23 Fun Christmas Cookies for Kids to Decorate Together -

Introduction

Christmas cookie decorating is one of the best ways to bring kids into the holiday fun. These festive recipes are simple, colorful, and perfect for little hands to ice, sprinkle, and create cheerful shapes. Whether you’re planning a family baking day or a classroom treat activity, these cookies will spark joy and creativity.

1. Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies

These kid-friendly cookies are soft, sweet, and ideal for decorating with icing and sprinkles.

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
Combine dry and wet ingredients, forming a dough.
Roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut shapes.
Bake 8–10 minutes until edges are lightly golden.

How to Serve It

Let kids decorate with icing, sprinkles, and edible glitter.

2. Snowman Marshmallow Cookies

Kids love adding faces and scarves to these adorable snowmen treats.

Ingredients

12 baked sugar cookies
12 large marshmallows
1 cup white icing
Mini chocolate chips
Candy belts for scarves

Instructions

Place a marshmallow on each cookie.
Drizzle icing over the marshmallow so it looks “melting.”
Add mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons.
Wrap a candy belt strip around as a scarf.

How to Serve It

Add colorful sprinkles for extra winter charm.

3. Christmas Tree Sprinkle Cookies

These soft cookies bake in minutes and are perfect for little decorators.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Green food coloring
Sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg, vanilla, and food coloring.
Mix in flour until dough forms.
Shape trees by hand or with a cutter.
Bake 8–10 minutes.

How to Serve It

Top each cookie with a star-shaped sprinkle.

4. Gingerbread Kid Cookies

These spiced cookies are perfect for decorating with silly faces and outfits.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter
1 egg
½ cup molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat to 350°F (175°C).
Beat butter and sugar.
Mix in egg and molasses.
Add dry ingredients and form dough.
Roll out and cut shapes.
Bake 8–10 minutes.

How to Serve It

Let kids personalize outfits with icing and candies.

5. Reindeer Face Cookies

These adorable treats come together quickly and are fun for kids to assemble.

Ingredients

12 round cookies
1 cup chocolate icing
24 pretzel twists
12 red candies
Candy eyes

Instructions

Spread icing on each cookie.
Add pretzel antlers on top.
Place candy eyes and a red nose.

How to Serve It

Set up a topping station for kids to mix and match.

6. Peppermint Swirl Cookies

These colorful swirls look festive and taste minty fresh.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Red food coloring
½ tsp peppermint extract

Instructions

Prepare sugar cookie dough.
Divide in half; color one half red.
Layer and roll into a log.
Slice into swirls and bake 10 minutes at 350°F.

How to Serve It

Roll the edges in crushed peppermint before baking.

7. Hot Cocoa Cookies

These soft treats taste like a warm cup of cocoa in cookie form.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat to 350°F.
Mix dry ingredients.
Cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla.
Combine mixes.
Scoop dough, add marshmallows on top.
Bake 9–11 minutes.

How to Serve It

Drizzle with melted chocolate.

8. Frosted Lemon Snowflake Cookies

Light, bright, and perfect for a winter theme.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 lemon (zest + juice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Make a basic sugar cookie dough.
Add lemon zest and juice.
Cut snowflake shapes.
Bake 8–10 minutes at 350°F.
Frost with lemon icing.

How to Serve It

Top with sparkly sanding sugar.

9. Rudolph Chocolate Cookies

These soft chocolate cookies look just like Rudolph.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup butter
Pretzels
Red candies
Candy eyes

Instructions

Prepare chocolate cookie dough.
Scoop onto tray and bake 10 minutes at 350°F.
Press decorations on while warm.

How to Serve It

Serve on a festive platter.

10. Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies

Kids love decorating the melted “snow.”

Ingredients

12 sugar cookies
White icing
Marshmallows
Mini chocolate chips
Gel icing pens

Instructions

Spread icing in a puddle shape.
Add marshmallow head.
Draw arms, face, and buttons.

How to Serve It

Add sprinkles for a playful look.

11. Holiday M&M Cookies

Colorful, soft, and perfect for mixing.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup holiday candies

Instructions

Preheat to 350°F.
Mix wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients.
Fold in candies.
Bake 10–12 minutes.

How to Serve It

Serve warm so the candies stay soft.

12. Sprinkle Dipped Shortbread

These buttery treats are perfect for quick decorating.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Mix dough and press into a rectangle.
Slice into sticks.
Bake 12–15 minutes at 325°F.
Dip in icing and sprinkles.

How to Serve It

Add crushed candy canes for extra crunch.

13. Ornament Ball Cookies

Kids can create endless colorful designs.

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Food coloring
Assorted icings

Instructions

Make sugar cookie dough.
Form small balls and flatten.
Bake 8–10 minutes.
Decorate with icing designs.

How to Serve It

Arrange on a “tree” display board.

14. Cinnamon Roll Cookies

These taste like mini cinnamon rolls in cookie form.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Cinnamon sugar filling

Instructions

Prepare dough and roll into a rectangle.
Spread cinnamon filling.
Roll, slice, and bake 10 minutes at 350°F.

How to Serve It

Drizzle with icing after cooling.

15. Polar Bear Paw Cookies

These cute treats look just like bear paws.

Ingredients

Round cookies
White melting chocolate
Marshmallows
Chocolate chips

Instructions

Dip cookies in melted white chocolate.
Add marshmallow “pads.”
Add chocolate chip claws.

How to Serve It

Sprinkle coconut flakes for a snowy look.

16. Christmas Light Cookies

Bright, colorful, and fun for kids to assemble.

Ingredients

Sugar cookies
Black icing
Colorful candies

Instructions

Bake round or oval cookies.
Draw icing wires.
Press candies as bulbs.

How to Serve It

Display in a “string of lights” pattern.

17. Snickerdoodle Snowballs

Soft, sweet, and rolled in extra cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
Cinnamon sugar

Instructions

Preheat to 350°F.
Make dough and roll into balls.
Roll in cinnamon sugar.
Bake 8–10 minutes.

How to Serve It

Dust with powdered sugar.

18. Santa Belt Cookies

These bold red cookies look just like Santa’s suit.

Ingredients

Round sugar cookies
Red icing
Black icing
Yellow candy pieces

Instructions

Bake cookies and cool.
Cover with red icing.
Pipe a black belt.
Add a yellow buckle.

How to Serve It

Serve on a red and white platter.

19. Nut-Free Christmas Macarons

Soft, chewy, and perfect for kids allergic to nuts.

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup flour
4 egg whites
½ cup sugar
Food coloring

Instructions

Whisk flour and powdered sugar.
Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
Fold in dry mix.
Pipe rounds and rest 30 minutes.
Bake 12 minutes at 300°F.

How to Serve It

Fill with vanilla buttercream.

20. Chocolate Chip Christmas Trees

Kids enjoy turning classic cookies into holiday shapes.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Make cookie dough.
Shape into trees or use a cutter.
Bake 10 minutes at 350°F.

How to Serve It

Decorate with frosting and candies.

21. Holiday Thumbprint Cookies

These buttery cookies are fun for kids to press and fill.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Jam (red + green)

Instructions

Roll dough into balls.
Press thumbprints in centers.
Fill with jam.
Bake 12 minutes at 350°F.

How to Serve It

Add powdered sugar for a snowy look.

22. Candy Cane Crunch Cookies

Minty, soft, and full of crunch.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

Mix dough.
Fold in crushed candy canes.
Bake 9–11 minutes.

How to Serve It

Sprinkle extra candy cane bits on top.

23. Chocolate Dipped Christmas Trees

These simple cookies look festive and taste delicious.

Ingredients

Tree-shaped cookies
Melted chocolate
Holiday sprinkles

Instructions

Bake or use pre-made cookies.
Dip bottoms in chocolate.
Add sprinkles.

How to Serve It

Arrange upright to look like a cookie forest.

Conclusion

Baking with kids during the holidays brings laughter, creativity, and memories that last for years. Save this list, share it with friends, or choose a few favorites for a festive cookie-decorating day everyone will enjoy.

Riley Carson