25+ of the Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Brittany Mullins, Certified Health CoachUpdated Oct 18, 2026

16 Comments

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Add as Google Trusted Source

I’ve gathered 25+ of my favorite healthy Christmas cookie recipes for holiday baking, cookie exchanges and homemade gifts. You’ll find festive classics, easy no-bake treats and plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.

Collage of four different cookies: gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, almond crescent cookies, and chocolate peppermint cookies.

Christmas cookie baking has been a family tradition since I was little. My almond crescent cookies are inspired by my nanny’s recipe, and those sweet, powdered-sugar-coated crescents will always have a place on my holiday tray. I love mixing those familiar favorites with something chocolatey, like my chocolate peppermint cookies, because choosing just one kind is half the problem!

This collection brings together recipes I’ve developed and shared over the years, from cookies you can roll out and decorate to quick treats that don’t need the oven. I’ve grouped them by style so you can find what fits your plans, whether you’re baking with family, filling a gift tin or bringing a batch to a cookie exchange.

Table of Contents

What Makes These Christmas Cookies Healthier?

My approach is to work ingredients like oats, almond flour, nut butter and fruit into recipes that still taste like the cookies you look forward to at Christmas. Some use maple syrup or dates for sweetness, while others keep traditional ingredients like butter and powdered sugar. These are still treats, and the recipes vary, so check each one for ingredients, nutrition and dietary options that suit you.

Multiple gingerbread cookies decorated with icing on a plate.
1

Gingerbread Cookies

5 from 2 votes
These soft gingerbread cookies are perfectly spiced, chewy in the center, and crisp around the edges. They hold their shape beautifully, making them great for decorating during the holidays!
Get The Recipe
Multiple gluten free sugar cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles.
2

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out Cookies)

4.23 from 35 votes
These gluten-free sugar cookies are made with coconut flour and super easy to make. They have a delicious, buttery flavor and the perfect texture for making cut-out cookies!
Get The Recipe
Healthy snickerdoodle cookies on a gold cookie tray.
3

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

4.03 from 46 votes
These easy gluten free snickerdoodles are fluffy, chewy and loaded with cinnamon flavor in every bite. They're made with a combo of almond flour and oat flour and come together in one bowl!
Get The Recipe
Cookies on parchment paper.
4

Healthy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

4.77 from 13 votes
These soft and fudgy healthy chocolate crinkle cookies are made with whole wheat flour, applesauce, maple syrup and coated in confectioners' sugar. They're the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Get The Recipe
Multiple gingersnap cookies near one another on parchment paper, with one cookie having a bite taken from it.
5

Gluten-Free Gingersnap Cookies

4.59 from 31 votes
These gluten-free gingersnap cookies are soft in the center, crispy at the edges and coated in sparkling sugar. They come together with simple pantry ingredients and bake into the most delicious holiday cookie.
Get The Recipe
Peanut butter blossom cookies arranged on white parchment with small gold ornaments, and extra chocolate pieces scattered around.
6

Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms

4.45 from 60 votes
These healthy peanut butter blossoms are soft chewy and topped with warm melty chocolate chunks. The cookies are flourless, gluten free and come together with just a few simple ingredients.
Get The Recipe
A plate filled with decorated holiday sugar cookies—trees, bows, snowflakes, ornaments, and candy canes.
7

Healthy Sugar Cookies

4.39 from 36 votes
Soft and lightly sweet healthy sugar cookies that are perfect for cut outs. The dough rolls out easily and bakes into clean edged cookies ready for decorating.
Get The Recipe

No Bake Holiday Cookies and Treats

Assorted Oreo balls coated in dark and white chocolate on a serving plate alongside a few Oreo cookies.
8

Easy Oreo Balls (Oreo Truffles)

5 from 2 votes
These no-bake Oreo balls come together with just 5 simple ingredients and taste absolutely decadent. They’re rich, chocolatey and perfect for holiday parties, gifting or any time you need a quick crowd-pleasing treat.
Get The Recipe
Multiple chocolate no bake cookies stacked on one another on a white plate.
9

