Christmas Cookie Recipes: Delicious Ideas, Tips for Baking and Storing

Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)

Vanillekipferl are popular Christmas cookies made with almonds; they are shaped like crescent moons and coated in a delicious layer of powdered sugar and vanilla.

⏱ approx. 70 min - 👥 approx. 60 cookies - ♨ Easy

Preparation: Mix 300 g of flour with 100 g of ground almonds and 120 g of powdered sugar. Split a vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add them to the flour-almond mixture. Add a pinch of salt, 225 g of butter, and three egg yolks, then knead into a smooth dough. Chill for at least 1 hour. Afterward, roll the dough into ropes and cut into portions to shape into small crescents or half-moons. Bake in a convection oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 120 g of powdered sugar with one packet of vanilla sugar; roll the vanilla crescents in this mixture while they are still warm from the oven.

A unique cookie idea: Replace the almonds with pistachios and the powdered sugar with white couverture chocolate. Alternatively, add cocoa to create delicious chocolate crescents.

Cinnamon Stars

Cinnamon stars are delicious almond cookies flavored with cinnamon and topped with an egg-white glaze, shaped like little stars.

⏱ approx. 60 min - 👥 approx. 60 cookies - ♨ Easy

Preparation: Mix 400 g of ground almonds with 250 g of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Then, add two egg whites, 2 tbsp of Amaretto, and one packet of vanilla sugar; stir well until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll the dough out to a thickness of about 5 mm and cut out shapes using a star-shaped cookie cutter.

For the icing, beat 125 g of powdered sugar with one egg white until stiff, then carefully spread it over the stars. Bake the cinnamon stars in a preheated oven at 120°C (248°F) using the fan-assisted (convection) setting for approximately 25 minutes.

Simple Butter Cookies

Butter cookies are a classic Christmas treat. They are quick and easy to prepare, versatile in shape (depending on the cookie cutters you use—stars, Christmas trees, angels, etc.), and can be beautifully decorated with chocolate or icing and sprinkles to make them look colorful and festive.

⏱ approx. 45 min - 👥 approx. 50 cookies - ♨ Easy

Preparation: Mix 300 g of flour with 100 g of sugar, 1 packet of vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add 200 g of cold butter (cut into pieces) and one egg, then knead into a smooth dough. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5 mm and cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Bake in an oven at 180°C (356°F) using top/bottom heat for approximately 8–10 minutes. Allow to cool, then decorate with icing or chocolate and sprinkles.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroons have a slightly exotic flavor, thanks to the shredded coconut. They are wonderfully crisp on the outside and moist and soft on the inside—a lovely change of pace from classic cookies.

⏱ approx. 15 min - 👥 approx. 40 cookies - ♨ Easy

Preparation: Beat four egg whites until stiff, then carefully fold in 150 g of sugar, one packet of vanilla sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon; mix in 200 g of shredded coconut. Arrange 40 wafer bases on a baking sheet and use two spoons to place the coconut mixture onto them. Bake at 150°C (302°F) using the fan-assisted (convection) setting for about 10 minutes.

Spitzbuben

Spitzbuben are traditional Christmas cookies with a jam filling. This gives the shortcrust pastry a fruity flavor, and the cookies are particularly lovely to look at.

⏱ approx. 40 min - 👥 approx. 50 cookies - ♨ Easy

Preparation: Cut 200 g of butter into pieces and mix with 300 g of flour, 100 g of ground almonds, a pinch of salt, 150 g of sugar, 1 packet of vanilla sugar, and two eggs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Then, roll out the dough and cut out shapes using a round, scalloped-edge cookie cutter. Place half of the cookies on a baking sheet; for the other half, use a smaller cutter (or a different shape, such as a small heart or star) to cut a hole in the center. Bake all the cookies at 180°C (356°F) using top and bottom heat for about 8 minutes.

Spread a little jam onto the solid cookies (those without a hole), then top with a cookie that has a hole and press down gently. If desired, the cookies can be dusted with powdered sugar before serving.