If you plan to do a lot of baking for Christmas, be sure to check out our tips for freezing cookies. So helpful!
Oatmeal cookies are a classic, and these chocolate chip ones are the perfect classic cookie recipe to make all year round. Get the full tutorial here (though you don’t really need it!).
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup soft butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats quick oats works fine, too
- 1 package of chocolate chips
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugar together in large bowl.
- Add eggs and beat until combined.
- Add all remaining ingredients except oats. Beat until combined.
- Add oats (you may have to stir it in by hand).
- Stir in chocolate.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 7 - 8 minutes or until set but not firm.
Gingerbread cookies are absolutely a classic cookie recipe! These can be made into so many different varieties! You can make gingerbread men, Christmas trees, biscotti, animals…whatever you want! Get the full tutorial here.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup molasses use dark for stronger flavor, light for a lighter flavor
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Beat shortening on medium speed for about 45 seconds, until light and fluffy.
- Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Beat until combined.
- Add molasses, egg, & vinegar. Beat until combined.
- Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until combined.
- Beat in the remainder, if you can. Otherwise stir it in.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 3 hours (you can leave it overnight, too!)
- ----For basic cookies roll the dough into 2 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Press down gently (use the bottom of a cup covered in sugar, for a bonus!)
- ----For cut-outs roll the dough (about 1/2 at a time) on to a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out.
- Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes or edges are slightly brown. Cool before icing or frosting.
These molasses cookies are super rich and dark. They are an old-school favorite! Get the full tutorial here.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup white sugar for rolling
- 1 egg
- 3/4-1 cup molasses
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg.
- Mix in the molasses. Do not over-mix.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
- Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Roll dough into golf ball sized balls.
- Roll them in the remaining sugar.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. A darker cookie sheet will work best.
- Press on the cookies to flatten them out slightly.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are slightly cracked.
- Cool on a wire rack if you have one (or just take them off the pan fairly quickly after they come out of the oven).
- Note: Depending on the cookie sheet you use, the bottoms will sometimes burn. Prevent this by placing the cookie sheet on the top rack, or putting parchment paper on the cookie sheet before the cookies.
We aren’t including a link to the original tutorial. You don’t need it. This isn’t quite a classic cookie recipe, because the recipe only has 3 ingredients and is way simpler than any cookie recipe has the right to be. But they are absolutely fantastic!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Mix well together.
- Form into one inch balls and flatten with the bottom of a cup, dipped in sugar. Or flatten with a fork, dipped in sugar.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes at 375 degrees.
There is no question that the chocolate chip cookie belongs in the list of classic cookie recipes. The question about WHICH recipe belongs gets a little muddy. We personally love ours huge and soft and goey with crispy edges. That’s this type of cookie. It’s magical. Get the full tutorial here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl ,put butter and sugars together. Beat together.
- Add eggs and vanilla to butter and beat until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture while stirring.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Grease cookie sheet. Put 1/4 cup of cookie dough about 3 inches apart onto cookie sheet.
- Bake in oven at preheated at 325 degrees for 15-17 minutes.
Shortbread is a classic cookie recipe that can be made with tons of variations. You can make them as simply as you like, or get fancy with all sorts of nuts and frosting and colorings. Get the full tutorial, and the various add-ins, here.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup butter (softened)
Instructions
- Combine flour and sugar. Then cut in the butter until the mixture is mostly crumbs and starts to stick together. Your dough will be a bit crumbly.
- Form the mixture into a ball and work until smooth.
- Roll out dough, cut, and place onto un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Notes
Why did we include this non-classic cookie as a classic cookie recipe? Well…it’s a classic in Great Britain. And that’s good enough for us! They use the shortbread recipe, but have a few extra steps. Get the full tutorial here.
Thumbprint cookies are one of the best options for baking with small children, because their little thumbs are perfect for making indentations in the middle. And they can also fill the middles with jam without you worrying about them burning themselves.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup soft butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond, if you prefer
- 1 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Beat the butter for 30 seconds.
- Add the sugar, yolks, and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Beat in the flour (you may need to stir in the last bit of the flour)
- Cover and chill the dough for about 1 hour.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
- Press your thumb into the center of the balls. (be sure to press well!)
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Cool and fill with jam.
