5 Christmas Cookies Anyone Can Make

December gets away from me every single year. One minute I’m lighting a pine candle and promising I’ll stay ahead… and the next minute I’m standing in my kitchen needing cookies for a party, a teacher, or a last-minute get-together.

If that’s you too, you’re in the right place.

These are the fast, low-stress Christmas cookies I reach for when I still want something cute and homemade, but I do not have time for complicated dough, chilling overnight, or ten specialty ingredients. Every recipe here comes straight from Pinterest — real cookies people are actually baking and loving.

Think:
• short ingredient lists
• simple directions
• festive enough for a cookie tray or gift plate

Bake what fits your life right now, not some imaginary version of you who had all her shopping done two weeks ago.

Let’s make this easy.

1. Classic Christmas Spritz Cookies

These are the quintessential Christmas cookies — buttery, lightly crisp, and pressed into adorable holiday shapes like trees, wreaths, and stars. They melt in your mouth and look beautiful on any cookie tray. If you grew up with holiday tins or cookie exchanges, these will feel like home.

They’re perfect for last-minute baking: the dough comes together quickly, and you can press out full trays in minutes. Add colored sugar or sprinkles and they instantly look festive without any decorating skills required.

I use this cookie press for all my spritz cookies — it’s super easy to work with 👉 https://amzn.to/3Y0DWJ3 (affiliate link)

Pinterest Pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/71494712806302934/

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2. Easy 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

When the pantry feels bare and you’re out of butter, flour, or half the usual baking supplies, this recipe saves the day. You only need peanut butter, sugar, and an egg — that’s it. The cookies bake up soft, chewy, and naturally gluten-free.

They’re the “I have 20 minutes before I need to leave” cookie. Add a classic fork criss-cross pattern on top to make them look a little more finished.

Pinterest Pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216946907047746248/

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3. Big Soft Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Icing

These soft, puffy sugar cookies are the ones everyone reaches for first. They’re lightly sweet, perfectly soft, and topped with a swirl of vanilla icing that makes them look bakery-level without requiring any actual decorating skills.

Tint the icing or add simple red-and-green sprinkles and they instantly read holiday.

Pinterest Pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/139470919705773606/

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4. Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkles are already a holiday classic, but the peppermint twist makes these feel extra festive. They’re rich and fudgy inside, rolled in powdered sugar on the outside, and bake into that pretty crackled look with zero effort.

They’re a great choice for cookie exchanges or gifting because they look impressive without being overly tricky.

Pinterest Pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/72761350250692333/

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5. No-Bake Ritz Peanut Butter “Snow” Cookies

These might be the easiest cookies on the list — and honestly, the most addictive. You sandwich peanut butter between Ritz crackers, dip them in melted white chocolate, and finish with sprinkles. No oven, no dough, no chilling. Just an assembly line and you’re done.

They hit that perfect salty-sweet combo and look adorable on a holiday plate.

Pinterest Pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/9781324187003979/

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Before You Go…

👉 If you’re looking for another cookie to add to your tray, try these Pecan Snowball Cookies — they’re a classic.

Why I Love Them:
No decorating, no chilling — just mix, roll, bake, and coat in powdered sugar. They’re one of the easiest “traditional” Christmas cookies you can make and always disappear fast.

Looking for something new to make? Start here.

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