12 delicious Christmas cookies that are super easy to bake with kids

Easy Christmas cookies for kids are a wonderful way to spend the holiday season baking with your child and having fun. Put on your matching pajamas, holiday socks and get ready for all of the delicious scents that are about to fill your kitchen.

Making traditions is half the fun of the holiday season. And baking Christmas cookies is a fun tradition to start with your kids, even when they are very little. All of these recipes are either simple enough for kids to dive in with you, or have steps that are perfect for tiny hands to help. Check out these ideas for easy Christmas baking for kids.

12 easy Christmas cookies for kids to join in on the festive baking

1. Double chocolate reindeer cookies

Crisp on the outside, soft inside and super chocolaty all the way through, these sweet faces are everything. Kids can: sort out pretzels, M&Ms and eyes.

2. Thumbprint cookies

Full of brown sugar and crunchy walnuts, these cookies get a dollop of vanilla frosting in the center and sprinkles on top. Kids can: press cookies, fill with frosting and sprinkles.

3. Coconut snowballs

With lemony icing, a crisp outer layer and chewy insides these pretty cookies are packed with flavor. Kids can: roll balls, stir frosting and add coconut.

4. 5-Minute fudge

What other treat can you whip up with only a few ingredients and a microwave? Kids can: Stir and push buttons.

5. Whole wheat sugar cookies

A wholesome spin on everyone’s favorite Christmas cookie, these beauties come together faster than typical recipes because you don’t even have to chill the dough. Kids can: cut out shapes and decorate.

6. No-cut chocolate bark

Add your own pretty decorations onto melted chocolate, raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, pretzels, sprinkles. Whatever you like! Kids can: create their own mix and match toppings.

7. 3D Christmas trees

Layers of sugar cookies nestled between green icing makes these adorable little trees come to life. Kids can: cut out cookies, squeeze frosting in between and add sprinkles.

8. Whole wheat tarts

Fill them with dried apricots, jam or Nutella. Kids can: push tart dough into the pan and add fillings.

9. Chocolate crinkle cookies

A classic recipe that happens to be perfect for baking with little chefs. Kids can: mix, make balls and roll in sugar.

10. Melting snowmen

This simplified method for recreating those famous melting snowman cookies is easy enough for even little kids to pull off. Kids can: add frosting plus snowmen accessories.

11. Chocolate and cherry shortbread

What’s better than cheery shortbread dunked in melted chocolate? A recipe that makes dozens of them at a time! Kids can: dunk the cookies in chocolate.

12. 4-Ingredient peppermint truffles

All you need are clean hands to roll the yummiest – and effortless – truffles of the season. Kids can: stir, push buttons (or smash) and roll.

A version of this post was published on October 16, 2021. It has been updated.