Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes Christmas Cookie Recipes Grandma's Favorite Christmas Cookies Pull out the cookie cutters! By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 27, 2023 Close Photo: Joy Howard Nothing says Christmas like a kitchen filled with the scent of a batch of holiday cookies baking in the oven. Whether you're looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe for a cookie swap, the perfect recipe to make for Santa, or simply a batch to bake up for your family, we've got plenty of ideas to share. While some require baking and some don't, you can't go wrong with any of Grandma's favorite Christmas cookie recipes.Read on for our list of Grandma-approved Christmas cookies. 01 of 16 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Caitlin Bensel It's time to unwrap the Hershey's kisses! Originally published in the February 1986 issue of Southern Living, this recipe will transport you to Grandma's house in just one bite. Get The Recipe 02 of 16 Cathedral Window Cookies Zoe Denenberg, Styling: Rachel Mulcahy Ideal for making with kids, these no-bake cookies make a fun Christmas season activity. They're shaped into logs and cut into slices which reveals the 'stained glass' on the inside. Get The Recipe 03 of 16 Fruitcake Cookies Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless All the flavors of the traditional fruit cake but without the hours (even days!) of course. Serve these cookies with a dose of nostalgia. Grandma will blush with pride. Get the Recipe 04 of 16 Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies Katie Strasberg Rousso Made for chocolate lovers, both the batter and frosting for these drop cookies feature plenty of chocolaty goodness. They're delicious as is, but you can also make them your own with mix-ins like nuts or mint chocolate chips. Get The Recipe 05 of 16 Lemon Thumbprint Cookies Southern Living Thumbprints are a classic holiday season cookie. While you could use a different flavor of jam if desired, we like the festive touch that red jam gives them. Get The Recipe 06 of 16 No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies Zoe Denenberg; Prop Stylist: Rachel Mulcahy Requiring no baking and just 10 minutes of hands-on time, these cookies are easy to make even if you don't consider yourself as good of a baker as Grandma. Plus, you'll need just six ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Get The Recipe 07 of 16 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Jennifer Causey Browning the butter is an extra step, but trust us (and Grandma!) that it's worth the time it takes. You may never make chocolate chip cookies any other way. Get The Recipe 08 of 16 Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living With just four ingredients, and easy prep work, it's easy to see why Grandma loves this recipe. In fact, it's probably our simplest cookie recipe ever. Get The Recipe 09 of 16 Sugar Cookies Carlina Teteris/Getty Images Instead of grabbing a roll of premade sugar cookie dough, use this easy recipe to make them from scratch just like Grandma does. These cookies will cook quickly, so make sure to keep a close eye on them while they're in the oven. Get The Recipe 10 of 16 Cherry Winks Joy Howard Similar to a fruit cake, Cherry Winks are filled with fruits and nuts. The outside is then coated in cornflake cereal for a finishing crunch. Get The Recipe 11 of 16 Spritz Cookies Micah A. Leal Coming together from start to finish in just 30 minutes, this nostalgic cookie gets its fun shape from a cookie press. If you want to add sprinkles after baking, brush cookies with a light layer of corn syrup so they stick. Get The Recipe 12 of 16 Gingerbread Cookies Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Making Gingerbread Cookies from scratch is worth the time and effort needed to bake a batch. Just make sure you don't skip the step of chilling the dough. before cutting it into shapes. Get The Recipe 13 of 16 Molasses Crinkles Hector Manuel Sanchez Whether you've been making these molasses cookies for years like Grandma or are giving them a go for the first time, these flavorful cookies are hard to mess up. Get The Recipe 14 of 16 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Micah A. Leal While there are some recipes she always makes completely from scratch, Grandma knows shortcuts come in handy sometimes. These cheery cookies start with a box of cake mix but still deliver maximum decadence thanks to the addition of white chocolate chips. Get The Recipe 15 of 16 Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies Katie Sikora / Southern Living A fun treat to make for both kids and adults, these nostalgic cookies are just as cute as they are delicious. For a fun activity, every member of the family can design their own 'wreath'. Get The Recipe 16 of 16 Gingersnap Cookies Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Not only are gingersnap cookies delicious, but they'll fill your kitchen with the scent of warm spices so it'll smell just like Grandma's house. Unlike many cookies, the dough doesn't require any chilling so they're ready in just 35 minutes. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit