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Christmas baking is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, but finding time to make everything during the week before Christmas can be a challenge.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you don’t have to do all your holiday baking at once.
Many homemade cookies freeze beautifully, which means you can start baking weeks ahead of time and have a variety of treats ready when you need them.
Whether you’re preparing for a Christmas cookie exchange, putting together holiday gift boxes, or just want a few homemade treats ready for company, making cookies ahead of time can save you a lot of work.
I’ve gathered 15 cookie recipes from that are perfect for make-ahead holiday baking.
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Some can be frozen after baking, while others are especially convenient to prepare as dough ahead of time.
Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies
These cranberry orange swirl cookies are one of my favorite pretty Christmas cookies.
They have a buttery cookie dough filled with fresh cranberries, sugar, and orange zest. When you slice the dough into rounds, you get beautiful red cranberry swirls throughout each cookie.
These cookies are especially nice for Christmas cookie trays and holiday gift boxes.
Make-ahead tip: Freeze the baked cookies after they have cooled completely. Place them in an airtight freezer container with parchment paper between layers.
Get the Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies Recipe
Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
If you love peppermint during the holidays, you’ll want to add these cookies to your Christmas baking list.
They’re soft, buttery, and have a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture. A sweet peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes make them especially festive.
These are a fun addition to Christmas cookie exchanges and homemade holiday gift baskets.
Make-ahead tip: Let the frosting set completely before freezing. Arrange the cookies in a single layer or separate layers with parchment paper.
Get the Peppermint Meltaway Cookies Recipe
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Chocolate and peanut butter are always a winning combination! These little cookies have a peanut butter cookie base with a miniature chocolate peanut butter cup pressed into the center.
They’re baked in a mini muffin pan, which gives them their cute little shape. They’re also a great choice for holiday cookie exchanges.
Make-ahead tip: These cookies can be frozen for one to two months. Let them cool completely and make sure the chocolate has hardened before packing them into freezer containers.
Get the Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Pinwheel cookies are such a pretty addition to a Christmas cookie tray. These buttery cookies have two layers of dough rolled together to create a colorful swirl.
You can use red or green food coloring to make them especially festive for Christmas.
The best part about this recipe is that you can prepare the dough well ahead of time.
Make-ahead tip: After rolling the dough into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag.
The dough can be frozen for several months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw it enough to slice and bake according to the recipe directions.
Get the Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
These chocolate covered cherry cookies are a delicious holiday treat inspired by chocolate covered cherries.
They have a rich chocolate cookie base, a sweet maraschino cherry in the center, and a chocolate topping.
They’re beautiful on a Christmas dessert platter and make a special homemade gift.
Make-ahead tip: Allow the chocolate topping to dry completely before freezing. Store in an airtight freezer container with parchment paper between layers.
Get the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies Recipe
Christmas Jello Cookies
These colorful Jello cookies are a fun and easy addition to your holiday baking. You can use different Jello flavors to create different colors and flavors. Cherry and lime would be especially pretty for Christmas!
They’re simple to make and a fun recipe to prepare with kids.
Make-ahead tip: Let the cookies cool completely before freezing. If you’re decorating them with icing, make sure it has dried before stacking them in a freezer container.
Get the Christmas Jello Cookies Recipe
Old Fashioned Gum Drop Cookies
These old-fashioned gum drop cookies are a little different from traditional drop cookies. They’re baked in a pan and cut into squares, with colorful chopped gum drops throughout.
They’re a fun nostalgic Christmas treat and a nice change from the usual chocolate and peppermint cookies.
Make-ahead tip: Once completely cooled, cut the cookies into squares and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Separate layers with parchment paper.
Get the Old Fashioned Gum Drop Cookies Recipe
Classic Gingersnap Cookies
Gingersnaps are one of those traditional Christmas cookies that never go out of style. Made with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies have a wonderful warm spice flavor.
I love how the tops crack as the cookies bake, and the sugar coating gives them a little extra sweetness. They’re delicious with a cup of coffee or homemade hot chocolate.
Make-ahead tip: You can freeze the baked cookies in layers separated by parchment paper.
You can also freeze individual dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Get the Classic Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a beautiful addition to any Christmas cookie platter. These rich chocolate cookies are rolled in powdered sugar before baking, creating their distinctive crackled tops.
