Christmas cookies are a beloved tradition in American households. As the holidays approach, home bakers across the country begin pulling out their recipes, preheating their ovens, and mixing up batches upon batches of Christmas cookies. The sights, smells, and tastes of Christmas cookies are nostalgic, comforting, and delicious. But when it comes to Christmas cookies, some are more popular than others. Which cookie claims the title of most popular Christmas cookie in America?
The Contenders for Most Popular Christmas Cookie
There are a few cookies that stand out as front-runners for the most beloved Christmas cookie in America:
- Sugar cookies – Simple, classic, and endlessly customizable, sugar cookies are a Christmas staple.
- Gingerbread cookies – With their spicy molasses flavor and fun shapes, gingerbread cookies are a holiday treat.
- Chocolate chip cookies – As one of America’s favorite cookies year-round, chocolate chip retains its popularity at Christmas.
- Peanut butter blossoms – With a chocolate kiss pressed into their peanut buttery tops, these cookies offer the best of both worlds.
- Thumbprint cookies – Buttery shortbread cradling a bite of jam is a delicious combo.
Other cookies like snickerdoodles, snowball cookies, and Russian tea cakes are also beloved by many households during the holidays. But which one of these many contenders actually wears the crown of most popular Christmas cookie?
Factors in Choosing the Most Popular Christmas Cookie
Determining the most popular Christmas cookie in America requires weighing several factors:
- Nostalgia – Does the cookie have nostalgic ties to childhood and holiday memories?
- Accessibility – Is the cookie simple and easy for the average home baker to make?
- Crowd-pleasing flavor – Does the cookie have broad appeal in terms of flavor?
- Fun to decorate – Is the cookie easy and fun to decorate?
- Pop culture significance – Has the cookie become iconic through movies, TV, etc?
The most popular Christmas cookie is likely one that scores highly across all these factors. Nostalgia, ease of baking, crowd-pleasing taste, decorating potential, and cultural significance all contribute to a cookie’s popularity.
Researching the Most Popular Christmas Cookie
Several organizations have conducted research polls and surveys aiming to identify America’s favorite Christmas cookie:
- Pillsbury – Since the baking experts at Pillsbury know a thing or two about Christmas cookies, their polls carry some weight. In 2016, they declared sugar cookies the favorite Christmas cookie among American home bakers.
- General Mills – According to General Mills’ 2020 holiday survey, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter blossoms are the top two most popular Christmas cookies in America.
- YouGov – Market research firm YouGov periodically surveys Americans about their favorite Christmas cookies. Gingerbread and sugar cookies tend to dominate their results.
- Food Network – Food Network periodically asks their readership to vote for their favorite Christmas cookie. Sugar cookies, gingerbread, and thumbprints tend to top their polls.
While the exact order varies from poll to poll, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and thumbprint cookies consistently rank among the top five most popular Christmas cookies across surveys.
And the Winner Is…
When weighing all the research and factors that contribute to cookie popularity, the consistent front-runner that rises to the top is…
Sugar Cookies
It’s hard to beat the simple, nostalgic appeal of a beautifully decorated sugar cookie. Here’s why sugar cookies edge out the competition as the most popular Christmas cookie in America:
- Nostalgic appeal – Rolling and decorating sugar cookies is a tradition many families fondly remember from childhood.
- Easy to make – Basic sugar cookie dough is simple enough for even novice bakers.
- Canvas for creativity – Kids and adults alike love decorating plain sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.
- Crowd-pleasing taste – Their simple sweetness appeals to people of all ages.
- Pop culture icon – Decorating sugar cookies is ubiquitous in Christmas pop culture – movies, TV, etc.
Sugar cookies check all the boxes. They bring on a nostalgic rush of Christmas memories. Their simple recipe makes baking them accessible for holiday novices. Their blank canvas structure invites creativity. Their mild sweetness satisfies everyone. And their image adorns everything from greeting cards to TV commercials.
For all these reasons and more, sugar cookies are considered by many to be the quintessential Christmas cookie and the most popular Christmas cookie in America.
The Case for Sugar Cookies
Let’s take a closer look at why sugar cookies are so beloved and how they edge out other top Christmas cookie contenders:
Sugar Cookies vs. Chocolate Chip Cookies
While chocolate chip cookies give sugar cookies a run for their money in terms of popularity, sugar cookies win out for a few key reasons:
- Nostalgia – Rolling and cutting sugar cookie dough is nostalgic; making chocolate chip cookies less so.
- Decorating – Sugar cookies are a prime canvas for creativity; chocolate chip cookies not as much.
- Significance – Sugar cookies feel more special and specific to the holidays.
Sugar Cookies vs. Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are another top contender. But sugar cookies nudge ahead for a couple reasons:
- Accessibility – Sugar cookies are simpler and easier for the average baker.
- Decorating – It’s easier to decorate sugar cookies than brittle gingerbread.
Sugar Cookies vs. Peanut Butter Blossoms
With their chocolate kiss tops, peanut butter blossoms give sugar cookies a challenge. But sugar cookies still prevail because:
- Nostalgia – Peanut butter blossoms lack the longstanding tradition of sugar cookies.
- Crowd appeal – Sugar cookies’ mild flavor suits more palates.
Despite the many excellent Christmas cookies, sugar cookies are unmatched in invoking nostalgia, spreading holiday cheer through decorating, appealing to the masses, and feeling fundamentally Christmasy. That’s why sugar cookies have earned the title of most popular Christmas cookie in America.
The Bottom Line
When considering all factors that make a cookie beloved – nostalgia, baking accessibility, decorating potential, crowd-pleasing taste, and cultural significance – classic sugar cookies come out on top as the most popular Christmas cookie in America. Their nostalgic charm and customizability make sugar cookies the ultimate edible Christmas tradition.
So when it comes to Christmas cookies, simpler is better. Basic sugar cookies may seem humble next to more elaborate holiday confections. But their comforting familiarity and decorative possibilities make them the number one cookie on Christmas wish lists across America.