Most Popular Christmas Cookies in the U.S.
Christmas is a season of traditions, and few are as delicious as Christmas cookies. From gifting boxes of cookies to setting out cookies and milk for Santa, few things capture the spirit of Christmas like the warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked cookies.
Google Trends recently released a list of the top Christmas cookie searches by state from Dec. 10-17. (Photo: alvarez/iStock)
There are classic sugar cookies decorated with festive frosting, spiced gingerbread cookies cut into fun shapes and unique Christmas cookies like cinnamon roll cookies and holiday haystacks. No matter which you pick, the Christmas desserts play a starring role in holiday celebrations across the U.S.
Google released its annual map last Wednesday of “uniquely searched” holiday cookies by state based on searches between Dec. 10-17.
The most popular Christmas cookies of 2024 are a mix of classic and festive varieties, according to Google Trends data. The cookies were divided into the categories of “classic,” “festive,” “fruit/nutty,” “chocolate” and “other.”
Christmas Crack, Molasses top in the DMV
Christmas Crack Cookies — a salty, sweet cookie that sort of has the consistency of peppermint bark — are top in D.C. and Maryland, while Molasses Cookies top in Virginia. Nationally, Italian Christmas Cookies were the most searched in seven states
Meanwhile, Floridians searched for “oatmeal raisin” more than anything else, while “Gingerbread” proved popular on both coasts; it came in first in Maine, New Hampshire and Oregon. Buche de Noel, or yule log, came in first in California, Tennessee and Louisiana, while residents of Alaska, Vermont and Idaho searched for the ever-popular sugar cookie more than anything else.
“Italian Christmas Cookies were the dominant cookies for seven states, a decrease from 13 last year,” Jenny Lee, Google Trends lead data analyst, said. The anise-flavored treats were the most uniquely searched for cookie ranging from the mid-Atlantic out through Wyoming.
New York, despite having the largest population of Italian Americans in the U.S., did not, however, search for Italian Christmas cookies — although New Yorkers were still feeling Mediterranean. Their top search was for “Greek Christmas cookies” – the only state where it was the most uniquely searched cookie, according to Google trends.
Colorado residents appear to be looking for shortcuts in their cookies. Their top search was for “cake mix Christmas cookie.” “Cake mix cookies” come together quickly and typically require just three ingredients: cake mix, oil and eggs.
“Buche de Noel, Snowball, Christmas Crack and Pistachio were among the new uniquely searched cookies in 2024,” Lee said.
Christmas themes 2024: From vintage to coastal
Google also said Wednesday that search interest in Christmas themes reached an all-time high in December 2024. Top searches were: vintage Christmas, 90s Christmas, modern Christmas, minimalist Christmas and coastal Christmas.
There was also search interest for “incandescent Christmas lights” with “how to fix” the decorations a breakout search over the past month, the tech giant said.
“Cozy Christmas vibes” was also a top trending search in the past month and “fireplace background” searches were at an all-time high.
Google Trends released Christmas cookie data on the most searched cookies Wednesday based on searches from Dec. 10-17. (Map: Google)
Christmas cookie list by state
The following are the most searched cookies by state in the last week:
Alabama: Oatmeal Peanut Butter
Alaska: Sugar Cookies
Arizona: Raspberry Thumbprint
Arkansas: Danish Butter
California: Buche de Noel
Colorado: Cake Mix Christmas
Connecticut: Italian Christmas Cookies
Delaware: Italian Christmas Cookies
District of Columbia: Christmas Crack Cookies
Florida: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Georgia: Brownie Cookies
Hawaii: Chocolate Peppermint
Idaho: Sugar Cookies
Illinois: Christmas Sink
Indiana: Shortbread Cookies
Iowa: Chocolate Crinkle
Kansas: Peanut Butter with Kisses
Kentucky: Peanut Butter with Kisses
Louisiana: Buche de Noel
Maine: Gingerbread Cookies
Maryland: Christmas Crack Cookies
Massachusetts: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Michigan: Christmas Wreath
Minnesota: Christmas Wreath
Mississippi: Christmas Tree Cookies
Missouri: Kitchen Sink
Montana: Chocolate Chip
Nebraska: Christmas Wreath
Nevada: Christmas Kitchen Sink
New Hampshire: Gingerbread
New Jersey: Italian Christmas Cookies
New Mexico: Italian Christmas
New York: Greek Christmas
North Carolina: Chocolate Cookies
North Dakota: Grinch Cookies
Ohio: Peanut Butter Blossoms
Oklahoma: Kitchen Sink Cookies
Oregon: Gingerbread Cookies
Pennsylvania: Italian Christmas Cookies
Rhode Island: Italian Christmas Cookies
South Carolina: Peanut Butter Thumbprint
South Dakota: Cranberry Pistachio
Tennessee: Buche de Noel
Texas: Snowball
Utah: Pistachio
Vermont: Sugar
Virginia: Molasses Cookies
Washington: Snowball Cookies
West Virginia: Snowball
Wisconsin: Sugar Cookies
Wyoming: Italian Christmas Cookies
