45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (2024)

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (1)

If you're like us, you've got a few Christmas cookie classics you make every year: Our sugar cookies, gingerbread people, snowball cookies, or candy cane cookies are in our cookie jars and on our dessert plates all season long. The trouble with that is they’re so good, everyone else is making them too! While no one’s complaining about a plethora of the standards, sometimes you might want a break from the same-old. Stand out from the crowd this holiday season with these 45 unique Christmas cookies—you might just find a new favorite you’ll make again year after year.

We’re pulling inspiration from the classics, but with a twist, as well as from holiday cookies around the world that deserve more of a universal spotlight. Craving sugar cookies but want to go beyond basic? Ensure your sugar cookies will be the most beloved of any bunch with our creme brûlée sugar cookies, our Grinch cookies, our stained glass cookies, or our ugly sweater cookies. Love a thumbprint cookie or blossom cookie, but want to switch things up? Try our chocolate hazelnut thumbprint cookies, our British-inspired cherry bakewell cookies, our Polish kolaczki cream cheese cookies, or our cookies 'n' cream blossom cookies. More of a crinkle cookie fan? Try swapping in fruitier flavors for a creative colorful spin, like in our ube crinkle cookies or our lemon butter cookies.

Speaking of fruit flavors, they sometimes get overlooked around the holidays for more flashy options, but no more! Try our coconut cookies, our banoffee cookies, our cherry chocolate chip cookies, or our Italian lemon cookies for ideas. Those, along with our sesame cookies, our panettone cookies, and our tahini cookies, aren’t as over-the-top sweet, which is always a welcome addition to a Christmas cookie spread.

Want more sweet Christmas ideas? Try our favorite Christmas cakes, our best easy/no-bake holiday desserts, and our top holiday cocktails too.

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1

Cake Mix Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (3)

Short for time on baking all of your holiday cookies this year? Think of these cake mix cookies as your magical helpers, here to save the day. These sprinkled cookies use vanilla cake mix to create the softest, fluffiest cookie you've ever had.

Get the Cake Mix Cookies recipe.

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2

Peppermint Snowball Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (5)

This holiday season, we challenge you to a snowball fight! Not with the actual cold stuff, of course, but with these pretty snow white cookies. Better eaten than thrown, these peppermint snowball cookies are similar to polvorones (AKA Mexican wedding cookies), but made Christmas-ready with a hit of peppermint extract.

Get the Peppermint Snowball Cookies recipe.

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3

Panettone Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (7)

To think a fluffy, enriched bread like panettone can somehow translate into a buttery cookie might seem preposterous. But don’t stop reading! These cookie are the perfect base for the orange peel, currants, dried apricots, chocolate, and almonds you love about the original, with half the work.

Get the Panettone Cookies recipe.

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4

Pfeffernüsse

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Barely crunchy on the outside and soft and almost-fudgy on the inside, our version of this German cookie also has a cardamom-flavored glaze. The addition of fresh ginger, orange zest, and rum gives these little bites a warm sweetness that blends well with the dark notes of molasses and black pepper.

Get the Pfeffernüsse recipe.

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5

Santa's Trash Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (11)

Even Santa has a snacky side. These cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, sprinkles, pretzels, and potato chips for the salty-sweet dessert of your (and his!) dreams.

Get the Santa's Trash Cookies recipe.

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6

Strawberry Love Notes

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (13)

Sending sweet cards to loved ones shouldn't just be for Valentine's Day! These strawberry "love notes" are the perfect twist on letters to Santa, and will be a fun, unexpected treat in your holiday cookie exchange. Feel free to change up the jam if you like!

Get the Strawberry Love Notes recipe.

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7

Potato Chip Cookies

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Love chocolate chip cookies? Prepare to meet your new obsession. Sweet and salty, crunchy on the outside and chewy in the center, these potato chip cookies take everything we love about the classic chocolate chip cookie and crank up the volume—big time.

Get the Potato Chip Cookies recipe.

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8

Cookie Brittle

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Cookie brittle is a particularly great hack for the holidays or any time you’re entertaining when you don’t have time or the oven space to bake multiple trays too. Think of it like a faster, easier way to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. 😍

Get the Cookie Brittle recipe.

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9

Kolaczki Cream Cheese Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (19)

Kolaczki cookies are Polish in origin, often made and eaten during the holidays. Some recipes use canned pie filling, though we opted for jam in this version. Use your favorite flavor; just make sure to dilute it with cornstarch and water so it doesn't turn into hard candy during the bake.

Get the Kolaczki Cream Cheese Cookies recipe.

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10

Tiramisu Cookie Cups

Tiramisu is one of our favorite desserts, but the process of making it the traditional way requires a lot of work. This version takes out all the extra work without sacrificing flavor. Another perk: These cup-shaped cookies make it even easier to share and eat.

Get the Tiramisu Cookie Cups recipe.

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11

Sequilhos

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Delicate, buttery, and oh-so-easy-to-make, sequilhos are a household staple across Brazil. Made with a handful of ingredients like butter, cornstarch, and condensed milk, these meltaway cookies also come together in just one bowl.

Get the Sequilhos recipe.

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12

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (25)

Move over peanut butter blossoms, there's a new thumbprint cookie in town. You’ll fall in love with hazelnut flour once you realize how nutty it makes these gianduja-inspired cookies. Melted chocolate adds extra cocoa punch to the dough, while rich and creamy Nutella tops them off.

Get the Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies recipe.

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13

Lace Cookies

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These delicate little lace cookies—also known as Italian Florentine cookies—are so easy to make and a fun addition to your holiday cookie spread. They are shatteringly crispy and caramel-y with just enough flour and almonds to barely hold the cookies together.

