20+ European Christmas Cookie Recipes (2024)

ByEdyta

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It’s the Holiday season and what a better way to celebrate it than with a cookie in hand. Europeans have plenty of different ways to make delicious cookies. I hope you’ll enjoy this collection of European Christmas Cookie Recipes and make one, two, or more of them for your holiday.

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Now I’ve lived here in NY for the last 14 years and haven’t had the chance to go back to Poland for Christmas yet (I’m hoping that the next year will be the year). In fact, this collection of European cookies makes me want to go there even more. Sipping mulled wine, all bundled up with a delicious cookie in hand, listening to Chrismas carols and enjoying the season is all I’m dreaming of right now.

To put you in a similar mood, I’ll show you how festive beautiful my hometown Wroclaw is during the Christmas season. 20+ European Christmas Cookie Recipes (2)Photo credit In Your Pocket

Without further ado, here’s my compilation of the most popular European cookies

1. 5 Ingredient Butter Vanilla Holiday Cookies are super easy to make. Butter, sugar, egg, flour, vanilla and just 20 minutes…that’s all you’ll need!Their taste reminds me of the butter vanilla cookies you can find in almost every European market during the Christmas season.

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2. Speculoos, also known as Speculaas orDutch Windmill Cookies, is a holiday cookie that is traditionally made for the Feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6th) in the Netherlands and Belgium.

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3. Brunkager is a Danish Christmas cookiewith a delicious spiced flavor, and a wonderful crunch. Perfect to add to your cookie plate.

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4. Bulgarian Honey Cookies Medenki Recipe – these soft, spiced cookies, dipped in chocolate will make the perfect sweet treat this holiday season.

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5. These German Marzipan Balls are the easiest Christmas Cookies ever! Vegan, gluten-free and only 2 ingredients needed!

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6. A European spin on a holiday classic! These traditional Polish gingerbread cookies use a sticky sweet substitute instead of the conventional molasses.

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7. Thin and crispy Moravian Molasses cookies. This recipe makes 7-8 dozen 2 1/2″ cookies (or more).

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8. These Pierniczki świąteczne, aka Polish Christmas cookies, are the perfect make-ahead festive treat. They are easy to make, with pantry ingredients and bake in just 8 mins.

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9. These no yeast lemon mini babkas (babeczki) are quick and easy. The recipe for these traditional Polish cakes is from the Wild Honey and Rye cookbook, by Ren Behan.

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10. This krumkake recipe makes light, crispy, delicate, golden wafer cookies that are rolled into a traditional cone shape. These Scandinavian cookies are traditionally flavored with cardamom and vanilla but can be made in many different flavors if you want to experiment.

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11. These simple Danish butter cookies are easy to make with children and brighten up everyone’s holiday.

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12. Medovníky are a deliciously spiced, decorated gingerbread-style cookie flavored with honey, cinnamon, and cloves. These festive cookies are often served at Christmas time in Slovakia and decorated with white icing swirls.

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13. German Pfeffernusse Cookies – A traditional spiced German cookie covered in powdered sugar. The perfect cookie for a Christmas cookie exchange!

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14. Canestrelli is a wonderfully delicious Italian Cookie. It’s an almost shortbread type cookie but with a crunch – fast and easy.

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15. Joulutorttu aretraditional Finnish Christmas Cookies made in the shape of the pinwheel and filled with a delicious prune jam. This recipe makes a big batch of cookies. Bake them for Christmas and freeze any leftovers.

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16. Goro (pronounced go-do) is a thin Norwegian cookie that is cooked on a special goro iron.

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17. Struffoli di Mamma are puffy balls of fried dough which are crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside. These Italian honey balls (aka Cicerchiata) are then drenched in citrus-scented warm honey and decorated with sprinkles.

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18. Danish aebleskiver are a traditional holiday dish in Scandinavian countries, and they’re sold as street food during the busy holiday shopping season.

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19. Pfeffernusse are a popular cookie in Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

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20. Melomakarona Traditional Greek Christmas honey spice cookies are made with olive oil, spices and soaked in a honey syrup.

