…
- WassailAn easy wassail recipe with apple cider, orange juice and warm spices, plus slow cooker steps, a big-batch chart, an adult version…
Guides
- Host a cookie exchangeHow to host a cookie exchange: how many guests and cookies, simple rules, a three-week timeline, host supplies, packaging and alle…