11 Holiday Cookie Recipes Every Baker Can Crush

Holiday baking season arrives with oven warmth and sugar-dusted countertops, and cookies take center stage as edible ambassadors of joy.

Whether you’re a beginner armed with hope or a seasoned pro with flour under your fingernails, mastering a dozen festive recipes can transform your kitchen into a wonderland.

Each cookie on this list delivers big flavor without complicated techniques, proving that delicious doesn’t have to mean difficult.

1. Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

Imagine biting into a cookie and tasting an entire slice of cheesecake—that’s what happens here.

Cream cheese gets folded into buttery dough, creating pockets of tangy richness that contrast beautifully with sweet cherry pieces.

No one will believe you made something this fancy without a culinary degree.

Bake a batch and watch adults fight over who gets seconds.

Kids love spotting ruby-red cherry chunks peeking through golden edges.

Perfect for gifting or hoarding in secret cookie stashes.

2. Chewy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint and chocolate have been best friends since forever, and this cookie celebrates their legendary partnership.

Soft centers yield under your teeth while chocolate chips melt into minty bliss.

It’s like a candy cane took a vacation inside a cookie jar.

Green food coloring makes them Instagram-worthy, but skip it if you prefer rustic vibes.

Serve alongside hot cocoa for maximum cozy points.

Warning: one cookie rarely satisfies; plan accordingly.

3. Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread gets a makeover with pillowy-soft texture instead of crunchy snap.

Warm spices—cinnamon, ginger, cloves—wrap around your senses like a cozy blanket on a snowy evening.

Drizzle on vanilla glaze for sweetness that balances spice perfectly.

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s genius, this version elevates humble gingerbread into something elegant.

Kids can help drizzle icing in wild zigzag patterns.

Adults appreciate nuanced flavor layers that avoid overpowering sweetness.

4. Easy Sugar Cookies

Sometimes simplicity wins, and this recipe proves it by ditching fussy steps entirely.

No chilling dough for hours, no rolling pins, no cookie cutters required—just scoop, bake, devour.

Pure vanilla flavor shines through buttery sweetness without distractions.

Busy schedules meet their match with cookies ready in under thirty minutes.

Decorate with sprinkles or leave them naked and proud.

Perfect for last-minute party contributions when panic sets in.

5. Chocolate Almond Kiss Cookies

Almond meal transforms ordinary cookies into nutty powerhouses bursting with sophisticated flavor.

Almond extract doubles down on that marzipan-adjacent magic while chocolate kisses crown each cookie like tiny edible trophies.

Press kisses into warm cookies and watch them settle into glossy perfection.

Gluten-free friends rejoice—almond flour handles business beautifully here.

Grown-ups swoon over elegant almond notes paired with dark chocolate.

Kids just want more chocolate, which works out perfectly.

6. Linzer Cookies

Two buttery hazelnut shortbread rounds sandwich ruby-red raspberry jam in European elegance.

Cutout windows on top cookies reveal jewel-toned jam peeking through like stained glass.

Dust with powdered sugar for bakery-level presentation that impresses every single time.

Austrian tradition meets your kitchen with surprisingly manageable techniques.

Hazelnut flour adds earthy richness that plain flour can’t touch.

Make extras because people will request them by name next year.

7. Gooey Butter Cookies

St. Louis made gooey butter cake famous; this cookie version spreads that magic into handheld form.

Cream cheese and butter create ridiculously soft centers while yellow cake mix acts as your secret weapon shortcut.

Roll dough balls in powdered sugar and watch them crack into beautiful patterns while baking.

Texture hits somewhere between cookie and cloud with addictive chewiness.

Impossible to eat just one without reaching for another immediately.

Store in airtight containers unless you want them disappearing overnight.

8. Candy Cane Snowball Cookies

Classic snowball cookies get festive upgrades with crushed candy canes providing peppermint punch and holiday sparkle.

Buttery dough studded with pecans or walnuts gets dipped in vanilla coating then rolled through candy cane rubble.

Red and white stripes announce Christmas louder than any carol.

Melt-in-your-mouth texture contrasts beautifully with crunchy candy pieces.

Kids love helping smash candy canes into smithereens with rolling pins.

Display on platters where red-and-white beauty doubles as edible decoration.

9. Russian Tea Cakes

Buttery rounds packed with finely chopped walnuts or pecans crumble delicately with every bite.

Double-dipped in powdered sugar while still warm, these cookies emerge looking like tiny snowballs ready for indoor snowball fights.

Also called Mexican wedding cookies, proving deliciousness transcends borders effortlessly.

Nutty richness balances sweet sugar coating in perfect harmony.

Serve alongside actual tea or coffee for authentic pairing experience.

Make ahead and freeze for emergency cookie situations throughout winter.

10. Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Cookies

Jewel-toned cranberries and vibrant green pistachios turn ordinary cookies into festive showstoppers bursting with color and texture.

White chocolate chips add creamy sweetness while dark chocolate chunks provide bitter contrast that sophisticated palates crave.

Every bite delivers different flavor combinations depending on which mix-ins you hit.

Visually stunning cookies practically beg for Instagram photoshoots before consumption.

Cranberry tartness cuts through buttery richness beautifully.
Pistachios add unexpected crunch that elevates texture beyond typical chocolate chip territory.