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21. These homemade jammie dodger biscuits are really easy to make and taste delicious. They’re also known as Linzer cookies, a popular Christmas cookie recipe.

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20+ European Christmas Cookie Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Christmas dessert in Europe? ›

Panettone is popular the world over. This sweet bread loaf originally hails from Milan, Italy where it is baked and enjoyed over Christmas and New Year. In fact, this cupola-shaped festive treat is known as one of the symbols of Milan!

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

#1 Iced Sugar Cookie

The Iced Sugar Cookie takes the top spot, stealing the show as the most favorite Christmas cookie with classic sweetness and festive decorations.

Which cookie has been deemed most popular during Christmas? ›

With just two days 'til Christmas, the country is baking spirits are bright! That's according to a new Google Trends report released Thursday. According to the data, sugar cookies, gingerbread and peanut butter blossoms are the most popular cookies in America.

What are those Italian cookies called? ›

In a hurry?
Cookie NameRegion of OriginKey Ingredients
CantucciTuscanyAlmonds, Flour
AmarettiLombardyAlmond Paste, Sugar
RicciarelliTuscanyAlmond Flour, Sugar
PignoliSicilyPine Nuts, Almond Paste
3 more rows
Dec 24, 2023

What is the traditional Christmas cake in Europe? ›

  1. Panettone: a luxurious gift.
  2. Bolo Rei: crown of the Kings.
  3. Christstollen: an angel in swaddling clothes.
  4. Makowiec: a national emblem.
  5. Christmas pudding: the holiday harvest.
  6. Bûche de Noël: an evolving tradition.
Dec 13, 2019

What is the most eaten cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

Which Christmas cookies last the longest? ›

Shortbread cookies and spritz cookies are real holiday troopers, lasting a bit longer than the rest. These buttery and crumbly cookies are a great option for a holiday cookie. Shortbread is known for its rich flavor, while spritz cookies are often made with a cookie press.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

What was the first Christmas cookie? ›

History. Modern Christmas cookies can trace their history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits, when many modern ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the west.

What country invented cookies? ›

The Origin of the Cookie

They date back as early as 7th Century A.D. Persia which is now Iran. They were one of the first countries to grow and harvest sugar cane. With war and exploration eventually sugar was introduced to the Mediterranean area and European countries and so were cookies.

What is the name of the German cookie? ›

Kekse and – as at this time of year they're more commonly referred to – Plätzchen are general German words for cookies.

What is a cookie called in Europe? ›

French cookies are called "biscuits" and are often delicate and light. Italy: In Italy, cookies are known as "biscotti" and are usually hard and crunchy, made to be dipped in coffee or dessert wine. "Taralli" is a popular savory cracker-like snack in Italy.

What is a cookie in France? ›

The French usually consider themselves very different from the English, but when it comes to the word for cookie, both say biscuit. Like a cookie itself, the word can be broken into two parts: bis,a way to say “two” or “twice”, and cuit – “cooked”.

What is the famous dessert of Europe? ›

Vanilla custard tarts from Portugal, crème brûlée from France, Baklava from Turkey, Victoria Sponge from England, and Tiramisu from Italy are some of the most well-known desserts from Europe.

What is the most popular dessert in France at Christmas? ›

Bûche de Noël, or Yule log

The most traditional Christmas cake in France is the Yule log, or bûche de Noël. A rolled sponge cake filled with buttercream, it is shaped and decorated with chocolate frosting or ganache to resemble a log of wood.

What does Italy eat for dessert on Christmas? ›

What desserts do they eat in Italy on Christmas? Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas dessert. It is a typically a domed-shaped sweet brioche dough that is usually filled with dried fruit and nuts.

What is the most traditional Christmas dessert in Germany? ›

Lebkuchen. This traditional German cookie is one of the most popular around Christmastime because it has those classic gingerbread flavors. The soft, chewy, and lightly glazed treats are a must-have for your cookie plate.

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