How We Baked Christmas Cookies and Spread Cheer to Our Neighbors
There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies to bring the holiday spirit into your home. This year, my husband and I teamed up with our little helpers, N and E, to make Christmas cookies for our neighbors. It was messy, chaotic, and oh-so-sweet — the perfect family activity to celebrate the season and teach our children the joy of giving.
Getting Ready: Embracing the Mess
Before we dove into the baking, I reminded myself of one crucial mantra: embrace the mess. Baking with toddlers means flour on the floor, sticky hands, and sprinkles everywhere. But it also means giggles, memories, and tiny hands proudly holding their creations.
To keep things running (somewhat) smoothly, I prepped ahead:
- Choose simple recipes: Kid-friendly recipes that don’t require too many steps or advanced techniques are key.
- Measured ingredients beforehand: This gave N and E the fun of pouring, stirring, and decorating without too much waiting.
- Laid out aprons and wet wipes: Trust me, these will be your best friends.
I’m not a professional baker, nutritionist, or culinary expert — just a mom sharing our family’s favorite Christmas cookie recipes and holiday traditions. Always adapt recipes as needed for your preferences and dietary requirements.
Recipes We Loved
Here are three easy and fun cookie recipes we made together. They’re perfect for little hands to help with, and they’ll make your kitchen smell like Christmas magic.
1. Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies combine a buttery base, caramel filling, and a chocolate drizzle for a decadent treat.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks (save egg whites for topping)
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 1 2/3 cup chopped pecans
- 2 large egg whites
- Caramel sauce
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, then mix dry ingredients in a low-medium speed.
- Refrigerate tightly wrapped dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll dough into balls, coat in chopped pecans, and place on baking sheets. Use your thumb to create an indent in each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Allow to cool then fill indents with caramel sauce.
Kids loved to roll the dough in pecans and make the thumbprints.
Note: I halved the recipe to make some without chocolate since N isn’t a fan of it.
2. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These are soft, fudgy, and look like they’re dusted with snow.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrop
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Topping:
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Turn off heat. Stir in unsweetened chocolate while preparing the cookie dough.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, maple syrop.
- Stir dry ingredients to combine.
- Chill the dough for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll chilled dough into balls, then coat in powdered sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Rolling dough into balls and coating them in powdered sugar is a fun, tactile activity for little hands.
3. Gingerbread Cookies
No holiday baking session is complete without these spiced classics.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add molasses and egg, mixing well.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add to the wet mixture.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Once cooled, decorate with icing or sprinkles.
Let kids pick their favorite cookie cutters, add sprinkles or icing designs.
Delivering the Treats
Once the cookies were ready and the kitchen was (mostly) cleaned up, we packaged the treats into small boxes with festive ribbons. N and E were so proud to carry them to our neighbors. Watching their faces light up as they handed out cookies was priceless.
N was super proud and kept telling neighbors: “we baked a bunch of cookies and we wanted to share them with you!”
This little tradition turned out to be more than just baking; it was a way to teach my kids about kindness and community. It’s a tradition I hope to continue for years to come. Plus, it’s always nice to spread a little holiday cheer — one cookie at a time.
Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe or baking memory? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
