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
