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.
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. Santa’s Cookies
2. Italian Ricotta Cookies
3. Peppermint Macarons
4. White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
5. Gooey Butter Cookies
6. Peppermint Bark Fudge
7. Slice and Bake Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
8. Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
9. Chocolate Ginger Cookies
10. Gingerbread Cookies
11. Eggnog Iced Butter Cookies
12. Gluten-Free White Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies
13. White Chocolate and Peppermint Christmas Wreath Cookies
14. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
15. Almond Flour Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
16. Spiced Vegan Christmas Cookies with Vanilla Almond Cream
17. Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Easy Icing
18. Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
19. Chocolate Kiss Cookies
20. Christmas Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Preserves
21. Peppermint Mocha Cookies
22. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
23. Raw Peanut Butter Patties
24. Speculoos Spice Cookies
25. Raspberry-Chocolate Rugelach
26. Shortbread Mug Lid Cookies
27. Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
28. Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
29. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
30. Red and Green Striped Christmas Meringue Cookies
31. The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies
32. Gingerbread Oatmeal Pies
33. Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies Three Ways
34. Marbled Dark Chocolate Peppermint Spritz Cookies
35. Chai Spiced Santa Cookies
36. Chocolate Peanut Butter Rocky Road Cookies
37. White Chocolate-Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios
38. Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies with Amaretto
39. Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies
40. Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
41. Cranberry Bliss Cookies
42. Ombré Peppermint Slice and Bake Cookies
43. Southern Pecan Praline Cookies
44. Hazelnut Gelt Cookies
45. Lemon and Cardamom Gingerbread Cookies
46. Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
47. Candy Cane Cookies
48. Peppermint Snowball Cookies
49. Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie
50. Carmel Hazelnut Linzer Cookies
