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The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake with Kids: 20 Festive Favorites

ByDIYer

Baking cookies with kids is one of the best holiday traditions. It’s messy, joyful, and full of laughs. This roundup includes classic favorites and creative twists, all designed to be kid-friendly, fun to decorate, and absolutely delicious.

1. Classic Sugar Cookies with Holiday Cutouts

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp almond extract (optional)

  • Colored sugar or sprinkles for decorating

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

  2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

  3. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.

  4. Gradually add flour mixture. Roll dough ¼-inch thick.

  5. Cut into shapes, sprinkle with sugar, bake 8–10 mins. Cool completely.

Kid Tip: Let children decorate with icing, sprinkles, or edible glitter.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

  2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugars; add vanilla and eggs.

  3. Mix in flour, then chocolate chips.

  4. Drop rounded tablespoons on baking sheets. Bake 9–11 mins. Cool on wire racks.

Kid Tip: Kids can scoop dough and fold in chocolate chips. Add mini M&Ms for a colorful twist.

3. Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour

  • ¾ tsp baking soda

  • ¼ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tbsp ginger

  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

  • ½ tsp cloves

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • ¾ cup butter, softened

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • ½ cup molasses

Instructions:

  1. Mix dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar; add egg, vanilla, molasses.

  2. Stir in dry ingredients. Chill dough 1–2 hrs.

  3. Roll ¼-inch thick, cut shapes, bake 350°F (175°C) 8–10 mins. Cool.

  4. Decorate with royal icing or candies.

Kid Tip: Let kids pipe icing and add small candy decorations.

4. Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 2 cups flour

  • Pinch of salt

  • ½ cup jam (strawberry, raspberry, or apricot)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cream butter and sugar, mix in vanilla.

  2. Add flour and salt. Roll into 1-inch balls.

  3. Press thumb into center; fill with jam. Bake 12–15 mins. Cool.

Kid Tip: Kids can choose their jam flavors and press thumbprints.

5. No-Bake Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups quick oats

  • 1 cup chocolate chips

  • ½ cup peanut butter

  • ¼ cup honey

  • ½ tsp vanilla

  • Crushed peppermint candies

Instructions:

  1. Melt chocolate, peanut butter, honey on low heat. Stir in vanilla.

  2. Mix in oats. Drop spoonfuls on parchment, sprinkle crushed peppermint.

  3. Chill 30–45 mins until firm.

Kid Tip: Kids can mix and sprinkle toppings.

6. Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 ¾ cups flour

  • 2 tsp cream of tartar

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 2 tbsp sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon (for rolling)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs.

  2. Mix dry ingredients, combine. Roll dough into balls, coat in cinnamon sugar.

  3. Bake 8–10 mins.

Kid Tip: Kids love rolling dough in cinnamon sugar.

7. Funfetti Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¾ cups flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • ½ cup holiday sprinkles

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda.

  2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla.

  3. Add flour mixture and sprinkles. Bake 10–12 mins.

Kid Tip: Kids love mixing in the sprinkles themselves.

8. Candy Cane Kisses Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch sugar cookie dough

  • 24 chocolate kisses

  • 12 mini candy canes

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven per sugar cookie recipe.

  2. Bake small sugar cookies 8–10 mins.

  3. Press a chocolate kiss into warm cookies, add half a mini candy cane. Cool.

Kid Tip: Kids can assemble the chocolate and candy on cooled cookies.

9. Chocolate-Dipped Snowflakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch shortbread cookies, snowflake-shaped

  • 1 cup dark chocolate

  • Edible glitter

Instructions:

  1. Bake cookies per shortbread recipe.

  2. Melt chocolate; dip half of each cookie. Sprinkle edible glitter. Cool.

Kid Tip: Kids can add their own glitter designs.

10. Reindeer Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch peanut butter or sugar cookie dough

  • Pretzels for antlers

  • Chocolate chips for eyes

  • Red M&M for nose

Instructions:

  1. Bake cookies per recipe.

  2. Press pretzels for antlers, add chocolate chip eyes, red M&M nose.

Kid Tip: Kids can assemble reindeer faces creatively.

11. Hot Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch chocolate cookies

  • Mini marshmallows

  • White chocolate for drizzling

Instructions:

  1. Bake chocolate cookies.

  2. Top warm cookies with mini marshmallows, drizzle white chocolate.

Kid Tip: Kids can stack marshmallows and drizzle chocolate carefully.

12. Snowball Cookies (Russian Tea Cakes)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (for dough) + more for rolling

  • ½ tsp vanilla

  • 2 ¼ cups flour

  • ½ cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour and nuts.

  2. Roll into balls, bake 350°F 12–15 mins. Cool slightly, roll in powdered sugar.

Kid Tip: Kids love shaking cookies in powdered sugar.

13. Elf Hat Cookies

Ingredients:

  • Mini sugar cookies

  • Frosting (green or red)

  • Chocolate candy for pom-pom

Instructions:

  1. Frost cookies to look like little hats.

  2. Add chocolate candy on tip.

Kid Tip: Let kids design their own elf hats.

14. Candy Bark Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch sugar cookie dough

  • Melted chocolate

  • Crushed candy or sprinkles

Instructions:

  1. Bake cookies per recipe.

  2. Spread melted chocolate on top, sprinkle candies, cool.

Kid Tip: Kids can sprinkle toppings themselves.

15. Santa Hat Cookies

Ingredients:

  • Strawberry or sugar cookies

  • Whipped cream or frosting

  • Mini marshmallows

Instructions:

  1. Top cookie with frosting in a cone shape.

  2. Add mini marshmallow at tip for Santa hat.

Kid Tip: Kids love shaping the frosting.

16. Snowman Cookies

Ingredients:

  • Sugar or chocolate cookie base

  • Marshmallows

  • Chocolate chips for eyes/buttons

  • Orange icing for nose

Instructions:

  1. Stack marshmallows on cookie base.

  2. Use chocolate chips and icing to make face and buttons.

Kid Tip: Kids can decorate snowmen however they like.

17. Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch sugar cookie dough (divide red/white with food coloring)

Instructions:

  1. Roll colored dough into layers, form log, slice into pinwheels.

  2. Bake 10–12 mins at 350°F.

Kid Tip: Kids can press layers together with supervision.

18. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ cup cocoa powder

  • 1 cup sugar

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

  • 2 eggs

  • Powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions:

  1. Mix dry ingredients, add sugar, oil, eggs.

  2. Chill dough 2 hours. Roll balls in powdered sugar.

  3. Bake 350°F 10–12 mins.

Kid Tip: Kids will love watching the cookies crack as they bake.

19. Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch gingerbread cookies

  • Cream cheese frosting or Nutella

Instructions:

  1. Bake gingerbread rounds.

  2. Sandwich frosting between two cookies.

Kid Tip: Kids can help spread frosting and assemble sandwiches.

20. Mini Christmas Tree Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

  • Brownie batter

  • Triangle cookie cutter

  • Green frosting

  • Mini sprinkles or candies

Instructions:

  1. Bake brownies, cool. Cut triangles.

  2. Frost green, add candy ornaments.

Kid Tip: Kids can decorate their own mini trees.

Final tips for cooking with kids!

  • Prep ingredients ahead of time

  • Let kids decorate freely

  • Use parchment mats for easy cleanup

  • Keep recipes simple and flexible

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