Of all the holiday traditions, Christmas cookies are definitely one of the tastiest. Every family has their favorites, but new research highlights which are the most popular varieties in the country, and gives us a peek into the sweet customs that define the holidays.
- To find out which treats take the top spots, the team at ChicoUSA analyzed Google Trends data of 25 popular cookies for the month of December over the past three years.
- They also surveyed 900 U.S. parents with kids younger than 13 to find out what their family holiday traditions look like.
When it comes to holiday baking, it’s a family affair:
- Half of parents say the kids help make cookies, but 36% let the adults handle it, and 9% skip the oven and buy their cookies pre-made.
- The cookie that “feels most like Christmas” is sugar cookies with frosting (47%), followed by chocolate chip (25%) and gingerbread (13%).
- Based on the survey, Santa is a lucky guy because 84% of families leave cookies out for him on Christmas Eve.
- Santa needs something to drink to wash those cookies down and 79% leave him a beverage. For 69%, it’s a glass of milk, while 10% give him hot cocoa or water.
- More than half of families (54%) also leave a treat for Santa’s reindeer, including carrots and oats, or a sprinkle of “reindeer food” in the yard.
America’s Most Popular Christmas Cookies
- Italian Wedding Cookies (Snowballs) - eight states
- Chocolate Chip Cookies - six states
- Kitchen Sink Cookies - six states
- Peppermint Bark Cookies - six states
- Sugar Cookies - five states
- Grinch Cookies - four states
- Snickerdoodles - four states
Source: ChicoUSA
