Christmas Cookies Tier List: Every Holiday Classic Ranked
Every December, the same cookie tins come out and the same arguments start. Is a snickerdoodle better than a sugar cookie? Does anyone actually like fruitcake's cousin, the rum ball? We went through 24 of the biggest names in Christmas baking and sorted them based on what fans and critics actually say when they argue about this stuff online, plus our own tastes where the comment sections can't agree.
This isn't about which cookie is the most "authentic" or the most Pinterest-friendly. It's about which ones people actually fight over the last piece of on the plate. Disagree with where we put your grandma's recipe? That's half the fun. Build your own list and see if you can defend it better.
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SS Tier: The ones worth fighting for
Chocolate chip cookie
It's not technically a 'Christmas' cookie, but try telling that to the millions of plates left out for Santa every year. Warm, gooey, and the one cookie on this list that never needs a holiday excuse to get baked.
About Chocolate chip cookie
An American classic made with chocolate chips folded into a butter-based dough, invented in the 1930s at the Toll House Inn.
- Origin
- United States
- Invented
- 1930s
Gingerbread man
The mascot of the whole operation. Between the icing buttons, the spice kick, and the fact that you can build a whole house out of the dough, nothing says December like a gingerbread man losing a limb to a hungry kid.
About Gingerbread man
A spiced molasses cookie cut into a human shape, typically decorated with icing. Common across European and American Christmas traditions.
- Main spices
- Ginger, cinnamon, cloves
- Shape
- Human figure
Rugelach
Flaky, cream-cheese dough wrapped around apricot or chocolate, then rolled into little crescents that disappear off the plate faster than anything else on this list. Jewish bakeries have known this for generations and the rest of us finally caught up.
About Rugelach
A crescent-shaped pastry made from cream cheese dough rolled around fillings like fruit preserves, nuts, or chocolate. Rooted in Jewish baking tradition.
- Origin
- Jewish/Eastern European
- Shape
- Crescent or roll
Snickerdoodle
Cinnamon-sugar crust, soft chewy center, zero pretension. It's the cookie equivalent of a warm sweater, and the cream of tartar tang is what separates it from every basic sugar cookie copycat.
About Snickerdoodle
A soft cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar, made distinct by cream of tartar in the dough. Popular year-round in the US but a holiday staple too.
- Key ingredient
- Cream of tartar
AA Tier: Reliable holiday royalty
Peanut butter blossoms
A Hershey's Kiss pressed into warm peanut butter cookie dough is one of the great simple pleasures of the season. The only debate is whether the chocolate should still be a little melted when you bite in (yes, it should).
About Peanut butter blossoms
A peanut butter cookie topped with a chocolate candy, typically a Hershey's Kiss, pressed in right after baking.
- Origin
- United States
Linzer cookies
Two buttery, almond-flecked cookies sandwiching raspberry jam, with a little cutout window dusted in powdered sugar. Looks like it belongs in a bakery case, tastes even better than it looks.
About Linzer cookies
Two almond-based cookies sandwiched with jam, usually raspberry, with a cutout window in the top cookie. Based on the Austrian Linzer torte.
- Origin
- Austria
- Filling
- Usually raspberry jam
Thumbprint cookies
A simple butter cookie with a jam-filled dent in the middle shouldn't be this satisfying, but the ratio of crumbly cookie to sweet filling always hits. Swap the jam for chocolate or caramel and it only gets better.
About Thumbprint cookies
A butter cookie with a thumb-pressed indent filled with jam, chocolate, or caramel before or after baking.
- Filling
- Jam, chocolate, or caramel
Chocolate crinkle cookies
Rolled in powdered sugar so the cracks look like snow against dark chocolate, this one is basically a brownie that learned to stand on its own. Fudgy in the middle, crackly on the edges.
About Chocolate crinkle cookies
A rich chocolate cookie rolled in powdered sugar before baking, creating a cracked appearance as it bakes.
