"The holiday season just isn’t complete without mixing dough, cutting out cookies, slathering icing, and sprinkling sprinkles. Though Christmas cookies are, of course, traditional for those who celebrate, this is the perfect time of the year to bake up batch after batch of your favorite holiday cookie recipes, whether or not you’re gearing up for a festive gathering. You can easily keep pre-made dough in the freezer for cookies (almost) whenever you want them, and (in much of the country, at least) you don’t have to worry about the oven overheating an already sweltering kitchen like it does when you try to bake cookies in July or August. Basically, baking cookies is the ideal winter activity.
Spoiler Alert: It's so, so worth it.
To inspire you to get baking, we rounded up 50 holiday cookie recipes that are perfect for this time of year. Pick out a few favorites and fill up a tin to share—or keep for yourself!
1. Caramel Hazelnut Linzer Cookies
2. Italian Ricotta Cookies
3. The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies
4. Slice and Bake Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
5. Peppermint Snowball Cookies
6. Gluten-Free White Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies
7. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
8. Santa’s Cookies
9. White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
10. Gooey Butter Cookies
11. Spiced Vegan Christmas Cookies with Vanilla Almond Cream
12. Peppermint Bark Fudge
13. Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
14. Candy Cane Cookies
15. Chocolate Ginger Cookies
16. Peppermint Macarons
17. Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
18. Gingerbread Cookies
19. Eggnog Iced Butter Cookies
20. White Chocolate and Peppermint Christmas Wreath Cookies
21. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
22. Almond Flour Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
23. Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Easy Icing
24. Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
25. Chocolate Kiss Cookies
26. Christmas Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Preserves
27. Peppermint Mocha Cookies
28. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
29. Raw Peanut Butter Patties
30. Speculoos Spice Cookies
31. Raspberry-Chocolate Rugelach
32. Shortbread Mug Lid Cookies
33. Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
34. Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
35. Red and Green Striped Christmas Meringue Cookies
36. Gingerbread Oatmeal Pies
37. Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies Three Ways
38. Marbled Dark Chocolate Peppermint Spritz Cookies
39. Chai Spiced Santa Cookies
40. Chocolate Peanut Butter Rocky Road Cookies
41. White Chocolate-Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios
42. Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies with Amaretto
43. Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies
44. Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
45. Cranberry Bliss Cookies
46. Ombré Peppermint Slice and Bake Cookies
47. Southern Pecan Praline Cookies
48. Hazelnut Gelt Cookies
49. Lemon and Cardamom Gingerbread Cookies
50. Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie
