These 12 Days of Christmas Cookies are perfect for the holiday season. Celebrate the holidays with these easy cookie recipes.
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Craft a tasty treat each for the 12 days of Christmas. These snacks come in small yet bursting with flavors. Perfect for both the young ones and the young at heart.
Bring out the holiday spirit and become the new Santa in town! Grace the season with an extra plateful of homemade Christmas cookies! The perfect holiday dessert recipe.
Table of Contents
- The Story of 12 Days of Christmas (Cookies)
- Traditional Christmas Cookies from Around the World
- Best Cookie Recipes for the 12 Days of Christmas
- Day 1: Melting Snowman Cookies
- Day 2: Oreo Snowman Cookies
- Day 3: Easy Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
- Day 4: Monster Cookies
- Day 5: Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- Day 6: Snowball Cookies
- Day 7: Easy Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- Day 8: Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Day 9: Adorable Reindeer Cookies
- Day 10: Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- Day 11: Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Day 12: Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies
- Milkshakes
- Other Christmas Cookie Recipes
- No Bake Christmas Cookies
The Story of 12 Days of Christmas (Cookies)
On the original first day of Christmas, cookies were still yet to be known. Today, cookies are a mainstay in celebrating the season of the nativity. Before we dig into some treats, let’s dig into the tradition behind the 12 days of Christmas.
Christians believe it took 12 days for the three wise men to find Bethlehem. The 12 days of Christmas span around December 25 and end on January 6. They knelt and offered the newborn on the manger gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold.
But now instead of those three gifts, it’s cookies, cookies, more cookies for everyone!
Traditional Christmas Cookies from Around the World
Every culture has its version of Christmas cookies. Here are some signature Christmas cookies enjoyed by different cultures in different countries:
- Austria: suvaroffs, vanillekipferl
- France: palmeras, madeleines
- Germany: zimtsterne, pfeffernusse
- India: achappam, nankhatai
- Italy: amaretti, savoiardi
- Mexico: polvorones, bizcochitos
- Norway: krumkake, havrekjeks
- Poland: faworki, kolakczki
- Russia: khrustiki, pryaniki
- Switzerland: mailanderli, chrabeli
Best Cookie Recipes for the 12 Days of Christmas
Now it’s time to share the holiday spirit using our best recipes! Make Christmas an everyday experience for your loved ones. Choose among any of these 12 handpicked, most enjoyed Christmas cookie recipes.
We love making fudge, brownies, shortbread cookies and biscuits for the holiday season. But these 12 cookie recipes are some of my favorite.
Grab the flour, eggs, oatmeal and make one of these favorite cookie recipes. Don’t forget to add in the warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. The secret ingredient will have your family coming back for more.
Day 1: Melting Snowman Cookies
On the first day of Christmas, melt hearts and the snow! Customize and decorate your very own snowman with your choice of assorted sweets and treats. Send love and hugs to distant relatives with the warmth of these melting snowman cookies.
Mix the sugar cookie dough to create these fun snowman cookies.
Day 2: Oreo Snowman Cookies
Do you prefer your snowman cookies whole and unmelted? Greet your loved ones on Christmas mornings with the smiling faces of Oreo snowman cookies! A bonus Christmas experience as well for the cravings of your friends who love Oreos.
This is one of my favorite recipes.
Day 3: Easy Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
Take back what the Grinch stole by making easy Grinch cake mix cookies. But in the name of the season of giving, invite the Grinch over for snacks. Even the infamous green creature deserves a break to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.
Day 4: Monster Cookies
Speaking of the Grinch, how about a monster cookie to put a grin on Grinch? If monsters prefer to live under the bed, this monster cookie thrives in happy tummies. Crush up some M&M’s with peanut butter to make the Grinch less bitter about Christmas!
Take your classic chocolate chip cookies to the next level with this recipe.
Day 5: Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
You cannot spell Christmas without gingerbread — or maybe you can with our gingerbread cookies? Halve the crunch, and double the bunch, as these are easier to make than traditional gingerbread cookies. You can never go wrong with soft and chewy gingerbread cookies.
Day 6: Snowball Cookies
Are you still dreaming of a white Christmas? Dream no more and turn your kitchen white with excitement! Fluff up your family Christmas gatherings with our sweet and buttery snowball cookies!
Day 7: Easy Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Captivate eyes and make them swirl with glee with these easy Christmas pinwheel cookies. Give it a whirl, and have your kids watch cookie batter become colorful pinwheels. Extremely easy to make for such a fancy Christmas cookie.
Day 8: Christmas Wreath Cookies
Think cornflakes plus a few essential ingredients don’t make for a lively Christmas cookie? From there, you are just vanilla extract, food coloring, and a few red candies away! Embellish your kitchen with the holiday spirit of our Christmas wreath cookies.
Day 9: Adorable Reindeer Cookies
This incoming Christmas, make those Milano cookies come to life with our Adorable Reindeer Cookies. Let loose and allow yourself to draw an imperfect pair of googly eyes with antlers. Spend half the money for twice the fun with your own Christmas reindeer.
Day 10: Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
What is a festive Christmas season without a fully decorated Christmas tree sugar cookie? Its vanilla extract and cream cheese frosting appeal to eager eyes and hungry mouths. Leave guests wishing they could make a cookie look and taste as good as yours.
Day 11: Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Cut out all stress by immersing yourself in cutting out assorted Christmas cookie shapes. Show and tell your favorite Christmas stories with our Christmas cut out sugar cookie recipe! These are perfect for making Christmas gatherings with your favorite cousins warmer and more interactive.
These sweet treats are one of my favorite sugar cookies.
Day 12: Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies
Nothing speaks comfort and Christmas like the classic, good old chocolate chip cookie. And it does not matter if you are out of cookie mix/ cookie batter. This simple chocolate chip, cake mix cookie recipe will satisfy your Yuletide season cravings.
Still hungry for more of our Christmas recipes? We’ve got those hankerings covered! Match up your favorite Christmas cookies with more of our best Christmas desserts:
Milkshakes
What are 12 days of Christmas cookies without a creamy milkshake? Drown down those treats with our best Milkshakes for each day of Christmas:
Other Christmas Cookie Recipes
Twelve days of Christmas cookies are just never enough! Why not make it five more? Santa is coming to town all year round with these kitchen delights:
No Bake Christmas Cookies
Indulge the little ones in making Christmas treats without the oven! Featuring recipes with ingredients easily found in your kitchen. It’s safer for kids and lighter on the budget:
