Nothing amplifies the Christmas spirit quite the scent of freshly baked cookies wafting through your home. From buttery shortbread to spicy gingerbread, the aromas of Christmas baking aim to tantalise.
Although you may be tempted to keep your Yuletide biccies to yourself, these simple desserts are also a delightful way to share the holidays with your loved ones. Pass around the biscuit tin during post-dinner refreshments, or bundle your own cookie packs as party favours. Either way, these cookie recipes will have everyone wishing they were invited to your house for the holidays.
To help inspire your festive baking, we’ve compiled a collection of our favourite Christmas cookie and biscuit recipes for 2025. From modern creations, to chef-approved classics, we have a recipe for bakers of every skill level.
So, dust off your rolling pin, fire up the oven, and gather your favourite biscuit decorations. Let’s fill your kitchen with the aromas, colours, and culinary celebrations of the season—one cookie at a time.
The best Christmas cookie recipes 2025
AP Bakery’s buckwheat ginger biscuits for Christmas
Gingerbread stars with buttermilk icing
Speculaas (spiced Christmas cookies)
Pfeffernüsse
Lauren Eldridge’s brunkager (spiced Danish gingerbread biscuits)
Kourabiedes
Fruit shortbread stars with cinnamon-brandy glaze
Florentines
Almond shortbread wreaths with brandy glaze
Adriano Zumbo: Gingerbread Christmas trees
Ginger biscuit ice-cream sandwiches with whisky caramel
Adriano Zumbo: Cranberry-rosemary Florentine bars
Currant and lemon shortbread with vanilla glaze
Gingerbread
Pepparkakor
Spiced ginger oat biscuits for dunking
Patouda
Philippa Sibley: Christmas biscuits
Muscovado biscotti
Matcha crackle cookies
Spiced brown sugar biscuits
Adriano Zumbo: Candy cane macarons
What is the most famous Christmas cookie?
One could argue the most famous Christmas cookie is gingerbread. Ginger sweets and baked goods have been used in ceremonial menus for centuries, particularly across Europe. The iconic gingerbread house originated in Germany around the 16th century, and was popularised by the Grimm brothers’ fairytale, Hansel and Gretel. It later developed into a Christmas tradition, and spread to America and beyond where it became a staple of Christmas iconography. One of the reasons gingerbread is such a famous Christmas treat is due to its ability to be cut into shapes and decorated accordingly. Think: Gingerbread men and gingerbread snowflakes. Gingerbread is arguably more popular in the northern hemisphere than here in Australia. Its warming qualities resonate with the winter climate. However, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy a gingerbread cookie for Christmas Down Under!
Many different cultures and cuisines mark the big day with a batch of Christmas cookies. In Denmark, you have Brunkager. In the Netherlands? Speculaas. Italy—biscotti. Poland—pierniczki. Sweden—pepparkakor. Greece—kourabiedes. And that’s only scratching the surface! Many of these are variations of gingerbread or shortbread—two of the most well-known Christmas biscuits.
Looking for more kinds? Our above recipe collection features recipe by celebrated chefs like Adriano Zumbo, who offers a variety of Christmas cookie recipes, including macarons, Florentines and gingerbread.
