50 Make-Ahead Christmas Cookies That Can Chill Overnight

Scottish Shortbread

Scottish settlers first came to this area over 150 years ago. My mother herself was Scottish, and—as with most of my favorite recipes—she passed this shortbread recipe on to me. I make a triple batch of it each year at Christmas, to enjoy and as gifts. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba

Shortbread actually benefits from an overnight stay in the fridge. Here’s why.

Buttery Spritz Cookies

This tender spritz cookie recipe is very eye-catching on my Christmas cookie tray. The dough is easy to work with, so it’s fun to make these spritz cookies into a variety of festive shapes. This is hands down the best spritz cookie recipe ever. —Beverly Launius, Sandwich, Illinois

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

These dainty cookies just melt in your mouth. I enjoy making them for get-togethers when there are lots of people around to enjoy them. —Mary Lou Welsh, Hinsdale, Illinois

Red Velvet Spritz Cookies

I had never come across a red velvet spritz recipe, so I decided to create one. The hint of cocoa makes these taste like red velvet cake. Add peppermint flavoring for a little extra kick. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado

Mexican Tea Cookies

Mexican tea cookies are a holiday favorite in our family. I updated the recipe by frosting them with a buttercream made with dulce de leche. They are tender, crumbly cookies that everyone enjoys. —David Ross, Spokane Valley, Washington

Crescent Chip Cookies

With their cute curved shape, crescents always make charming additions to a Christmas platter. I dip the cooled cookies in chocolate and sprinkle on walnuts. —Ann Eastman, Sacramento, California

Ginger Creme Sandwich Cookies

With a lemony filling, these spiced cookies go over big because they have old-fashioned, comfort-food appeal. Your party guests will snatch them up! - Carol Walston, Granbury, Texas

Cherry Christmas Slices

Brilliant red and green candied cherries add extra sparkle to these delicious holiday delights. What I really like best is that this recipe's easy to mix up ahead of time. In fact, I've often made the dough in November and kept it in the freezer until I needed it in December! —Katie Koziolek, Hartland, Minnesota

Peanut Butter Spritz Fingers

My family loves this peanut butter fingers recipe because they satisfy the need for chocolate and for something crunchy, sweet and nutty, all in just one bite! —Irma Lowery, Reedsburg, Wisconsin

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

These cookies were a holiday tradition in my family since I was a young child. Now my own family requests them before any others at Christmas. —Pat Schmeling, Germantown, Wisconsin

Gingerbread Men Cookies

No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread man cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I'm happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland

Rugelach

The crisp texture of these crescent-shaped cookies makes them a terrific treat to serve alongside a steaming mug of hot chocolate or coffee.

Cherry Surprise Cookies

I tuck a rich chocolate surprise into each of these cute bites. Candied cherries add a colorful finishing touch.
—Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah

Cardamom Sugar Cookies

The warm flavor of cardamom spices up these classic sugar cookies. They’re the ideal treat for your homemade goody basket. Tint the glaze to fit the season.—Darina Jurasek, Salmon Arm, British Columbia

Cherry Pinwheel Cookies

A crisp, light textured cookie with a mild cherry flavor will add great color to your holiday cookie tray.—Jenn Reagan, Maple Valley, Washington

Chocolate Mallow Cookies

Cocoa, marshmallows and ready-made frosting transform the basic dough into these delightful treats. Sometimes, I’ll top each with a pecan half. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah

JoJo’s Ginger Cookies

It’s so much fun to decorate cookies with children’s help. We created gingery moose-shaped cookies to go with a book made especially for my niece’s third-grade class. The crispy golden brown cookies stole the show.—Jenet Cattar, Neptune Beach, Florida

Jelly Sandwich Cookies

To create the stained glass effect of these cookies, I sandwich jelly between two layers of basic dough. Your favorite raisin filling is excellent here, too. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah

Chocolate Cutout Cookies

I love gingerbread cookies, but my grandchildren don't like the ginger flavor. Now I use chocolate and watch them smile as they take that first bite. —Nancy Murphy, Mount Dora, Florida

Tender Pecan Logs

Folks always ask me to make these tender nutty logs. Not overly sweet, they're just right with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. —Joyce Beck, Gadsden, Alabama

Chocolate Almond Wafers

When my children were younger, we'd make dozens of different cookies and candies. Then we'd pack up assortments and deliver them to friends. These mouthwatering wafers were always a favorite. —Phyl Broich-Wessling, Garner, Iowa

Chocolate-Tipped Butter Cookies

These wonderfully moist morsels are too tempting to resist. They melt right in your mouth. Rather than sprinkling the chocolate tips with nuts, you can roll them in red and green jimmies or leave them plain. —Charolette Westfall, Houston, Texas

Peppermint Cream Sandwich Cookies

My mother and I made these crisp chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies together. They are a perfect addition to any party. —Donna Williamson, Round Rock, Texas

Coconut Slice & Bake Cookies

Tinting flaky white coconut reminds me of snowflakes falling under holiday lights. The reds and greens add colorful Christmas wonder. — Lee Roberts, Racine, Wisconsin

Homemade Chocolate Shortbread

This recipe has been in my files for a long time...probably from when I first learned to bake. Any chocolate lover will like these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I make them year-round with variations. They're even richer with a thin coat of icing or as a sandwich cookie with frosting in the middle. —Sarah Bueckert, Austin, Manitoba

Holiday Cutout Cookies

The only limit to these fun cutouts is your cookie cutter collection and your imagination! If you prefer crisp cookies, sprinkle with colored sugar before baking and skip the frosting. My family loves these easy holiday cookies! —Anne Grisham, Henderson, Nevada

Whipped Shortbread

These whipped shortbread Christmas cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I'll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and afternoon teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta

Coconut Chocolate Slices

These crispy cookies with a chewy coconut center travel really well. When my son was in the Army, I often sent boxes to him, and he told me they always arrived in perfect condition. —Cheri Booth, Gering, Nebraska

Cranberry Slices

The holidays wouldn't be complete without a plateful of homemade cookies to give family and friends. Try these for gifts.—American Dairy Assoc, Stacy Duffy, Chicago, Illinois

Linzer Tarts

With a creamy chocolate and hazelnut filling, these decadent Christmas cookies look and taste amazing. Guests will never guess how relatively easy they are to make. —Mary Maddox, Bellmore, New York

Chocolate-Dipped Cranberry Cookies

These pretty pink cookies always turn out so tender. They are the hit of my holiday! —Barbara Nowakowski, North Tonawanda, New York

Snowy Mountain Cookies

I was so excited to bake these with my mom after coming home from studying abroad in Germany. They remind me of the Swabian Alps I could see from my room there. Be careful not to overheat your white chocolate; it’ll lose that attractive shine. —Stephanie Bouley, North Smithfield, Rhode Island

Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

I layer a creamy, coffee-flavored filling between buttery shortbread, then dip the sandwiches in chocolate. Guests always love them.—Bertha Seyer, Oak Ridge, Missouri

Apricot Raisin Rugelach

Rugelach is a classic addition to holiday trays. The flaky, buttery pastry slices encase a spiced fruit and walnut filling. —Laurie Klett, Hamilton, Michigan

Ugly Sweater Cookies

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Ugly Sweater Cookies is how cute they are. Try these classic gingerbreads on for size. —Christy Thelen, Kellogg, Iowa

Basic Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

This recipe evolved from several different recipes that I combined into one. I've never received so many compliments on my baking!—Denise Hufford, Midland, Michigan

Cherry Chocolate Nut Cookies

Each Christmas, I make about 600 cookies to share with family and friends. The holidays wouldn't be the same without several batches of these colorful goodies. —Sybil Brown, Highland, California

Walnut-Filled Pillows

These tender cookie pillows, filled with a delicious walnut mixture, are my husband's favorite. He says it wouldn't be Christmas without them. —Nancy Kostrej, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Swedish Spritz

A touch of almond extract gives these spritz wonderful flavor. For Christmas, you could tint half of the dough with red food coloring and the other half with green. —Irmgard Sinn, Sherwood Park, Alberta

Chocolate Walnut Crescents

I use a round cookie cutter to form the crescent shapes for these nutty favorites. They're so pretty sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with chocolate. —TerryAnn Moore, Vineland, New Jersey

Pecan Meltaways

This sweet, nutty pecan balls recipe is a tradition in our house at Christmastime, but the treats are great any time of the year. —Alberta McKay, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Hidden Mint Morsels

Is it a cookie or a candy? No matter which answer folks choose, they find these minty morsels yummy. The recipe makes so much that you can whip up tons of gifts at once. —Adina Skilbred, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin

Grandma's Raspberry Rugelach

I remember sitting on my great-grandmother's couch with a pad and pen in hand as she told me each ingredient and measurement for her special rugelach. Her recipe stands apart because it's a fun twist from typical versions. —Dalya Rubin, Boca Raton, Florida

Baklava Thumbprint Cookies

The topping on my sister-in-law's peach cobbler was so delicious that I asked for the recipe, then decided to use that to top a cookie I developed with the flavors of baklava. My adult son tried one and immediately ate two more—which is unusual for him! It's a good recipe to mix up the night before and bake fresh the next day for company. —Sharon Eshelman, Harrington, Delaware

Grandma's Christmas Spice Cutouts

My great-grandmother made these, and the tradition was passed down in the family—without a written recipe! My mother would always start them the day after Thanksgiving, which was exciting for us kids, as we knew Christmas wasn’t far off. They are easy to decorate with family; my grandchildren always look forward to them.—Elaine Phelps, Cornell, Wisconsin

Snowman Christmas Cookies

Get the kids in on the action when you make these cheesecakey cookies—just roll away. The snowmen look adorable on a cookie tray. —Cathy Medley, Clyde, Ohio

Cranberry Nut Swirls

This recipe originated with my sister-in-law. It gets used a lot over the holidays when we want to pull a fast one on the guys in our family. They claim they don't like cranberries in any shape or form, but everyone enjoys these. —Carla Hodenfield, Ray, North Dakota

Pfeffernuesse

These mild spice cookies, perfect for dunking, come from an old family recipe. The dough sits overnight to let the spices blend. The extraordinary flavors make these a holiday classic. —Betty Hawkshaw, Alexandria, Virginia

Mango Fudge Refrigerator Ribbon Cookies

I’ve always thought that a ribbon cookie is especially nice. Although it’s a single cookie, it really seems like two or three different cookies because of its lovely layers of flavor. These refrigerated ribbon cookies have a rich chocolate layer balanced by a bright orange-mango layer—a very special combination. —Jeanne Holt, Mendota Heights, Minnesota