Christmas cookies: 81 classic, easy and cheap ideas, with cost per dozen

The short answer: the most loved christmas cookies are the simple ones: sugar cookies, gingerbread, snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate crinkles and shortbread. They are cheap, too: the 53 we priced cost 52 cents to $3.19 a dozen, and most are under $2 to bake at home.

• 81 ideas, with a cost per dozen, freezing and gift-box notes for the 53 we priced
• Cheapest to bake: spritz (52¢ a dozen), snickerdoodles (74¢) and chocolate crinkles (81¢)
• Plan it: pick three to five kinds, freeze doughs the first week of December, decorate the week of Christmas
• Free and paid next step: get the free holiday budget starter kit (we email it to you), or plan it all with the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99).

Christmas cookies ingredient prices on this page were checked November 4, 2026; below are 81 ideas, a cost-per-dozen table, a printable shopping list, recipes, a baking schedule, and freezing and safety tips.

The most loved Christmas cookies are the simple ones: sugar cookies, gingerbread, snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate crinkles and shortbread. Pick three to five kinds, bake the doughs that freeze well early in December, and decorate the week of Christmas. Below are 81 Christmas cookie ideas, what each one costs per dozen, a baking schedule, how many to make, and storage and safety tips from the USDA and the FDA's flour safety guidance. Our Christmas countdown makes it easy to see how many baking weekends are left. New to the oven? Start with these easy baking recipes for beginners to learn the basics before the holiday rush.

Classic Christmas cookies (12 ideas)

1. Cut-out sugar cookies with royal icing or simple glaze.
2. Gingerbread men with molasses, ginger and cinnamon. Extra dough? Try one of these gingerbread house ideas.
3. Snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugar.
4. Peanut butter blossoms with a chocolate kiss pressed in the center.
5. Chocolate crinkle cookies rolled in powdered sugar.
6. Russian tea cakes, also called snowball cookies or Mexican wedding cookies.
7. Shortbread, plain or dipped in chocolate.
8. Spritz cookies pressed into wreaths and trees.
9. Thumbprint cookies filled with raspberry or apricot jam.
10. Linzer cookies with a jam window.
11. Pizzelles, thin Italian waffle cookies.
12. Molasses cookies with crackly sugar tops.

Easy Christmas cookies (12 ideas)

These are drop cookies, no-roll cookies and no-bake treats that suit beginners and busy weeknights:

1. Chocolate chip cookies with red and green candies.
2. Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies.
3. No-bake chocolate oat cookies.
4. Cake mix cookies with sprinkles.
5. Peppermint chocolate cookies.
6. Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies.
7. Slice-and-bake sugar cookies rolled in sprinkles.
8. Melted snowman cookies made with a sugar cookie, icing and a marshmallow.
9. Chocolate-dipped pretzel rods (not a cookie, but always on the tray).
10. Christmas tree brownie bites.
11. Coconut macaroons.
12. Cornflake wreaths with green-tinted marshmallow.

Christmas cookies from around the world (11 ideas)

1. German lebkuchen, spiced honey cookies.
2. Italian biscotti with almonds and dried cranberries.
3. Swedish pepparkakor, thin ginger snaps.
4. Austrian vanillekipferl, crescent-shaped vanilla almond cookies.
5. Norwegian krumkake, rolled cone cookies.
6. Dutch speculaas, spiced windmill cookies.
7. Mexican polvorones, crumbly shortbread rolled in powdered sugar.
8. Greek kourabiedes, butter almond cookies.
9. Polish kolaczki filled with jam.
10. Scottish shortbread baked in a round and cut into wedges.
11. Italian rainbow cookies, layered almond cake with chocolate.

15 more Christmas cookies (ideas 36 to 50)

These round the list out to 50. Each has a time, a swap and a tip; the ones marked with a price are in the cost table below.