Healthy No Bake Cookies

4.37 from 222 votes
These healthy no bake cookies are made with peanut butter, oats and coconut sugar for a naturally sweet, rich chocolaty treat. They take just minutes to mix together and set up perfectly in the fridge.
Get The Recipe
Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 9 no bake almond cookies half dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate and sprinkled with cacao nibs.
10

No Bake Almond Cookies

4.10 from 21 votes
These tasty no bake almond cookies are packed with almonds, dates and cacao nibs. They’re sweet and delicious as is, but insanely good dipped in chocolate as well.
Get The Recipe
Chocolate covered peanut butter balls in a bowl with one ball having a bite taken from it.
11

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls

4.27 from 125 votes
Make the best healthy peanut butter balls with only 5 simple ingredients! No powdered sugar or butter needed. They're so easy to make and absolutely addictive!
Get The Recipe
An overhead photo of a bowl of avocado truffles. The top truffle has a bite taken out of it.
12

Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles

4.69 from 58 votes
These dark chocolate avocado truffles are made with avocado instead of heavy cream. They're rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. Made with just 4 simple ingredients they come together quickly! Gluten-free + vegan.
Get The Recipe

Nutty & Festive Healthy Christmas Cookies

Almond crescent cookies on a plate.
13

Almond Crescent Cookies

4.23 from 316 votes
These almond crescent cookies are buttery, nutty and coated in powdered sugar. Made with almond flour and just 6 simple ingredients, they’re an easy gluten-free addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Get The Recipe
Gluten-free and grain-free almond cookies on a plate.
14

Recipe for Almond Cookies

4.86 from 61 votes
These almond cookies are made with almond flour, almond extract and topped with sliced almonds. They're buttery, soft and melt in your mouth delicious. Gluten-free + grain-free.
Get The Recipe
An overhead photo looking down at a plate of almond butter espresso cookies. Extra cookies are scattered around the plate alongside a bowl of coffee beans and a mug of hot cocoa.
15

Almond Butter Espresso Cookies

3.91 from 73 votes
These almond butter espresso cookies are the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy. They're super easy to whip up and require only six ingredients and one bowl. Plus, they're flourless, vegan and gluten-free!
Get The Recipe
Almond flour thumbprint cookies on a cooling rack. Some have raspberry jam and some have orange marmalade.
16

Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies

4.30 from 410 votes
These almond flour thumbprint cookies have a lightly sweetened almond flour base and fruity jam centers. Made with six ingredients, each batch makes 12 cookies.
Get The Recipe
A plate full of chocolate chip tahini cookies.
17

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.61 from 89 votes
These chocolate chip tahini cookies pack a nutritional punch with fiber, healthy fats and protein, plus they're vegan & gluten-free!
Get The Recipe
Peanut butter cookies sprinkled with sea salt on a cooling rack.
18

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

4.38 from 272 votes
Soft peanut butter cookies made with natural peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and almond flour. This simple one-bowl recipe is gluten-free and vegan when made with maple syrup.
Get The Recipe

Oatmeal Favorites

Oatmeal date cookies on a gold wire cooling rack.
19

Oatmeal Date Cookies

3.93 from 65 votes
These oatmeal date cookies are guaranteed to be your new favorite cookie recipe! They're studded with sweet dates and crunchy walnuts and have the perfect texture – crisp edges with a soft and chewy center.
Get The Recipe
Cookies cooling on a wire rack.
20

Oatmeal Scotchies

5 from 11 votes
These flourless oatmeal scotchies are made with almond butter, maple syrup, rolled oats and studded with butterscotch chips. They're soft, chewy and absolutely delicious!
Get The Recipe
Oatmeal raisin cookies on a cooling rack with one cookie having a bite taken from it.
21

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

4.27 from 75 votes
These oatmeal raisin cookies are soft and chewy with crisp edges. They're absolutely addicting and guaranteed to be a new family favorite!
Get The Recipe
Multiple peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips spread out on a table. One of the cookies has a bite taken out of it.
22

