Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: 15 Treats From the 1963 Cooky Book Grandma Wore Out Every December

Betty Crocker Christmas cookies are having a surprise comeback this fall. Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book first came out in 1963, and a faithful reprint of it is now sitting at number 3 on Amazon’s cookbook chart, with more than 4,000 reviews and a 4.8 star average. Searches for the old book just broke out on Google too. If you grew up in America, there is a good chance a copy lived in your mother’s kitchen, with flour on the pages and a few corners folded down by December. These are the cookies that made it famous, from candy cane twists to fudge meltaways, written as our own simple modern versions so you can bake them this year. Which one do you remember from your grandma’s tin? Keep scrolling and see how many you can name..

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Candy Cane Cookies

Betty Crocker was never a real woman. She was invented in 1921 by the Washburn Crosby Company, the flour mill that later became General Mills, to answer baking letters. But by 1963 she was the most trusted name in American kitchens, and the Cooky Book became the December bible for millions of moms. The candy cane cookie is the one most people remember first: one red rope and one white rope of butter dough twisted together. Kids love rolling the ropes, so of all the Betty Crocker Christmas cookies, this is the perfect job for little helpers..

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red food coloring, crushed peppermint candy and sugar for sprinkling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, egg and both extracts until creamy. 2. Mix in the flour and salt. 3. Split the dough in half and tint one half red. 4. Roll 1 teaspoon of each color into 4-inch ropes. 5. Lay them side by side, twist, and bend the top into a hook. 6. Bake at 375F for about 9 minutes, until set but not brown. 7. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint and sugar while warm.

Spritz Cookies From the Old Cookie Press

Almost every family who owned the Cooky Book also owned a cookie press, and spritz were the reason. They are still the most pressed Betty Crocker Christmas cookies. The rich butter dough pushes through the press into wreaths, trees and little flowers in seconds. The secret is a cold baking sheet with no grease and no parchment, so the dough sticks and lifts off the press. If the first few refuse to stick, do not panic. Grandma always threw the first ones back in the bowl too.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, a few drops of green food coloring if you like, colored sugar to decorate.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. 2. Beat in the egg and extract, then the flour and salt. 3. Tint the dough if you want green trees. 4. Fill the cookie press and press shapes onto a cool, ungreased baking sheet. 5. Sprinkle with colored sugar. 6. Bake at 400F for 6 to 9 minutes, just until set. 7. Cool on a rack.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Holiday Bells

Holiday Bells are the cookie people describe but cannot name. A circle of tender dough gets a spoon of sweet date filling, then you fold up the sides so it turns into a little bell, with a bit of cherry for the clapper. They look fancy on a cookie tray, yet like most Betty Crocker Christmas cookies they are easier than they seem. Make the filling a day ahead and the dough will be easy to handle. Did your family call them bells, or something else? Tell us in the comments.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt. Filling: 1 cup chopped dates, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Candied cherries cut in small pieces.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the dates, sugar and water until thick, then stir in the pecans and cool. 2. Beat the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour and salt. 3. Chill the dough 1 hour. 4. Roll it thin and cut 2 1/2-inch circles. 5. Put 1/2 tsp of filling in the center of each. 6. Fold two sides up to the middle and pinch the top into a bell shape. 7. Press a cherry piece at the bottom. 8. Bake at 375F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkles, the Snowy Tray Favorite

Chocolate crinkles were one of the most loved recipes in the 1963 book, and you can see why. The dough is rolled in powdered sugar, and as it bakes the cookie spreads and splits into white snowy crinkles over a dark fudgy middle. They are very easy, but the dough must chill overnight or it will be too soft to roll. Roll them twice in the sugar for the brightest white tops. Do you like crinkles soft in the middle or baked a little firmer?

You will need: 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled), 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Mix the oil, melted chocolate and sugar. 2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. 4. Cover and chill overnight. 5. Drop teaspoons of dough into the powdered sugar and roll into 1-inch rounds. 6. Place 2 inches apart on a greased sheet. 7. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Fudge Meltaways

Fudge meltaways are the no-bake bar that made busy moms very happy. There is a chocolate, coconut and graham cracker base, a layer of soft vanilla butter frosting, and a thin chocolate top. They really do melt in your mouth, so keep them in the fridge until serving. Cut them while they are cold with a hot knife for clean squares. Quick poll: A) the chocolate layer, B) the creamy middle, or C) the crunchy coconut base. Which part is your favorite?