1. Brown sugar cookies (35 minutes; about $1.02 a dozen). Soft, caramel-tasting drop cookies. Swap: add a teaspoon of cinnamon. Tip: pull them while the centers look a little underdone. Freeze baked; good in boxes.
2. Cream cheese cookies (35 minutes plus 1 hour chill; about $0.88 a dozen). Half the butter is swapped for cream cheese, so they are tender and cheap. Swap: press in a spoonful of jam. Tip: chill the dough or they spread. Freeze baked, unfrosted.
3. Cranberry orange shortbread (45 minutes). Add chopped dried cranberries and orange zest to the shortbread below. Swap: lemon zest. Tip: slice-and-bake logs freeze for weeks. Sturdy enough for shipping.
4. Oatmeal cranberry spice cookies (35 minutes; about $1.53 a dozen). The oatmeal raisin cookie, made festive. Swap: raisins work too. Tip: rest the dough 15 minutes so the oats soak. Freeze baked or as scooped dough.
5. Eggnog snickerdoodles (40 minutes; about $0.78 a dozen). Snickerdoodle dough with nutmeg in the rolling sugar. Swap: use rum extract in place of half the vanilla. Tip: fresh nutmeg is stronger, so use half. Freeze baked.
6. Hot cocoa cookies (40 minutes; about $1.94 a dozen). Chocolate cookies topped with a mini marshmallow in the last 2 minutes. Swap: a drizzle of melted chocolate on top. Tip: press the marshmallow in cut side down. Best fresh; freeze the cookies before adding marshmallows.
7. Chocolate peppermint crinkles (30 minutes plus 2 hours chill). Crinkle dough with ½ teaspoon peppermint extract. Swap: crushed candy canes on top. Tip: roll thickly in powdered sugar for bright cracks. Freeze the dough balls before rolling in sugar.
8. Candy cane twist cookies (1 hour). Twist a rope of plain and a rope of red sugar cookie dough into a cane. Swap: skip the dye and dip ends in red sanding sugar. Tip: keep one half chilled while you roll the other. Fragile, so pack them in a single layer.
9. Pinwheel sugar cookies (1 hour plus chill). Roll two colors of dough together, roll up and slice. Swap: chocolate dough for one layer. Tip: freeze the log 20 minutes for clean slices. The log freezes well.
10. Stained glass cookies (1 hour). Cut a window in sugar cookies and fill it with crushed hard candy before baking. Swap: any clear hard candy works. Tip: bake on parchment so the candy releases. Store dry; humidity makes the windows sticky.
11. Christmas tree sandwich cookies (1 hour). Two tree cut-outs with jam or frosting between them. Swap: Linzer-style with a cut-out top. Tip: fill the day you serve. Freeze the unfilled cookies.
12. Butterscotch haystacks (15 minutes, no bake). Melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter tossed with crunchy noodles or pretzels. Swap: chocolate chips. Tip: drop onto parchment and chill 20 minutes to set. Keep cool in a box.
13. Reindeer peanut butter cookies (45 minutes). Peanut butter cookie balls with pretzel antlers and a red candy nose. Swap: use chocolate chips for eyes. Tip: press antlers in right after baking while the cookie is soft. A big hit for kids' boxes.
14. Chocolate-dipped peanut butter cracker sandwiches (20 minutes, no bake). Peanut butter between two round buttery crackers, dipped in melted chocolate. Swap: almond bark for a white coating. Tip: chill on parchment until set. Not for shipping in warm weather.
15. Cinnamon roll cookies (1 hour plus chill). Sugar cookie dough rolled with cinnamon sugar, sliced and glazed. Swap: brown sugar in the filling. Tip: glaze only after they cool. The unbaked log freezes well.

31 more cheap Christmas cookies (ideas 51 to 81)

Each of these is priced from the same store-brand shopping list as the table, so the whole list of 81 shares one set of ingredients. Costs count only what the batch uses.

51. Cinnamon sugar butter cookies (35 minutes; about $0.96 a dozen). Round butter cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, like a snickerdoodle without the cream of tartar tang. Why it's cheap: Every ingredient is a pantry staple, and the one spice is about 10 cents a batch. Swap: add ½ tsp ginger to the coating. Tip: flatten balls with a glass bottom for even edges. Freeze baked or as dough balls; good in boxes.
52. Gingersnaps (40 minutes; about $0.71 a dozen). Thin, crackly spice cookies that snap when you bite them. Why it's cheap: A quarter cup of molasses flavors 4 dozen, and a longer bake makes them small and crisp. Swap: skip the sugar roll and dip half in melted white chips. Tip: bake 2 minutes longer than for chewy molasses cookies so they snap. Keep months in a tin; ship well.
53. Chocolate shortbread (45 minutes; about $1.35 a dozen). Plain shortbread with a quarter cup of cocoa swapped in for some flour. Why it's cheap: No eggs, no leavening and just five ingredients. Swap: press a few chocolate chips on top before baking. Tip: chill the cut shapes 15 minutes so the edges stay sharp. Slice-and-bake logs freeze for weeks; ships well.
54. Chocolate snickerdoodles (40 minutes; about $0.83 a dozen). The snickerdoodle dough with cocoa, rolled in cinnamon sugar. Why it's cheap: It adds about 45 cents of cocoa to one of the cheapest cookies on the list. Swap: roll in sugar with a pinch of ginger. Tip: pull them when the edges set; they firm up on the pan. Freeze baked or as dough; good in boxes.
55. Peanut butter oatmeal cookies (35 minutes; about $1.01 a dozen). Chewy flourless drop cookies made from peanut butter and oats. Why it's cheap: No butter and no flour, so it skips the two biggest-volume buys. Swap: stir in ½ cup chocolate chips (about 97 cents more). Tip: let the dough rest 10 minutes so the oats soften. Freeze baked; good in boxes (not for nut-free tins).
56. Gingerbread bars (40 minutes; about $1.53 a dozen). Soft gingerbread baked in one pan and cut into squares. Why it's cheap: No rolling, chilling or cutters, and one pan feeds a crowd. Swap: cream cheese frosting instead of glaze (about $1 more). Tip: line the pan with parchment for clean lifts. Freeze unglazed; pack flat.
57. Snickerdoodle bars (40 minutes; about $1.74 a dozen). Snickerdoodle flavor in one pan of blondie-style bars. Why it's cheap: Bars take one bake, so you save the time of scooping 4 dozen. Swap: use the eggnog topping with nutmeg. Tip: cool fully before cutting. Freeze cut bars; good in boxes.
58. White chocolate cranberry shortbread (45 minutes; about $1.50 a dozen). Red-flecked slice-and-bake shortbread with white chocolate. Why it's cheap: Half a cup each of cranberries and chips colors 30 cookies. Swap: chopped walnuts for the chips. Tip: chop the cranberries so slices cut clean. The log freezes for weeks; ships well.
59. Chocolate blossoms (45 minutes; about $2.79 a dozen). Chocolate dough balls with a kiss pressed in after baking. Why it's cheap: The dough uses only half a cup of butter; the bag of kisses is most of the cost. Swap: top with a chocolate chip trio instead of kisses (about $1.40 a dozen). Tip: unwrap the kisses before the first tray comes out. Freeze baked; pack flat.
60. Brigadeiros (Brazilian fudge balls) (30 minutes plus 1 hour cool; about $1.45 a dozen). Brazil's party candy: condensed milk and cocoa cooked thick, rolled in sprinkles. Why it's cheap: One can makes 30 bites, and there is no flour, oven or egg. Swap: roll in coconut instead of sprinkles. Tip: butter your hands before rolling. Refrigerate; not for shipping.
61. Coconut snowballs (20 minutes plus 1 hour chill; about $1.88 a dozen). No-bake coconut balls that look like snow. Why it's cheap: Two pantry items do most of the work and no oven is needed. Swap: dip the bottoms in melted chocolate chips. Tip: chill the mixture before rolling or it sticks. Keep cold; freezes well.
62. Peanut butter balls (buckeyes) (45 minutes plus chill; about $1.53 a dozen). No-bake peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate to look like a buckeye nut. Why it's cheap: Peanut butter is cheaper than butter cup for cup, and half a bag of chips dips 3 dozen. Swap: roll in cocoa instead of dipping. Tip: use a toothpick to dip, then smooth the hole. Freeze well; keep cool.
63. Cake mix gooey butter cookies (25 minutes plus 1 hour chill; about $1.18 a dozen). Soft cookies from St. Louis's gooey butter cake, made with a cake mix. Why it's cheap: A $1.28 box replaces flour, sugar and leavening. Swap: add ½ tsp cinnamon to the mix. Tip: the dough is sticky, so chill it a full hour. Freeze baked; pack flat.
64. Italian Christmas cookies (glazed knots) (1 hour; about $1.46 a dozen). Soft cake-like knots with a sweet glaze and nonpareils. Why it's cheap: Eggs and baking powder give volume, so they use half the butter of a sugar cookie. Swap: lemon zest in the glaze. Tip: glaze while slightly warm and add sprinkles right away. Freeze unglazed.
