Growing Homes for Growing Kids

85+ Cookie Recipes that Will Help You Win the Holiday Baking Game

Nicole RufusAssistant Food Editor

updated Dec 11, 2024

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Gingerbread cookies with icing in various shapes, including trees and gingerbread men, on a white surface. — Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk
Classic Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Baking cookies is truly one of the best holiday-season pastimes. Not only is it the perfect way to spend an afternoon inside while the weather is cold, but cookies also make for such a great gift to friends and loved ones during the holidays. It wouldn’t really feel like the holidays to me if there weren’t constantly snacks around to munch on, and cookies of all variations are a large component of that. With Christmas lurking just around the corner, here are more than 80 of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes to bring a little a holiday joy to you and your loved ones.

Traditional Christmas Cookies

These are some of our favorite classic cookie recipes that are good all year round, but especially at Christmas.

1 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

The soft, tender crumb paired with this cookie's delicate aroma of anise are guanteed to delight the senses of everyone at a holiday function.

2 / 14

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies

Just like the cookies from the classic blue tin, these butter cookies are just sweet enough with a crisp, snappy bite and a sandy texture.

3 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Spritz cookies, sometimes called butter spritz or pressed butter cookies, are pretty, petite cookies with a tender, crisp crumb and a rich butter flavor.

4 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

They're soft, tender, and just a little bit chewy, with a delicate exterior that's coated with a thick layer of powdered sugar.

5 / 14

Credit: Leela Cyd

Jammy Shortbread Thumbprints

These cookies are sandy and buttery with a crisp, snappy bite, and a very subtle sweetness to make the the soft, jammy center stand out.

6 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are a rather dignified affair, often paired with tea and leaning towards savory with their light sweetness and flavors like lemon and rosemary.

7 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Everyone loves a swirled sugar cookie, especially when it’s infused with a touch of peppermint. Brush one side of the finished cookies with melted chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed peppermint candies for something extra festive, extra minty, and extra delicious.

8 / 14

Credit: Melissa Ryan

Classic French Palmiers

It's easy to see why Palmiers are such a popular classic. We love the crunch of the sugar with the crunch of the pastry, and the way the flaky, buttery layers practically melt on the tongue.

9 / 14

Credit: Danielle Tsi

Classic Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Gingerbread cut-out cookies that are crisp enough to snap in half, but tender and ever so slightly chewy when you take a bite.

10 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Super Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

While snickerdoodle cookies are usually on the crunchier side, these ones are super soft and guaranteed to stay that way.

11 / 14

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Holidays

Yes, chocolate chip cookies. A decidedly non-holiday cookie. But hear us out: these cookies make great gifts for friends and loved ones.

12 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Classic Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet-tart cookies have a rich, tender crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient.

13 / 14

Credit: Emma Christensen

Coconut Macaroons

As long as you have some shredded coconut in your pantry and a few eggs in the fridge, a batch of sweet macaroons can be yours in less than half an hour.

14 / 14

Credit: Emma Christensen

Candy Cane Cookies

If you're going for nostalgia, you just can't beat minty vanilla candy cane cookies.

Spiced Christmas Cookies

Cookies with a kick. These spiced cookies are perfect when you want to add a little something to the mix.

1 / 10

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: JoJo Li

Jumbo Chewy Honey Spice Cookies

Extra spices are what amplify this take on a vintage honey cookie recipe and what firmly cement them as a new holiday classic.

2 / 10

Credit: Leela Cyd

Spiced Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Everything you'd expect from classic peanut butter blossoms, with a cinnamon spice twist.

3 / 10

Credit: Leela Cyd

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

If you love a good spice cookie, these soft, chewy rounds, sweetened with molasses and coated with crunchy sugar to tame the spicy bite, are not to be missed.

4 / 10

Credit: Sara Kate Gillingham

Spiced Mexican Wedding Cookies

These buttery, nutty one-bite cookies go by many names.Whatever you might call them, these Spiced Mexican Wedding cookies are the perfect antidote — or addition — to the sugar-studded cookie plate.

