(That Look Almost Too Good to Eat… Almost)
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: decorated Christmas cookies are not optional. They are the centrepiece of every cookie box, the edible craft project of December, and quite possibly the most satisfying way to show off your holiday spirit. Whether you’re going full royal icing detail mode or keeping it simple with glazes and sprinkles, these cookies are your canvas. And the medium is sugar.
This isn’t your store-bought roll-out dough. We’re talking real-deal cookies with texture, flavour, and style. You’ll find everything from classic snowflakes to surprisingly easy stained glass cookies, all perfect for gifting, eating, or just leaving out for Santa like the overachiever you are.
So preheat the oven, whip out those cookie cutters, and get your piping bags ready. Here are 20 festive decorated Christmas cookies that make December worth the calories.
1. Classic Iced Sugar Cookies
The OG of holiday cookies. Buttery, sturdy enough to hold their shape, and perfect for intricate royal icing designs. Whether you’re piping snowflakes, trees, or snowmen, these are a blank canvas that never disappoint.
Pro move: Use meringue powder in your royal icing for a finish that sets beautifully and doesn’t crack.
2. Gingerbread People
Not just cute, but legit spicy and flavourful. These cookies bring molasses, cinnamon, and clove together with a soft snap. Dress them with icing clothes, candy buttons, or whatever your imagination allows.
Yes, they’re edible. No, you don’t have to eat the one with the weird face you piped at midnight.
3. Snowflake Cookies with Royal Icing
These are deceptively easy and always elegant. Use a simple snowflake cutter, white royal icing, and silver sugar pearls for something that looks like it came from a bakery window.
Dust with powdered sugar for extra snow vibes.
4. Stained Glass Window Cookies
Sugar cookies with melted candies in the centre that turn into edible glass. They look intricate but are shockingly simple.
Use crushed Jolly Ranchers or Lifesavers. The key is to bake the cookies halfway, then add the candy and finish baking.
5. Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
These red and white spirals are eye-catching and festive without requiring a single piping tip. Roll out two colours of dough, stack, roll into a log, and slice.
They’re minty, soft, and extremely freezer-friendly.
6. Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies
Technically not a traditional cookie, but hear me out. Pipe green meringue into tree shapes, bake low and slow, and finish with gold sprinkles or sugar stars.
Light, crisp, and almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
7. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Soft, fudgy, and deep red in colour, these cookies crack open while baking and get dusted with powdered sugar for a snowy finish. No piping required, just mix, chill, and roll.
Ideal for those who want impact without spending an hour decorating.
8. Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
These are thumbprint-style cookies topped with striped peppermint Hershey’s Kisses. You get a chewy base and a melty, minty centre.
Bake the cookies, then press in the kisses as soon as they come out. Timing matters.
9. Christmas Lights Sugar Cookies
Use a bulb-shaped cookie cutter or oval cutter, ice in bright colours, and pipe little black icing “wires” to connect them. Add dots of white for a glossy finish.
They look advanced but only require a few colours and steady hands.
10. Ornament Ball Cookies
Circular sugar cookies decorated to look like glass ornaments. Use royal icing in bold jewel tones, metallic sugar beads, and a little silver gel for the “hook” part.
Hang on a tree? Maybe. Eat five in one sitting? Definitely.
11. Polar Bear Paw Cookies
Made from shortbread or peanut butter dough, dipped in chocolate and finished with chocolate chips or candy claws. No piping. All effect.
They’re playful and weirdly addictive.
12. Ugly Sweater Cookies
Cut sweater shapes from sugar cookie dough and go wild. The uglier, the better. Use mismatched icing colors, sprinkles, and weird designs. They’re supposed to be chaotic.
Great for a decorating party or as a fun kids’ activity.
13. Santa Hat Brownie Cookies
Thick, fudgy cookies topped with a swirl of buttercream and a fresh strawberry to look like a Santa hat. A tiny white chocolate chip on top seals the look.
They’re half cookie, half mini dessert.
14. Wreath Cookies
Pipe green royal icing onto round cookies, add red sugar pearls or bows, and boom—you’ve got an edible Christmas wreath.
Use a star tip for that leafy effect.
15. Reindeer Face Cookies
Circle base, brown icing, candy eyes, pretzel antlers, and a red M&M nose. You know who it is.
Rudolph never looked so snack able.
16. Plaid Flannel Cookies
Take your sugar cookies and paint them with food colouring diluted in a touch of vodka or lemon extract. Layer horizontal and vertical lines to mimic that flannel vibe.
Yes, they’re artsy. Yes, you can still dunk them in milk.
17. Snowman Faces
Circle cookies with white icing, black sugar pearls for eyes and mouth, and an orange sprinkle or piped icing for the carrot nose. Simple. Classic. Always a crowd-pleaser.
Extra points if you add a tiny scarf detail.
18. Mini Christmas Stocking Cookies
Use a stocking cutter, outline with red icing, and fill the top with piped “frosting fluff” or mini marshmallows. Add names with a tiny tip for a personalized touch.
Perfect for gift bags or party favours.
19. Christmas Sweater Cookie Sandwiches
Two soft cookies sandwiched with buttercream in the middle and iced on top to look like festive sweaters. More sugar, more joy.
Dip the edges in sprinkles if you’re feeling extra.
20. Marbled Ornament Cookies
Flood circular cookies with two or three colours of royal icing, then swirl with a toothpick to create a marbled effect. Let them dry hard for a glassy, high-shine finish.
They’re ridiculously pretty and easier than they look.
Final Tips for Next-Level Cookie Decorating
- Chill your dough before cutting. Clean edges make for sharper decorations.
- Use gel food colouring. Better colour payoff with less water in the icing.
- Royal icing dries faster in front of a fan. Don’t wait three hours—move some air.
- Practice piping on parchment first. Get your muscle memory dialled in before moving to the cookie.
- Don’t skip flavour. Add extracts (almond, peppermint, orange) to both dough and icing to avoid boring sugar bombs.
Whether you’re going minimalist with two colours and simple lines or making cookies worthy of a holiday-themed art gallery, these 20 festive decorated cookies will bring serious cheer to your table. They’re tasty, creative, and most importantly, memorable.
Now cue up the Christmas playlist, bust out the piping bags, and make a mess worth cleaning up. It’s decorating season. Let’s bake like we mean it.
