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
