Take inspiration from traditional Christmas desserts from around the world and bake up a batch of Italian, German, Swedish, French and more unique Christmas cookies
38 Unique Christmas Cookies from Around the World
Updated on Sep. 20, 2024
Poland: Kolaczky
These sweet pastries have Polish and Czech roots and can also be spelled “kolaches.” They are usually filled with poppy seeds, nuts, jam or a mashed fruit mixture. The ice cream is a unique twist on traditional kolachkes, and it’s simplest to use a square cookie cutter to cut the dough. —Diane Turner, Brunswick, Ohio
1/38
2/38
Norway: Rosettes
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These traditional deep-fried favorites are crisp and delicious with a delicate, lacy look. Dipping the edges into icing helps defines the beautiful pattern. —Iola Egle, Bella Vista, Arkansas
Check out these delicious chocolate desserts from around the world.
3/38
Pizzelle Cookies
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These lovely, golden brown anise pizzelle cookies have a crisp texture and delicate anise flavor. I create them using a pizzelle iron. —Barbara Colucci, Rockledge, Florida
4/38
Cyprus: Melomakarona
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Growing up in Cyprus, we would see this melomakarona cookie everywhere during the holidays. Every year my mother, Thelma, would make plate after plate of these all Christmas long. It’s just not the holidays without them. —Paris Paraskeva, San Francisco, California
5/38
Austria: Linzer Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This specialty cookie takes a little extra effort, but the results are sweet! They really help to make the holidays feel special. —Jane Pearcy, Verona, Wisconsin
6/38
Russia: Tea Cakes
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I like to present my favorite holiday cookies in a special way. I pile these fresh-baked tea cakes on pretty plates that I buy throughout the year, then wrap them with colored cellophane to give friends. —Valerie Hudson, Mason City, Iowa
7/38
Norway: Whipped Cream Krumkake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Our hometown has a rich Norwegian culture. That heritage is evident during our annual Nordic Fest, where this classic krumkake recipe is king. Here’s your introduction to the timeless treat. —Imelda Nesteby, Decorah, Iowa
8/38
France: Macarons
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
30 macarons
From the Recipe Creator:
Even decorated simply—a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of icing—these stylish beauties are part of our creative Christmas cookies collection. They will be the showstoppers on any cookie tray. —Josh Rink, Photo Stylist Taste of Home
9/38
Scotland: Shortbread
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Scottish settlers first came to this area over 150 years ago. My mother herself was Scottish, and—as with most of my favorite recipes—she passed this shortbread recipe on to me. I make a triple batch of it each year at Christmas, to enjoy and as gifts. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba
10/38
Italy: Florentines
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Filled with fruit, nuts, chocolate and loads of flavor, these traditional Italian treats hit the spot. We enjoy them at Christmas with a hot beverage.
11/38
Sicily: Torcetti
Total Time
45 min
Servings
6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Our Sicilian grandmother often had my sister and me roll out the dough for these tasty torcetti. Their melt-in-your-mouth goodness is delicious without being overly sweet.—Joy Quici, Upland, California
12/38
Gingerbread Men
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread men cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I'm happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland
13/38
The Netherlands: Dutch Speculaas
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These Dutch spice cookies taste similar to the windmill cookies we enjoy in the United States. In Holland, it’s tradition to mold the dough into the shape of St. Nicholas and serve the baked cookies on Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas Day). —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
14/38
Italy: Horn Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My family has been making these delicate fruit-filled Christmas cookies for generations. Light and flaky, they have the look of elegant pastry. —Gloria Siddiqui, Houston, Texas
15/38
Ukraine: Khrustyky
Total Time
45 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen pastries
From the Recipe Creator:
This crispy, dainty pastry dusted with confectioners’ sugar has an eggy flavor similar to cream puffs. I honor my Ukrainian heritage by serving khrustyky on Christmas Eve as part of the traditional feast of 12 dishes. Each dish symbolizes one of the apostles. —Carol Funk, Richard, Saskatchewan
16/38
Eastern Europe: Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot Cookies
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
about 4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Mandelbrot in Yiddish literally means “almond bread.” The twice-baked cookie made with oil and almonds dates back to 19th century Eastern Europe. There are many variations made of different dried fruits and nuts. My chocolate chip version is more modern-American. —Kimberly Scott, Kosciusko, Mississippi
17/38
Norway: Sandbakkelse
Total Time
25 min
Servings
5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Translated from Norwegian, the name of these cookies is “‘sand tarts.” They’re most attractive if baked in authentic sandbakkelse molds, which can be purchased online or in a Scandinavian import shop. Most any decorative cookie mold will do, though, and the interesting shapes will make these tarts the focus of your cookie tray. —Karen Hoylo, Duluth, Minnesota
18/38
Sweden: Almond Rusks
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Not too sweet, these nutty, crunchy cookies go well with a cup of hot coffee…and travel well in care packages, too!
