20 Easy Holiday Cookie Recipes for Beginners (With Baking Times)

These 20 easy holiday cookie recipes use pantry ingredients, basic equipment and simple techniques, so they work even if you have never baked a batch of cookies before. You’ll find short recipes for each, a baking times and temperatures table to keep on the fridge, and practical advice on storing, freezing and shipping cookies so they arrive in one piece.

Before You Start: Five Beginner Rules

1. Measure flour correctly. Spoon it into the cup and level it with a knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and makes dry, cakey cookies.
2. Soften butter properly. It should dent when pressed but not look greasy. About an hour on the counter usually does it.
3. Use parchment paper. It prevents sticking and makes cleanup easy.
4. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for the most even results, and let sheets cool between batches.
5. Don’t taste raw dough. The FDA’s guide to handling flour safely warns never to eat raw flour, dough or batter, because flour can carry bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella and raw eggs carry their own risk.

Classic Drop Cookies

1. Chocolate chip cookies

Cream 1 cup softened butter with 3/4 cup each white and brown sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix in 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt, then 2 cups chocolate chips. Drop tablespoon-size balls onto the sheet and bake at 375°F for 9 to 11 minutes.

2. Snickerdoodles

Cream 1 cup butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar, add 2 eggs, then mix in 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roll balls in a mix of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes. The cream of tartar gives the classic tang, so don’t skip it.

3. Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies

Make a basic dough with 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt. Stir in 3 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup white chocolate chips. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Red and white make them look festive with zero decorating.

4. Chocolate crinkle cookies

Whisk 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 2 eggs with 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt. Chill the sticky dough at least 2 hours, roll into balls, coat heavily in powdered sugar and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. They crack into a snowy pattern as they bake.

5. Lemon crinkle cookies

The bright cousin of chocolate crinkles. Cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup sugar, add 1 egg, the zest of two lemons and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt. Roll in powdered sugar and bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes.

6. Cake mix cookies

The easiest baked cookie on this list. Stir one box of cake mix with 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil, then fold in sprinkles or chocolate chips. Scoop and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. A red velvet mix with white chips looks especially seasonal.

Shaped and Rolled Cookies

7. Cut-out sugar cookies

Cream 1 cup butter with 1 cup sugar, add 1 egg and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, then 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Chill the dough for an hour, roll to about 1/4 inch and cut shapes. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are barely golden. Decorate with a simple icing of powdered sugar, milk and a little vanilla.

8. Gingerbread cookies

Cream 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup brown sugar, then beat in 1 egg and 1/2 cup molasses. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Chill at least 2 hours, roll 1/4 inch thick and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Thinner cookies get crisp; thicker ones stay soft.

9. Molasses crinkles

Use a soft gingerbread-style dough (3/4 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ginger and cinnamon). Roll balls in coarse sugar and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. No rolling pin, no cutters, all the holiday spice.

10. Peanut butter blossoms

Mix 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup each white and brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt. Roll balls in sugar and bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into each cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven.

11. Thumbprint cookies

Mix 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups flour. Roll into balls, press a thumbprint into each and fill with jam. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Raspberry and apricot are classic; a little lemon curd works too.

12. Snowball cookies (Russian tea cakes)

Mix 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while warm, then again once cool.

13. Spritz cookies

Beat 1 cup butter with 2/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, then add 2 1/4 cups flour and a pinch of salt. Press through a cookie press onto an ungreased, unlined sheet so the dough sticks, and bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes. Tint the dough green for trees or wreaths.

14. Classic shortbread

Just three main ingredients: 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 cups flour, plus a pinch of salt. Press into a pan or roll and cut into rectangles, prick with a fork and bake at 325°F for about 18 to 22 minutes for cut cookies (longer for a full pan) until pale golden. Shortbread keeps and ships better than almost anything.

15. Pecan sandies

Mix 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour and 1 cup chopped toasted pecans. Shape into small rounds, flatten slightly and bake at 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes, until the bottoms are golden.

16. Slice-and-bake cranberry orange cookies

Make a shortbread-style dough with orange zest and chopped dried cranberries, roll it into logs and chill or freeze. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep a log in the freezer and you can bake fresh cookies for surprise guests in 15 minutes.

17. Coconut macaroons

Stir together a 14-ounce bag of sweetened shredded coconut, 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in 2 egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. Scoop onto parchment and bake at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Dip the bottoms in melted chocolate if you like. Naturally flour-free.

No-Bake Holiday Cookies

18. Chocolate peanut butter no-bakes

Bring 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup cocoa to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 cups quick oats. Drop onto parchment and let set about 30 minutes. If they stay sticky, the mixture didn’t boil long enough; if crumbly, it boiled too long.

