The Best Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Up Your Holiday Season (2024)

Floral Butter Cookies

Elizabeth Poett calls these cookies "perfect for the holidays," adding that it is "impossible to have just one!"

“They are full of buttery goodness, and you can get creative with flower toppings to decorate. Some of my favorites are rosemary, thyme and calendula," says the author of The Ranch Table cookbook.

Get the recipe HERE.

Walnut Linzer Cookies

"Classic linzer cookies are usually made with a mix of ground almonds and all-purpose flour. My version uses walnuts and a mix of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour," says Samantha Seneviratne, author of the new Bake Smart cookbook. "The combination of nuts and buckwheat flour gives an earthy, toasty flavor that goes so well with jam."

If you don't like jam, sandwich the cookies with chocolate or cookie butter.

Get the recipe HERE.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Katie Lee Biegel took the flavors of her favorite seasonal drink — a peppermint mocha latte — and turned it into a cookie.

“With a hint of espresso and a cooling taste from the chopped candy canes, they are the essence of holiday flavor," says the celebrity chef.

Get the recipe HERE.

Vanilla Linzer Cookies

"I love any opportunity to bring creative interpretation to a classic recipe," says Anna Gordon, the chef-owner of the Good Batch bakery in New York City. "The finished painted design is pretty and does not have to look perfect!"

Gordon brushes a simple glaze (powdered sugar, water and whatever food coloring you like) over her linzer cookies using a small paint brush.

Get the recipe HERE.

Rainbow Meringues

"These are super easy to make, and the rainbow effect is magical," says Duff Goldman of the colorful dessert from his Super Good Cookies for Kids cookbook. "They are really sturdy, so you can package them up in bags as holiday gifts—just make sure they are wrapped tightly because they'll get soft if they're exposed."

Get the recipe HERE.

Sparkling Almond Sugar Cookies

"This is the kind of recipe that everyone should have in their back pockets," says Carla Hall. "They're buttery, slightly crumbly and so easy to make!" The chef and judge on Holiday Baking Championship on discovery+ says that the cookies are inspired by her picture book, Carla and the Christmas Cornbread.

Get the recipe HERE.

Maraschino-Cream Sandwich Cookies

"This is a family recipe from my husband's side of the family," explains Carla Lalli Music. "His maternal grandmother was an incredible home baker and she was especially renowned for her holiday cookie recipes."

"It's like a shortbread, but instead of being crumbly, it's firm and melts in your mouth," adds the author of the That Sounds So Good cookbook. "They're amazing at room temperature, cold or straight out of the freezer."

Get the recipe HERE.

Chocolate Chip & Walnut Brittle Cookies

Food blogger Deb Perelman says "this is the most perfect chocolate chip cookie I could dream up: extra crunchy, caramel, crispy edges and slightly gooey centers."

The recipe, from her Smitten Kitchen Keepers cookbook, can be baked right away. "There's no two-day rest in the fridge as if chocolate chip cookie cravings could be scheduled ahead of time," says Perelman. "And even the chef-y part — brittled walnuts — are so simple to make, you'll feel triumphant to have this new cooking trick up your sleeve when you're done."

Get the recipe HERE.

Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies with Fruity Glaze

"These cookies are every bit an excuse to channel your inner artist," says pastry chef Christina Tosi. "They also happen to be a delicious treat!"

The author of the Milk Bar: Kids Only cookbook flavors her glaze with fruit juices like grape, cranberry and orange, but you can use whatever you have in the fridge.

Get the recipe HERE.

Triple Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

"Every delicious bite tastes like the holidays," says Bobbie Lloyd, Chief Baking Officer of Magnolia Bakery and author of The Magnolia Bakery Handbook.

Get the recipe HERE.

Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall, partners and co-owners of Maman bakeries, share a homemade version of their popular "gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside" treat—which is featured in their baking guide Maman: The Cookbook.

"With so many great cookies in N.Y.C., we sought out to give a twist to a classic chocolate chip cookie, while still keeping that homemade taste," they say. "We wanted to have fun combining textures and flavors and elevating a classic recipe."

Get the recipe HERE.

Candy Cane Meringues

Vallery Lomas, the Foodie in New York blogger and former Great American Baking Show winner, gives her treats a "holiday twist by adding peppermint flavor and a spiral of holly red!"

Her trick for making the festive design is to paint 2 or 3 red stripes equally spaced inside a piping bag before filling with the meringue mixture.

Get the recipe HERE.

Peanut Butter & Sesame Crinkle Cookies

"If you can manage not to eat them all, I have it on good authority Santa would like one of these cookies left out with a glass of milk," says David Atherton, winner of The Great British Baking Show season 10.

Get the recipe HERE.

Coconut, Oatmeal & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These nutty, crunchy treats from Donatella Arpaia have a gooey center that's to die for. Plus, they're drop cookies, so there's little decorating skill required.

Get the recipe HERE.

Candy Cane & Cocoa Cookie Pie

"It'll make all your giant dessert dreams come true," says Tosi. It's baked in an 8-inch cake pan so all you have to do is press the dough into the pan, bake, slice and serve.

Get the recipe HERE.

Ginger Shortbread with White Chocolate Cookies

If you've tried Alison Roman's Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies from her book Dining In, you're going to love her seasonal twist on the Instagram-famous cookies.

Get the recipe HERE.

Shortbread Wreaths with Candied Flowers

Martha Stewart's pretty confections are decorated with crystallized ginger, chopped pistachios, and small edible flowers. They will "make an elegant statement" on your holiday dessert table, says the lifestyle expert.

Get the recipe HERE.

Frosted Two-Tone Cookies

"They're perfectly soft and delicious," Anne Byrn, the author of American Cookie, says about her festive spin on classic black and white cookies.

Get the recipe HERE.

Cream & Jam Cookie Sandwiches

These treats may look complicated to make, but Donna Hay, the author of Modern Baking, uses store-bought pie dough for a no-stress process.

Get the recipe HERE.

Salted Caramel Bars

Sweet, buttery shortbread is perfectly complimented by salted caramel and crunchy macadamia nuts for a "melt in your mouth" dessert from Paul Hollywood.

Get the recipe HERE.

Lemon-Ricotta Sandwich Cookies

Two cookies are always better than one, especially when they are these sweet and tart treats from MasterChef Junior's Kaitlyn Tomeny.

Get the recipe HERE.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

"Every chilly day needs a batch of these treats," Sally McKenney says of her confections made with hot chocolate mix in the batter and topped with toasted marshmallows.

Get the recipe HERE.

Chocolate Mint Truffles

You'll never guess that these cocoa-covered truffles from Worth Cooking are actually a little healthy! They are made with dates, so you don't have to feel bad about sneaking an extra one or two. Too bad the cocoa powder on your fingers will give you away.

Get the recipe HERE.

Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Bars

Hey, pecan pie lovers: This treat from The Candid Appetite is for you. It's just like dipping a slice of gooey pecan pie in melted chocolate which, quite honestly, can't be beat.

Get the recipe HERE.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Candy Cane Buttercream

Did you know that the day after Christmas is National Candy Cane Day? We can think of no better way to celebrate than with these chocolate cookies with peppermint buttercream frosting from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Get the recipe HERE.

Linzer Cookies

There's something so special about Ina Garten's jam-filled cookies. Pick your favorite jellies or go with some can't miss flavors: Raspberry preserves, apricot jam and blueberry jam.

Get the recipe HERE.