Christmas is a wonderful time of year with many traditions. Putting up decorations, listening to Christmas music, and, of course, baking cookies. Finding good cookies to bake can feel like more of a challenge than you initially expect. There are so many recipes out there, and you don't want to make the same exact cookies year after year. That gets boring.

We've rounded up lots of Christmas cookie recipes for you here, to hopefully make your search easier. Many of these recipes are relatively straightforward to make. We recommend either bookmarking this page, or printing it out and cutting out the recipes you want to keep. Stick them in your cookbook so you can reference them in the future.

And, of course, make sure to have your kids help you with these recipes! Part of the fun of the holiday season is doing things with others, and that includes making cookies with your kids. If you don't find the recipes you're looking for in this article, don't fret. We have lots of other Christmas cookie recipes on our website.

Christmas Cookies

Napoleon Creams

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup margarine
3 tablespoons milk
1 3-3/4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups powdered sugar
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons margarine

Directions:

1. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat combine 1/2 cup margarine, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until margarine is melted.

2. Add one beaten egg. Stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add graham crackers and coconut, mix well.

3. Press into a greased 9×9″ baking pan.

4. Cream together 1/2 cup margarine, milk, pudding mix, and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy, then spread over the crust. Chill until firm.

5. In the top of a clean double boiler over low heat, stir together chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons margarine until melted.

6. Cool slightly and spread over pudding layer. Chill until set. Cut into small bars (2″ x 3/4″) to serve.

No-Bake Apricot Balls

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) package dried apricots
1 cup hazelnuts
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Place apricots and hazelnuts in food processor. Cover and process, using quick on-and-off motions, until finely chopped.

2. Place mixture in large bowl. Stir in cracker crumbs and milk.

3. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months.

No-Bake Honey-Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup diced dried fruit and raisin mixture
1 1/2 cups Wheaties® cereal
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Butter square pan, 9 × 9 × 2 inches. Heat sugar, butter, honey, and cinnamon to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

2. Stir in dried fruit. Stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Press mixture in pan with back of wooden spoon. Cool completely. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Squares

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine — softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped peanuts
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. Line square pan, 9 × 9 × 2 inches, with aluminum foil. Beat powdered sugar, butter, 1 cup peanut butter and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.

2. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and peanuts (mixture will be stiff). Press in pan.

3. Melt chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Spread over bars.

4. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.

5. Remove from pan, using foil to lift; fold back foil. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Store covered in refrigerator.

No-Roll Coconut-Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups butter or margarine — softened
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350º. Beat 2 cups sugar, the butter, coconut, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.

2. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Press bottom of glass into dough to grease, then dip into sugar; press on shaped dough to flatten slightly.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

No-Roll Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine — softened
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Beat sugars, butter, oil, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.

2. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.

3. Heat oven to 375º. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Press bottom of glass into dough to grease, then dip into granulated sugar; press on shaped dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set but not brown.

5. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Norwegian Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
red and/or green colored sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts; beat until light and fluffy.

2. Add flour and nuts and beat until just moistened. Cover and chill until firm enough to handle.

3. Shape into 1 inch balls; Place 2 inchs apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten with a glass dipped in colored sugar.

4. Bake until cookies are set.

Nut Cookie Tartlets

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 (3 oz.) packages of cream cheese
1 cup butter or margarine
6 tablespoons white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. To make pastry, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add the white sugar, 2 cups flour and blend well.

2. Shape into balls about 1-inch in diameter (flour palms of hands to facilitate rolling).

3. Place ball in greased tartlet pan and flatten. Should fill pan by 3/4.

4. Make filling by mixing together vanilla, egg, brown sugar, and chopped nuts.

5. After flattening ball in tartlet tin, make a thumb print in center and fill with a full 1/2 tsp. of nut filling.

6. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan.

Nut Horns

Ingredients:

Dough:

4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup margarine
3 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream
1 package dry yeast

Filling:

3 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups ground nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Sift flour, and salt. Sprinkle yeast over flour. Cut in margarine.

2. Make a well and pour in beaten egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla. Knead until smooth.

3. Refrigerate at least one hour.

4. Make filling, by beating egg whites until stiff. Fold in sugar, nuts, and vanilla. Set aside.

5. Remove dough from refrigerator, form into ball, and flatten until it resembles a thick pizza crust. Cut into 8 triangles.

6. Roll each triangle into size of 10 inch pie crust; cut into 8 triangles.

7. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling at wide end, and roll into crescents, pinching ends under.

8. Bake at 375F on ungreased cookie sheets for 15-18 minutes.

Christmas Cookie Recipes Index