Three “ingredients” to make these amazingly delicious Christmas cookies! PLUS two free printables to festively package up these cookies!
Love Christmas Cookies? Us too! Try these melted snowman cookies, peppermint sugar cookies, or gingersnap cookies next!
Today I have four different 3-ingredient cookie recipes that are perfect for holiday baking! The best thing about these cookies is they can be easily adjusted — by default they are very simple to make (as the instructions indicate) BUT it’s easy to jazz them up a bit and use your favorite stand-in cookie recipes as a base for several of the recipes.
If you forget to set aside enough time to make cookies for Santa, you have guests coming over sooner than anticipated, you need to clean instead of bake…, OR you just want a treat and you want it NOW, these recipes are just what you need this December 🙂
At the end of this post I have some fun ideas for packaging these cookies as well as TWO free printables.
CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED TURTLE COOKIES
Easy Turtle Cookies
Only three ingredients to have all of the flavors you know and love from classic turtle candies!
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) refrigerated (ready to bake) chocolate-chip cookie dough*
- 1 package (4.7 ounces) turtles candies (I used DeMet's Original Turtles found at Smiths/Kroger)
- 1/2 cup milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to cookie package directions. Bake cookies on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets according to package directions.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes and then press a turtle candy into the center of each cookie. Let cool 3 minutes and then remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. (Cool completely, about 30 minutes.)
- Once cooled, place the chocolate chips (and shortening if desired; makes it a little easier to drizzle) in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 10 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate in a drizzle over each cookie.
- Allow to set up at room temperature.
- Best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Video
Recipe Notes
*Not a fan of store-bought cookies? You can use this recipe to make a homemade cookie dough
WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES
White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) Refrigerated (read to bake) sugar cookies (OR you can use already baked sugar cookies from a bakery or your favorite recipe!)*
- 1 bag white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening, optional
- 1/3 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to cookie package directions. Bake cookies on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets according to package directions.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on wire cooling racks. While they are cooling, prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can also crush the candy canes. Place unwrapped candy canes in a plastic bag, seal it, and then hit it with a rolling pin until crushed. Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can dip them in the white chocolate.
- Add the white chocolate chips and shortening (if desired, makes it easier/smoother) in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 10 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Dip half of the completely cooled cookies in white chocolate mixture. Slide the bottom of the cookie against the edge of the bowl to get rid of excess chocolate and immediately transfer to a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (IF the white chocolate is getting hard to work with, just put it back in the microwave for 15-20 seconds)
- Immediately, add the crushed peppermint to the melted white chocolate. Allow cookies to harden at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
*You can use this recipe as a "from-scratch" stand-in for the sugar cookie base!
PALMIERS
Palmiers
Ingredients
- 2 cups cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted defrosted (you can find these in the frozen dessert aisle near frozen pies)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and salt. Pour 1/4th of that mixture on a flat surface and unfold one sheet of THAWED puff pastry onto the sugar. Add another 1/4th of the sugar mixture on top spread it evenly.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13 inches and the sugar is really pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.
- Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold those two halves together.
- Slice that log of dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle leftover sugar mixture on top of the sliced cookies.
- Repeat with the other puff pastry.
- Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, and then flip over with a spatula and bake another 5-7 minutes, until caramelized on the other side.
- Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
COCONUT MACAROONS (WITH AN OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE)
Easy Coconut Macaroons
My mom made these for my sister's wedding a couple of years ago and they were a huge hit! They're great with or without the chocolate, but you know I'll always choose to add chocolate 🙂
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup white all-purpose flour
- 5 and 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 can (14 ounces) full fat, regular sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk!)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, optional
- Optional: 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large trays with parchment paper or a silpat liner and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk (and vanilla if desired) using your hands until completely combined. Do not overmix. Use an ice cream scoop get about golf ball sized cookies. Place cookies on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted on top. Remove an allow to cool completely.
- TO DIP IN CHOCOLATE: if you want to dip these in chocolate, add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between burst for 10 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Dip the bases of the completely cooled cookies in the milk chocolate and then transfer to a parchment paper lined tray. Using a spoon, drizzle remaining chocolate over the cookies.
- Allow to set up at room temperature.
- Cookies best within 1-2 days of making. These cookies freeze and defrost really well WITHOUT the chocolate!
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE COOKIE COVERS HERE:
Click on the links below and save to your computer to print!
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