65. Jam shortbread bars (45 minutes; about $1.63 a dozen). Shortbread crust, jam middle and a crumb top, cut into squares. Why it's cheap: The same jam as thumbprints, with no shaping. Swap: any jam works. Tip: cool completely before cutting. Freeze cut bars; pack flat.
66. Chocolate chip shortbread (45 minutes; about $1.62 a dozen). Buttery shortbread studded with mini chips. Why it's cheap: Half a cup of chips goes a long way in a dense dough. Swap: chopped walnuts. Tip: mini chips slice cleaner than regular. Log freezes; ships well.
67. Mexican hot chocolate cookies (40 minutes; about $1.09 a dozen). Chocolate cookies warmed with cinnamon, like Mexican hot chocolate. Why it's cheap: Cocoa gives deep chocolate flavor without a bag of chips. Swap: a pinch of cayenne for heat. Tip: don't overbake; they should look soft in the middle. Freeze baked; good in boxes.
68. Double chocolate cookies (40 minutes; about $1.95 a dozen). Chocolate dough with chocolate chips for the chocolate lovers' box. Why it's cheap: Half a bag of chips plus cocoa costs less than a full bag. Swap: white chips for a red-and-white look with sprinkles. Tip: press extra chips on top right out of the oven. Freeze dough balls or baked.
69. Cranberry oatmeal bars (45 minutes; about $2.19 a dozen). Chewy oatmeal cookie bars full of red cranberries. Why it's cheap: Oats stretch the flour, and one pan saves time. Swap: add ½ cup white chips. Tip: cut while barely warm. Freeze cut bars.
70. Brown sugar walnut icebox cookies (40 minutes plus chill; about $1.03 a dozen). Old-fashioned slice-and-bake cookies with brown sugar and walnuts. Why it's cheap: Thin slices make 4 dozen from one batch. Swap: cranberries instead of walnuts. Tip: roll logs in wax paper and freeze for weeks. Logs freeze; ships well.
71. Coconut condensed milk bars (45 minutes; about $2.57 a dozen). A cheaper cousin of magic cookie bars with a shortbread crust. Why it's cheap: No graham crackers or nuts, which are the costly parts. Swap: white chips. Tip: line the pan with parchment; the topping is sticky. Freeze cut bars; pack flat.
72. Cream cheese sugar cookie bars (45 minutes; about $2.17 a dozen). A pan of soft sugar cookie topped with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. Why it's cheap: All the look of frosted cut-outs with no rolling. Swap: glaze instead of frosting. Tip: frost only when fully cool. Keep chilled; freeze unfrosted.
73. Gingerbread sandwich cookies (1 hour plus chill; about $3.19 a dozen). Two spiced gingerbread rounds with cream cheese filling. Why it's cheap: It is the gingerbread dough plus about $1.25 of filling for 18 sandwiches. Swap: jam filling. Tip: fill the day you serve and keep chilled. Freeze cookies unfilled.
74. Cranberry walnut slice-and-bakes (40 minutes plus chill; about $1.41 a dozen). Red-and-gold logs you slice and bake straight from the freezer. Why it's cheap: Half cups of fruit and nuts stretch across 40 cookies. Swap: skip the nuts for nut-free tins. Tip: roll logs in sugar for a sparkly edge. Logs freeze for weeks.
75. Molasses oatmeal cookies (35 minutes; about $1.05 a dozen). Soft, spiced oatmeal cookies with molasses. Why it's cheap: Oats replace some flour and butter at 28 cents a cup. Swap: add ½ cup cranberries. Tip: underbake slightly for chew. Freeze baked or as dough.
76. Peanut butter cookie bars (35 minutes; about $1.90 a dozen). Peanut butter cookie dough baked as bars and topped with melted chocolate. Why it's cheap: Peanut butter replaces some butter, and a thin chocolate layer covers the pan. Swap: sprinkles on the chocolate. Tip: score bars before the chocolate sets. Freeze cut bars.
77. Brown butter sugar cookies (45 minutes; about $0.93 a dozen). Drop sugar cookies made with browned butter for a toffee taste. Why it's cheap: Browning butter adds flavor for free. Swap: roll in sugar with cinnamon. Tip: chill the brown butter until soft-solid before mixing. Freeze baked.
78. Chocolate coconut no-bake cookies (20 minutes plus set; about $1.37 a dozen). No-bake chocolate oat cookies with coconut. Why it's cheap: Coconut costs about 62 cents a cup and adds chew. Swap: skip the peanut butter and add 2 Tbsp more butter. Tip: boil exactly 1 minute or they won't set. Freeze set cookies.
79. White chocolate dipped gingersnaps (50 minutes; about $1.23 a dozen). Gingersnaps dipped in white chocolate for a two-tone box. Why it's cheap: The dip is one cup of chips across 4 dozen. Swap: dip in dark chocolate chips. Tip: add crushed candy cane before the coating sets. Store cool; ship in cold months.
80. Sprinkle sugar cookie drops (30 minutes; about $1.73 a dozen). Drop sugar cookies rolled in holiday sprinkles; no cutters or icing. Why it's cheap: The sprinkles do the decorating. Swap: red and green sanding sugar. Tip: roll balls while the dough is cold for full coverage. Freeze baked.
81. Walnut thumbprints (50 minutes; about $1.99 a dozen). Old-fashioned thumbprints rolled in chopped walnuts before filling. Why it's cheap: A cup of walnuts dresses 3 dozen, about 88 cents a dozen in nuts. Swap: coconut instead of walnuts. Tip: re-press the wells halfway through baking. Freeze before filling.