- Appearance
- Cracked, snow-like surface
Pfeffernüsse
German spice cookies dense enough to feel substantial, with a peppery kick that catches people off guard the first time. The powdered sugar coating mellows things out just enough to keep you reaching for another.
About Pfeffernüsse
A dense, spiced German cookie coated in powdered sugar, with pepper or spice giving it a slight kick.
- Origin
- Germany
- Meaning
- Pepper nuts
Shortbread
Three ingredients, maybe four if you're feeling fancy with vanilla, and somehow it's one of the most requested cookies of the season. Butter is doing all the work here and it does not disappoint.
About Shortbread
A Scottish cookie made from just butter, sugar, and flour, known for its crumbly, dense texture.
- Origin
- Scotland
- Ingredients
- Butter, sugar, flour
BB Tier: Good, no notes needed
Spritz cookies
The cookie press gets dragged out of the closet once a year for these, and honestly the fun is half in the shapes. Buttery and light, though they lean more 'pretty' than 'memorable' on flavor alone.
About Spritz cookies
Buttery cookies pressed into decorative shapes using a cookie press or pastry bag, a Scandinavian Christmas tradition.
- Origin
- Scandinavia
- Tool
- Cookie press
Sugar cookie
The blank canvas of Christmas baking. Nobody's mad at a sugar cookie, but nobody's fighting over the last one either unless the royal icing game is exceptionally strong.
About Sugar cookie
A simple butter-and-sugar cookie, often rolled and cut into holiday shapes, then decorated with icing or sprinkles.
- Texture
- Crisp or soft, varies by recipe
Biscotti
Twice-baked for that signature crunch, biscotti earns its spot by being the one cookie built for dunking in coffee or vin santo. Almond is the classic, but the chocolate-dipped versions have their fans too.
About Biscotti
A twice-baked Italian cookie known for its crunchy texture, traditionally served with coffee or dessert wine.
- Origin
- Italy
- Texture
- Crunchy, dry
Butter cookies
Those blue tins full of Danish butter cookies are a Christmas fixture, even if half the shapes get picked over before the pretzel-shaped ones finally disappear. Simple, buttery, dependable.
About Butter cookies
Simple, rich cookies made primarily from butter, sugar, and flour, often associated with Danish butter cookie tins.
- Known for
- Danish tin packaging
Macarons
Technically French, not really a 'Christmas' tradition, but festive colors and peppermint or gingerbread flavors have muscled their way onto a lot of holiday platters. Finicky to make, satisfying to eat.
About Macarons
A delicate French meringue-based sandwich cookie made with almond flour, known for its smooth shell and various fillings.
- Origin
- France
- Main ingredient
- Almond flour
Pizzelle
Thin, crisp, anise-scented Italian waffle cookies that look fancier than the effort they actually take once you've got the iron going. A little polarizing if you're not a fan of anise, but the texture wins people over.
About Pizzelle
A thin, crisp Italian waffle cookie traditionally flavored with anise and made using a special pizzelle iron.
- Origin
- Italy
- Flavor
- Often anise
CC Tier: Fine, but you won't miss them
Russian tea cakes
Also known as Mexican wedding cookies or snowball cookies depending on who's grandma made them, these powdered-sugar-dusted nut balls are fine but easily overshadowed by almost anything else on the table.
About Russian tea cakes
Small, round, nut-based cookies rolled in powdered sugar, also known as Mexican wedding cookies or snowball cookies in different cultures.
- Also known as
- Mexican wedding cookies, snowball cookies
Lebkuchen
Germany's answer to gingerbread, dense and honey-spiced, often glazed or chocolate-coated. Respected more than it's loved outside of Christmas markets, where it genuinely shines.
About Lebkuchen
A traditional German gingerbread-style cookie, often honey-sweetened and sometimes glazed or chocolate-coated.