5 / 10

Credit: Lauren Volo

Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to texture, this is a classic chocolate chip cookie — crisp on the outside, tender on the inside — but tucked into that dough is something extra special.

6 / 10

Credit: Nealey Dozier

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

If you feel overwhelmed by options or just don’t have a lot of time, might we suggest these scrumptious chocolate gingerbread cookies? They’re fast and easy — and good news, no piping skills required!

7 / 10

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani | Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

Sweet Potato Snickerdoodles

These sweet potato snickerdoodles are chewy, nutty, and full of razzle-dazzle shine — and they’re a heck of a lot more fun than the classic.

8 / 10

Credit: Anjali Prasertong

Gingerbread Cake Cookies

With their warm, spiced flavor and cake-like softness punctuated by the coarse crunch of sparkly sugar, you might call these cookies a new holiday tradition.

9 / 10

Credit: Andrea Bemis

Spiced Carrot Oat Cookies

These breakfast cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with oats, walnuts, shredded carrots and raisins — making them perfect for a quick breakfast.

10 / 10

Credit: Faith Durand

Chewy Molasses Cookies with Crunchy Lemon Glaze

Small, soft cookies, with an initial snap and tanginess of lemon and sugar, giving way to the melting softness of the cookie, and the last, lingering spiciness of fresh ginger and just a pinch of black pepper.

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

You can never go wrong with chocolate, and these are our favorite chocolate cookie recipes.

1 / 9

Credit: Kelli Foster

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

With a texture that's insanely soft and chewy, these decadent holiday-ready treats have a rich chocolate cookie dough plus tons of chocolate chips scattered thorough.

2 / 9

Credit: Leela Cyd

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

For anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and mint, these crinkle cookies are a must.

3 / 9

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice-and-No-Bake Cookies

Looking for an easy no-bake cookie recipe made for the holidays? These creamy-meets-crunchy, dark chocolate and peanut butter slices have your name written all over them.

4 / 9

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Halawa Cookies

The combination of nutty halawa and sweet chocolate in these chewy, cardamom-spiced cookies is absolutely wonderful.

5 / 9

Credit: Leela Cyd

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

If your ideal cookie has thin, crispy edges that enclose a thick, fudgy middle with just a touch of chewiness in between, then you should definitely be making these flourless chocolate cookies.

6 / 9

Credit: Maria Siriano

Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies

Thanks to a little cocoa powder and cayenne pepper, this twist on Mexican wedding cookies is reminiscent of a mug of spicy hot chocolate.

7 / 9

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix is shortcut that makes these crinkle-inspired cookies your reality in no time.

8 / 9

Credit: Emma Christensen

Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Cherries & Walnuts

These decadent and deeply chocolatey cookies are almost brownie-like in the middle, but with a crisp exterior, and studded with tart cherries and crunchy bits of nut.

9 / 9

Credit: Emma Christensen

Two-Bite Nutella Chocolate Cookies

These cookies hit all the spots that a good cookie should: a little crunch, a little chew, and sweet enough to make you smile. Make them festive with a drizzle of red and green icing.

Bar Cookies

These bars bring a little something different to the table, and are equally as delicious as regular cookies.

1 / 18

Credit: Lauren Volo

Magic Cookie Bars

Crispy, sandy, creamy, gooey, sweet, chocolatey, and nutty — this recipe is part-candy, part-cookie, and all delicious.

2 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Christmas Funfetti Bar Cookies

Bar cookies are softer, more tender cookies — just sturdy enough to support a thick layer of buttery frosting and even more sprinkles, and these funfetti ones are perfect for the holidays.

3 / 18

Credit: Stephanie Loo

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Once you make the Starbucks bakery treat from scratch, it's pretty hard to go back to the chain version. Folded into the blondie base are dried cranberries, orange, and ginger. The bars are then topped with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with more dried cranberries, and drizzled with white chocolate.

