Buzz
Creating holiday cookies doesn’t require a pantry full of sprinkles or multiple types of sugar. Some of the best festive treats need just a handful of ingredients, with little to no decoration—perhaps a dusting of powdered sugar at most. If you believe cookies should be simple to bake and even easier to enjoy, you’ve come to the perfect spot. Below are 13 of my top Christmas cookie recipes, each using five ingredients or less and entirely optional when it comes to decorating. (Many of these recipes are also flour-free, offering plenty of gluten-free choices.)
Pignoli cookies
Step into any Italian bakery, and regardless of your initial plans, your eyes will likely land on the pignoli cookie first. While it may not be as vibrant as the rainbow cookie, this humble, bumpy treat is a hidden gem adored by many—and for good reason. Pignoli cookies boast a soft, chewy texture and an intense almond flavor. Though they might seem pricey, the cost is justified by their premium ingredients: almond paste, sugar, egg whites, and pine nuts. These aren’t everyday pantry staples, but the holiday season is the perfect excuse to splurge an extra $10. With their chewy, airy texture, rich almond taste, and a hint of resinous aroma, pignoli cookies stand out as a unique delight.
Peanut butter and banana oatmeal cookies
No cookie collection is complete without an oatmeal-based recipe, and this one is guaranteed to be a hit. Alongside rolled oats, the other three ingredients pack a flavorful punch. Ripe bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter round out the mix, and unlike most cookies, this recipe skips added sugar. Simply mash everything in a bowl, scoop, and bake. One bite will transport you back to childhood while making you feel virtuous enough to grab a second.
Shortbread Cookies
Enjoying a cup of tea with a delicious shortbread cookie feels like something my future British grandmother self would adore. Swap the tea for coffee, and I’m equally happy, especially since baking shortbread is incredibly simple. As the first flour-inclusive cookie on our list, shortbreads need just flour, butter, and sugar. The result is a subtly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth treat perfect for any season. These cookies hold their shape beautifully, allowing you to imprint patterns or cut them into festive shapes for a decorative touch.
Meringue kisses
Surprisingly easy to make and entirely fat-free, meringue kisses are a delightful, festive treat for the colder months. All you need are whipped egg whites and sugar. Some recipes might include cream of tartar or a dash of extract for flavor, but even with just eggs and sugar, you’re all set. For a creative twist, add food coloring or turn these into a fun activity with kids by stacking them with frosting and candy to create adorable, crunchy snowmen.
A simple but elegant kransekake
For a stunning edible centerpiece that requires just four ingredients (including decorations), the Norwegian kransekake is your answer. The dough combines almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, and a hint of almond extract, while the icing is a simple royal icing made from powdered sugar and egg white. Read here to discover my holiday kransekake recipe.
Peanut butter cookies
No one needs convincing to bake peanut butter cookies. Even if they required 50 ingredients, their taste would justify the effort. Fortunately, you only need three. Peanut butter’s natural richness and flavor eliminate the need for extra additives, requiring just a touch of sweetness and a binding agent. Enter granulated sugar and an egg. Combine everything, and you’re set to scoop your way to holiday joy.
Amaretti Cookies
The amaretti cookie is another effortless delight, an Italian almond flour treat with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. While the base recipe calls for just almond flour, sugar, and egg whites, many recipes enhance the taste with a splash of almond extract or amaretto liqueur. Shape the dough into one-inch balls, coat them in powdered sugar, and bake. Though optional, the sugar coating cracks beautifully as the cookies expand in the oven, creating a stunning effect without any additional decoration.
Coconut macaroons
Unlike the delicate French almond macarons, these coconut macaroons are hearty, chewy mounds of coconut bliss. Perfect for coconut enthusiasts, they’re incredibly simple to make. While recipes differ, the essentials include sweetened coconut flakes, a binding agent, and a sweetener—often sweetened condensed milk or egg whites. Mix, scoop, and bake until the edges turn golden and the coconut tops begin to toast.
Flourless dark chocolate cookies
If you crave a cookie with the rich, fudgy taste of a brownie but without the hassle, try these flourless chocolate cookies. My first encounter with something similar was at Whole Foods, where they were called chocolate chewies and packed with chopped walnuts. This version uses optional chocolate chips, but feel free to get creative with mix-ins. Swap in pecans, potato chips, corn flakes, or even crumbled bacon to craft your own unique chocolate masterpiece.
Almond lace cookies
Despite their elegant and intricate look, lace cookies are surprisingly easy to prepare. Also known as Florentines, these crispy, wafer-thin, golden-brown treats are occasionally (and wonderfully) paired with a layer of dark chocolate. They’re absolutely delightful. The name comes from the way the sugary batter bubbles in the oven, leaving behind a lacy pattern as it cools. Since the batter is mostly liquid sugars and butter, it spreads thinly, so be sure to space the cookies well. While a dark chocolate coating adds decadence, these crispy delights are perfect on their own.
Sugar cookies
A timeless favorite, the sugar cookie is a simple yet versatile treat made from just a handful of ingredients. Whether scooped into mounds or rolled out for cutouts, the holidays feel complete with a batch of these. While similar to shortbread in ingredients, sugar cookies pack more sugar (no surprise there) and use granulated sugar for a chewy, sweet bite rather than a crumbly texture. Cream the butter and sugar first, then mix in the flour. Drop them onto a baking sheet, add sprinkles if you like, and bake as directed.
Nutella cookies
While eating Nutella straight from the jar is tempting, it’s not exactly holiday-friendly or suitable for gifting. Instead, bake these delightful cookies that capture Nutella’s rich flavor in a portable form. Combine Nutella, flour, and an egg to form a thick dough, shape into rounds, and bake for a chewy, irresistible treat.
Chocolate almond cookies
Cookies with minimal ingredients often mean minimal effort, and these cookies are no exception. Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake. Almond flour gives them a delightful texture, while sugar and cocoa powder create a perfect balance of sweet and bitter. Baking powder ensures they stay light instead of dense. While the recipe calls for palm sugar, you can easily substitute it with an equal amount of white or brown granulated sugar.