19. Cornflake wreaths

Melt 1/2 cup butter with a 10-ounce bag of marshmallows, stir in green food coloring and about 6 cups cornflakes. With buttered hands, shape small wreaths on parchment and press on red candies. Kids love making these, but the mixture is hot, so adults should handle the first step.

20. Butterscotch haystacks

Melt 1 cup butterscotch chips with 1/2 cup peanut butter, then stir in a 5-ounce can of chow mein noodles and a handful of peanuts or mini marshmallows. Drop into small mounds and chill until firm. Ten minutes of work, no oven.

Baking Times and Temperatures at a Glance

Cookie	Oven	Time	Chill dough?	Ships well?
Chocolate chip	375°F	9-11 min	Optional	Yes
Snickerdoodles	375°F	8-10 min	No	Yes
Oatmeal cranberry	350°F	10-12 min	Optional	Yes
Chocolate crinkles	350°F	10-12 min	Yes, 2 hrs	Fair
Lemon crinkles	350°F	9-11 min	Optional	Fair
Cake mix cookies	350°F	8-10 min	No	Fair
Cut-out sugar cookies	350°F	8-10 min	Yes, 1 hr	Yes, if icing is fully dry
Gingerbread	350°F	8-10 min	Yes, 2 hrs	Very well
Molasses crinkles	350°F	10-12 min	Optional	Yes
Peanut butter blossoms	375°F	8-10 min	No	Fair (chocolate can melt)
Thumbprints	350°F	12-14 min	Optional	Fair
Snowballs	350°F	12-15 min	Optional	Yes
Spritz	375°F	7-9 min	No	Yes
Shortbread	325°F	18-22 min	Optional	Very well
Pecan sandies	350°F	14-16 min	Optional	Yes
Slice-and-bake cranberry orange	350°F	10-12 min	Yes, until firm	Yes
Coconut macaroons	325°F	20-25 min	No	Yes
Chocolate no-bakes	Stovetop	1 min boil, 30 min set	No	Fair
Cornflake wreaths	Stovetop	Set 1 hr	No	Fair
Butterscotch haystacks	Microwave or stovetop	Chill 30 min	No	Poor in warm weather

Ovens vary, so check the first batch two minutes early. Cookies keep baking on the hot sheet for a minute or two after you take them out.

How to Store Holiday Cookies

• Cool completely before storing, or steam will make them soggy.
• Store soft and crisp cookies separately. Soft cookies make crisp ones go limp.
• Use airtight containers with parchment between layers, especially for iced cookies.
• Room temperature: most cookies on this list keep well for several days to about a week; shortbread and gingerbread often last longer.
• Freeze baked cookies in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to about three months. Thaw at room temperature before unwrapping.
• Freeze dough instead for the freshest results: scoop balls onto a sheet, freeze, then bag them. Bake from frozen and add a minute or two.

How to Ship Cookies So They Arrive Whole

1. Choose sturdy cookies. Shortbread, gingerbread, snickerdoodles, spritz and oatmeal cookies travel well. Avoid cream cheese frosting and anything that needs refrigeration.
2. Pack tight. Stack cookies back to back in pairs, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in a tin or rigid container.
3. Fill every gap with crumpled parchment, bubble wrap or mini marshmallows so nothing shifts.
4. Box inside a box. Put the tin in a shipping box with padding on all sides and mark it “Fragile, perishable.”
5. Ship early in the week so packages don’t sit in a warehouse over the weekend.

For 2026, the USPS recommended holiday shipping dates for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous U.S. are Dec. 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express. Recommended dates are not guarantees, so sending a few days earlier is safer for baked goods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest holiday cookie for a beginner?

Cake mix cookies and chocolate no-bakes need the fewest steps. Among from-scratch recipes, snickerdoodles and shortbread are very forgiving.

Why did my cookies spread flat?

Usually the butter was too soft or melted, the dough was too warm, or the baking sheet was still hot from the previous batch. Chill the dough for 30 minutes and use a cool sheet.

How far ahead can I bake holiday cookies?

Most baked cookies freeze well for up to about three months, so you can bake in early December or even November. Ice decorated cookies closer to serving.

Can I make cookies without eggs?

Several recipes here, including shortbread and the no-bake cookies, contain no eggs. Others may work with commercial egg replacers, though texture can change.

Is it safe to eat raw cookie dough?

No. The FDA advises not to eat raw flour, dough or batter. Some stores sell edible cookie dough made with heat-treated flour and no raw eggs, which is designed to be eaten unbaked.

What’s the best cookie to mail?

Shortbread and gingerbread hold up best because they are firm and dry. Pack them tightly and ship early in the week.

Pick Three and Start Baking

You don’t need all 20. Choose one drop cookie, one shaped cookie and one no-bake, and you’ll have a varied plate with an afternoon of work. Make a double batch of the one your family likes best, freeze half the dough, and you’ll be ready when someone drops by in December.