4 / 18

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Making a graham cracker cookie into a s'mores bar that you can take anywhere.

5 / 18

Credit: Nealey Dozier

Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Bars

What more is there to say besides Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Bars? These make for the perfect winter treat.

6 / 18

Credit: Emma Christensen

Halfway Cookie Bars

Chewy cookie on the bottom, marshmallow-like meringue on top, and a rich layer of chocolate sandwiched in between — these bar cookies are the best!

7 / 18

Credit: Nealey Dozier

Heavenly Hash Bars

The combination of bittersweet chocolate, roasted almonds, and marshmallows in these candy bars is truly the greatest gift of all!

8 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

This recipe channels everything there is to love about dense, gooey sugar cookies, and brings them to you in the form of a bar cookie topped with a generous slick of frosting.

9 / 18

Credit: Paul Strabbing

Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars

Give classic snickerdoodles a twist by baking them into bars and topping the pan with a layer of buttercream frosting.

10 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Maple Pecan Pie Bars

All the flavor of pecan pie, with none of the fuss.

11 / 18

Credit: Ellen Silverstein

Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate-Covered Chai-Tea Bars

If you’re a fan of masala chai — the Indian tea filled with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom — then make these bars immediately.

12 / 18

Credit: Olive & Mango

These old school bar cookies basically taste like a chewier, more superior Reese’s cup.

13 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Granny Neal’s Maple Coconut Christmas Bars

These bars have brown butter in the crust, so they have a toasty, rich, nuttiness, and adding a bit of maple syrup to the sticky coconut layer gives it a more complex flavor and hit of nostalgia.

14 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

White Chocolate Cranberry Bar Cookies

Lightly scented with orange zest and studded with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, these bars are full of holiday flavor and take next to no time to pull together.

15 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Layered Chocolate Toffee Bars

With a buttery shortbread base and a rich, thick layer of semi-sweet chocolate and chopped toffee bits, these sweet treats are outrageously impressive.

16 / 18

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

What we love best about this shortbread—besides the butter, of course—is its ease. There’s no tedious rolling and cutting, sparkling and spraying.

17 / 18

Credit: Maria Siriano

Snickers Bar Cookies

Two kinds of bars — candy and cookie — come together in a superhero-worthy pairing that, yes, truly satisfies. A chewy cookie layer replaces finicky nougat in this homemade version, leaving you free to expend your energies on making caramel from scratch.

18 / 18

Credit: Lauren Volo

Linzer Bar Cookies

Classic Linzer cookies have a lot of yummy things going on for them. But all the rolling, cutting, and filling might be a more involved project than you’d like to tackle, especially around the holidays. This easier rendition layers all the classic elements of Linzer cookies into a 9×13-inch baking pan.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are great because it’s easy to pretend like they’re a breakfast food. After all, they do have oatmeal in them!

1 / 5

Credit: Christine Han

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

When in doubt remember that it's hard to beat a timeless classic like lightly spiced oatmeal cookies studded with raisins.

2 / 5

Credit: Christine Han/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn

Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You'll never regret swapping raisins for chocolate chips. And what's more, this recipe comes together in one bowl, with no mixer required.

3 / 5

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Apple Gouda Oatmeal Cookies

Cheese? In a cookie? Oh yes! These cookies are an after-school treat we remember from childhood — not too sweet, with just a touch of brown sugar.

4 / 5

Credit: Faith Durand

Fudge & Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies, while they bring joy and gladness in the lunchbox or the classroom, are so easy — just a gilded version of the old-fashioned oatmeal cookie. Don’t be intimidated by the fudge — it’s nothing more than sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips.

5 / 5

Credit: Emma Christensen

Crinkle Top Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

These cookies are unusual and delicious – the raisins are ground into a paste and then mixed into the batter. The resulting cookie has a crisp outer shell with a chewy middle and a deep raisin flavor.

Drop Cookies

The options are endless when it comes to drop cookies. Here are some of our favorites.