Three easy Christmas cookie recipes

Chocolate crinkle cookies (makes about 36)

Whisk 1 cup of flour, half a cup of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, beat 1 cup of sugar with a quarter cup of oil, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, then stir in the dry mix. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight, because it is very soft. Roll tablespoon-size balls in granulated sugar and then thickly in powdered sugar. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The tops crack as they bake, leaving the white snowy look that makes them a holiday favorite.

Peanut butter blossoms (makes about 40)

Beat half a cup of butter with half a cup of peanut butter, half a cup of sugar and half a cup of brown sugar. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, then one and three-quarter cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of salt. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar and bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Press a chocolate kiss into each cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven. Kids love this step, and it is a good job to hand them while you handle the hot pans.

Easy sugar cookies for cutting out (makes about 30)

Beat 1 cup of softened butter with 1 cup of sugar, then add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and half a teaspoon of almond extract if you like it. Mix in 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt. Divide the dough into two disks, wrap them and chill for an hour, or freeze for later. Roll a quarter inch thick on a floured counter, cut shapes and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges set. Let them cool fully before icing.

Cheap Christmas cookies: what each batch costs per dozen

We priced 53 of these Christmas cookies with store-brand ingredients from Walmart.com on November 4, 2026, using the exact amounts in the recipes on this page. Prices are for the store Walmart.com shows by default, so your store may differ a little. Each cost counts only what the batch uses, such as 1 cup of butter from a 1-pound pack, not the whole package. The table is sorted cheapest first, and it scrolls sideways on a phone.

Butter is the biggest cost in most of these cookies. A pound of store-brand unsalted butter was $2.96 at Walmart.com, below the U.S. city average of $3.96 a pound for salted grade AA stick butter in September 2026 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data (series APU0000FS1101). If your butter costs closer to the national average, add about 50 cents to each batch that uses a cup of butter, which works out to 10 to 25 cents more a dozen.

What pushes a cookie up the list is one bag of something: a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips ($3.86) in chocolate chip cookies, a bag of kisses ($5.97 for 9.5 ounces) in peanut butter blossoms, or a 14-ounce bag of coconut ($3.26) in macaroons. Use half a bag of chips and they drop to about $1.25 a dozen.

Printable Christmas cookie shopping list

Print this page, or copy the list into the grocery list in your planner. One of each covers several of the batches above.

