Bars + Brownies Cookies Holidays Winter

Top 25 Holiday Cookie Recipes!

Each year at Christmas I like to put together a cookie box for family, friends, and neighbors. The content changes somewhat over the years; some cookies come and go, others are staples that stick around. I’ve put together a list of favorite holiday cookies that I’ve featured here on my site. Many of these recipes come from both my cookbooks: 100 Cookies and The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. My friend Amanda has a list of gluten-free christmas cookie recipes, if you’re looking for those too!

I find that cookies bake most evenly on these half-sheet pans, and I like to use this cookie scoop. To remove cookies from the baking sheet, this spatula (actually labeled a pancake turner!) is the best.

holiday cookies in a gift box

Freezing Baked Christmas Cookies

Most cookies are best eaten the day they’re made, or within a day or two of baking. If you can’t finish off a baker’s dozen in 24 hours flat, the good news is that you can freeze them! Make sure your cookies are cool, then place them on a lined sheet pan in a single layer. Let them freeze for an hour or two, then once they are frozen solid, move them to labeled freezer-safe bags or containers to store. They can be stored for 1 month in the freezer (the longer they spend in the freezer, the less fresh they taste. I try to just keep them in there for a week). Move them to the refrigerator the night before serving. 

Sometimes cookies or bars with cream cheese don’t freeze quite as well. I have had mixed results; I have frozen cream cheese bars and had them thaw beautifully, but occasionally freezing them has changed the texture slightly. 

Frosted/glazed cookies don’t always freeze great – the glaze can get a little wonky in the freezer, and lose its glossy shine. I would recommend freezing the cookie base, and then glazing after they are thawed. 

Freezing Cookie Dough

Most cookies doughs freeze well, but note that baking the dough from the freezer will result in extra baking time. The edges on larger, or thicker cookies will sometimes bake up darker, as the center will need more time to bake due to being frozen.                

To freeze cookie dough balls, scoop the balls as directed, and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. When the dough is frozen solid, transfer the balls to a freezer-safe storage bag. Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 month.

* (Please note that I haven’t tried freezing the cream-cheese swirled red velvet cookies yet. I will be testing this week and updating accordingly.)

Gifting/Storing Christmas Cookies

Many people like to mail cookies as gifts or take them on long trips. If you are thinking of doing so, here are some tips: Fragile cookies and cookies that need to be refrigerated should not be mailed. Pick sturdy cookies, like shortbread, that will hold up over the distance or bar cookies that don’t crumble easily.

Place the cookies in an airtight container, then pack the container in a mailable box filled with bubble wrap or other filler to keep them from bumping around. If the cookies are spending a few days in the box, you can wrap each one individually in the airtight container.

pan-banging-ginger cookies dipped in rum butter glaze on white parchment

1. Pan-banging Ginger Molasses Cookies:
Crisp, ripply edges, a tender center, and a balanced mix of holiday spices make for a fabulous cookie. These cookies are large, but look lovely in a cookie box along with smaller circles, especially when dipped in Rum-Butter Glaze. Find the recipe here.

neapolitan cookies on white parchment

2. Neapolitan Cookies:
Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate! This bright and tasty cookie is a family favorite. Feel free to switch up flavors: use 3 different shades of cocoa powder, swap raspberry for strawberry, or add some flavored extracts to personalize your cookie. Find the recipe here. 

chewy brown sugar cookies on parchment paper

3. Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies:
They may not be as fancy as some of the others listed here, but they are downright delicious. And while I love a good sugar cookie, these have become preferred with anyone I share them with. Find the recipe here. 

red velvet cookies with glaze on parchment paper

4. Red Velvet Pan-Banging Cookies:
These delicious red velvet cookies have buttery, rippled edges and a chewy center as a result of using the pan-banging cookie technique. They mimic the famous red velvet cake with both red food coloring and a little bit of cocoa powder in the dough to create the beautiful burgundy hue, and a partial dip in cream cheese icing to complete the classic “red velvet” flavor combination. Find the recipe here. 

vanilla shortbread cookies on wire rack

5. Buttery Vanilla Shortbread:
This is my classic shortbread recipe, which is intensely buttery and subtly sweet, easy to make, and stores well for packing into holiday cookie boxes. My mom requests this one every year, and I willingly oblige. They pack and store incredibly well. Find the recipe HERE

chocolate chocolate chip cookies on white parchment

6. Half-n-Half Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gooey chocolate chip cookie dough and double chocolate cookie dough are baked together to create these delicious combo cookies! The half chocolate dough, half chocolate chip dough creates a very fun looking cookie. Find the recipe HERE.