Get the Lace Cookies recipe.

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14

Cannoli Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (29)

If you love cannoli, but making them from scratch seems daunting, let us introduce you to these cookies. They all of the flavors you love in a cannoli, like ricotta, orange zest, mini chocolate chips, and pistachios, yet they require just a fraction of the effort (perfect for a busy holiday season!).

Get the Cannoli Cookies recipe.

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15

Ube Crinkle Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (31)

With its striking color and a unique nutty vanilla flavor profile, ube has taken over the world. Upgrade your average crinkle cookie this Christmas with ube extract and ube halaya, a popular Filipino pudding made with ube and condensed milk. Your guests won't know what hit 'em!

Get the Ube Crinkle Cookies recipe.

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16

Sesame Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (33)

Sesame’s nutty flavors can pack a bitter undertone, which is why these sesame cookies use licorice-like anise and bright citrus zest to neutralize the earthiness for a more balanced flavor. These not-too-sweet treats are great for adding variety to your holiday cookie boxes.

Get the Sesame Cookies recipe.

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17

Cuccidati

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (35)

If Fig Newtons had a grown-up, glamorous sister, she would be cuccidati. Packed with a sticky-sweet, spiced fig filling and showered in rainbow sprinkles, these bite-sized Italian cookies are more than ready for a Christmas party.

Get the Cuccidati recipe.

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18

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (37)

Snickerdoodles are a classic anytime of year, so this Christmas, we're adding brown butter to make them extra special. Everyone will be clamoring for the recipe, trust us.

Get the Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe.

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19

Inside Out Red Velvet Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (39)

We’ll forever love a good stuffed dessert moment (shout out to our Nutella-stuffed cookies), and we’re obviously obsessed with all things red velvet, so it only made sense to combine the two!

Get the Inside Out Red Velvet Cookies recipe.

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20

Grinch Cookies

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (41)

Not everyone's all about the Christmas cheer, and that's okay! These adorable sugar cookies will warm hearts even if they're 10 sizes too small this holiday season.

Get the Grinch Cookies recipe.

45 Unique Cookie Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends This Holiday Season (2024)

FAQs

What are the top 5 favorite cookies? ›

Some of the most popular cookie flavors include:
  • Chocolate chip.
  • Peanut butter.
  • Peanut butter blossoms.
  • Double chocolate chip.
  • Snickerdoodle.
  • Sugar.
  • Shortbread.
  • Pumpkin.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

You can never go wrong with these classic, delicious cookies. Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

What is the most successful cookie? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the #1 cookie in the US? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world. How much do youknow about chocolate chip cookies?

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

1 Chocolate Chip Cookie (No Further Description Necessary)

America's favorite cookie and the one dubbed “the American cookie” is the Chocolate chip cookie.

What is the #1 cookie in the world? ›

Every year, more than 40 billion Oreo cookies are produced in 18 countries around the world.

What is the most loved cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one. Ever the crowd-pleaser, the chocolate chip cookie is renowned for its balance of richness and sweetness.

What are the 10 most popular cookies in America? ›

10 Most Popular Homemade Cookies
  • ONE. Chocolate Chip Cookies.
  • TWO. Peanut Butter Cookies.
  • THREE. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
  • FOUR. Peanut Butter Blossoms.
  • FIVE. Sugar Cookies.
  • SIX. Classic No-Bake Cookies.
  • SEVEN. Molasses Cookies.
  • EIGHT. Macaroons.
Mar 28, 2020

What are the most Googled Christmas cookies? ›

Italian Christmas Cookies grow as top cookie

Zoom in: Italian Christmas Cookies were the top cookie in 13 states, more than double the six states from 2022, Google Trends curator Katie Seaton told Axios. Seaton said the Italian cookies dominated the East Coast both this year and last year.

What is Santa's phone number? ›

Father Christmas can be reached at 605-313-4000, his official hotline. Those wishing to call Santa can also visit FreeConferenceCall.com/Santa-Hotline to call the Santa Hotline through the official website.

What is Santa's real name? ›

It is believed that the first Santa Claus was Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a monk and therefore did not marry. The Santa Claus that we know lives in the North Pole. According to some North American sources, his original name was Kris Kringle before he changed his name to Santa Claus.

What cookie did Oreo copy? ›

Oreo was created in 1912 as an imitation of Hydrox. Oreo eventually surpassed Hydrox in popularity, which resulted in the Hydrox cookies being perceived by many as an Oreo off-brand, despite the opposite being the case.

What are cookies called in England? ›

A cookie (American English) or biscuit (British English) is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet.

What are cream filled cookies called? ›

A sandwich cookie, also known as a sandwich biscuit, is a type of cookie made from two thin cookies or medium cookies with a filling between them. Many types of fillings are used, such as cream, ganache, buttercream, chocolate, cream cheese, jam, peanut butter, lemon curd, or ice cream.

What is the most Googled Christmas cookie? ›

Italian Christmas Cookies grow as top cookie

Zoom in: Italian Christmas Cookies were the top cookie in 13 states, more than double the six states from 2022, Google Trends curator Katie Seaton told Axios. Seaton said the Italian cookies dominated the East Coast both this year and last year.

What is the most searched Christmas cookie? ›

If you're curious, Italian Christmas cookies are fairly similar to sugar cookies in appearance and taste. This sweet treat was the most searched Christmas cookie in a number of states, including Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania.

Which cookie has been deemed most popular during Christmas? ›

Gingerbread Cookies are the most popular Christmas cookies Virginia and Ohio. 19% of the American population enjoyed baking cookies during the holiday season. Snickerdoodles hold the position of top Christmas cookie in Idaho. Peanut Butter Blossoms are most popular in Michigan.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

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