19/38
Mexico: Mexican Wedding Cakes
Total Time
45 min
Servings
about 6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
As part of a Mexican tradition, I tucked these tender cookies into small gift boxes for the guests at my sister’s wedding a few years ago. Most folks gobbled them up before they ever got home! —Sarita Johnston, San Antonio, Texas
20/38
Russia: Pryaniki
Total Time
25 min
Servings
16 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These old-fashioned honey cookies have a subtle honey-cinnamon flavor and a tender texture. This recipe has been a favorite in my family for years and now it can be one at your house, too. —Rochelle Friedman, Brooklyn, New York
21/38
Mexico: Reganadas
Total Time
35 min
Servings
12 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My extended family shares a meal every Sunday. The aunts and uncles take turns bringing everything from main dishes to desserts like this traditional Mexican cinnamon cookie called reganadas. —Adan Franco, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
22/38
Hungary: Walnut Cookies
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
As a child, I always looked forward to eating these goodies at Christmastime. Now I make them for my own family. —Sharon Kurtz, Emmaus, Pennsylvania
23/38
Germany: Glazed Pfeffernuesse
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
about 10 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Our version of the classic German cookie is nice to have on hand throughout the holiday season. They stay fresh—and become more intense in flavor—when stored in an airtight container for weeks. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
24/38
Greece: Koulouakia
Total Time
40 min
Servings
6-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Koulourakia are a traditional treat in Greece, where they are usually made for Easter and other celebrations. I enjoy making these buttery, golden Greek cookies to keep me in touch with my heritage. —Nicole Moskou, New York, New York
25/38
Finland: Pinwheels
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
about 7 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When my sister was hosting an exchange student from Finland, she served these cookies I’d made to her guest. The young lady instantly recognized what they were. So I know they’re still being made in our ancestors’ country. —Ilona Barron, Ontonagon, Michigan
26/38
Bolivia: Supspiros
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Want to learn how to make meringues? These meringue cookies are super light and airy. They’re the perfect fat-free treat. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
27/38
Italy: Sprinkle Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 7 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Of all the Italian cookie recipes I make, this is my favorite. These sprinkle cookies take some time, but, believe me, they are well worth it! My husband and I used to operate an Italian American restaurant, and this recipe goes back generations. —Gloria Cracchiolo, Newburgh, New York
28/38
Greece: Kourambiethes
Total Time
55 min
Servings
5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My daughter-in-law gave me this recipe. Her grandmother was born in Greece and bakes these cookies for special occasions, including Christmas.—Carol Dale, Greenville, Texas
29/38
Almond Cookies
Total Time
20 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Beverly Preston of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin started making Almond Cookies after enjoying similar ones at her favorite Chinese restaurant. “These crisp cookies have a wonderful almond flavor,” she says.
30/38
Sicily: Cuccidati
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
The compliments are well worth making these Sicilian cookies—they’re the best recipe I’ve found! —Carolyn Fafinski, Dunkirk, New York
31/38
Mexico: Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cakes
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These spiced balls are a yummy twist on a traditional favorite. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips to the dough and, after baking, dip the cooled cookies in melted almond bark. —Joanne Valkema, Freeport, Illinois
32/38
Eastern Europe: Apricot Raisin Rugelach
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Rugelach is a classic addition to holiday trays. The flaky, buttery pastry slices encase a spiced fruit and walnut filling. —Laurie Klett, Hamilton, Michigan
33/38
Switzerland: Zimtsterne
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
During December, homes and bakeries in Switzerland are filled with the aroma of classic cookies like these “Zimtsterne.” —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
34/38
Italy: Strufoli
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 15 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Many of our holiday traditions center around the foods my mother made while I was growing up. These cookies, which we called “Strufoli”, bring back wonderful memories. —Sue Seymour, Valatie, New York
35/38
Austria: Nut Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
10 sandwich cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These are my family’s favorite Christmas cookies. If you arrange the slivered almonds in pinwheel fashion, the cookie looks like a poinsettia. —Marianne Weber, South Beach, Oregon
36/38
Italy: Lemon Cookies
Total Time
45 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without my grandmother’s cookies. A plate full of these light and zesty cookies is divine!—Elisabeth Miller, Broadview Heights, Ohio
37/38
Germany: Chocolate Lebkuchen
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
about 1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Having lived in Germany, I try to keep my German cooking as authentic as possible. This lovely lebkuchen recipe is a culinary Christmas custom. —Cathy Lemmon, Quinlan, Texas
38/38
South Africa: Chocolaty Double Crunchers
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I first tried these fun crispy cookies at a family picnic when I was a child. Packed with oats, cornflakes and coconut, they quickly became a “regular” at our house. Years later, I still make them for my own family. —Cheryl Johnson, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Up next: Try this authentic alfajores recipe!
