A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays (2025)

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By Alisa Fleming on In The News

If there’s one thing I wasn’t going to give up when I went dairy-free, it was cookies. Back in the day, most store-bought brands contained butter, milk, and other miscellaneous dairy ingredients. That’s when I began baking like it was my job. And now, making dairy-free cookie recipes is my job! Which is why I have this incredible round-up of the best dairy-free cookie recipes for you – just in time for National Cookie Day.

A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays (1)

A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays

Today, there are many delicious options for purchasing dairy-free and even vegan cookies, but baking Christmas cookies is just as much fun as eating them. Well, okay, maybe not quite as much fun, but it’s close. And nothing makes a better or more thoughtful gift than home-baked cookies. (I said nothing – don’t even try to argue me on this one).

Since my kitchen is dairy-free, the gifts and party treats created in it are always dairy-free. I know some people are nervous about sharing their “free-from” goodies with those who regularly consume “normal” cookies, but trust me. Not only do I receive rave reviews, I’m also relied upon to always bring the desserts to every Christmas party. And I used to be the only one among our friends who was dairy-free. Yes, I said “used to be.” Cookies are that powerful people. They can create converts.

Bake some of these dairy-free cookie recipes and share the bounty this holiday season. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll bring a few more people over to the dairy-free light.

Chocolate Explosion Oatmeal Cookies

Believe it or not, this is a purely pantry recipe. Yet these vegan cookies are simply bursting with fudgy indulgence.

Snappy Molasses Cookies

This recipe has been a popular one for well over a decade. The perfectly tender cookies are a cross between gingersnaps and molasses cookies. If preferred, I do have dairy-free recipes for Gingersnaps and Big Soft Molasses Cookies too! I’ve covered all the bases.

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin makes these cinnamon-y cookies even more tender, and gives them a warm winter flavor.

Vegan Samoa Cookies

No one will believe these Caramel De-Lite copycats are dairy-free and egg-free! They are an impressive treat, and have the perfect balance of sweet, rich, and chocolaty goodness.

These baseline dairy-free cookies are delicious on their own, but they’re also perfect for decorating. Enjoy them drop style with or without icing, or roll and cut them into fun shapes. Need an egg-free option? Bake these .

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with a Candy Cane Creme Filling

It’s hard to resist these chocolate peppermint sandwich creme cookies. The recipe includes homemade vegan chocolate spritz cookies and a sweet, peppermint-infused, dairy-free icing.

Cinn-ful Sweet Potato Cookies

Each bite of these warm vegan cookies offers the satisfying flavors of maple, cinnamon, and brown sugar. You can add chocolate chips, or not. It’s your choice!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

They might be vegan and gluten-free, but these sliced cookies beat out dozens of fantastic “normal” recipes in one of our big recipe contests.

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These tender morsels are naturally gluten-free, vegan, and quick to make. If needed, they can be made peanut-free, or you can make these Sunblossom Cookies.

Casserole Cookies

This is my baked version of classic skillet cookies. I find these easier and less fussy. For gifting or a special treat, we usually roll them in coarse sugar or powdered sugar. Sometimes I do a little of each for a special look.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Nothing shows off the sunny side of winter like citrus desserts. And these sweet and zesty lemon cookies will brighten anyone’s day.

Thin Mint Cookies

I prefer baking my own “Girl Scout” cookies because they taste better and I can control the ingredients. This “just” dairy-free recipe has options for nut-free, soy-free, and vegan.

Snowball Cookies

No round-up of holiday dairy-free cookie recipes would be complete without snowballs! You might call them Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or even Butterballs. No matter the name, they bring us up to a delicious baker’s dozen.

Even More Holiday Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes

It was hard to pick just a dozen dairy-free cookie recipes, so I have a little overflow. Here are some more holiday delights that you might enjoy baking this season.

  • Homemade Fortune Cookies
  • Christmas Medenki Cookies
  • Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
  • Cookie Butter Pinwheel Cookies
  • Snickerdoodle Blondies
  • Grain-Free Snickerdoodles
  • Classic Gingerbread Men

Easy Dairy-Free Cookie Fun

These dairy-free cookie recipes are less conventional, but still perfect for the holidays. They each use shortcuts so you have more time to spend with loved ones!

Melting Snowman Cookies

You can use our homemade sugar cookies recipe or buy some allergy-friendly cookies to make these adorable cookies. The preparation is fun to do with kids.

Raw Cookie Dough Bites

Skip the baking and enjoy these no bake cookies. They’re safe to eat raw because they contain no eggs or flour. They’re also a healthier, but equally delicious, alternative.