- Origin
- Germany
- Associated with
- Christmas markets
Ginger snaps
Snappy and spicy, these do one job well but rarely get picked first when there's a softer gingerbread cookie sitting right next to them. Great for dunking in milk, less great on its own.
About Ginger snaps
A crisp, spiced molasses cookie known for its snap and bite, less chewy than traditional gingerbread.
- Texture
- Crisp
Florentines
Lacy, caramelized, loaded with candied fruit and nuts, then coated in chocolate on the bottom. Gorgeous to look at, but the texture and candied fruit situation splits a room fast.
About Florentines
A thin, lacy cookie made with candied fruit and nuts, often dipped or backed with chocolate.
Speculoos
The spiced Belgian cookie that became a cult favorite thanks to cookie butter, but on its own at Christmas it tends to get lumped in with gingerbread rather than standing out on its own merits.
About Speculoos
A spiced, caramelized Belgian and Dutch cookie traditionally associated with Saint Nicholas Day as well as Christmas.
- Origin
- Belgium/Netherlands
FF Tier: Time to retire this one
Rum balls
No-bake chocolate and crushed cookie crumbs spiked with rum, rolled into a ball and left to sit until someone's unsuspecting kid or coworker bites into one. Fans call it a classic; just as many call it the one thing left untouched on the tray.
About Rum balls
A no-bake dessert made from crushed cookies or cake crumbs, cocoa, and rum, rolled into bite-sized balls.
- Preparation
- No-bake
How we ranked them
We weighed how often a cookie shows up on "best Christmas cookie" lists, how fiercely people defend it in baking forums, and how it actually tastes when you're not just being nostalgic. Texture, flavor payoff, and whether it's worth the effort all factored in. When fans were split down the middle, we picked a side and said so.
Think we got it wrong?
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the most popular Christmas cookie?
Gingerbread man and sugar cookie are usually the top two in most surveys and bakery sales, with chocolate chip cookies close behind as an unofficial holiday staple.
Are macarons a real Christmas cookie?
Not traditionally, macarons are French and tied more to general patisserie than Christmas specifically, but festive flavors and colors have made them a common holiday platter addition.
What's the difference between gingerbread and pfeffernüsse?
Gingerbread leans sweeter with molasses and warm spices, while pfeffernüsse gets its name from a peppery kick mixed in with the spice blend and is usually coated in powdered sugar.
Why do people dislike rum balls?
The combination of a boozy kick and a dense, no-bake crumb texture divides people hard. Fans love the adult twist on a holiday cookie plate, but plenty of people find the texture and alcohol flavor off-putting.
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Image credits
- Chocolate chip cookiePhoto: brainloc on sxc.hu (Bob Smith), CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Gingerbread manPhoto: Gaetan Lee, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- RugelachPhoto: Douglas W. Jones, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- SnickerdoodlePhoto: jim Winstead from los angeles, usa, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Peanut butter blossomsPhoto: bellemarematt, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse) · License · Source
- Linzer cookiesPhoto: Simon S from Belgium, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Thumbprint cookiesPhoto: ParentingPatch, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Chocolate crinkle cookiesPhoto: Ruth and Dave, CC BY 2.0 (via Openverse) · License · Source
- PfeffernüssePhoto: Lucky's andere mutti, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- ShortbreadPhoto: Elumineau, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Spritz cookiesPhoto: someToast, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse) · License · Source
- Sugar cookiePhoto: Julie Anne Workman, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- BiscottiPhoto: rusvaplauke, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Butter cookiesPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- MacaronsPhoto: Nicolas Halftermeyer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- PizzellePhoto: Steve Snodgrass, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Russian tea cakesPhoto: Stacy Spensley, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- LebkuchenPhoto: Cnbrb, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Ginger snapsPhoto: Samuel Wiki, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- FlorentinesPhoto: KKPCW（Kyu3）, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- SpeculoosPhoto: Hansmuller, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Rum ballsPhoto: PineappleAndCoconut, CC BY 2.0 (via Openverse) · License · Source