Our 2023 Christmas Cookies Are Here—And You'll Want To Try Them All

Chatelaine has featured cookies in its pages every December since 1928. That’s almost a century of shortbread, bars, macaroons, gingersnaps, biscotti and so much more. We pored over every winter issue from the past 95 years to find our 10 all-time favourites—and added a new recipe to the mix, too.

Scottish Shortbread for Christmas

This classic buttery cookie recipe was published in the magazine’s first-ever Christmas issue in 1928. We’ve dialed down the flour and added more citrus peel for a lightly sweet and crisp treat. Butter and candied orange are the two key flavours in this recipe; try to find the best quality of both. Get this Scottish shortbread recipe.

Date and Almond Macaroons

A soft and nutty cross between a macaroon and Italian brutti ma buoni, these tender little treats from 1932 will win over even non-cookie lovers. Get this macaroon recipe.

Christmas Refrigerator Cookies

We’d say candied cherries are deliciously retro, but glacéed fruit happens to be newly cool again, as it was when this roll-and-slice biscuit first appeared in 1949— and we couldn’t be happier about it. Don’t skip toasting the almonds; their nuttiness makes the cherry flavour sing. Get this refrigerator cookie recipe.

Honey Peanut Balls

The original 1957 version of these make-ahead bonbons were billed as a convenience treat. Sprinkling a bit of childhood-favourite sugary cereal overtop adds a bit of crunch, colour and fun. Get this peanut ball recipe.

Gingerbread Cookies

Let’s go back to 1961 with a spicy and versatile version of classic gingerbread. Roll it out and cut it into shapes, or press beautiful patterns into it with a cookie stamp. Get this gingerbread cookie recipe.

Iced Layer Cookies

This marzipan take on empire cookies from 1972 is the most labour-intensive recipe of the bunch, but it also happens to be a favourite of our recipe tester. We veered from the original all-white colour scheme with a bit of food colouring and sprinkles for a far-out look. Get this iced layer cookie recipe.

Mincemeat Turnovers

“My husband said these tasted like every Christmas open house of his childhood!” exclaimed food stylist Eshun Mott, who tested this recipe from 1985. While these keep well when made in advance, eating them freshly baked—still warm and emanating that orange-zest aroma—is an unbeatable experience. Get this mincemeat turnover recipe.

Holiday Nanaimo Bars

What makes this Canadian dessert standard a holiday knockout? Toasting the walnuts for extra oomph, adding a little salt to balance the sweetness and cutting it into sleek diamond shapes. These cute little bars appear here exactly as they did in our December 1995 issue. Get this holiday nanaimo bar recipe.

Pistachio Thumbprints

These buttery shortbread-like bites from 2005 are the ideal make-ahead cookie, and they travel beautifully. Prepare and bake the dough, then fill with colourful jam or lemon curd just before serving. Get this pistachio thumbprint recipe.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are hands-down the most viewed recipe Chatelaine has ever published online: It has consistently held the top spot on chatelaine.com since it appeared in 2017. We’re not ones to mess with perfection, but we have a suggestion for an even more perfect result: If there were ever a time to pull out the kitchen scale for a cookie recipe, this is it. Get this whipped shortbread cookie recipe.

Matcha and Ginger Tea Pinwheels

These brand-new treats are a colourful and kicky spin on gingerbread. Don’t be intimidated by the spiral design: If you can roll a tea towel, you can roll these cookies. Get this pinwheel cookie recipe.

Cookie stamps (used for Gingerbread), $41 for 3, leevalley.ca. Shortbread pan (used for Scottish Shortbread), $59, leevalley.ca. Sprinkles and dragées (used in Iced Layer Cookies, Mincemeat Turnovers, and Whipped Shortbread Cookies), sweetapolita.com.