They have a soft, brownie-like center and a delicious chocolate flavor. The white powdered sugar makes them especially pretty for Christmas cookie exchanges.
Make-ahead tip: Bake the cookies ahead of time and freeze them in an airtight container.
Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked dough and roll the portions in powdered sugar just before baking.
Get the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Kris Kringle Cookies
These festive cookies are similar to chocolate chip cookies, but instead of regular chocolate chips, they’re made with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
The combination of sweet white chocolate and tart cranberries is delicious, and the red and white colors make them perfect for Christmas baking.
Make-ahead tip: These cookies freeze well for four to six weeks. Let them cool completely, then place them in freezer bags until you’re ready to serve them or give them away.
Get the Kris Kringle Cookies Recipe
Andes Mint Cookies
If you love the combination of chocolate and mint, these easy Andes mint cookies are a must-try.
They’re made with chocolate cake mix and topped with an Andes mint while they’re still warm. As the mint melts, you can swirl the chocolate over the top for a pretty finish.
These are especially nice for Christmas cookie trays and holiday gift boxes.
Make-ahead tip: These cookies freeze well, making them a great choice when you’re baking several kinds of cookies for Christmas gifts. Let the chocolate topping harden completely before packaging.
Get the Andes Mint Cookies Recipe
Pecan Pie Cookies
If you love pecan pie, you’ll want to try these little cookies! They have a buttery brown sugar cookie base with a sweet, gooey pecan pie filling in the center.
They’re a fun twist on traditional pecan pie and make a beautiful addition to a Christmas cookie exchange.
Make-ahead tip: These cookies can be frozen for up to a month. Let them cool completely before placing them in freezer bags or airtight containers.
Get the Pecan Pie Cookies Recipe
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
These homemade iced oatmeal cookies are a wonderful old-fashioned treat. They have a soft, chewy center with a sweet vanilla glaze on top.
They’re even better than the packaged cookies you find at the grocery store!
The simple oatmeal flavor and pretty icing make them a nice addition to your holiday baking.
Make-ahead tip: Freeze the baked cookies once the icing has completely set. Place parchment paper between layers and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Get the Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are another classic cookie that belongs in every holiday baking collection.
These soft, buttery cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, giving them a slightly crisp outside and a tender center.
They’re simple to make with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and they’re always a favorite at Christmas gatherings.
Make-ahead tip: Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container, or freeze portions of unbaked dough. If freezing dough balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar just before baking.
Get the Snickerdoodles Cookies Recipe
Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies
These buttery shortbread cookies have little pieces of maraschino cherries and chocolate chips throughout. They’re pretty, delicious, and have a wonderful cherry flavor.
The dough is shaped into a log and refrigerated before slicing and baking, which makes these cookies easy to prepare ahead of time.
Make-ahead tip: Wrap the unbaked dough log tightly and freeze it. When you’re ready to bake, thaw until you can slice it easily, then bake according to the recipe directions.
Get the Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Tips for Freezing Homemade Christmas Cookies
Freezing cookies is easy, but there are a few things you can do to make sure they taste just as good when you’re ready to serve them.
Let cookies cool completely. Never put warm cookies in the freezer. Allow them to cool completely on wire racks before packaging them.
Use airtight containers. Freezer bags and airtight plastic containers help prevent freezer burn and keep cookies from absorbing other freezer odors.
Separate layers with parchment paper. This is especially helpful for frosted cookies or cookies with chocolate toppings.
Label everything. Write the name of the cookies and the date you froze them on the container. When you have several kinds of cookies in the freezer, it’s easy to forget what’s what!
Thaw before serving. Remove cookies from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature in their closed container. This helps prevent condensation from forming directly on the cookies.
Start Your Christmas Baking Early!
One of the nicest things about make-ahead Christmas baking is that you can enjoy the holidays without spending every spare minute in the kitchen.
I like the idea of baking one or two kinds of cookies each week leading up to Christmas.
Before you know it, you’ll have a freezer full of homemade treats ready for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, and gifts for friends and neighbors.
You don’t have to do everything at once. A little baking ahead of time makes the whole holiday season easier and a lot more enjoyable.
Happy holiday baking!
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