No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 17 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 24 cookies

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Last updated on October 22, 2023

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These No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies are an easy no bake Christmas cookie that the whole family loves! Made with just a few ingredients and fun to decorate.

You might also like these 35+ Easy Christmas Treats (no bake!), 31 Best Christmas Cookies Recipes or these Christmas Desserts!

So I was determined this year to get a really good amount of Christmas baking done.

In fact, I started Christmas baking in July.

Last year, I didn’t do any Christmas baking. I didn’t even get a Christmas tree or any decorations.

We moved into our new house December 28 last year, so we were pretty much living out of boxes by that point, and things were pretty crazy.

I was determined to do better this year. Get a good early start and just go all out.

But this year, I’m expecting our second child right around December 15. Which really means probably sometime between December 1 and December 31 I’ll have a baby. That makes things a little hard to plan for.

However, it’s been just the push I needed this year to get a good early start, because I definitely wanted to have some recipes to share with you guys throughout December, regardless of when baby decides to make his or her appearance.

So just because you haven’t been seeing them until now doesn’t mean I have been baking all things red and green and peppermint/white chocolate/gingerbread/cranberry – I’ve just been hiding them on you until the time was right.

That is, I’ve been saving them for you so that when the rest of the world starts Christmas baking, I’ll be ready with some awesome treats for you guys.

My mom made these for Christmas when we were still at home (though she tells me only once), and I knew I wanted to recreate them. I’ve been seriously lacking in the cute-and-seasonal category for pretty much every holiday up until now, and I wanted to fix that.

Plus, I really, really like Christmas.

The original recipe didn’t have the mini M&M’s, but I thought it might add more of a Christmas touch to my snow-capped trees.

Plus, chocolate.

When I was decorating them my husband came in and I told him I was only going to put the M&M’s on enough for my daughter’s day care friends, as a little farewell gift before I was at home with 2 kids.

He says to me, ” you’re only putting the M&M’s on those ones??”

I could hear his disappointment.

I explained to him that it was a little fussy and time-consuming, with the gooey chocolate getting on your fingers and then making it difficult to get the M&M’s on the trees…. etc., etc., etc..

And after he left I added M&M’s to all of them. Because baking for men is a lot like baking for children, I find. They get kind of excited about bright colors and such.

And plus, chocolate.

So they might not look super fancy, or even neat, but you should see the way my husband’s girl’s eyes lit up when she saw them. I have a feeling I’ll be making a few batches!

See how easy they are to make and follow me on YouTube!

More Christmas Cookies you’ll love!

  • Christmas Sugar Cookies
  • The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe
  • Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe
  • Peppermint Bark

No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies - The Recipe Rebel (5)

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No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 17 votes

No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies: SO easy, just a few ingredients! Perfect for decorating with the kids. www.thereciperebel.com

No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies - The Recipe Rebel (7)

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Dessert

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 162cal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups powdered icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 3 cups shredded coconut I used sweetened, but unsweetened would work fine
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla or mint extract
  • green food coloring
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp butter or margarine
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • mini M&Ms

Instructions

  • In a large pot, melt butter. Remove from heat.

  • Stir in icing sugar and milk. Stir in coconut, vanilla/mint and enough food coloring to make the mixture green.

  • Shape into small balls, and using the tips of your fingers gently squeeze one side of the ball until it takes on a cone shape. It might take a few tries to get them how you like them, but if the mixture gets too cool to work with you can always heat on low a minute or 2.

  • If you see any later you want to reshape, they are easily reshaped at room temperature.

  • Put uncovered on a baking sheet to set either in the fridge for 2-3 hours or the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  • In a small pot, melt chocolate, 1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp milk over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in the white chocolate to look like snow. Add mini M&M’s if desired.

  • Set in the fridge or freezer to set before storing in an air tight container.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 162cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 55mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Recipe from Company’s Coming for Christmas cookbook.

No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

Why did my no-bake cookies not harden? ›

Why Didn't My No-Bake Cookies Set? Likely, you didn't boil the mixture long enough. You want the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa mixture to boil for 2-3 full minutes and reach between 190°F-200°F. If you don't boil them for long enough, they will turn out gooey and will not set.

How many cookies to give as Christmas gift? ›

A small batch of 6-8 cookies is usually perfect. It's enough to show you care without overwhelming them with too many cookies. Imagine you baked some awesome chocolate chip cookies to give to your best friend. A handful of these delicious treats in a cute bag or box is a sweet and thoughtful gift.

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.

Can no bakes be frozen? ›

Freezing Instructions: Once completely set, the no-bake cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Butter: Coconut oil works instead of butter because like butter, it solidifies when cold.

Can you fix no bake cookies that won't harden? ›

To salvage sticky no-bake cookies, you can try the following: Reheat and Cook Longer: If the mixture is still soft after dropping them onto a baking sheet, you can try reheating it on the stovetop and cooking for a little longer until it thickens.

Why do my homemade cookies get hard so fast? ›

Over-baking is perhaps the most obvious - too long in the oven and your cookies will dry out, so make sure you time it right. Overworking your dough is another common problem, causing excess gluten strands to form, and making your cookie hard and tough.

How long before Christmas should you make Christmas cookies? ›

As for the cookies—made for cookie swaps, church potlucks, household snacking, and Santa's plate—there is one little cheat: make now, freeze for later. You'll find that most of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes can be made anywhere from a month to six months before the 25th of December.

How many days will Christmas cookies stay fresh? ›

Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months.

How many days before Christmas should you make cookies? ›

Aim to make them about two weeks in advance if you keep them at room temperature. Making them one week or a few days in advance is even better if you are going for the freshest possible cookies. Remember that you can always make a new batch if you accidentally keep your cookies out for too long and they become stale.

What cookie was not invented until 1938? ›

It wasn't until very recently, around 1938, that chocolate chip cookies were first invented. Unlike a lot of other things, the chocolate chip cookie was not invented by accident. During the 1930s, a chef named Ruth Graves Wakefield decided to give something different to her customers.

What is the oldest cookie? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.

Why are my no bakes sticky? ›

If your no bake cookies are sticky and gooey, then they were not boiled quite long enough. On the flip side, if your no bake cookies are dry and crumbly, they were boiled a tad too long. You should let the mixture come to a full rolling boil and then time exactly 1 minute from there.

What desserts should you not freeze? ›

Custard or meringue-based desserts

The major exception: Custard-based desserts intended to be frozen, Christensen says, such as ice cream and icebox pies, where sugar and churning stave off separation. Thawed meringues can turn soft, tough or spongy.

What cookie dough Cannot be frozen? ›

Delicate cookie doughs/batters don't hold up well in the freezer. For example, I avoid freezing French macarons batter, madeleine batter, lace cookies batter, and chocolate-swirled meringue batter. Even if you let the doughs/batter thaw first, the results will not be the same.

Why are my cookies not firming up? ›

Here are some common reasons: Underbaking: Cookies might not have been baked long enough. Ensure you follow the recommended baking time in the recipe and adjust based on your oven's characteristics. Too much moisture: Excess moisture, either from ingredients like eggs or butter, can result in soft cookies.

Why didn't my cookies come out soft? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

Why are my cookies not firm? ›

Using too much flour will make your cookies too cakey, so try reducing the flour amount by two tablespoons. Avoid using cake flour instead; try a mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour for a more dense and chewy texture.

Why do my cookies not stay soft? ›

If you store cookies in the fridge, they will dry out,” Amanda says. The dry, cold air sucks the moisture right out of them. Instead, keep your cookies at room temperature, or freeze them for later. Store Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies the right way to keep their just-baked softness.

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