Pudding Cookies

All you need is four simple ingredients to bake these colorful cookies. One of them is instant pudding – yes, most varieties are dairy free!

Holiday Sandwich Cookies with Various Flavored Fillings

I’ve got four filling recipes in this post, because it’s all about the icing, right? The options includeMint Chocolate Chip, Lemon, Rasberry Creme, and Maple!

A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays (19)

For Even More Sweet Treat Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!

A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays (20)

A Dozen of the Best Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for the Holidays (2025)

FAQs

What packaged cookies are dairy free? ›

  • HIGHKEY.
  • Tate's Bakeshop.
  • Oreo.
  • Homefree.
  • Simple Mills.
  • Maxine's Heavenly.
  • Bakeology.
  • Love + Chew.

What is the most popular cookie for Santa? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

You can never go wrong with these classic, delicious 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 is the number one 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 are the top 5 favorite cookies? ›

Some of the most popular cookie flavors include:
  • Chocolate chip.
  • Peanut butter.
  • Peanut butter blossoms.
  • Double chocolate chip.
  • Snickerdoodle.
  • Sugar.
  • Shortbread.
  • Pumpkin.

Are Oreos really dairy-free? ›

According to the packaging, Oreo cookies contain: “unbleached enriched flour, sugar, palm and/or canola oil, cocoa powder, high fructose corn syrup, leavening, corn starch, salt, soy lecithin, vanillin, and unsweetened chocolate.” No dairy! No butter! No eggs! Hooray, not a trace of animal products in sight!

Does dairy-free butter work in cookies? ›

Foods and baked goods that call for traditional butter can turn out great when you use plant-based butter instead,” he says. “We make everything from shortbread cookies to biscotti to omelets with plant-based butter and get the same kind of taste and texture that you expect.” Use a 1:1 ratio.

Are graham crackers dairy-free? ›

Classic graham crackers are typically dairy-free (though many brands contain honey, so be sure to check the label if looking for a vegan option!). Since extra-dark chocolate and marshmallows are also non-dairy foods, you know what that means: S'mores are also a dairy-free delicacy!

What Christmas cookies stay fresh the longest? ›

Another option for fans of homemade goods with a long shelf life are twice-baked cookies, such as the biscotti. Because they go through the process of baking twice, they are likely to last up to two weeks. Similar to bar cookies, you can't freeze the dough, but this time up to six months.

What is the 2nd most popular cookie? ›

Nabisco Oreo was the second ranked cookie brand of the United States with about 674.2 million U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2017.

What is the least popular Christmas candy? ›

These Are the Most Hated Christmas Candies in America, and the List Will Make You Furious
  1. Reindeer Corn. Walmart/Allrecipes.
  2. Christmas Nougat. Walmart/Allrecipes. ...
  3. Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials. Walmart/Allrecipes. ...
  4. Candy Canes (Non-Peppermint) ...
  5. Peeps. ...
  6. Ribbon Candy. ...
  7. Old-Fashioned Hard Candies. ...
  8. Lifesavers Storybooks. ...
Dec 11, 2023

What is America's favorite Christmas cookie? ›

America's favorite Christmas cookie: Gingerbread and chocolate chip fall to frosted sugar – NBC New York.

What is the most Googled Christmas cookie? ›

Italian Christmas Cookies grow as top cookie

Zoom in: Italian Christmas Cookies were the top cookie in 13 states, more than double the six states from 2022, Google Trends curator Katie Seaton told Axios. Seaton said the Italian cookies dominated the East Coast both this year and last year.

What was the first Christmas cookie? ›

Gingerbread has existed in some form since sugars and spices were brought back to Europe, from soldiers in the Crusades. However, it was not until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert included it with a variety of other German Christmas traditions that the gingerbread cookies became primarily associated with Christmas.

What is the best holiday in cookie clicker? ›

Valentine's Day gives you 7 different cookies worth +2% each without having to wait around for anything. Christmas spawns Reindeer and gives access to Santa buffs (very nice) by just spending a bunch of cookies, and then the reindeer can drop presents also worth 2% each.

What is the most popular cookie today? ›

The beloved classic chocolate chip cookie combines rich, chewy dough with melted chocolate goodness. Nothing evokes childhood memories better than fresh chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven. A true all-rounder, chocolate chip cookies are one of the most popular cookies in the world, perfect for any occasion.

What is the most best-selling cookie? ›

Conclusion. In conclusion, the Oreo cookie's combination of iconic branding, diverse product offerings, global availability, and enduring popularity have all contributed to its status as the best-selling cookie in the world.

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