18 Best Christmas Cookies for a Cookie Exchange

18 best Christmas cookie recipes

Don’t be that person who shows up to the Christmas cookie exchange with store-bought cookies. Even if you put them on a plate, people know! There’s just that special something about homemade cookies during the holidays that can’t be beat. Here are 18 absolutely delicious (and mostly easy) Christmas cookies to make for this year’s cookie exchange.

Click Here for Recipe: Italian Sugar Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Italian Sugar Cookies

“These cookies are pillowy soft, lightly sweet cookies are a new holiday favorite at my house!” - Christy
Click Here for Recipe: Pecan Pie Cheesecake Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Pecan Pie Cheesecake Cookies

“I wanted to create a new cookie - something that had never been done before. A cream cheese base with the wonderful flavor of cheesecake and a stove top cooked pecan pie filling topped with a toasted pecan. I can't wait to give this on Christmas Eve to my family. This cookie will be a showstopper at a cookie swap or your next get together. Enjoy!” - Tammy
Click Here for Recipe: Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies

“Perfectly flavored, Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies have a snap from the sugar on the outside but are soft, luscious, and chewy without being cakey on the inside.” - Paula
Click Here for Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

“But making something homemade doesn’t necessarily have to mean making something from scratch. These Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies are the perfect example. They’re soft and pillowy, super delicious, and ridiculously easy!” - Stacey
Click Here for Recipe: Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

“These Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are a taste of nostalgia. The texture is reminiscent of the peanut butter cookies I adored as a girl and incidentally were my very first baking project when I was barely 10 years old.” - Melissa
Click Here for Recipe: White Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: White Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Cookies

“This is one of my favorite holiday cookies, although it is very good any time of year. I love to make them ahead and then when I need them, just pull them out of the freezer, slice, and bake. Perfect for having on hand as guests drop in for holiday visits.” - Debbie
Click Here for Recipe: Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

“For these maraschino cherry chocolate chip cookies you will also have to chop up some cherries but that only takes a few more minutes and it is definitely worth the effort!” - Kevin
Click Here for Recipe: Hungarian Cookie Treasures

Click Here for Recipe: Hungarian Cookie Treasures

“This is an old-fashioned cookie, but it's more like a mini-pie in cookie form. The dough's slightly sweet but the sweetness mostly comes from the jam and powdered sugar. The jam's a little surprise inside the soft and chewy cookie. They're a little time consuming to make, but are very tasty and would be tasty to include in a cookie exchange.” - Kitchen Crew
Click Here for Recipe: Give me some sugga! Fudge Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Give me some sugga! Fudge Cookies

“They were DE-LI-CIOUS!!! I thin crunchy exterior shell and soft and chewy interior. After the first dozen came out of the oven, my daughter wanted to taste them so I let her have a couple. I tasted one...then another...then another and before I knew it, I had eaten the other ten from the first batch! Oh, help me, these are addictive!” - Joan
Click Here for Recipe: Sugar Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Sugar Cookies

“This is a delicious cookie to make. Wonderful to make around the holidays for a special treat for the children. My children always liked to help decorate with icing.” - Jean
Click Here for Recipe: Snickerdoodles

Click Here for Recipe: Snickerdoodles

“Snickerdoodles are my daughter's favorite cookies and one of mine as well. These light and buttery cookies are soft and chewy and easy to make! Always a crowd pleaser.” - Joyce
Click Here for Recipe: Pecan Florentines

Click Here for Recipe: Pecan Florentines

“Light, crispy, wonderful!!!! Starts out like a candy on the stove and ends up a wonderful light and crispy cookie.” - Beth
Click Here for Recipe: The Ultimate Chocolate Mint Cookie

Click Here for Recipe: The Ultimate Chocolate Mint Cookie

“These cookies I made sort of by accident and realized I had made the best tasting cookie I ever ate! I love it when that happens.” - Cathy
Click Here for Recipe: Christmas All Butter Sugar Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Christmas All Butter Sugar Cookies

“We loved everything about this yummy sugar cookie recipe. Adding almond flavoring is an excellent choice and gives this a slightly different taste than traditional sugar cookies. The dough is easy to work with and bakes perfectly. The frosting on top is a great addition and with a hint of almond plays off the flavor of the cookie. We used a snowflake cutter and, somewhat, followed the decorating directions. They were super easy to decorate.” - Kitchen Crew
Click Here for Recipe: Gooey Butter Cookies

Click Here for Recipe: Gooey Butter Cookies

“I love this recipe! So easy and so delicious! They go fast because everyone in my family can't stop eating them!” - Mary
Click Here for Recipe: Dolly's Chocolate Snowballs

Click Here for Recipe: Dolly's Chocolate Snowballs

“These cookies were a hit at a cookie party I attended! I received numerous requests for the recipe. Easy to make as well. These cookies won't let you down! I used mini chocolate chips.” - Jennifer
Click Here for Recipe: Butternuts

Click Here for Recipe: Butternuts

“These are my most requested cookie. I usually make at least 500 of these at Christmas. It’s a very simple recipe but packed with lots a flavor!” - Denise
Click Here for Recipe: Thumb Print Cookies The Ultimate best!

Click Here for Recipe: Thumb Print Cookies The Ultimate best!

“Also, I just made these again with my Grandchildren. We didn’t add the nuts and they still turned out great! Have the kids roll the dough into balls and poke their thumbs into them....they had a blast creating these cookies! :)” - Deb