It’s the holiday season and what better snacky treat for your next get-together than a batch of fresh baked cookies. Cookies seem to put a smile on everyone’s faces and the more variety, the better. With so many recipes out there, you’re sure to make the holidays jollier whether you opt for a Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie full of fresh cinnamon goodness or a Green Chile Biscochito with a little kick of spice. While you’re at it, make an extra dozen to gift to your neighbor next door too.
16 Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
The subtle creaminess of cinnamon buttercream paired with tender, buttery gingerbread steals the show at the cookie table. Plus, these cookies without the buttercream are also a tempting accompaniment to a mug of café au lait sipped slowly on a winter Saturday.
Strawberry Rhubarb Thumbprint Cookies
TABLE Contributing Editor Anna Calabrese dreamed up these tender and tasty Thumbprint Cookies that put the Christmas spirit right into a cookie. With Tait Farms Strawberry Rhubarb Jam at the center, they’d be a welcome addition to any holiday cookie table, and delectable other own.
Lemon Drop Cookies (Anginetti) by Ahead of Thyme
The light, citrusy flavor of these Lemon Drop Cookies make them an addictive little treat. This classic Italian cookie is topped with an easy lemon glaze for added flavor and sweetness. They’re simple, quick, and oh so delish!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Linzer Cookies
Filled with cranberry compote, and just right for end-of-year holidays, our Pumpkin Pie Spice Linzer Cookies feature a buttery crust made from almond flour and graham crackers. The star shape and powered sugar add an additional festive feel.
Best Soft Christmas Cookies by Allrecipes
Create fun shapes of elves, candy canes, and so much more that can be decorated with these Best Soft Christmas Cookies. They use the basic cookie ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen and create a super pillowy bite.
Timeless Chocolate Chip Cookies
These delectable treats feature a perfect balance of softness and chewiness, studded with decadent semi-sweet chocolate chips that melt in your mouth with every bite. With a simple list of ingredients and straightforward instructions, you’ll have a batch of freshly baked cookies ready to enjoy in no time.
Gluten-Free 7 Spice Oatmeal and Golden Raisin Cookies
These Gluten-Free 7 Spice Oatmeal and Golden Raisin Cookies are good to eat and easy to digest for people with gluten sensitivities.
Quality Street Cookies by Delish
Combine your favorite box of chocolates with decadent cocoa cookies for a chocolatey explosion in one bit. The Quality Street Cookies add a festive touch to the dessert table and just watch the children’s eyes light up at the sight of them.
Pumpkin Cookies
With this recipe for seasonal pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing, we welcome a most excellent reason to embrace “cookies for breakfast!”
Chinese Five Spice Cookies
There’s never not a perfect time for cookies, so why not while away an afternoon making Chinese five-spice cookies with a warming spark of spice baked right inside?
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
We love cinnamon rolls as much as the next person, but yeasted dough can take a fair bit of work and preparation in advance. Enter these Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies, where we take the flavors of a cinnamon roll and the beautiful swirl pattern and turn it into a cookie — like a sugar cookie and a cinnamon roll had a delicious baby!
Peanut Butter Cookies
You may well have a favorite recipe, but these peanut butter cookies are worth trying for their perfect crumbliness and sumptuous peanut flavor.
Mediterra Purple Barley Cookies
In these cookies made with purple barley, the chemistry of cookie baking turns the anthocyanins contained in the grain into fascinating while maintaining the rich, nutty flavor profile of the barley.
Gluten-Free Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread, traditionally a sturdy, unadorned drop, bar, or coin, are terrific candidates for schlepping to a reception, park, or party. And the perfect way to demonstrate a sense of community. This version is both untraditional — almond flour replaces the all-purpose flour, making them gluten-free — and understated. We prescribe they should be taken with strong coffee after dinner.
Orange Cranberry Swirl Cookies
For many, the tang of cranberries is the standout of flavor of the winter holiday season. This dark red berry livens up turkey, ham, game, and more. Here, TABLE Magazine Contributing Editor Anna Calabrese swirls them into pretty pinwheel cookies that will spark interest at your wintertime cookie table.
Green Chile Biscochitos
Biscochitos are a New Mexico dessert staple. A simple butter cookie with anise, sugar, and cinnamon, it’s sugar and spice and everything nice. In this biscochitos recipe, we elevate the traditional cookie with green chiles — it may just become your new favorite dessert topping.
Story by Jordan Snowden and Kylie Thomas
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.
