Best Christmas biscuits recipes for 2024

What better way to get in to the Christmas spirit than with some festive baking? Here are our all-time favourite biscuit recipes...

What better way to get in the festive spirit than baking some Christmas biscuits? Our selection of Christmas cookie recipes are the perfect thing to bake in the run up to Christmas Day and a great activity to try with kids, friends, or by yourself while listening to some festive music.

We love Christmas biscuits that double up as decorations – whether that’s a Winter Wonderland gingerbread house or an iced gingerbread Christmas wreath – nothing beats the scent of freshly-baked gingerbread filling the kitchen.

Baking Christmas biscuits doesn't have to be complicated. Our traditional gingerbread recipe delivers perfect biscuits everytime. So much so, we recommend making a double batch to avoid them disappearing too quickly!

Fancy a boozier bake? Why not try our eggnog cookies, which taste just like the classic festive cocktail. These stollen crinkle biscuits are a must-try for any fans of the traditional German Christmas bread.

Christmas baking is a great activity to occupy kids over the holidays. We love this recipe for Christmas spritz biscuits, which look just like mini Christmas trees and make a wonderful gift for friends and family this festive season. It’s easy for kids to pipe out the shape of these biscuits and if they look a little messy, just cover with extra sprinkles!

Read on for our all-time favourite Christmas biscuit and cookie recipes for 2024.

Rye flour adds a wonderful nutty flavour to these crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-in-the-middle cookies.

Recipe: Bottom of the Chocolate Box Cookies

These naturally gluten-free biscuits are a wonderful addition to any biscuit tin.

Recipe: Pistachio Amaretti

We’ve used condensed milk in the filling to help create a silky-smooth texture.

Recipe: Eggnog Sandwich Biscuits

We’ve taken inspiration from the classic Italian Christmas bread to flavour these decadent biscuits.

Recipe: Panettone Biscuits

A classic vanilla shortbread makes the perfect base for this simple yet impressive decoration.

Recipe: Christmas Tree Shortbread

For neatness, we’ve shaped our shortbread fingers by pressing the dough into a loaf tin. If you like a sweeter finish, use milk chocolate instead of dark.

Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Fingers

Chocolate chips hold their shape well during baking, but you can use chopped dark chocolate, if you prefer. Or use white chocolatechips instead. The cookies will take on a subtle minty flavour from the candy canes, but you can boost it by adding a few drops of peppermint extract to the dough.

Recipe: Candy Cane Crunch Cookies

This recipe makes plenty of crisp cookies, ideal for gifting in boxes or cellophane bags (or storing and enjoying, as they keep brilliantly). Once iced, you can decorate with herbs or sugar sprinkles, or keep them plain.

Recipe: Frosted Sugar Cookie Wreaths

Nothing says Christmas quite like the smell of gingerbread baking, and this classic Swedish variety lasts well and has a great characteristic snap. You can, of course, use the dough to make simple gingerbread people, rather than designing a hanging garland, or just add 1 hole to string up individually.

Recipe: Pepparkakor Village

A crisp and buttery biscuit that will hold its shape once baked – ideal for stamping out all sorts of shapes and getting creative with the icing.

Recipe: Sugar Cookie Wreaths

Teatime just got a whole lot more exciting with these boozy festive biscuits – for adults only! Use any shaped cutter you have to hand for the decoration in the middle.

Recipe: Mulled Wine Jammy Dodgers

These traditional Italian chewy almond cookies also happen to be gluten-free and make a beautiful festive gift (that’s if you can bare to part with them!).

Recipe: Ricciarelli

We’ve rolled these biscuits in demerara sugar for extra crunch and prettiness.

Recipe: Cranberry and Orange Shortbread

Chestnut purée adds a wonderful, sweet nuttiness to these rich and tender biscuits. If you aren’t a fan, you can sandwich your biscuits together with buttercream instead.

Recipe: Double Chocolate and Chestnut Sandwich Biscuits

Keep a stash of the unbaked cookies in the freezer, so you’ve always got a sweet treat on hand for unexpected guests

Recipe: Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

These easy gluten-free morsels are devilishly moreish. Use your favourite jam to flavour the centres.

Recipe: Hazelnut Jam Thumbprints

Fiery ground ginger meets smooth and sweet white chocolate. The question is, to dunk or not?

Recipe: Double Ginger Biscuits

These festive Spanish shortbread cookies are traditionally made with pork fat, but we’ve given the option to use butter for a vegetarian option.

Recipe: Polvorones

A classic Italian biscuit, amaretti biscuits are the perfect after dinner treat at Christmas. Especially when served with espresso or a glass of our Christmas pudding vodka.

Recipe: Five-ingredient amaretti biscuits

These coffee and chocolate flavoured biscuits make the perfect festive gift, simply store in an airtight biscuit tin and tie with ribbon.

Recipe: Tiramisu Biscuits

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