There is something about the first batch of Christmas cookies that makes the season feel real. The kitchen smells like butter and cinnamon, there is flour on the counter, and someone is always sneaking one off the cooling rack before they are ready.
If you love holiday baking but feel overwhelmed every December, wondering which recipes to make, how far ahead you can bake and how to keep it all fresh, this one is for you. I created Christmas Cookies & Treats, a printable cookbook with 32 festive recipes and all the planning tools you need to make holiday baking easy, joyful and completely doable.
Christmas Cookie Recipe Book – What’s Inside
Table of Contents
Christmas Cookies & Treats is a 50-page printable PDF with 32 recipes in six chapters. Every recipe has a full-color photo, simple ingredients and step-by-step directions, plus prep and bake times and how many it makes.
- Classic Christmas Cookies. The ones everyone waits for all year: Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies, Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Cinnamon Sugar Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Jam Thumbprint Cookies and Snowball Cookies.
- Festive & Fancy Cookies. The showstoppers for the dessert table: Butter Spritz Cookies, Raspberry Linzer Cookies, Cranberry Orange Shortbread, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies and Chai Spice Sugar Cookies.
- Bars & Brownies. Easy to bake by the panful: Seven-Layer Christmas Bars, Peppermint Brownies, Gingerbread Blondies, White Chocolate Cranberry Bars and Pecan Pie Bars.
- Candy, Fudge & Bark. Homemade candy that is easier than you think: Easy Chocolate Fudge, Classic Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Truffles, Peanut Butter Buckeyes, Saltine Cracker Toffee and Microwave Peanut Brittle.
- No-Bake & Kid-Friendly. Perfect for little helpers: No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies, Reindeer Chow, Crispy Rice Christmas Trees and Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods.
- Breads, Gifts & Finishing Touches. Cranberry Orange Bread, Gingerbread Loaf, Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and Easy Royal Icing for decorating.
Three recipes to bake first
Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. Soft in the middle and crisp at the edges, these hold their shape perfectly, so your stars and trees come out of the oven looking just like they went in. A touch of almond makes them taste like the bakery cookies you remember.
Classic Peppermint Bark. Two layers of chocolate topped with crushed candy canes. It takes just 15 minutes of hands-on time, needs no candy thermometer and looks beautiful in a gift box.
Crispy Rice Christmas Trees. A no-bake favorite that kids can shape and decorate themselves. They are as fun to make as they are to eat.
The holiday baking extras
This is more than a recipe book. It also includes the planning pages that make December baking feel calm instead of chaotic:
- Cookie swap guide with how it works, the math for how many dozen each guest should bake, and a host checklist
- Storage and freezing chart showing how long every treat keeps and what freezes well
- Holiday baking planner to map out your baking days
- Baking grocery list so you can shop once
- 12 printable gift tags for cookie tins, treat bags and neighbor gifts
- Kitchen conversions chart for quick reference
My best tip: bake ahead
The secret to stress-free holiday baking is spreading it out over a few weekends. Most cookies freeze beautifully. Drop and rolled cookies, bars and brownies, fudge and truffles, and quick breads all keep for up to three months in the freezer. Freeze cookies in a single layer first, then stack them in airtight containers with parchment between the layers. When you are ready to serve, let them thaw at room temperature while still covered so they don’t get soggy.
Two treats to make closer to the day: bark, toffee and brittle are best kept cool and dry rather than frozen, and cream cheese-topped bars should stay in the fridge. The storage chart in the book lays it all out, so you never have to guess.
Host a cookie swap this year
A cookie swap is the easiest holiday party to host. Everyone bakes one recipe and goes home with a tin full of variety. Invite six to ten friends about three weeks ahead, and ask each guest to bake one dozen cookies per guest, plus a dozen for sampling. Set out platters with name cards, brew a pot of hot cocoa, and let everyone fill their tins. The cookie swap guide in the book has the full checklist and the best recipes to bring.
Who this cookbook is for
- Busy moms who want to make holiday memories without spending every night in the kitchen
- Anyone hosting a cookie exchange or a holiday party
- Families who love to bake with their kids
- Anyone giving homemade gifts to neighbors, teachers and friends
- The baker in your life (it makes a sweet gift, too)
How to get it
Christmas Cookies & Treats is an instant digital download. Print it at home or at a print shop, or keep it on your tablet in the kitchen and tap any chapter to jump straight to the recipe.
Get Christmas Cookies & Treats here
Frequently asked questions
Is this a physical book? No. It is a printable PDF that you download right after purchase. Nothing is shipped.
What size are the pages? US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches. It prints well on any home printer.
Can I use it on my tablet? Yes. The PDF has clickable chapter links, so it works on an iPad or any tablet.
Are the recipes beginner-friendly? Yes. Every recipe uses everyday ingredients and simple step-by-step directions, and there is a whole chapter of no-bake treats.
Happy baking, friends. I hope this book brings a little extra sweetness to your season.
