30 Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes Too Good To Trade
These Christmas cookie recipes are perfect for baking, gifting, or swapping this season.
Planning a Christmas cookie exchange or just want some new Christmas cookie ideas?
You’ll find plenty here.
These easy Christmas cookie recipes are simple to make and fun to decorate.
There’s everything from Christmas sugar cookies and truffles to gingerbread and shortbread.
You can also try a few Christmas cookie decorating ideas to fill your Christmas cookie box or share with friends.
So, grab your mixing bowl and get baking, it’s the sweetest way to celebrate the holidays.
CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
1. Christmas Sugar Cookie Truffles
These truffles are perfect for using up leftover cookies in the easiest way.
You just crush the cookies, mix them with cream cheese until dough-like, then roll and chill.
Dip them in melted white chocolate, add some festive sprinkles, and they’re ready to go for any cookie exchange.
2. Easy Christmas Cutout Cookies
Turn simple ingredients into the kind of Christmas cookies that are perfect for cookie swaps.
The dough is easy to work with, keeps those festive shapes looking cute, and bakes up soft with that buttery vanilla flavor everyone loves.
Once they’re iced and sprinkled, they disappear fast at any holiday cookie exchange.
3. Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Soft sugar cookies get a festive upgrade with sprinkle-covered edges and a peppermint candy cane kiss on top.
They’re sweet, minty, and add such a fun pop of color to any holiday cookie tray.
This is the kind of treat people always reach for first.
4. Snowball Cookies
One bite into these snowball cookies and you get that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a fun little burst of chocolate inside.
The thick coating of powdered sugar makes them feel extra cozy and Christmas-ready.
They’re perfect for adding something simple but special to your holiday dessert tray.
5. Grandmas Shortbread Cookies
There’s just something so comforting about classic shortbread at Christmas.
The buttery texture, pretty pressed shapes, and simple sprinkles make these look special without much effort at all.
They’re perfect when you want a soft, not-too-sweet cookie for your holiday tray.
6. Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
A little sweet, a little salty, and loaded with all the good stuff, these kitchen sink cookies are impossible to resist.
With pretzels, candy, chocolate, and sprinkles baked right in, every bite tastes different in the best way.
They’re perfect when you want one cookie that feels like five treats in one.
7. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
These pinwheel cookies are such a classic Christmas look with those red, green, and white swirls.
They’re soft, lightly sweet, and feel extra festive stacked up on a dessert table.
I love how they look just as good as they taste — perfect for gifting or sharing during the holidays.
8. Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies
Soft sugar cookies filled with creamy frosting and rolled in festive sprinkles feel both classic and fun at the same time.
Every bite is sweet, colorful, and a little nostalgic in the best way.
These are perfect when you want something that looks playful but still feels bakery-worthy.
9. Melting Snowman Cookies
These melted snowman cookies are almost too cute to eat (almost).
The soft shortbread base with that marshmallow “snowman” on top gives them such a fun, playful look for Christmas.
They’re perfect when you want something festive that makes everyone smile before the first bite.
10. Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Rich chocolate cookies with a glossy chocolate center always feel like a little extra treat at Christmas.
The soft cookie base with that fudgy middle is such a good combo, especially with a sprinkle of festive color on top.
These are perfect for anyone who always reaches for the chocolate option first.
11. Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
How fun are these gluten free chocolate cookies rolled in festive red, green, and white sprinkles?
They’re soft on the inside with just the right amount of chew, and that colorful coating makes them extra cute on a holiday tray.
Perfect for when you want something chocolatey that still feels Christmas-ready.
12. Chocolate Crackle Cookies
That powdered sugar crackle on top is what makes these rich chocolate cookies so hard to resist.
They’re soft and fudgy on the inside with that pretty cracked finish, and the chocolate flavor really comes through.
A simple but always-loved holiday favorite.
13. Best Gingerbread Cookies
That classic gingerbread spice smell alone makes these feel like Christmas.
They’re soft in the center, perfectly spiced, and so fun to decorate with icing and sprinkles.
The kind of cookie that instantly brings the cozy holiday vibes.
14. Vegan Christmas Cookies
That soft green icing and cute tree shapes make these vegan Christmas cookies feel extra special.
They’re lightly sweet, perfectly soft, and decorated in a way that feels cozy but still stylish.
Such a pretty option when you want something festive that everyone can enjoy.
15. Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
That thick, frosted layer on top with all the festive sprinkles makes these sugar cookie bars so hard to resist.
