23 Holiday Cookies Made the Way Grandma Always Did
These treasured family cookie recipes bring back memories of Christmas kitchens filled with sweet aromas and loving hands. Each recipe carries generations of holiday tradition and time-tested techniques.
From delicate lace cookies to buttery shortbread, these classics prove that grandma’s methods create the most memorable treats for your holiday celebrations.
01. Peppermint Candy Snowball Cookies
This version uses crushed peppermint candy canes mixed into buttery Russian tea cake dough. The candy pieces add festive color and refreshing mint flavor throughout each bite.
Rolling the warm cookies in powdered sugar creates that classic snowball appearance. The sugar coating helps seal in the peppermint flavor while adding sweetness.
Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges since they look impressive and taste unique. These freeze well for making ahead during busy December days.
02. Soft Molasses Ginger Lace Cookies
Molasses, cinnamon, and ground ginger create these delicate cookies with warm spice flavors. The batter spreads thin during baking to form beautiful lacy patterns.
A light sprinkle of granulated sugar on top adds sparkle and extra sweetness. The sugar creates tiny crystals that catch the light beautifully.
These require careful timing since they can burn quickly due to their thinness. Watch closely during the last few minutes of baking time.
03. Classic Cinnamon Sugar Snickerdoodles
This crowd-pleasing recipe combines soft cookie dough rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. The coating creates a slightly crispy exterior with tender centers.
Cream of tartar gives these cookies their signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. This ingredient makes snickerdoodles different from regular sugar cookies.
One batch makes 36 cookies, making this method perfect for large holiday gatherings. Great for feeding a crowd without multiple baking sessions.
04. Traditional Southern Tea Cakes
These simple cookies use basic ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, and flour for old-fashioned flavor. The dough rolls out easily for cutting into festive shapes.
A light brushing of milk before baking gives the tops a golden color. The texture stays tender and cake-like rather than crispy or crunchy.
Make these a day or two ahead since they actually improve with time. Perfect for enjoying with Christmas morning coffee or afternoon tea.
05. Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies
Simple butter cookie dough gets pressed with thumbs to create wells for fruit jam filling. Any flavor jam works, making these customizable for different tastes.
The key technique involves chilling the dough before shaping to prevent spreading. This keeps the jam wells from disappearing during baking.
These cookies are surprisingly addictive according to family bakers who make them yearly. Easy enough for beginners but impressive for gift giving.
06. Chewy Oatmeal Date Squares
This bar cookie features a sweet date filling sandwiched between layers of chewy oatmeal crust. Brown sugar and butter create rich, caramel-like flavors throughout.
The date filling cooks down into a jam-like consistency that holds together when cut. A touch of lemon extract brightens the sweet date flavor.
Much easier than making individual cookies since you bake everything in one pan. Cut into squares after cooling completely for clean edges.
07. Pecan-Topped Sugar Cookies
These simple sugar cookies get topped with pecan halves before baking for elegant presentation. The nuts toast slightly during baking, adding buttery crunch.
The dough uses just enough flour to hold together without becoming tough. This creates cookies that practically melt in your mouth.
This method works great for special occasions when you want something fancier than plain cookies. The pecans make each cookie feel more special.
08. Delicate Butter Lace Cookies
This batter spreads extremely thin during baking to create transparent, delicate wafers. Butter and brown sugar caramelize to form beautiful lacy patterns.
Timing is critical since these can burn quickly or become too hard to remove. Work fast when transferring from hot cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Super easy to make but requires attention during baking and cooling. These make stunning presentations for special holiday entertaining.
09. Powdered Sugar Snowball Cookies
These buttery cookies get shaped into balls and rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. The sugar coating creates that perfect snowy white appearance.
A second rolling in powdered sugar after cooling ensures complete coverage. This double coating technique keeps the cookies looking fresh longer.
Perfect for Christmas cookie platters since they look so festive and seasonal. The round shape and white coating scream winter holidays.
10. Spicy Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin puree creates soft, cake-like cookies studded with chocolate chips and cocoa powder. A secret dash of cayenne pepper adds unexpected warmth.
The spice blend includes traditional pumpkin spices plus that surprising heat from cayenne. Start with just a pinch if you’re unsure about the heat level.
These work great for adventurous bakers who want something different from typical holiday cookies. The heat builds slowly and pairs beautifully with chocolate.
11. Caramel Oat Chocolate Chip Bars
Oatmeal cookie dough forms the base for these gooey bars topped with chocolate chips and caramel. Jarred caramel topping makes preparation much easier.
The bars become incredibly gooey and buttery as the caramel melts during baking. This creates an almost candy-like texture in the finished bars.
These have earned rave reviews from bakers who make them repeatedly throughout the holidays. Much easier than making individual caramel cookies.
12. Crunchy Cornflake Peanut Butter Cookies
Just five ingredients create these no-bake cookies that taste like peanut butter fudge. Crushed cornflakes add unexpected crunch and texture contrast.