Recipes for the cookies in the cost table

The crinkles, blossoms and sugar cookies have full recipes above. These are the amounts we priced for the rest. Bake drop cookies at 350°F for 9 to 12 minutes unless noted.

• Spritz (makes 60): 1 cup butter, ⅔ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, 2¼ cups flour, ¼ tsp salt. Press through a cookie press; bake 8 to 10 minutes.
• Snickerdoodles (makes 48): 1 cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2¾ cups flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt. Roll in 3 Tbsp sugar mixed with 1 Tbsp cinnamon. Swap: no cream of tartar? Use 2 tsp baking powder and skip the soda.
• Eggnog snickerdoodles (makes 48): the snickerdoodle dough, rolled in sugar with 2 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies (makes 24): 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg. Fork-press and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
• Shortbread (makes 24): 1 cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 cups flour, ¼ tsp salt. Press into a pan or roll and cut; bake at 325°F for 18 to 22 minutes.
• Molasses cookies (makes 36): ¾ cup butter, 1 cup sugar (plus ¼ cup to roll), ¼ cup molasses, 1 egg, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, ½ tsp salt.
• Gingerbread men (makes 36): ¾ cup butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup molasses, 1 egg, 3¼ cups flour, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt. Chill 2 hours, roll ¼ inch thick.
• Cream cheese cookies (makes 36): ½ cup butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt.
• Brown sugar cookies (makes 36): 1 cup butter, 1½ cups packed brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt.
• Jam thumbprints (makes 36): 1 cup butter, ⅔ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup jam for filling.
• Snowball cookies (makes 36): 1 cup butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2¼ cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¾ cup chopped walnuts. Roll warm cookies in 1 more cup of powdered sugar.
• Almond cranberry biscotti (makes 30): 2 cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ cup sliced almonds, ½ cup dried cranberries. Bake as two logs at 350°F for 25 minutes, slice, then bake 10 minutes a side.
• Cake mix sprinkle cookies (makes 24): 1 box yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, ⅓ cup oil, half a 2.5-oz jar of sprinkles.
• No-bake chocolate oat cookies (makes 36): boil 2 cups sugar, ½ cup butter, ½ cup milk and ¼ cup cocoa for 1 minute, then stir in ½ cup peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla and 3 cups oats. Drop on parchment and let set.
• Oatmeal cranberry spice (makes 36): ¾ cup butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, 3 cups oats, 1 cup dried cranberries.
• Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate (makes 48): 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 3 cups oats, 1 cup cranberries, 1 cup white chips.
• Chocolate chip cookies (makes 48): 1 cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2¼ cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, one 12-oz bag of chips.
• Hot cocoa cookies (makes 30): ½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, ½ cup cocoa, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup mini marshmallows.
• Coconut macaroons (makes 36): one 14-oz bag coconut, one 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 egg whites whipped stiff, a pinch of salt. Bake at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cinnamon sugar butter cookies (makes 36): 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup to roll, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt; roll balls in the ¼ cup sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon.
• Gingersnaps (makes 48): ¾ cup butter, 1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup to roll, ¼ cup molasses, 1 egg, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt; bake 12 to 14 minutes for crisp.
• Chocolate shortbread (makes 24): 1 cup butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1¾ cups flour, ¼ cup cocoa, ¼ tsp salt; bake at 325°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
• Chocolate snickerdoodles (makes 48): 1 cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2½ cups flour, ¼ cup cocoa, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt; roll in ¼ cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Peanut butter oatmeal cookies (makes 36): 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups oats, 1 tsp baking soda; bake 10 to 12 minutes.
• Gingerbread bars (makes 24): ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup molasses, 1 egg, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt; bake in a 9x13 pan at 350°F for 20 minutes; glaze with ½ cup powdered sugar and a little water; cut 24 bars.
• Snickerdoodle bars (makes 24): 1 cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2¾ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt; top with ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon; 9x13 at 350°F for 25 minutes.