You will need: Base: 1/2 cup butter, 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 egg, 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup flaked coconut, 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Filling: 1/4 cup butter, 1 tbsp milk, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Top: 1 1/2 oz chocolate.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and chocolate, then stir in the sugar, vanilla and beaten egg. 2. Mix in the crumbs, coconut and pecans. 3. Press into an 8×8 pan and chill. 4. Beat the filling ingredients until smooth and spread over the base. 5. Chill until firm. 6. Melt the top chocolate and drizzle or spread it thin. 7. Chill again, then cut into small squares.

Snickerdoodles With a Silly Old Name

Snickerdoodles have been in American cookie jars for well over a hundred years, and they belong on any list of Betty Crocker Christmas cookies. Nobody is sure where the funny name came from, but every kid remembers rolling the dough in cinnamon sugar. Cream of tartar is the old secret: it gives the cookie its soft middle and its little tang. If you do not have it, you will get a nice sugar cookie, but not a true snickerdoodle. Save a few for Santa.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. For rolling: 2 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs until light. 2. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 3. Chill the dough 30 minutes if it is soft. 4. Shape into 1-inch rounds and roll in cinnamon sugar. 5. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased sheet. 6. Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes, until set but still soft. 7. Cool on a rack.

Cream Wafers, the Tiny Sandwich Cookies

Cream wafers are the dainty little sandwich cookies that always disappeared first at church cookie sales. The dough is mostly butter, flour and cream, rolled thin, cut into tiny rounds and pressed in sugar. Two wafers then hug a soft buttercream that you can tint pink, green or white for Christmas. They take patience, so this is a good recipe to make with a friend and a pot of coffee. Prick each wafer with a fork so they puff evenly.

You will need: Wafers: 1 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 2 cups flour, granulated sugar for coating. Filling: 1/4 cup soft butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, food coloring if you like.

How to make it: 1. Mix the butter, cream and flour well, then chill 1 hour. 2. Roll 1/8 inch thin and cut 1 1/2-inch circles. 3. Press both sides of each circle into sugar. 4. Place on an ungreased sheet and prick each one 4 times with a fork. 5. Bake at 375F for 7 to 9 minutes, until just puffy. 6. Beat the filling until creamy and tint it. 7. Sandwich two cooled wafers with a little filling.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Greek Koulouria

One of the surprises in the 1963 book was its little tour of cookies from other countries, and Greek koulouria was a favorite. These butter cookies are rolled into ropes and twisted into knots, coils and loops, then brushed with egg so they shine. They are not too sweet, which makes them perfect with coffee on Christmas morning. In Greek homes they are baked for Easter too, often by grandmothers who can twist one in two seconds. Sesame seeds on top are optional.

You will need: 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt. Glaze: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk. Sesame seeds if you like.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and sugar, then add the egg, milk and vanilla. 2. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. 3. Roll pecan-size pieces into 6-inch ropes. 4. Twist them into knots, coils or S shapes. 5. Brush with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 6. Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.

Marzipan Fruits for the Fancy Tray

Not all Betty Crocker Christmas cookies were cookies. In 1963 a plate of tiny marzipan fruits was the height of holiday style, and the Cooky Book showed moms how to shape them at home. You only need almond paste, powdered sugar and a little food coloring, then you roll small pieces into strawberries, oranges, bananas and pears. A clove makes a perfect stem and the side of a grater gives oranges their bumpy skin. Kids think this is like playing with clay. Would you rather eat them, or just look at them?

You will need: 1 package (7 oz) almond paste, 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tbsp light corn syrup, food coloring (red, yellow, orange, green), clove buds for stems, red sugar for strawberries.

How to make it: 1. Knead the almond paste with the corn syrup and enough powdered sugar to make a smooth, firm dough. 2. Divide it and knead in a different color for each fruit. 3. Shape 1-inch pieces into strawberries, oranges, pears and bananas. 4. Roll strawberries in red sugar. 5. Press a clove into the top for a stem. 6. Let them dry a few hours before packing in paper cups.

Butterscotch Brownies, the Blondie Before Blondies

Long before anyone called them blondies, the Cooky Book called them butterscotch brownies. Brown sugar and melted butter give them a deep caramel taste and a chewy middle, and they are made in one saucepan. That made them the go-to bake sale bar for working moms. Do not overbake: pull the pan when the edges are golden and the middle still looks a little soft. They firm up as they cool. Brownie or blondie: which one wins at your house?

