No-Fail 5-Ingredient

Christmas Cookies

Anyone Can Make

Quick Summary

Want fuss-free cookies that do not cause much mess, look ethereal and are equally delicious? Then dive right into these Christmas cookies that look as good as they taste. Whether you’re baking with kids, hosting guests, or juggling multiple holiday preparations, these cookies come together quickly without complicated techniques or equipment.

Deep Dive

Christmas baking should feel joyful, not overwhelming. Between decorating, hosting and gift shopping, spending hours measuring and troubleshooting recipes isn’t always realistic. That’s where five-ingredient cookies come in. They strip baking back to the basics while still delivering on flavour, texture and festive appeal. This collection brings together cookies that are easy enough for beginners yet impressive enough for holiday spreads and gifting. With minimal prep, simple pantry staples and family-friendly methods, these recipes let you focus on what matters most – enjoying the season and sharing something homemade with the people you love.

Red Velvet Peppermint Bark Cookies

Sticking to the colour theme and flavour of the season, these cookies deliver on both fronts. They look gorgeous with their red velvet base, chunky peppermint bits and white chocolate peeking on the surface. All you need is a box of red velvet cake mix, salted butter, eggs, chunks of white chocolate or chips and smashed peppermint bark. They are soft, chewy and full of chocolate flavour with hints of peppermint throughout. Their rough edges and unpolished look make them the perfect homemade holiday treat to share or serve this Christmas. 

Snowball Cookies

This one’s exactly as the name sounds: a ball of “snow” piled up on a plate. All you need for this batch is finely chopped almonds, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and all-purpose flour. The nuts are completely optional, and you can replace the almonds with pistachios or even cashews. For the best flavour, the nuts need to be toasted in a pan or an oven. Start with the sugar, butter and vanilla extract and then follow up with the flour. Then the cookie dough needs to be scooped onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and baked. These ordinary-looking balls get a festive look with powdered sugar coating them to resemble snow.

No-Bake Chocolate Bonbons

If your family and guests love truffles or chocolate balls, then you are in for a treat, as chocolate bonbons follow the same method as truffles. You can involve the entire home in making these while you focus on other baking activities. It’s made with ground digestive biscuits, almond butter, dairy butter, powdered sugar and dark chocolate. The almond butter and dairy butter are liquefied and mixed into the biscuit crumbs along with sugar to make a dough. The dough is shaped into balls and dunked in melted chocolate, and your bonbons are ready. You can try out different shapes or mount them on crackers for a decorative display.

Matcha Coconut Cookies

Sticking to the theme of the season, these cookies use Japanese matcha and coconut in them and look like thick Indian pedas. If you enjoy slightly sweet cookies with a hint of bitterness, matcha coconut cookies are a great bake. These cookies use matcha powder, desiccated coconut, flour, butter, sugar and eggs to create a soft, chewy texture. The butter and sugar are creamed, followed by eggs, then dry ingredients, including matcha and coconut, are folded in. The dough is portioned into small rounds and baked until just set, keeping the centres tender. These cookies work well plain or dipped halfway in melted white chocolate.

Christmas Crinkle Cookies

If you want a cookie that looks festive without extra decorating, Christmas crinkle cookies are ideal. Made with cocoa powder, flour, sugar, butter, eggs and baking powder, the dough is mixed into a thick batter and chilled before baking. You can add food colouring, synthetic or food-based, like beetroot and matcha, to dye them red and green. Once firm, the dough is rolled into balls, coated generously in powdered sugar and baked. As the cookies spread, the sugar cracks, creating the signature crinkled effect. These cookies are quick to assemble and perfect for cookie trays or gifting.

Holiday Sugar Cookies 

These are what you’d call Christmas cookies with their assorted shapes and icing. These cookies can double as an activity, as the icing can be where the entire family can pitch in to create cookies as per their liking. The dough is made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla, mixed until smooth and chilled. Once rested, the dough is rolled out and cut into festive shapes, like candy canes, trees and Santa, using cookie cutters. The cookies are baked until just golden, then cooled completely. You can leave them plain or decorate with icing and sprinkles. 

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles 

These five-ingredient Christmas cookies prove that great holiday baking doesn’t need to be complicated. With fewer ingredients and easier methods, these recipes take the pressure off while still producing cookies that look festive and taste indulgent. All of these cookies are ideal for last-minute baking, family activities or gifting, making them a practical addition to your festive plans.