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By Nellie's Kindness Crew
Christmas is all about spending time with the people you love, and what better place to gather than in the kitchen? If you haven't already made baking with the little ones a holiday tradition, start with these cookie recipes to make with the kids. Each one includes a decorating step, whether that means piping icing or rolling the finished cookies in sugar, and kids' eager hands are perfect for the job. So choose from the recipes below, grab your Nellie's Free Range Eggs from the fridge, and get ready to make Christmas memories that you'll cherish for years to come.
Did you know that you can make stained glass Rudolph cookies with nothing but a little Christmas magic (and a few cherry hard candies)? Let the kids help crush the candies and sprinkle them onto the sheet pan, then wait for their eyes to light up (always the prime motivation to make Christmas cookies with the kids!) as the candies melt into a shiny red reindeer nose!
Don't forget to leave out a little something sweet for Santa on Christmas Eve. A plate of these crisp egg cookies served with a tall glass of milk is the best present the big man could ask for!
It doesn't really feel like the holidays until you've had at least one mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top. And now you can enjoy everyone's favorite cozy beverage in cookie form, too! Complete with an extra drizzle of chocolate and mini marshmallows, these hot chocolate cookies live up to their name.
Have the kids lend a hand once these crunchy pecan-filled Italian biscuits are out of the oven and cooled to room temp. The little ones can help adorn them with an assortment of melted chocolate (try a combination of milk and white!), piped candy melts, sprinkles, and even crushed candy canes. Once they're done, it's time to break out the hot cocoa!
Full of whimsy, these meringue cookies are piped with food coloring for a beautiful swirled effect. They're also easy peasy to make, requiring very few ingredients and not a whole lot of hands-on time. Watching egg whites whip into big white peaks is pretty magical; the kids will love being part of the process.
Everyone loves a classic Christmas cookie, but who has time for all that rolling and chilling? These peppermint sugar cookie bars are like blondies, but with peppermint chocolate chips and crushed candy canes in every delicious bite.
Invite Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and friends into your kitchen with this easy to follow gingerbread cookie recipe. The best part? You don't need a reindeer cookie cutter to make this adorable sleigh-pulling crew. Just flip your gingerbread men upside-down, get busy with the royal icing, and watch them come to life!
If there are any young budding artists in your family, they'll have a blast decorating these little leaf cookies before arranging them onto parchment paper. To go the traditional route, paint them with green food coloring and add round sprinkles or small red candies after baking to make adorable Christmas wreaths worthy of being left out with a glass of milk for Santa.
Also known as "snowball cookies," these Swedish heirloom treats are as fun to make as they are to eat. The dough for these easy Christmas cookies for kids comes together in a jiffy, and once they're baked, kids can roll each warm cookie in confectioners' sugar. Take a bite and and they'll melt in your mouth almost instantly!
Wait, don't drink that cup of coffee yet! Every warm beverage needs a sidekick for dunking, and we recommend these classic Mexican polvorones. They're slightly nutty with a satisfying crunch; the perfect pairing for your morning joe or the kids' hot chocolate.
No matter what holiday you celebrate this time of year, everyone should have the chance to enjoy some sweet treats! These Star of David sugar cookies are decked out in royal icing and dyed a festive blue color, perfect for your Hanukkah celebration.
great ideas for next year so festive and kid friendly
Hi Mary, we can't wait to hear how you like them!
I have a question about the Scandinavian Cookies. Why does the recipe call for Almond Extract in addition to Vanilla Extract? There are no almonds in the recipe. There are walnuts (I use pecans). As it is an extract, it has a strong flavor profile. Any insight would be appreciated.
Hi Marsha, we looked at the website of the original recipe creator, and they shared that they like to create a very nutty flavor, so it seems that they welcome the walnut AND almond flavors together. We have also seen similar recipes where one can substitute the walnuts for almonds. Good luck with all your holiday baking!
All the cookies look so good ! I can’t wait to try them. My granddaughter is going to love the reindeer. Thank you for sharing
Hi Veronica, glad to hear these recipes are grandchildren-approved! We hope you and all of your family has a very happy holiday!
Thanks for these great recipes!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!! 🎅
Hi James, we're so glad that you like these recipes! Happy holidays!
Saving ALL of these recipes. My favorite sugar cookies are Scandinavian Almond Bars... 1 recipe makes 4 large bars; cutting each into diagonal strips... making great gifts 4 in one batch. The cookies are cut as soon as they come out of theven, glazed with an almond extract flavore glaze, sprinkled with sliced almonds. They go so well with tea and everyone asked me for the recipe.
Hi Cindy, thanks for sharing this yummy recipe with us! This sounds like one we'd certainly need to try!
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