Vintage Christmas Cookies to Make Ahead

Get a jumpstart on the season with these Make-Ahead Vintage Christmas Cookies. Add to your holiday cookie plates and boxes with classic vintage Christmas cookies popular over the decades.

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Vintage Christmas Cookies

Incorporating Vintage Christmas Cookie recipes into your holiday baking makes Christmas even more meaningful. And we've gathered the best Vintage Christmas Cookie recipes we could find. 

Christmas is about tradition, meaning, and togetherness... and celebrating the best of our lives.

Often, it's a blend of classic traditions with unique twists and new ways to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. It's what makes Christmas special. 

Vintage Christmas Cookies by the Decade

Good Housekeeping put together a list of popular Christmas cookies by the decade. It's a fascinating list you might enjoy reading. Here's the summary version:

1900

Gingerbread Cookie Cutouts: At the turn of the century, life was slower and simpler. Bakers relied on molasses as a key sweetener

1910

Classic Peanut-Butter Cookies: Peace gave way to World War I, the gas range replaced coal and woodstoves, the Oreo cookie debuted, and brands of peanut butter hit the market. 

1920

Tea Cookies: This was a time for tearooms (thanks to Prohibition) and dainty pastries and cakes. Plus, the brownie was born, and the original Girl Scout Cookie recipe came on the scene in 1922.

1930

Icebox Cookies: During the Great Depression, butter was a luxury; most cookie recipes used shortening. Electric refrigerators brought icebox cookies to the forefront. Chilled, sliced cookie dough became popular. When the Depression ended, spritz cookies became the rage.

1940

Cranberry Honey Walnut Drops: During World War II, sturdy roll-and-slice spirals and drop cookies became popular. They were perfect for sending care packages to loved ones during the war.

1950

Vanilla Wafer Cookies: During the baby boom, cookie baking with cake mixes became the rage. Home bakers wanted new ideas; the sweeter and more unusual, the better. It was fun to use "novel" ingredients like red candied cherries, instant coffee, and crushed vanilla wafers.

1960

French Madeleines: A decade like no other: We landed on the moon, flew to Europe and watched TV chef Julia Child cook French food. And Cool Whip came along.

1970

Peanut Butter Blossoms: Granola, hippie food of the 1960s, became a mainstream favorite. International flavors and natural ingredients like whole grains and seeds dominated diets and baking. But chocolate is chocolate and Peanut Butter Blossoms began appearing on most Christmas cookie platters.

1980

Snickerdoodles: Business was booming, and gourmet cookie shops were in every mall. Rich, gooey sweets were splurges. While leg warmers and spandex were in most closets, Snickerdoodles were the favorite cookies of the decade. 

1990

Funfetti Cookies: While healthy eating became more of a priority and many cookie lovers turned to lower-fat cookies, Funfetti cookies came on the scene in 1989.

2000

Espresso Crinkles: Coffee culture began and infused not only our beverages but also our cookies!

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