15 Christmas Baking Ideas: Cookies, Cakes & Festive Treats

There is something about Christmas that makes me want to bake.

Not necessarily anything elaborate, and certainly nothing that requires hours of decorating or a kitchen that looks as though nobody actually lives in it. I mean the ordinary sort of Christmas baking: a tray of biscuits cooling on the counter, something warm from the oven after school, a cake wrapped up and put away for later, or a tin gradually filling with little things to have with tea.

Some years we bake quite a lot. Other years, December gets away from us and we manage only one or two favourites. I think both are perfectly good ways to do Christmas.

And perhaps that’s the nicest thing about Christmas baking. It doesn’t have to become another festive job to get through. Choose something you genuinely fancy making, put on some music, make a cup of tea and enjoy an hour in the kitchen.

I’ve gathered 15 of my favourite Christmas baking ideas below. There are traditional bakes, easy things to make with children or teenagers, treats for gifting and a few lovely things to make ahead.

You certainly don’t need to make all fifteen.

Pick one. Pick three. Or simply save this list for one of those December afternoons when you suddenly feel like baking something Christmassy.

1. Christmas Sugar Cookies

Simple Christmas sugar cookies are one of those lovely bakes that can be as easy or as elaborate as you want them to be.

Use stars, Christmas trees, snowflakes or whatever cutters you already have, and decorate them with a little icing and sprinkles. Or leave them quite simple with just a dusting of icing sugar.

They’re especially nice for an afternoon of baking together because everyone can decorate their own — and nobody’s biscuits have to look remotely professional.

They also make an easy homemade gift tucked into a pretty tin or little paper bag.

2. Homemade Mince Pies

It wouldn’t really feel like Christmas here without mince pies.

You can absolutely use shop-bought mincemeat and ready-made pastry if that makes the difference between actually making them and never getting around to it. Christmas baking doesn’t earn extra points for making every ingredient from scratch.

A warm mince pie with a little icing sugar on top and a cup of tea is one of those tiny December pleasures I never tire of.

They’re also useful to make ahead and freeze, ready for visitors or quiet evenings at home.

3. A Traditional Christmas Cake

Christmas cake is less an afternoon bake and more a little December ritual.

If you love a traditional rich fruit cake, make it early enough to allow the flavours to develop, then decorate it closer to Christmas. Every family seems to have its own preferences when it comes to icing, marzipan and decorations — which is part of the charm.

And if nobody in your house actually likes Christmas cake? Skip it.

Tradition is lovely. Baking something solely because you think you’re supposed to is considerably less lovely.

4. Gingerbread Biscuits

The smell of ginger, cinnamon and warm spices coming from the oven might be one of the quickest ways to make an ordinary kitchen feel Christmassy.

Gingerbread biscuits are lovely cut into stars, little houses, trees or people, and they’re another good one for decorating together.

They’ll keep well in an airtight tin too, which makes them particularly useful during the busy days before Christmas.

5. Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies

Cranberries and white chocolate make such a lovely Christmas combination — sweet, slightly sharp and wonderfully festive without requiring any complicated decorating.

These are the sort of cookies I’d make when I want something Christmassy but don’t particularly want a project.

Make a batch for home, add them to a festive baking tin or package a few as a simple homemade gift.

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A Little Christmas Baking Companion

If you’re planning a few cosy afternoons in the kitchen this Christmas, I’ve created a Christmas Baking Companion as part of our free Christmas Printable Collection.

It’s a lovely place to gather favourite recipes, plan what you’d like to bake, make ingredient lists and keep those little family recipes that come out year after year.

[INSERT CHRISTMAS BAKING COMPANION IMAGE]

You can find the complete collection of free Christmas printables there too, with pages for planning, traditions, gifts, Christmas at home and more.

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6. Classic Shortbread

Sometimes the simplest Christmas baking is the nicest.

Good buttery shortbread needs very little embellishment. Cut it into rounds, fingers or festive shapes and leave it plain, sprinkle it with sugar or dip one end in chocolate if you fancy.

It keeps well and travels well, so it’s particularly good for gifting.

A few pieces wrapped in paper or popped into a tin make a very simple homemade present for a neighbour, teacher, friend or host.

7. Chocolate Yule Log

A chocolate Yule log looks wonderfully festive on a Christmas table without necessarily requiring the precision of a beautifully iced layer cake.

A soft chocolate sponge rolled around cream or buttercream and finished with chocolate icing is more than enough.

Add a little icing sugar for snow and perhaps a sprig of greenery beside the serving plate — not actually stuck into the cake unless you know it’s food-safe!