chocolate sugar cookies on snowflakes plates

7. Chocolate Cardamom Sugar Cookies:
These rich and chewy chocolate sugar cookies are rolled in cardamom sugar, making for a very delicious cookie. They really sparkle in a box. These cookies are all about the chocolate, and so using your favorite cocoa powder and bar chocolate will be important. RECIPE HERE.

peanut butter cookies on white parchment

8. Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies:
These cookies are perfectly peanut buttery, with crisp edges and a tender, chewy center. They remind me of a peanut butter cookie you’d expect from a bakery, yet they’re easy to make at home.
Find the recipe HERE.

red velvet sugar cookies on parchment paper

9. Red Velvet Sugar Cookies (and mint version):
The cookie base is my favorite sugar cookie: soft with crispy edges. It’s vanilla and chocolate, with a hint of cocoa in them for a traditional red velvet taste, and the cream cheese swirl adds a nice creamy bite (as cream cheese frosting is typically used for red velvet cake), and tanginess to cut the sweetness. For the mint version, you’ll use peppermint extract. Find the recipe here.

holiday cut-out cookies on wire rack

10. Holiday Cut-Out Cookies
These are the ones I make every year. They’re buttery and light, with a subtle crispness. I’m sharing this recipe on the blog tonight (it’s also in Baking for the Holidays!) and you’ll notice coconut oil is an ingredient that sets them apart. The oil helps the cookies hold their shape, so the baked cut-outs mimic what your cookie cutter was. and keeps the cookies from spreading so much. ?Find the recipe HERE.

Chocolate Orange Sables

11. Chocolate Orange Sables:
More buttery, crispy goodness, with hints of orange and chocolate. I created this recipe for Bake From Scratch Magazine and will be putting it in my cookie box this year; it’s become a personal favorite. Find the recipe here

My Favorite Brownies

12. My Favorite Brownies:
This is my all-time favorite brownie recipe that I make often during the holidays and pack into boxes. They have a deep chocolate flavor, slightly chew texture (a nod to the boxed brownies of my youth), and a beautiful shiny top. Find the recipe HERE.

13. Olive Oil Sugar Cookies:
Crisp, olive oil infused sugar cookies that have lovely flavor, topped with a thin lemon or blood orange glaze. This dough is very forgiving, so if it cracks at all while you are rolling it out, you can patch it up easily. Find the recipe here.

ultimate chocolate cookies on marble board

14. Ultimate Chocolate Cookies:
These cookies are for my fellow chocolate lovers. They are luxurious in every way, with two kinds of chocolate, rich cocoa powder, and a sprinkle of flaky salt to amplify the flavor. Find the recipe HERE.

Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Pistachios and Lemon Glaze

15. Olive Oil Cookies with Pistachio and Lemon:
I adore these cookies, and their bright flavor and pretty glaze studded with nuts. If you want to keep your box nut-free, flour can be substituted for the processed pistachios. Find the recipe here

seven layer bar cookies on parchment paper

16. Seven Layer Bar Cookies:
I have a great love for Seven Layer bars, and decided to morph the two recipes together, sort of. There is no sweetened condensed milk or graham crackers like Seven Layer Bars traditionally include, but still seven layers of goodness: chocolate, butterscotch, potato chips, corn flakes, dulcey pearls, cacao nibs, and marshmallows. Find the recipe HERE.

chocolate espresso sugar cookies on white plates

17. Easy Chocolate Espresso Sugar Cookies
These cookies are rich with so much chocolate flavor, have slightly crisp edges the day of baking, and a tender, rich center that lasts for days (which makes them perfect for cookie boxes). I’ve found the inclusion of ground espresso and a dash of coffee-flavored liqueur adds really nice flavor, and compliments the chocolate perfectly. They’re incredibly easy to make, no refrigeration of the dough needed. Find the recipe HERE.

white chocolate cookies on plates

18. Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
This cookie is based on my Chocolate Chip Cookie 2.0 recipe, with a small change: I use more brown sugar here than white sugar for a little more rich, caramel-y sugar profile to shine through. Combined with the salty, roasted nuts, it’s a perfect match. Using good white chocolate and finely chopping the macadamia nuts so they aren’t overwhelming makes for an absolutely delicious cookie! RECIPE HERE.

Pan-banging Sugar Cookies

19. Pan-banging Sugar Cookies:
Another pan-banging cookies, with or without sprinkles. I prefer them with, and you can use holiday colored sprinkles if desired. Find the recipe here.

