Traditional Christmas Cookies: 4 Tantalizing Types

Freshly made cookies are a Christmas and holiday season classic. The aroma of freshly baked cookies is enough to put anyone in the holiday mood. Christmas features some of the best varieties of cookies, whether you’re looking for an elaborate crinkle or a simple sugar cookie.

In the spirit of Christmas, we decided to find out more. We worked to determine the top four most compelling types of Christmas cookies.

The original Christmas cookie

According to “History,” gingerbread is the traditional Christmas cookie. Gingerbread cookies are typically decorated with piped frosting and have a soft and chewy body with a hint of crispiness. The purpose of Gingerbread Cookie Appreciation Day is to celebrate this humble treat and all the things that make it so great.

When the Crusaders brought ginger back from the Middle East, they probably had no clue that it would become an essential ingredient in Christmas baking traditions.

People speculate that an Armenian monk named Gregory of Nicopolis brought gingerbread to Europe sometime in the 10th century by spending much class time with French bakers.

How Baking Cookies Became a Christmas Tradition

Christmas cookies, like many Christmas traditions, originated from ancient solstice ceremonies. Norway, Africa, Ireland, and India hosted winter solstice festivals in the 10th and 11th centuries. Because winter was a period of hunger, most ancient ceremonies involved gathering, sorting, storing, and eating food. The weather and terrain made hunting and farming difficult. People gathered to stock their larders for winter and shared the last harvest.

The First American cookbook got published in 1796. Amelia Simmons included a Christmas Cookery recipe. She advised storing the cookies in an earthenware pot or cellar for a few months because they may be hard and dry.

We can trace the origins of Christmas cookies back to the Middle Ages, but the cookies we enjoy today reflect the unique culinary traditions of many parts of the world.

Most Popular Christmas Cookie in America

According to Betty Crocker, Peanut Butter Blossoms are America’s favorite Christmas cookie. Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, covered in granulated sugar with a Hershey’s Kiss on top, are beloved by most Americans.

They are simple, tasty, and colorful. These simple, sweet cookie bars are delicious and sure to impress.

Peanut Butter Blossoms are delicious year-round but most popular during Christmas. Since they’re everyone’s favorite chocolate-peanut butter combination, they’re easy to create but full of flavor! They’re ideal for birthday parties, homemade gifts, or sweet nibbling.

Traditional Christmas Cookies:4 Tantalizing Types

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, you’re likely already in full cookie-baking mode. Even though you probably make some of the same cookies every year, have you ever thought about how your cookie-baking habits compare to those of people in other parts of the country? Even if you don’t, this list of the most popular holiday cookies in the U.S. might make you want to try something new. These cookies are excellent for holiday cookie trays or potlucks.

1.   The Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread has become one of the most popular flavors associated with the Christmas season, and as a result, it is now available in a wide variety of baked goods, including traditional round cookies, cookies shaped like men and women (and even pets!), bread, cakes, and even lattes. Gingerbread is one of the most classic flavors associated with the holiday season. The opportunities are limitless in scope.

Only the ease of making these cookies might be better than how good they taste. This recipe for gingerbread cookies is not hard to follow. They are pretty similar to making snickerdoodles.

The dough doesn’t need to be put in the fridge, meaning you can make these cookies quickly. I recommend these if you don’t have much time but need a great cookie for a cookie swap or a Christmas party.

This recipe from Martha Stewart is a fantastic option if you don’t mind carving out some time to get these little ones ready to eat.

The Nutrition of Gingerbread cookies

Typical nutritional value of commercially available Gingerbread cookies for a serving size of 1 cookie (37g).

2.   The Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruth Wakefield, 33, was creating her famous butter drop dough cookies in 1938 when she split up a bar of Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate chips and put them into the mixture, intending to make a chocolate cookie. The chocolate bits kept their shape, creating the chocolate chip cookie.

In 1939, the Nestle company made Ruth’s cookie recipe easier to replicate by slicing its chocolate bars into little pieces for baking. These gradually evolved into the teardrop-shaped treats we see on store shelves today, and her original recipe is on the back of the cookie package.

Somerset third graders suggested making chocolate chip cookies the Commonwealth’s official cookie in 1997.

No matter what time of year, these cookies are always at the top of any list of favorite cookies. When you can, use real, pure vanilla extract. The taste is worth it.

The Nutrition of the Chocolate Chip Cookies

Typical nutritional value of commercially available chocolate chip cookies per 19 g serving.

3.   Snickerdoodles Cookies.

Traditional snickerdoodle cookies consist of butter, flour, and sugar, like sugar cookies, but before they get baked, you roll them in cinnamon sugar. The story of how the name “snickerdoodle” came to be is one of the most debated stories in the history of cookies.

Some sources say that the name comes from Germany, while others say it is just a funny name with no special meaning. These cookies are tasty and easy to make, just like thumbprint cookies. Taste of Home says the cookies take about 25 minutes to prepare but only 10 to 12 minutes to cook. Since they only take a few minutes to make, there’s no reason not to!

The Nutrition of the Snickerdoodles

Typical nutritional value of commercially available Snickerdoodles cookies per 19 g serving.

4.   Thumbprint Cookies. 

These little bits of butter and jam are a traditional treat that tastes great. They’re also pretty easy to make since you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator. Like gingerbread cookies, these can be in different shapes, and there is a lot of room for experimenting with how they look.

However, these butter-based cookies have also been served as sandwich cookies, like Linzer tarts, with the jam in the center of two cookies, or formed as crescents and dipped in various kinds of sprinkles and other culinary decorations. The simplest form is the thumbprint, in which you put the jam in the concave center of the cookie. Check out this recipe from Delish if you want one that will give you the best Thumbprint cookies.

The Nutrition of the thumbprint cookies

Typical nutritional value of commercially available thumbprint cookies for a serving size of 2 cookies (33g).

FAQS

What is the original Christmas cookie?

The original and traditional Christmas cookie is Springerle, baked in south Germany and Austria. The anise-flavored cookies are made from egg, flour, and sugar dough in simple shapes of circles and rectangles.

Takeaway

When it comes to Christmas baking, each family has a unique perspective on what constitutes tradition. Dessert at Christmas can be a highlight of the season since it allows one to encapsulate all of the happiness of the season through the sweetness and, often hilariously, laughably poor frosting decorations. There are platters of cupcakes and pies; if you’re particularly fortunate, there will even be a homemade cookie platter! No matter how full you are from dinner, there is always room for at least one cookie. The most difficult choice of the day is deciding which cookies to choose!