This is a lovely one to save for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or a family gathering.

8. Christmas Brownies

Brownies may not technically be Christmas baking, but add a few festive extras and I think we can happily claim them for December.

Try orange zest, chopped nuts, white chocolate, peppermint or little pieces of your favourite Christmas chocolate.

They’re also forgiving, easy to portion and usually popular with teenagers — always useful information in this house.

Cut them into small squares and they’ll stretch surprisingly far if you’re feeding a crowd.

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My Christmas Baking Essentials

I don’t think we need a kitchen full of special Christmas equipment to enjoy festive baking. Most of what I use is the same reliable baking equipment that comes out all year round.

I’ve gathered a few of my favourite useful baking essentials together — things such as good baking trays, mixing bowls, cooling racks, scales, biscuit cutters and decorating tools.

Affiliate note: Some of the links in this section are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only share products I genuinely use, like, or believe are a good fit for Our Little House in the Country.

There’s something particularly lovely about baking at Christmas — the familiar recipes we return to each year, afternoons spent making biscuits, and the tins slowly filling up with things to share.

These are a few useful favourites for Christmas baking, with a couple of festive extras that make it all feel a little more special.

Embossed Christmas Rolling Pin
A beautiful wooden rolling pin carved with festive designs such as snowflakes, reindeer and Christmas trees — lovely for making simple Christmas biscuits feel instantly special.

Christmas Cookie Cutter Set
A good set of stainless-steel cutters with classic shapes such as stars, trees, gingerbread people, snowflakes and stockings. One of those things that comes out year after year.

Large Mixing Bowl
A sturdy, generously sized mixing bowl for everything from gingerbread and biscuits to Christmas cakes. I love the traditional stoneware-style bowls that look just as at home sitting on the kitchen dresser.

Digital Kitchen Scales
Not particularly festive, perhaps, but one of the things I use most when baking. Simple, accurate digital scales make such a difference, particularly when you’re making several recipes at once.

Large Baking Trays
Good, heavy baking trays are invaluable during Christmas baking season — especially when there seem to be endless batches of biscuits going in and out of the oven.

Stackable Cooling Racks
One of those wonderfully practical things you don’t realise you need until every available surface in the kitchen is covered in cooling biscuits. Stackable racks are particularly useful when baking in batches.

Cookie Decorating & Icing Set
A simple set of piping bags and decorating nozzles for icing biscuits, gingerbread houses and Christmas cupcakes. Nothing elaborate required — just enough to make decorating easy and enjoyable.

Christmas Biscuit Tins
Pretty reusable tins for storing homemade biscuits, gingerbread and other Christmas treats. They’re also a lovely way to turn a batch of baking into a simple homemade gift.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only share things I genuinely think are useful or a good fit for life here at Our Little House in the Country.

Some of the links in this section are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share products that I genuinely like, use or feel fit naturally with life here at Our Little House.

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9. Stollen

Stollen is one of those traditional Christmas bakes that feels particularly suited to a slow winter afternoon.

Filled with dried fruit, nuts and spices and finished with plenty of icing sugar, it’s wonderful sliced thinly with tea or coffee.

It also keeps well, so this is a good one to make ahead rather than adding it to the final few frantic days before Christmas.

10. Festive Muffins

Muffins are possibly the least intimidating bake on this list — which is exactly why they deserve a place on it.

Add cranberries and orange, apple and cinnamon, chocolate and spice, or whatever festive combination appeals to you.

They’re lovely for December breakfasts and after-school snacks and don’t need icing, decorating or any great ceremony.

Sometimes that’s exactly the kind of Christmas baking we need.

11. Peppermint Bark

This one barely qualifies as baking, but we’re not going to be pedantic about it.

Chocolate peppermint bark is simple to make and particularly good if you’d like something homemade for gifting without spending an entire afternoon in the kitchen.

Layer or swirl dark, milk or white chocolate and scatter crushed peppermint sweets over the top. Once set, break it into irregular pieces and package it in little bags, jars or tins.

Easy, pretty and very Christmassy.

12. Spiced Apple Cake

I love baking with apples throughout autumn and winter, and there’s no reason for them to disappear once December arrives.

A simple apple cake with cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice is exactly the sort of thing I want with a cup of tea on a dark afternoon.

This is less “Christmas party centrepiece” and more “ordinary December day” — which might be why I like it so much.

Serve it warm if you can, perhaps with cream or custard, and don’t worry about making it look fancy.

13. Christmas Cupcakes

If you have younger children — or teenagers who still secretly enjoy decorating things when nobody makes too much fuss about it — Christmas cupcakes are great fun.