• White chocolate cranberry shortbread (makes 30): 1 cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup chopped dried cranberries, ½ cup white chips; shape a log, chill, slice and bake at 325°F for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Chocolate blossoms (makes 36): ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar (¼ cup for rolling), 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, ⅓ cup cocoa, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt, one 9.5-oz bag of kisses.
• Brigadeiros (Brazilian fudge balls) (makes 30): one 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2½ Tbsp cocoa, 1 Tbsp butter; stir over low heat 10 to 12 minutes until it pulls from the pan; cool, roll into 30 balls and coat in half a jar of sprinkles.
• Coconut snowballs (makes 30): one 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups coconut plus ½ cup to roll, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla; chill, roll into balls.
• Peanut butter balls (buckeyes) (makes 36): 1 cup peanut butter, ¼ cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla; roll, chill, then dip in 1 cup melted chocolate chips, leaving a circle of peanut butter showing.
• Cake mix gooey butter cookies (makes 30): 1 box yellow cake mix, 4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, 1 egg, ½ tsp vanilla; chill, roll in ½ cup powdered sugar.
• Italian Christmas cookies (glazed knots) (makes 36): ½ cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder; shape knots and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes; glaze with 1½ cups powdered sugar and a little water, then sprinkles.
• Jam shortbread bars (makes 24): 1 cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 cups flour, ¼ tsp salt; press ⅔ into an 8x8 pan, spread ¾ cup jam, crumble the rest with ½ cup oats on top; bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
• Chocolate chip shortbread (makes 24): 1 cup butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup mini chocolate chips; log, chill, slice and bake at 325°F.
• Mexican hot chocolate cookies (makes 36): ¾ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1¾ cups flour, ½ cup cocoa, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon; roll in ¼ cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Double chocolate cookies (makes 36): 1 cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, ½ cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup chocolate chips.
• Cranberry oatmeal bars (makes 24): ¾ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, 1½ cups oats, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 cup dried cranberries; 9x13 at 350°F for 22 minutes.
• Brown sugar walnut icebox cookies (makes 48): 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup chopped walnuts; shape logs, chill, slice ¼ inch thick.
• Coconut condensed milk bars (makes 24): crust of ½ cup butter, ¼ cup sugar, 1¼ cups flour; bake 15 minutes; top with one 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups coconut and ½ cup chocolate chips; bake 25 more minutes.
• Cream cheese sugar cookie bars (makes 24): ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder; press in a 9x13; bake 18 minutes; frost with 4 oz cream cheese and 1½ cups powdered sugar; top with half a jar of sprinkles.
• Gingerbread sandwich cookies (makes 18): the gingerbread men dough (makes 36 small rounds), filled with 4 oz cream cheese, 2 Tbsp butter and 1 cup powdered sugar.
• Cranberry walnut slice-and-bakes (makes 40): 1 cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2½ cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup chopped cranberries, ½ cup chopped walnuts.
• Molasses oatmeal cookies (makes 36): ¾ cup butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup molasses, 1 egg, 1½ cups flour, 2 cups oats, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp each cinnamon and ginger.
• Peanut butter cookie bars (makes 24): ½ cup butter, ¾ cup peanut butter, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda; 9x13 at 350°F for 20 minutes; spread ½ cup melted chips on top.
• Brown butter sugar cookies (makes 36): 1 cup butter browned and cooled, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2¼ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt.
• Chocolate coconut no-bake cookies (makes 36): the no-bake chocolate oat recipe with 1 cup of the oats swapped for 1 cup coconut, plus ½ cup milk (milk not in the price).
• White chocolate dipped gingersnaps (makes 48): the gingersnap batch, half-dipped in 1 cup melted white chips.
• Sprinkle sugar cookie drops (makes 36): 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt; roll balls in one 2.5-oz jar of sprinkles.
• Walnut thumbprints (makes 36): 1 cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour; roll balls in the egg white and 1 cup chopped walnuts; fill with ½ cup jam.

