Christmas Cookies Ranked: 14 Holiday Tray Classics, and the Frosted One a Third of America Picks First

Christmas cookies ranked by real people can finally settle the yearly argument over the cookie tray. In a Monmouth University poll, frosted sugar cookies won with 32 percent of the vote, far ahead of gingerbread at 12 percent, chocolate chip at 11 percent and snickerdoodles at 6 percent. Butter, peanut butter and chocolate cookies tied right behind at 4 percent each. Our top spots follow that poll, and the rest is our own honest ranking, based on how often each cookie lands in holiday tins, how easy it is to bake and how fast the plate empties. Every slide has a real recipe with simple steps, so preheat the oven and see where your favorite landed..

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 1: Frosted Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Frosted sugar cookies are America’s favorite Christmas cookie by a mile. In the Monmouth University poll, 32 percent picked them, more than gingerbread and chocolate chip combined. Soft, buttery cutouts shaped like stars, trees and bells get a smooth coat of icing and a shower of sprinkles, and the decorating afternoon is a family memory for millions of kitchens. That is why they sit at the very top of our Christmas cookies ranked list. Chill the cut shapes 10 minutes before baking so the edges stay sharp, then follow these cutout sugar cookie tips for dough that holds every point..

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Icing: 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, food coloring and sprinkles

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugar, then beat in egg, vanilla and almond extract. 2. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, wrap and chill 1 hour. 3. Roll 1/4 inch thick, cut shapes and chill 10 minutes. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until set but pale. 5. Whisk the icing, tint it, spread on cooled cookies and add sprinkles.

No. 2: Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread men took second place with 12 percent in the same poll, and no cookie looks more like Christmas. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves make a warm, spicy dough that rolls out easily and holds its shape, ready for icing buttons and little smiles. Many families decorate the batch together. Bake a minute less for soft cookies and a minute longer for crisp ones that can hang on the tree. Save some dough for one of these gingerbread house ideas if you want a weekend project.

You will need: 3/4 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1 large egg, 3 1/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, royal icing

How to make it: 1. Beat butter, brown sugar and molasses, then beat in the egg. 2. Mix flour, spices, baking soda and salt and stir in. 3. Divide, wrap and chill 2 hours. 4. Roll 1/4 inch thick, cut gingerbread men and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. 5. Cool and pipe on the icing.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 3: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies took 11 percent of the vote and landed third, even though they are not a true holiday cookie. That says a lot about how much people love them. Golden edges, chewy middles and pools of melted chocolate are hard to beat in any month, and a handful of red and green candy pieces dresses them up for December. On our Christmas cookies ranked list they hold No. 3, right where the poll put them. Chill the dough overnight for deeper flavor and thicker cookies, or try one of these grandma-style chocolate chip cookies for a twist.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1/2 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate pieces

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla. 2. Mix flour, baking soda and salt and stir in. 3. Fold in chips and candies and chill at least 1 hour. 4. Scoop onto lined sheets. 5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes until golden at the edges.

No. 4: Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles earned 6 percent of the vote, enough for fourth place among America’s favorite Christmas cookies. Soft and pillowy with a crackly cinnamon sugar coat, they get their gentle tang from cream of tartar, the quiet ingredient every old recipe card calls for. Pull them when the edges set and the middles still look soft. Want more ideas? These snickerdoodle holiday twists go from the cookie tin to Christmas morning.

You will need: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Coating: 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Beat butter, shortening and sugar, then beat in eggs. 3. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and stir in. 4. Roll into balls and coat in cinnamon sugar. 5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set but still soft.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 5: Butter Cookies

Butter cookies tied with peanut butter and chocolate at 4 percent, and we broke the tie in their favor because they are the holiday tin classic. Piped into swirls, rings and rosettes and topped with a candied cherry, they are crisp at the edges, tender in the middle and taste of pure butter and vanilla. In this Christmas cookies ranked countdown they hold No. 5. Use a large star tip and soft dough, and fill a tin like these piped butter cookie classics.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, candied cherries or sprinkles

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Beat butter and sugar until pale, then beat in egg, vanilla and almond extract. 3. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. 4. Pipe swirls and rings onto ungreased sheets and press a cherry half in the center. 5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden at the edges.

No. 6: Peanut Butter Cookies With a Fork Cross

Peanut butter cookies with that crisscross fork pattern are pure lunch box nostalgia, and they shared the 4 percent tie in the poll. Soft, nutty and a little crumbly, they come together from pantry staples, and a roll in red or green sugar makes them ready for the holiday plate. They land at No. 6 because they are dependable rather than dazzling. Dip the fork in sugar between presses so it never sticks, and label the tin for friends with nut allergies. For a candy-topped cousin, bake a batch of peanut butter blossoms too.

You will need: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, colored sugar

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Beat peanut butter, butter and sugars, then beat in egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. 4. Roll into balls, coat in colored sugar and press a crisscross with a fork. 5. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until set at the edges.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 7: Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies were the third member of that 4 percent tie, and the peppermint version is how most families dress them for Christmas. A rich, fudgy dough bakes with a touch of peppermint extract, then crushed candy canes get pressed on top while the cookies are still warm. In our Christmas cookies ranked list they take No. 7, a modern favorite that climbs every year. Crush the candy canes in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, and browse these peppermint treats for more.

You will need: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Beat butter and sugar, then beat in egg, peppermint and vanilla. 3. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and stir in with the chips. 4. Scoop onto lined sheets and bake 9 to 11 minutes. 5. Press crushed candy canes on top while warm.

No. 8: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies look like they were dusted with fresh snow. Fudgy dough rolls in powdered sugar, and as the cookies bake and spread, the white coat cracks into pretty lines that show the dark chocolate underneath. From here on the list is our own ranking, and crinkles land at No. 8, a showstopper that loses a few points for the long chill. Roll in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar, for the boldest crackle, or try one of these snowy crinkle cookie flavors.

You will need: 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling

How to make it: 1. Whisk cocoa, sugar and oil, then beat in eggs one at a time and the vanilla. 2. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. 3. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. 4. Roll into 1-inch balls and coat in sugar, then powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until set.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 9: Fruit and Nut Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Fruit and nut cookies pulled 3 percent in the poll, and the slice-and-bake version is a busy baker’s best friend in December. Buttery dough packed with red and green candied cherries, pistachios and pecans rolls into a log, chills in the fridge and slices into neat rounds that look like little stained glass windows. They rank No. 9 on our Christmas cookies ranked list for ease and color. Roll the log in coarse sugar for a sparkly edge, just like these icebox Christmas cookies.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup chopped red and green candied cherries, 1/2 cup chopped pistachios, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup coarse sugar

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and powdered sugar, then beat in yolk and vanilla. 2. Stir in flour and salt, then the cherries and nuts. 3. Shape two 2-inch logs, roll in coarse sugar, wrap and chill 2 hours. 4. Slice 1/4 inch thick onto lined sheets. 5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes until golden at the edges.

No. 10: Almond Crescents

Almond crescents are buttery little moons rolled in sugar, and they come from the Austrian and German tradition of vanilla crescents baked every Advent. Ground almonds make them tender and nutty, and they practically melt on the tongue. They rank No. 10 because they look so much like snowball cookies that many people mix the two up. Keep the dough cold so the crescents hold their curve, and find more European-style almond desserts if you love that nutty flavor.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for coating, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 2 cups flour, 1 cup finely ground almonds, 1/4 teaspoon salt

How to make it: 1. Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract until creamy. 2. Stir in flour, ground almonds and salt and chill 30 minutes. 3. Roll tablespoons into short logs and curve into crescents. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes until pale golden underneath. 5. Roll in powdered sugar while warm and again when cool.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 11: Cornflake Wreath Cookies

Cornflake wreaths are the no-bake treat kids beg to help with. Marshmallows melt with butter and a few drops of green food coloring, then get stirred into cereal flakes and shaped into little wreaths with red candies for holly berries. They take No. 11 in our Christmas cookies ranked countdown because they are more fun than fancy. Butter your hands so the mix does not stick, and set them beside no-bake rocky road squares on the dessert table.

You will need: 1/4 cup butter, 1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 teaspoons green food coloring, 5 cups cornflake cereal, 1/4 cup small red cinnamon candies

How to make it: 1. Line a sheet with wax paper. 2. Melt butter and marshmallows in a large pot over low heat, stirring until smooth. 3. Stir in vanilla and food coloring. 4. Fold in the cereal until coated. 5. With buttered hands, shape small wreaths, press on red candies and let set 1 hour.

No. 12: Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are the jewels of the holiday tray. Buttery dough gets a gentle press in the middle and bakes with a little pool of raspberry or apricot jam that shines like stained glass. They land at No. 12, a classic many families bake but few call their number one. Fill the centers again after baking for a glossy look, and try these thumbprint cookie fillings when you want to switch up the jam.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Beat butter and sugar, then beat in yolks and vanilla. 3. Stir in flour and salt and roll into 1-inch balls. 4. Press a thumbprint in each and fill with jam. 5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until set and lightly golden, then add a little more jam.

Christmas Cookies Ranked No. 13: Fruitcake Cookies

Fruitcake gets teased every December, but fruitcake cookies win over plenty of doubters. They pack jewel-bright candied cherries, dates and toasted pecans into soft, chewy bites, with none of the dense loaf that earned the cake its reputation. Old recipe boxes are full of them because they keep for weeks in a tin. On our Christmas cookies ranked list they sit at No. 13 simply because the name still scares people off. Chop the fruit small so the cookies hold together, and see these fruitcake recipes that win over the critics if you are ready to convert the family.

You will need: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup chopped candied cherries, 1 cup chopped dates, 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets. 2. Beat butter and brown sugar, then beat in egg and vanilla. 3. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and add with the milk. 4. Stir in cherries, dates and pecans. 5. Drop by tablespoons and bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden at the edges.

No. 14: Shortbread

Shortbread proves that three ingredients can be enough. Butter, sugar and flour press into a tender, sandy cookie that melts on the tongue, and Scottish families have baked it for the holidays for centuries. It closes our list at No. 14 only because kids reach for frosting first, and grown-ups often save the last fingers for themselves. Use good salted butter, prick the dough all over with a fork, and dress it up with these buttery shortbread twists.

You will need: 1 cup softened salted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, then mix in vanilla. 3. Stir in flour until a soft dough forms. 4. Press into an 8-inch square pan, prick with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until pale golden, cut into fingers while warm and cool in the pan.