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 with the kids.
You might also like these 35+ Easy Christmas Treats (no bake!), 31 Best Christmas Cookies Recipes or these Christmas Desserts!
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I love these No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies because they take 30 minutes to make, use basic ingredients, and are perfect for the holiday season!
No-bake cookies are some of my favorite cookies to make when I need a quick make-ahead dessert, or I want to free up the oven for other things, especially during Christmas time.
I start off with a mixture of butter, milk, vanilla or mint extract, and shredded coconut. This base forms a moldable dough that I form into mini Christmas trees!
Then, I dip them in a mixture of melted white chocolate, cream, and butter for a snow-like effect! I also added mini M&Ms on the outside to mimic ornaments on a tree, but this is completely optional.
No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookie Ingredients:
- Butter: We’re melting this to create the no-bake cookie dough. Use regular unsalted butter for this recipe!
- Powdered icing sugar: Adds sweetness and thickens up the dough since it’s powdery, similar to how flour adds structure to regular cookies!
- Milk: Thins the cookie mixture and adds creaminess.
- Shredded coconut: This provides texture and gives the cookies a slight coconut flavor, but it’s not too overpowering! Use unsweetened shredded coconut since the sugar already adds some sweetness.
- Mint extract: This is totally optional, but I love the flavor it adds! You can also use vanilla extract or almond extract if you’re not a fan of mint.
- Green food coloring: Gives our trees that classic green color! You can use powdered, liquid, or gel food coloring.
- White chocolate chips: This is melted to create the “snow” on top of the Christmas trees! You can use chips, chopped, or melting wafers for this recipe.
- Cream: Adds a velvety smooth texture to the white chocolate mixture.
- Mini M&Ms: These act as the ornaments for our trees! However, you can leave them off if you like or add something fun like sprinkles.
How to make the perfect holiday cookies:
Below are step by step photos for making these cookies. The detailed instructions are down in the recipe card at the bottom of the page!
- Melt butter. Add in powdered sugar and milk.
- Stir in coconut, vanilla/mint, and green food coloring.
- Mix until a dough forms.
- Shape dough into balls and then into tree shapes.
- Dip the frozen trees in the melted chocolate.
- Add M&Ms.
How to store these tasty Christmas Cookies:
I recommend storing these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can eat them straight from the fridge or let them warm up for a few minutes at room temperature!
Can I freeze these cookies?
Absolutely! I recommend making the recipe as directed and flash-freezing the cookies for 1-2 hours before adding them to an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Christmas cookies you’ll love:
- Peppermint Bark — another simple no bake treat
- Christmas Sugar Cookies — fun for cutting out and decorating!
- The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe — the smell is amazing!
- Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe — perfectly soft and spiced.
No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups powdered icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 3 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened is best)
- 1 teaspoon mint extract (optional)
- green food coloring
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips (or 100 grams chopped white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon butter
- mini M&Ms
Instructions
- In a large pot (or in the microwave), melt butter. Remove from heat.
- Stir in powdered sugar and milk. Stir in coconut, vanilla/mint and enough food coloring to make the mixture green.
- Shape into small balls (you might have to squeeze it to get it to stick), 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.
- Place cookies uncovered on a baking sheet to set in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- In a small pot, melt chocolate, 2 tablespoons cream and 1 teaspoon butter 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.
Notes
- Butter: I have not tried substituting this with anything other than dairy-free margarine, which works just fine.
- Powdered sugar: these cookies are pretty sweet, but we like them. If you prefer less sweet desserts, you could try substituting about ½ cup of the powdered sugar for a no-bake safe unsweetened option, like almond or oat flour — although I have not tested the recipe this way.
- Coconut: I highly recommend unsweetened coconut for this recipe so they are not overpoweringly sweet.
- Mint: we love using mint in this recipe as it adds great flavor.
- White chocolate: you can use chips, chopped, or melting wafers here. If you don’t like white chocolate, look for white vanilla melting wafers.
Nutrition Information
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sarah says
Amazing
Ashley Fehr says
Yay!
sarah says
me and my family baked it for Christmas we loved it😍
Arabella says
That’s a very good blog, can’t wait to try them all out! Thank you so much
Kay says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe!! I always mess up whatever I bake and these were so easy and basically fail proof! I needed a Christmas dessert and you helped me make something that actually LOOKS Christmassy and like I spent hours making them! I’m just so grateful, thank you again!
The Recipe Rebel says
That’s so great to hear! Thank you Kay!
Dawn says
Hi Ashley! I’m going to try these for Christmas! Now when you note cream, is that half and half?
Thank you,
Dawn
Ashley Fehr says
Since it’s just to melt the chocolate, you can use any kind, but I would recommend heavy cream for best results.
lottie says
Hi, I am looking to make these with a young group of children. We will not have time to chill them before we decorate with the chocolate and m&m’s. Do you think this will be a problem?
We would make them and then the children would take them home and pop in the fridge.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lottie! They set quickly but not sure if it will be quick enough. Honestly, I think your best option would be to do a test run to see if there are any issues with this way to do them. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
lottie says
I will do a test and let you know! Sorry to be a pain but please can you let me know the recipe in grams? When I google cups to grams I am getting so many different weights!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lottie! I haven’t measured it out in grams. A good kitchen scale works great for this!
Barbara Lochmondy says
Is there something I can substitute for the coconut? That’s a lot to omit, but coconut isn’t very popular at my house.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry but the coconut is a key ingredient for these.
Corrine says
I’m sure you could use oatmeal instead of the coconut. Worth a try, anyway!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hmm that’s a thought!
Stephanie says
Do you use dried or fresh coconut?
Renee Gaugh says
Can I freeze these to mail
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Renee! They freeze perfectly! I’ve not tried to mail them before so you would be experimenting if you do! Let me know how it goes!