They’re soft, buttery, and way easier than rolling out a whole batch of cut-out cookies.
Perfect when you want that classic sugar cookie flavor with less effort and more fun.
16. Grinch Heart Cake Mix Cookies
OMG tell me these don’t scream the Grinch in the best way possible.
That bright green crackle cookie with the red heart center is such a cute little nod to his soft side.
Fun, festive, and perfect when you want something playful on your Christmas dessert table.
17. Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mmm, don’t you just love gingerbread spice and all things nice mixed with melty chocolate chips?
These cookies are soft, cozy, and packed with that warm holiday flavor in every bite.
The perfect mix of spicy, sweet, and chocolatey comfort.
18. 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms
These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are about as simple and satisfying as cookies get — just peanut butter, sugar, and egg, topped with a chocolate kiss for extra magic.
Soft, nutty, and sweet with just the right amount of gooey chocolate in the center.
A cozy, no-fuss treat everyone will want to grab when they pop in for coffee or holiday hangouts.
19. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
You’ll love how these soft sugar cookies get a fresh holiday twist with creamy icing and little pops of peppermint on top.
The tree shape makes them extra cute, and that minty crunch adds the perfect finishing touch.
Such a fun one for Christmas baking when you want something classic with a little sparkle.
20. Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
Oh yes — these cookies bring together cozy gingerbread spice and creamy cheesecake filling for something seriously delicious.
Soft, warm, and full of holiday flavor, with that sweet creamy center that steals the show.
A must-bake when you crave something cozy but a little unexpected this season.
21. Frosted Red Velvet Cookies
These red velvet cookies have a soft, mild cookie base that pairs so perfectly with that creamy, slightly tangy frosting on top.
The extra cookie crumbs add the best little bit of texture to balance out all that sweetness.
Even better, they’re gluten free, nut free, egg free, and can easily be made dairy free too.
22. Gingerbread Tree Cookies
You’ll love how these gingerbread tree cookies mix cozy spice with an easy, playful holiday look.
They bake up soft with just the right amount of chew, and the little candy “ornaments” make them so fun to decorate.
A low-effort, festive cookie with all the Christmas charm.
23. Eggnog Cookies
One bite of these soft eggnog cookies brings all those cozy holiday spices together in the best way.
With hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and that classic eggnog flavor, they feel warm and festive right away.
A sweet, nostalgic treat for anyone who loves seasonal flavors.
24. Classic Christmas Shortbread Cookies
I love how these Christmas shortbread cookies keep things simple but festive — buttery and lightly sweet with little pops of red and green non-pareils.
They’re easy to roll, cut, or shape however you like (cookies, squares, sticks … you choose).
Perfect when you want classic, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that still feel holiday-ready.
25. Snowflake Gingerbread Cookies
That snowflake shape with royal-icing details just screams holiday charm.
The cookies are soft, chewy, and warmly spiced with classic gingerbread, and the clean edges help the snowflakes hold their shape perfectly.
Cozy, festive, and a guaranteed sweet hit whenever you bake them.
26. 4 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
Grandma’s shortbread recipe comes together with just four simple ingredients and your favorite sprinkles on top.
You can also roll out the dough and cut it into cute shapes if you feel like getting creative.
These easy no-chill cookies are always a family favorite.
27. Butter Pecan Meltaways
Butter pecan meltaway cookies are easy to make and perfect for gifting during the holidays.
With finely chopped pecans inside and a light dusting of powdered sugar on top, they look so pretty on a baking tray.
Soft, buttery, and always a classic favorite.
28. Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
That chocolate-peppermint combo hits just right — rich cocoa flavor meets a refreshing mint kick in these protein-packed truffles.
They’re vegan, gluten-free, no-bake and easy to whip up, and they still feel like a festive treat instead of a diet snack.
Perfect when you want something indulgent but a little lighter for holiday snacking.
29. Winter Oreo Penguins
How absolutely cute are these little Oreo penguins with their tiny candy earmuffs and sweet faces?
They’re no-bake, fun to make, and totally perfect for adding something playful to your holiday treats.
A guaranteed smile-maker for kids and adults alike.
30. peppermint Candy Cane Cookies
That sweet twist of red and white makes these cookies look like holiday magic on a plate.
With the classic peppermint flavor and a bit of crunch, they’re festive, fun, and impossible to resist.
Perfect when you want a holiday cookie that tastes like Christmas.
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