You will need: 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×8 pan. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the brown sugar. 3. Cool a little, then beat in the egg and vanilla. 4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and chopped pecans. 5. Spread in the pan. 6. Bake for 25 minutes. 7. Cool and cut into bars.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Lemon Squares

Lemon squares are the bright, tangy break every holiday cookie tray needs between all the chocolate. A short buttery crust bakes first, then a quick lemon filling bakes on top until it sets like custard. A snowy dusting of powdered sugar makes them look like Christmas. In many families the Cooky Book still falls open to this page, lemon drips and all. Use fresh lemons, not bottled juice. The zest is where the real flavor lives.

You will need: Crust: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Filling: 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp grated lemon zest. Powdered sugar for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Mix the crust ingredients and press into an ungreased 8×8 pan. 3. Bake 20 minutes. 4. Beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon juice and zest. 5. Pour over the hot crust. 6. Bake 25 minutes more, until no dent remains when touched lightly in the center. 7. Cool, dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Toffee Squares With Chocolate on Top

Toffee squares taste like a candy bar but bake like a cookie. A brown sugar shortbread base gets a layer of melted chocolate and a sprinkle of chopped pecans while it is still warm. Cut them while they are slightly warm, because once the chocolate sets they can shatter. They keep for two weeks in a tin, the sturdiest of all the Betty Crocker Christmas cookies, which is why so many families mail them to faraway kids and grandparents at Christmas. Who would you mail a tin of these to this year?

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 6 oz chocolate bar or chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. 3. Mix in the flour and salt. 4. Press into a 13×9 pan. 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. 6. Scatter the chocolate over the hot crust and spread it as it melts. 7. Sprinkle with pecans. 8. Cut into small squares while warm.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies: Chewy Molasses Cookies

Chewy molasses cookies are the smell of a 1960s kitchen in December. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves bake into a soft, dark cookie with a sugary, crinkly top. They stay chewy for days, so they are great for cookie boxes and gifts. Roll the dough in sugar right before baking, not ahead, or the sugar melts. Bake a double batch, because they vanish fast. Pair one with a cold glass of milk and you are eight years old again.

You will need: 3/4 cup soft shortening or butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the shortening, sugar, egg and molasses until smooth. 2. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. 3. Chill 1 hour. 4. Shape into 1 1/4-inch rounds and roll in sugar. 5. Place 3 inches apart on a greased sheet. 6. Bake at 375F for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops crinkle. 7. Cool on a rack.

Chocolate Drop Cookies With Fudgy Frosting

These Betty Crocker Christmas cookies are soft and cakey, more like a tiny chocolate cake than a crisp cookie. The old-fashioned way is to finish each one with a swirl of chocolate frosting, which is exactly what made them a lunchbox treasure. Sour cream or buttermilk keeps them tender for days. Use a small scoop so they bake evenly. They freeze well, so you can bake them early in December. Frosting or no frosting?

You will need: 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted), 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt. Frosting: 2 tbsp butter, 1 oz chocolate, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tbsp hot water.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar and egg. 2. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate. 3. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. 4. Chill 1 hour. 5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a greased sheet. 6. Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes. 7. Melt the frosting butter and chocolate, beat in the sugar and water, and spread on the cooled cookies.

The Gingerbread House With Frosting Cement

The Cooky Book even showed families how to build a gingerbread house, glued together with a stiff white icing that bakers still call frosting cement. It sets hard like real cement, so the walls stand up and the roof holds a load of candy. Bake the pieces a day before building so they dry out and stay strong. Let the walls set an hour before adding the roof. Read more about the classic book in this review of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, and see our Christmas cookie box recipes that travel well.

You will need: Gingerbread: 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1 tsp each ginger, cinnamon and baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, about 3 cups flour, 1/4 cup water. Frosting cement: 2 egg whites, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar. Candies to decorate.

How to make it: 1. Mix the gingerbread dough, adding flour until stiff, and chill. 2. Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut walls, gables and roof from paper patterns. 3. Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes and cool overnight. 4. Beat the egg whites, powdered sugar and cream of tartar until very stiff. 5. Pipe the cement along the edges and press the walls together. 6. Let them set, add the roof, then decorate.