Start with a simple vanilla or chocolate cupcake and add buttercream, sprinkles or small festive decorations.

You could make little Christmas trees, snowmen or wreaths, but equally, a swirl of icing and a few pretty sprinkles will do perfectly well.

They don’t need to look like Pinterest. They need to taste nice.

14. Dried Orange & Chocolate Biscuits

Dried oranges appear all over our house at Christmas — in decorations, garlands and little bowls — so I love carrying those same flavours into the kitchen.

Chocolate and orange is such a classic combination. Try a simple chocolate biscuit with orange zest, or dip a plain orange biscuit partly into melted dark chocolate.

They look beautiful packaged for gifting too.

RELATED: How to Make Dried Oranges

15. Christmas Pudding

And finally, the most traditional of them all.

Christmas pudding is one of those recipes that tends to come with family opinions, traditions and memories attached. Some families adore it. Others ceremoniously serve one every year while almost everybody chooses something else. 😂

If it’s part of your Christmas, making your own can be a lovely tradition — particularly if everyone gets involved in stirring the mixture and making a wish.

But, again, there are no Christmas points awarded for making one from scratch.

Buy a lovely one if you’d rather. Make another pudding entirely. Serve chocolate cake.

It’s your Christmas.

A Few Ideas for a Christmas Baking Afternoon

You don’t really need to organise a “Christmas baking day” unless that sounds like fun to you.

Sometimes the nicest version is simply choosing one thing to make on a Saturday afternoon.

Clear a little space on the kitchen table. Put the kettle on. Get out the mixing bowl. Let somebody choose the music. Don’t worry if flour ends up everywhere or the icing on the gingerbread people becomes increasingly ridiculous.

If you’re baking with children or teenagers, let them choose what appeals to them rather than trying to manufacture a perfect family tradition.

The tradition may simply become that thing we always make at Christmas.

And those are often the ones that last.

Christmas Baking for Gifting

Homemade baking can make a genuinely lovely Christmas gift, particularly when you want to give someone a small token rather than another “thing”.

Shortbread, gingerbread, cookies, brownies and peppermint bark all package particularly well.

Save pretty jars and tins during the year, or use simple paper bags, baking parchment, ribbon or twine. Add a handwritten label and that’s really all you need.

You could also make a little baking bundle with a few homemade treats and a printed recipe for the recipient to make again.

Simple, useful and personal.

Make Christmas Baking Work for Your December

One thing I’ve become increasingly conscious of is how easily the things we genuinely enjoy about Christmas can turn into things we feel we have to do.

Baking shouldn’t be another item on a December checklist.

If you love making a Christmas cake every November, wonderful.

If you make gingerbread with your children every Christmas Eve, keep doing it for as long as everybody enjoys it.

But if your grand Christmas baking plans amount to buying ready-made pastry, opening a jar of mincemeat and making twelve slightly wonky mince pies one Sunday afternoon, that counts too.

There will be seasons when we have time for elaborate traditions and seasons when we don’t.

Christmas can hold both.

More Christmas at Our Little House

If you’re beginning to think about Christmas, you’ll find lots more gentle, practical inspiration here at Our Little House in the Country. Click on the images to explore further.

Before You Go…

If one of these Christmas baking ideas has made you want to get the mixing bowl out, then that’s enough.

You don’t need a baking schedule or fifteen tins filled before December.

Choose the thing your family loves. Make the old recipe with the stained page. Try something new because it sounds delicious. Let the biscuits come out a little uneven.

And perhaps save one quiet afternoon for making something simply because the house smells lovely when it’s in the oven.

Those ordinary little hours in the kitchen are part of Christmas too.

Chat soon,

Ciara x

🖨️ Create Your Christmas Companion Binder

If you’re planning to print several of our Christmas companions, a few simple supplies can make it easy to create your own beautiful Christmas binder to enjoy year after year.

(This section contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Our Little House in the Country.)

• 📗 A4 Display Book
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Explore the Christmas Collection Further

If you’ve enjoyed this printable, I’d love to invite you to explore the rest of our growing Christmas Companion Library. Each beautifully illustrated collection has been thoughtfully designed to help you create a calmer, more organised and more meaningful festive season. Whether you’re planning Christmas, preparing festive meals, embracing Advent, slowing down to savour the season or making magical family memories, there’s a companion waiting for you.

Explore the collection: Christmas Printables Hub, Free Christmas Planner Companion, Christmas Kitchen Companion, Christmas Eve Companion, Christmas Bucket List Companion, Slow Christmas Companion and Advent Companion

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