The cornflakes stay crispy even when mixed with the sweet peanut butter base. This creates an interesting texture that’s both smooth and crunchy.
Perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven. Kids love helping crush the cornflakes for this easy recipe.
13. Coconut Drop Sugar Cookies
These simple drop cookies feature a subtle coconut flavor that makes them special. The dough drops easily from a spoon without rolling or shaping.
Baking for just 20 minutes creates cookies that are buttery, crispy, and perfectly golden. The coconut extract adds tropical warmth to classic sugar cookies.
This method saves tons of time since there’s no rolling, cutting, or shaping required. Great for busy bakers who want homemade cookies fast.
14. Perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
This dough rolls out beautifully for cutting into holiday shapes without spreading during baking. The key involves mixing the wet ingredients by hand rather than machine.
Hand-stirring prevents overworking the dough, which would make it sticky and impossible to handle. This technique ensures perfect rolling consistency every time.
Ideal for decorating with icing or colored sugar since the shapes hold perfectly. This version creates professional-looking results for cookie decorating projects.
15. No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies
Cocoa powder, peanut butter, and oats combine in this stovetop cookie that requires no baking. Most ingredients are common pantry staples.
The mixture sets up as it cools, creating fudgy cookies with chewy oat texture. Working quickly while the mixture is warm makes shaping much easier.
Store these with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking together. Perfect for emergency cookie needs when you don’t have time to bake.
16. Crispy Thin Lace Cookies
These ultra-thin cookies spread during baking to create crispy, delicate wafers. The batter contains just enough flour to hold the butter and sugar together.
Careful timing prevents burning while ensuring the cookies get crispy throughout. They should be golden brown and set before removing from the oven.
Perfect for pairing with milk or coffee since they’re not too sweet. The crispy texture provides nice contrast to softer holiday treats.
17. Buttery Christmas Shortbread
Classic shortbread uses just butter, flour, and sugar for pure, buttery flavor. The dough cuts easily into Christmas shapes for festive presentation.
Decorating with colored sugar and maraschino cherries adds holiday colors and sweetness. Press decorations gently into the dough before baking.
This simple recipe produces light, tender cookies that practically melt in your mouth. Great for bakers who prefer less sweet, more sophisticated flavors.
18. German Hazelnut Icebox Cookies
Ground hazelnuts create intensely nutty flavor in these simple slice-and-bake cookies. The dough logs can be made ahead and frozen until needed.
Chilling the dough makes slicing much easier and creates perfectly round cookies. This icebox method lets you bake fresh cookies anytime.
These may look plain but pack incredible nutty flavor that improves over time. Perfect for bakers who want maximum flavor with minimal decoration.
19. Lithuanian Tea Cakes
This five-generation family recipe creates tender, buttery cookies rolled in powdered sugar. The dough includes finely chopped nuts for extra richness.
Rolling the warm cookies in sugar, then again when cool, ensures complete coating. This double-rolling technique creates that classic powdered sugar appearance.
Perfect for carrying on family traditions since the recipe has been passed down through multiple generations. These cookies connect you to holiday history.
20. Strawberry Jam-Filled Cookies
Soft, spiced cookie dough wraps around spoonfuls of strawberry preserves for fruity centers. The preserves stay bright and flavorful even after baking.
Using preserves instead of fresh fruit ensures the filling won’t make the cookies soggy. The jam concentrates during baking for intense strawberry flavor.
These work great when fresh berries aren’t available but you want fruit flavors. The soft texture makes them appealing to all ages.
21. Traditional German Honey Cookies
This translated family recipe uses honey as the main sweetener for deep, complex flavor. The original recipe required intuition for flour amounts.
Honey creates cookies that stay soft longer than those made with just sugar. The natural sugars in honey also help with browning during baking.
This method connects you to generations of German baking tradition. The honey flavor becomes more pronounced after the cookies rest overnight.
22. Mixed Fruit Fruitcake Cookies
Chopped nuts, raisins, dates, and candied fruits create cookies that taste like individual fruitcakes. All the traditional fruitcake flavors in cookie form.
The fruit pieces distribute evenly throughout the dough for balanced flavor in every bite. Candied fruits add bright colors and concentrated sweetness.
Perfect for fruitcake lovers who want portion-controlled servings. These cookies capture all the holiday flavors without making an entire fruitcake.
23. Melt-in-Your-Mouth Gingersnaps
This 1899 family recipe creates tender gingersnaps with warm spice blend and molasses depth. The cookies literally melt in your mouth when done right.
The secret involves not overbaking, which keeps the cookies soft rather than crispy. They should be just set but still slightly soft in centers.
Over 120 years of family testing proves this recipe works perfectly. These gingersnaps represent the ultimate in holiday cookie tradition and flavor.
Final Thoughts
These grandmother-approved cookie recipes bring authentic holiday flavors and time-tested techniques to your kitchen. Each one carries the wisdom of generations of home bakers.
Whether you choose simple drop cookies or decorated cut-outs, these recipes will help you create lasting memories and delicious traditions for your own family.
