45 of Grandma’s Last-Minute Christmas Cookies
Updated: Jan. 05, 2022Fellow partygoers would never guess just how easy-peasy it is to make these nostalgic Christmas cookies.
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Chocolate Linzer Torte Stars
Wanting a treat that tastes like traditional linzer torte without the time commitment, I came up with these simple, sensational cookies. They have the nuts and chocolate with a filling of bright raspberry preserves—festive enough for any holiday gathering. —Edwina Gadsby, Hayden, Idaho
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Oat & Coconut Icebox Cookies
This recipe was passed down through my family from Grandma Irene and is a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis. It's a true cookie lover's cookie: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly dunkable. —Lori Rowe, Tigerton, Wisconsin
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Cardamom Spritz
As far back as I remember, I have loved cardamom. My grandmother often added the spice to her baked goods. I usually make these cookies in a camel design with a camel spritz press I found at a thrift shop—it reminds me of a time when I rode a camel in the desert while deployed with the Navy. Of course, any design will do! —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
Every time I make these wonderful cookies, the spicy aroma takes me back to my childhood. I helped Mom make them and delivered them to neighbors. —Kara Cook, Elk Ridge, Utah
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Semisweet Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
Chocolate and vanilla provide a delightful contrast in their flavor and appearance. —Nancy Arevalo, Brookfield, Wisconsin
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Cathedral Cookies
Children love the colorful marshmallows in these festive confections, which look like stained glass when they're sliced. They practically light up the room from the serving platter at our holiday parties. —Carol Shaffer, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
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Homemade Chocolate Shortbread
This recipe has been in my files for a long time...probably from when I first learned to bake. Any chocolate lover will like these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I make them year-round with variations. They're even richer with a thin coat of icing or as a sandwich cookie with frosting in the middle. —Sarah Bueckert, Austin, Manitoba
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Cherry Surprise Cookies
I tuck a rich chocolate surprise into each of these cute bites. Candied cherries add a colorful finishing touch. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah
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Butterscotch Toffee Cookies
With its big butterscotch and chocolate flavor, my cookie stands out. I like to enjoy it with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. It’s my fallback recipe when I’m short on time and need something delicious fast. —Allie Blinder, Norcross, Georgia
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Tender Pecan Logs
Folks always ask me to make these tender nutty logs. Not overly sweet, they're just right with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. —Joyce Beck, Gadsden, Alabama
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Cinnamon Star Cutouts
These cookies fill your home with an irresistible aroma as they bake. My grandmother made them every Christmas when I was a child. I have fond memories of helping her in the kitchen. —Jean Jones, Peachtree City, Georgia
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Chocolate Almond Pizzelles
If you love fun baking gadgets, you'll enjoy making these crispy, almond-flavored cookies, which get their unique waffle design from a pizzelle maker. They bake up golden brown in only a few minutes. Feel free to double the chocolate drizzle if you'd like to cover the cookies more generously. —Hannah Riley, Norwalk, Ohio
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Fruit 'n' Spice Rounds
While I was looking for a way to use up an abundance of dates, I came across this recipe. Made with raisins, walnuts and a delectable lemon glaze, these quickly became a family favorite. —Allison Bell, Helena, Montana
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Chocolate Mint Creams
This recipe came from an old family friend and is always high on everyone's cookie request list. I make at least six batches for Noel nibbling and give some away as gifts. —Beverly Fehner, Gladstone, Missouri
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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
It is amazing how much flavor these simple 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies without brown sugar have. I make them very often because I always have the ingredients on hand. —Maggie Schimmel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
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Classic Sugar Cookies
Use cookie cutters to cut seasonal shapes from a few cups of Gloria’s dough. Prepared frosting and colored sugar make it a snap to decorate these classic Christmas cookies. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah
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Crispy Norwegian Bows
I've been fixing these cookies for so long, I don't recall where the recipe came from. They're a "must" at our house.—Janie Norwood, Albany, Georgia
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Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Here's proof that peanut butter and chocolate just belong together. These peanut butter blossom cookies are an easy family favorite and never fails to make my children smile. —Tammie Merrill, Wake Forest, North Carolina
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Cherry Kisses
Cookies that melt in your mouth and are practically fat-free—is it any wonder these crispy meringue morsels disappear as fast as I can whip them up? Friends and family love them. —Jo Ann Blomquest, Freeport, Illinois
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Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, and they go fast. You may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
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Triple Nut Snowballs
This super-crunchy, not-too-sweet cookie is a fun update on the classic snowball. I used cashews, macadamia nuts and pecans, but you can mix and match other nuts to your liking. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey
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Mom’s Buttermilk Cookies
I treasure my mother’s recipe for these comforting cookie pillows. The tender treats are topped with thick frosting and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. —Jane Darling, Simi Valley, California
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Cranberry Pecan Cookies
These are so tasty and simple to prepare! Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and vanilla, giving them the taste of a treat that’s been slaved over. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas
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Snickerdoodles
The history of these whimsically named treats has been widely disputed, but their popularity is undeniable. Help yourself to one of our soft cinnamon-sugared cookies and see for yourself. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Orange Crispies
Add a splash of little sunshine to your cookie jar with this recipe. When I want to spread some cheer, I'll bake up a double batch to share. —Ruth Gladstone, Brunswick, Maryland
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Cranberry Slices
The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a plateful of homemade cookies to give family and friends. Try these for gifts.—American Dairy Association, Stacy Duffy, Chicago, Illinois
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Soft Cornmeal Cookies
Combining humble ingredients can sometimes result in a delicious treat. Use these versatile cookie as the base for ice cream sandwiches or crumble them over strawberries and ice cream. —Gina Martin, Spooner, Wisconsin
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Cherry-Coconut Slices
My mother got this recipe from a woman named Emmie Oddie, a well-known home economist in Canada who had a column in a farming newspaper. Oddie would test reader recipes in her own kitchen and write about it. These tasty sweets are so rich that you need only a small piece. —Judy Olson, Whitecourt, Alberta
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Winter Fruit Macaroons
Coconut macaroons with sweetened condensed milk instead of egg whites are my version of a recipe my mom loved. All you do is mix, drop and bake. —Veronica Miller, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
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Joe Froggers
Large, soft and chewy, these cookies are made to munch. This classic recipe has a warm blend of spices that seems stronger the second day. Your family will definitely ask you to make them again!, soft and chewy, these are a great snack. This classic recipe has a warm blend of spices that seems stronger the second day. Your family will definitely ask you to make these again. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Holiday Cornflake Cookies
I can't seem to make enough of these cornflake wreaths around the holidays. The cookies firm up quickly, so you'll need to place the Red Hots right away. —Kathleen Hedger, Fairview Heights, Illinois
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Butter Pecan Icebox Cookies
My grandmother used to bake very similar cookies. As a little girl, I always loved their butterscotch flavor and was fascinated by the way Grandmother prepared these cookies (from logs that she took out of the icebox!). These are simple but delicious old-fashioned cookies. The dough logs can be stored in the freezer, then pulled out to defrost a day or two before baking time.—Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas
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Sandbakkelse (Sand Tarts)
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
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Butter Mint Cookies
These delicate mint cookies were a big hit when I made them for a party at work. —Anita Epitropou, Zion, Illinois
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Spiced Toffee Cookies
I bake these cookies for family gatherings because my crowd likes cookies thin and chewy with a crispy exterior. The toffee bits make a happy surprise.—Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Illinois
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Candied Fruit Cookies
These no-fuss candied fruit cookies are both nutty and fruity, so they're always a hit at holiday time. —Florence Monson, Denver, Colorado
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Shortbread
I live in Missouri, but many family recipes come from New Zealand where I was born. My parents moved there when I was a year old, so I have a "Down Under" heritage. This easy shortbread recipe brings back warm memories of my childhood, and I'm going to make sure they're passed on to the next generation in my family…no matter where they live! —Allen Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri
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Cranberry Nut Swirls
This recipe originated with my sister-in-law. It gets used a lot over the holidays when we want to pull a fast one on the guys in our family. They claim they don't like cranberries in any shape or form, but everyone enjoys these. —Carla Hodenfield, Ray, North Dakota
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Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These soft
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Mom's Lemon Sugar Cookies
These tender, soft sugar cookies have just a hint of lemon. If you like more lemon flavor, go ahead and kick it up a notch. It's also fantastic made with orange instead. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
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Chewy Almond Cookies
My children and grandchildren adore these old-fashioned cookies, and they make a good unfrosted choice for a holiday cookie plate. But they’re wonderful year-round, too—I even keep unbaked dough in my freezer so I can whip up a batch whenever my family comes for a visit. —Betty Speth, Vincennes, Indiana
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Cream Cheese Spritz
A hint of orange and cinnamon highlights these Christmastime classics. I like to add colorful sprinkles before baking them. The recipe is from a booklet that came with a cookie press in the 1950s...and I still have the press! —Sarah Bedia, Lake Jackson, Texas
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Sinterklaas Cookies
After opening our gifts on Christmas Eve as children, we would make these cookies for Santa Claus to snack on with his glass of milk. The crisp spice cookies are delicious dipped in that milk—or in your coffee on Christmas morning. —Charli Fontana, Pella, Iowa
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Pecan Meltaways
This sweet, nutty pecan meltaways recipe is a tradition in our house at Christmastime, but the treats are delightful any time of the year. —Alberta McKay, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
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Fruit ‘n’ Nut Cookies
Once after making a fruit cake, I had some fruit and nuts left over. I mixed them into a basic cookie dough along with pineapple and coconut. These soft, colorful cookies are a nice addition to a Christmas dessert tray. —Jennie Loftus, Gasport, New York
Originally Published: October 26, 2020