Christmas sugar cookies: one dough, five ways

The cut-out sugar cookie dough above costs about $2.72 a batch, so it is the cheapest way to fill a whole tray with different-looking Christmas sugar cookies. Make one double batch and split it:

1. Cut-outs with simple glaze or royal icing.
2. Pinwheels from two colors of dough rolled together.
3. Candy cane twists with one plain and one tinted rope.
4. Stained glass windows filled with crushed hard candy.
5. Sprinkle slice-and-bakes rolled in sprinkles before slicing.

For more on soft, rolled and cut-out versions, see our full sugar cookie recipe.

Decorating Christmas cookies without the stress

• Use a simple glaze of powdered sugar and a little milk for kids. It dries smooth and needs no piping bag.
• Save royal icing for one batch. Fine piping is slow; pick one cookie shape to decorate in detail and keep the rest simple.
• Set out sprinkles in a muffin tin so each color has its own cup and less ends up on the floor.
• Let icing dry overnight before stacking or boxing cookies.

Christmas cookie baking schedule

The trick to stress-free Christmas cookies is baking the doughs that freeze well first.

Plan the baking on the holiday calendar so it does not clash with school events and parties. If you are hosting or going to a cookie swap, our guide on how to host a cookie exchange covers how many cookies each guest brings and how to set up the table.

How many Christmas cookies to make

Want more than cookies on the dessert table? Our list of 30 Christmas desserts adds pies, bars, trifles and no-bake treats. If little helpers keep reaching for the mixing bowl, make a separate batch of edible cookie dough that is meant to be eaten raw.

Food safety for Christmas cookie baking

• No raw dough tasting. The FDA's Handling Flour Safely page explains that raw flour has not been treated to kill germs like E. coli, so raw cookie dough and batter are not safe to eat. Bake fully first.
• Wash up between batches. Wash hands, bowls and counters after handling raw dough and eggs, especially if kids are helping.
• Freeze with confidence. USDA's Freezing and Food Safety page says food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe indefinitely. Quality is what changes, so wrap cookies and dough tightly and plan to use them within a few months.
• Label your tins. Write the cookie name, date and any allergens, such as nuts or peanut butter.

Storing Christmas cookies

1. Cool cookies completely before storing, or steam turns them soft.
2. Keep crisp cookies and soft cookies in separate containers.
3. Layer cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper.
4. Store iced cookies in a single layer until the icing has fully set, usually overnight.
5. Freeze cookies undecorated when you can; icing can crack or bleed when thawed.

Christmas cookies on a budget

Butter, chocolate and nuts are the costly parts of Christmas cookies. Ways to keep baking affordable:

Short on time? A pan of saltine toffee is one of the cheapest treats to make. Our Christmas crack recipe takes about 30 minutes and makes a big batch for gift tins. For another tin filler, try peanut brittle.

• Plan recipes around shared ingredients so you buy flour, sugar, butter and eggs in larger packs.
• Use one base dough three ways. A sugar cookie dough can become cut-outs, thumbprints and sprinkle slice-and-bakes.
• Choose drop cookies over rolled cookies for big batches; they make more cookies with less waste.
• Set a baking budget. Treat cookies like any other holiday line. Our Christmas budget planner has a menu and food line for this, and the Christmas budget calculator adds it up for you.
• Bake the cheap ones in bulk. Spritz, snickerdoodles and shortbread all cost under $1 a dozen in our table, so make those the base of a cookie box and add one pricier chocolate cookie.
• Track the price of butter. Write the price of butter, flour, sugar and chips in a grocery price book and stock up when butter goes on sale before December.
• Shop with one list. Our guide on how to grocery shop on a budget covers store brands, unit prices and sticking to the list.

The Christmas baking list is a good place to write down every recipe and ingredient before you shop. Giving cookies? Our Christmas cookie box guide shows how to pack them.

Christmas baking is easier with a plan for the whole season. Our Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) includes a holiday budget, gift list, holiday calendar, to-do timeline, holiday menu and grocery list, so cookie supplies go on the same list as everything else.

Save your family's cookie recipes

Many Christmas cookie recipes come from a grandparent's handwritten card. Keep them in one place so they are not lost:

• Family Recipe Binder ($6.99): dividers including Desserts, Baking and Holidays, a recipe index, 4x6 recipe cards and a fillable version you can type into.
• Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99): plan cookie gifts on the gift list and baking days on the holiday calendar.
• Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99; the six items cost $25.94 separately): the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner plus a Sinking Funds Tracker, Meal Planner & Grocery List and more for the season.

Choose your favorite three to five Christmas cookies, write them on the calendar and start with the doughs that freeze. By the week of Christmas, most of the work is already done, and the only job left is decorating with the family.

For an adult holiday sweets tray, add rum balls and label them clearly because they contain alcohol.