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

4.59 from 39 votes
These soft and chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies are easy to make in one bowl with just 9 simple ingredients! Made with oat flour and maple syrup these cookies are refined sugar-free, gluten-free and oil-free.
Get The Recipe
Lemon ricotta cookies on a plate with lemon wedges.
23

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

4.75 from 32 votes
These lemon ricotta cookies are made with oat flour and topped with a delicious light lemon glaze. They're soft, moist, fluffy and absolutely delicious!
Get The Recipe
A close up overhead photo looking down at chocolate peppermint cookies on a wire cooling rack on top of brown parchment paper.
24

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

4.54 from 43 votes
These chocolate peppermint cookies are soft, chewy and topped with crushed candy canes for the perfect holiday treat. They're flourless, naturally sweetened and come together quickly in just one bowl!
Get The Recipe
Multiple molasses cookies sprinkled with cane sugar with a glass of milk in the background.
25

Molasses Cookies

5 from 2 votes
These ginger molasses cookies are a must-make for the holidays. They're crisp around the edges and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle. They're absolutely irresistible!
Get The Recipe
Hand holding a piece of healthy Christmas Crack, topped with almonds and cranberries.
26

Healthier Christmas Crack

4.48 from 21 votes
Putting a healthier spin on a not-so-healthy classic! This healthier Christmas crack recipe is made with almond flour crackers, coconut sugar and dark chocolate. It's also gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free if needed! 
Get The Recipe
A cookie bar with almond flour cookie crust topped with coconut caramel, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.
27

Healthier Magic Cookie Bars

4.55 from 94 votes
Healthier magic cookie bars made grain-free, gluten-free and vegan with homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk. 
Get The Recipe

How to Make Christmas Cookies Ahead and Freeze Them

A little planning means you don’t have to bake everything the day before your cookie exchange. Here’s how I’d spread out the work:

  • Start with freezer-friendly dough: Check the individual recipe for freezing directions. My almond crescent cookie dough, for example, can be frozen for up to 3 months, giving you a head start on holiday baking.
  • Freeze baked cookies in portions: For recipes that freeze well, let the cookies cool completely, then pack them in airtight freezer-safe containers with parchment between layers. Label each batch with the name and date, and follow that recipe’s thawing instructions.
  • Plan the finishing touches: When the recipe allows, save icing or glaze for after thawing and let it set before packing. Keep treats that need refrigeration chilled until serving, and check each recipe’s storage notes before adding it to a gift box.

A cookie exchange is such a fun way to try several recipes without baking every batch yourself. A little coordination makes it easier for everyone:

  • Plan the variety: Have guests sign up for a recipe so you don’t end up with five batches of the same cookie. Ask everyone to bring an ingredient list and label any dietary options.
  • Agree on quantities: Two or three cookies per guest is a good starting point, plus a few extras for sampling. Share the final guest count so everyone knows how many to bring.
  • Have containers ready: Ask guests to bring containers or provide boxes for taking cookies home. Set out a few savory snacks and drinks so everyone can enjoy catching up while they exchange treats.

How to Pack and Ship Cookies for the Holidays

Homemade cookies make such a thoughtful gift. Here’s how to help them arrive looking as good as they tasted fresh from the oven:

  • Choose cookies that travel well: Pick sturdy cookies that stay fresh at room temperature. Save delicate cookies and treats that need refrigeration for local gifting.
  • Pack cooled cookies snugly: Let cookies cool completely and allow any icing to set. Separate varieties into food-safe bags or containers, with parchment between layers. Keep crisp and soft cookies separate so their textures don’t change.
  • Protect the package: Place the cookie containers inside a sturdy shipping box and cushion the gaps so nothing shifts. Keep packing materials outside the food containers, choose a delivery speed that fits the cookies’ shelf life and finish with a handwritten note.

More Healthy Holiday Recipes You’ll Love

Categorized as:

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

16 Comments

  1. This looks delicious! I will try to make a fig salad and will tell you how my friends found it. Thank you for sharing such a nice salad recipe!

    Reply

See More Comments