19 Christmas Baking Recipes

Christmas baking brings warmth, joy, and the nostalgic scents of cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, and chocolate.

These 19 Christmas baking recipes are festive, easy to follow, and perfect for holiday celebrations, parties, and family gatherings.

1. Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Soft, warmly spiced cookies shaped into gingerbread men.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups flour

• ½ cup butter

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ⅓ cup molasses

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp ginger

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp cloves

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar.

2. Add egg and molasses.

3. Add dry ingredients.

4. Roll, cut into shapes, bake 10 minutes at 350°F.

2. Christmas Sugar Cookies

Buttery sugar cookies decorated with festive icing.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup butter

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Make dough and chill.

2. Roll out and cut shapes.

3. Bake 8–10 minutes.

3. Peppermint Bark Brownies

Fudgy brownies topped with peppermint candy and white chocolate.

Ingredients:

• Brownie batter

• 1 cup crushed candy canes

• 1 cup white chocolate

Instructions:

1. Bake brownies.

2. Melt white chocolate and spread.

3. Top with crushed candy.

4. Eggnog Loaf Cake

A soft, sweet holiday loaf flavored with eggnog and nutmeg.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup butter

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup eggnog

• Nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Mix wet ingredients.

2. Add dry.

3. Bake 45 minutes at 350°F.

5. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Crinkly chocolate cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cocoa

• 2 cups flour

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• ½ cup oil

• 4 eggs

Instructions:

1. Mix dough and chill.

2. Roll in powdered sugar.

3. Bake 10 minutes.

6. Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree

Soft cinnamon rolls assembled into a festive Christmas tree shape.

Ingredients:

• Pre-made cinnamon roll dough

• Green icing

• Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Arrange rolls in a tree layout.

2. Bake and decorate.

7. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Sweet and tart holiday cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• ½ cup butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Mix dough.

2. Fold in cranberries + white chocolate.

3. Bake 12 minutes.

8. Christmas Shortbread

Buttery, crumbly shortbread with festive sprinkles.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 cups flour

• Holiday sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Cream butter + sugar.

2. Add flour.

3. Shape and bake 12–14 minutes.

9. Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Rich chocolate cupcakes topped with marshmallow frosting.

Ingredients:

• Chocolate cupcake batter

• Marshmallow creme

• Cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Bake cupcakes.

2. Top with marshmallow frosting.

10. Pecan Pie Bars

Sweet, sticky pecan filling baked over a shortbread crust.

Ingredients:

• Shortbread crust

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

Instructions:

1. Bake crust.

2. Mix filling.

3. Pour + bake 25 minutes.

11. Christmas M&M Cookies

Chewy cookies with red and green M&M candies.

Ingredients:

• Cookie dough

• 1 cup Christmas M&Ms

Instructions:

1. Fold candies into dough.

2. Bake 12 minutes.

12. Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Soft muffins perfect for holiday mornings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup apples diced

• 1 egg

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup sugar

• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Mix batter.

2. Add apples.

3. Bake 18 minutes.

13. Gingerbread Loaf

Moist ginger-spiced loaf cake perfect with tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• ⅓ cup molasses

• ½ cup butter

• 1 egg

• Ginger + cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients.

2. Bake 50 minutes.

14. Christmas Brownie Bites

Mini brownies topped with green icing and sprinkles.

Ingredients:

• Brownie batter

• Green frosting

Instructions:

1. Bake in mini muffin tray.

2. Decorate.

15. Snickerdoodle Cookies

Soft cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 1 cup butter

• 2 eggs

• Cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

1. Make dough.

2. Roll in cinnamon sugar.

3. Bake 10 minutes.

16. Christmas Cupcakes

Festive cupcakes with holiday designs.

Ingredients:

• Vanilla cupcake batter

• Red + green frosting

• Holiday sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Bake cupcakes.

2. Decorate with colors + designs.

17. Peppermint Chocolate Bark

White and dark chocolate layered with crushed peppermint.

Ingredients:

• Dark chocolate

• White chocolate

• Candy canes

Instructions:

1. Melt chocolates.

2. Layer on tray.

3. Add candy canes and chill.

18. Fruitcake Cookies

All the flavors of classic fruitcake in soft cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup candied fruit

• ½ cup nuts

• Butter + sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix dough.

2. Fold in fruit.

3. Bake 12–14 minutes.

19. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Soft red velvet cookies coated in powdered sugar for a snowy effect.

Ingredients:

• Red velvet cake mix

• 2 eggs

• ⅓ cup oil

• Powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Make dough.

2. Roll in powdered sugar.

3. Bake 10–12 minutes.