Coffee Blondies

20. Coffee Blondies:
I’ve been making these bars for decades, and they end up in every cookie box I send out. They are well-loved by my entire family, and freeze like a dream. Find the recipe here. 

white chocolate cranberry cookies

21. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
Oatmeal cookies with white chocolate and dried cranberries, and a faint hint of rosemary. Delicious, and perfect for the holiday season. Find the recipe here. 

Fig and Orange Sables

22. Fig and Orange Sables:
A classy cookie with a taste similar to that fig-filled sandwich cookie we all grew up with. Find the recipe here. 

Espresso Pan-banging molasses

23. Espresso Pan-banging Molasses Cookies:
Crisp, ripply edges, gooey centers, a hint of molasses, espresso and chocolate – what could be better? Find the recipe here. 

cranberry rye chocolate chunk cookies on parchment paper

24. Rye Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
The combination of rye, cranberry, chocolate, and poppyseed was intriguing to me when I read this recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, but the picture immediately sold me; the golden brown cookie with a slight indentation was so beautiful, and I jumped in the kitchen to start baking. They’re amazing! The rye flour lends a nutty complexity that balances the chocolate, and the cookies have crisp edges and a gooey middle. Find the recipe here.

chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper in rows

25. Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies 2.0
I love my Pan-banging Chocolate Chip Cookies, but there is always room for change in my mind. I decided to work on a recipe that combined many of the elements I loved in my other cookies: crisp bottoms and edges, a thick, gooey, rich center, and deep chocolate and vanilla flavor. These are my new favorite. Find the recipe HERE.

  • Reply
    Patti
    Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 8:31 am

    I bought your book and it’s great to have all your yummy recipes together!

  • Reply
    Dr RB Sudha .
    Monday, December 5, 2022 at 12:09 am

    Loved the cookies recipes especially Fig orange sable
    Will surely try:)
    Thank you ,
    Dr RB Sudha

  • Reply
    Sabrina
    Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    thank you for all of this cookie inspiration, yay, especially since this is the baking time of year, much appreciated!

  • Reply
    Mina
    Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    Planning on making the pan-banging sugar cookies with Christmassy Jimmie’s added in (like the image). How much of the Jimmie’s would you put in (and at what point in the process)? Thanks.

    • Reply
      Sarah Kieffer
      Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 1:15 pm

      You can throw in a generous handful after making the dough, and fully stir to combine!

  • Reply
    Sabrina
    Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 6:08 pm

    thank you for all of these, my favorite may be the pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting!

  • Reply
    David James
    Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 11:36 am

    Love this cookie round up! Are these in your book as well? Cuz it’s on my Christmas list lol

  • Reply
    ajay
    Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 1:20 am

    Ibaco offers tasty ice creams in delicious flavours in stores near you

  • Reply
    KitchenAidnaa
    Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 8:34 am

    Manuscript is a collective name for texts

  • Reply
    Artisantyd
    Monday, January 4, 2021 at 12:33 pm

    books in ancient times was papyrus

  • Reply
    Giftbasketworldwide
    Monday, January 4, 2021 at 1:05 am

    Outstanding work! Enjoyed your writing!!

  • Reply
    Keypadaqru
    Friday, January 1, 2021 at 11:11 am

    text carrier and protective

  • Reply
    Securityatu
    Thursday, December 31, 2020 at 1:24 am

    books in ancient times was papyrus

  • Reply
    Dysonujb
    Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:56 am

    A handwritten book is a book

  • Reply
    Artisantby
    Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    elements (case, binding).

  • Reply
    Deborah
    Friday, December 18, 2020 at 7:31 am

    How much of sprinkles is added to sugar cookie recipe? Thank you! Your oatmeal cookies are fabulous.

  • Reply
    fAKHAR
    Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 10:34 am

    Your recipes are very delicious, it looks like you have filled them with natural color. We hope you will continue to make such recipes in the future.

  • Reply
    fAKHAR
    Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 10:30 am

    Your recipes are so delicious it looks like you have added natural color to them

  • Reply
    Dustin
    Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 2:21 am

    Looks so hearty. I am trying to eat more healthy , would love to try this recipe!

  • Reply
    Michelle Davison
    Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 11:21 pm

    Making cookies from 100 Cookies right now! Question…… for the PB panbanger cookies, is it 12 TB butter, or 1 stick? Both are listed.

    • Reply
      Kate Rockwood
      Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 10:38 am

      I caught the same typo! It’s 12 TB (figured it out because it lists 170g, which would be 12 TB). Made these just last night and they turned out SO GOOD.

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