1 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Creamy Cheesecake Cookies

Dressed up with powdered sugar, these tender cookies might remind you of soft, pillowy sugar cookies, but a lingering subtle tang makes them all their own.

2 / 14

Credit: Photo: Paola + Murray; Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta cheese and an almond-flavored icing bring out the best in these cookies: a super soft, fluffy-textured, not-too-sweet complexity.

3 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Cornflake Cookies

These drop cookies have a crackly texture similar to candy and to gild a lily, they come together in 5 to 6 minutes of boiling (no baking required)!

4 / 14

Credit: Leela Cyd

Butter Pecan Sandies

This recipe makes a firm and sturdy cookie, with a nutty, caramel flavor and a crisp edge all around that gently mellows as you get towards the center.

5 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn

Toasted Sugar Cookies

These toasted sugar cookies are everything you want in a classic sugar cookie — crisp and chewy edges with a soft and buttery middle — but the toasted sugar gives them a surprising honey-lemon flavor (without adding either of those ingredients).

6 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Applesauce Cookies Recipe

While applesauce is a homey snack on its own, this recipe shows us how it's a trustworthy baking ingredient that yields a tender, domed-top holiday cookie.

7 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Cream cheese is so often the source of such simple pleasures, and these cookies are no exception. Lemony, fluffy, and festive, with sweet drizzled icing, they’re tasty, sure — but perhaps what these cookies really have going for them is their ease. Ready? Go.

8 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman

These sunny, sweet-tart lemon cookies made with just 4 ingredients.

9 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Funfetti Cookies

These easy shortcut cookies are packed with sprinkles inside and out.

10 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Gooey Butter Cookies

This is the easy treat to make if you’re craving a richly flavored cookie with a soft and chewy bite.

11 / 14

Credit: Izy Hossack

Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although they come in many forms — thin, crispy, cakey, dense — these are some of our favorite chocolate chip cookies. Chewy with a crisp edge and some toasted nuts (in this case, almonds) mixed in for an extra crunch.

12 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Graham Cracker Cookies

These graham cracker cookies possess the qualities of any desirable cookie: crispy around the edges, with a super-soft, chewy center.

13 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

Rich and nutty brown butter is a special ingredient with the power to make everything it touches taste a little more luxurious — including sugar cookies.

14 / 14

Credit: Leela Cyd

Chocolate Chip Macaroon Puffs

Coconut macaroons are always a treat, but add a double-dose of chocolate (with mini chips studded throughout and a chocolate-slicked bottom), and these cookie plate must-haves will become a holiday staple.

Filled and Frosted Christmas Cookies

Cookies are best when there’s a surprise in the middle. Wouldn’t you agree? We love these filled and frosted stand-outs.

1 / 8

Credit: Faith Durand

Peanut Butter & Fudge Oatmeal Cookies

Oaty, hearty peanut butter cookies with a bit of salt and not too much sweetness, half-smothered in a gooey glob of fudge. Now that’s what we call a crowd-pleaser.

2 / 8

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: JoJo Li

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery shortbread and sticky-sweet caramel collide in one irresistible thumprint cookie.

3 / 8

Credit: Emma Christensen

Peppermint Cream-Filled Butter Cookies

These cookies involve a great deal of rolling and filling and pressing and coating. And also waiting until you can finally (finally!) take your first buttery, peppermint-filled bite. But oh my, what a bite that is.

4 / 8

Credit: Nealey Dozier

Peanut Butter & Espresso Truffle Blossoms

A barely-sweet, Kahlua-spiked truffle topping, gives classic peanut butter blossoms a serious upgrade.

5 / 8

Credit: Megan Gordon

Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

Sometimes the time comes when you need to double down on the chocolate. Or triple down, perhaps. Especially when there’s a silky peppermint filling involved and little shards of peppermint candy strewn on top.

6 / 8

Credit: Lauren Volo

Graham Cracker Thumbprints

This twist on the classic thumbprint cookie bakes up plump and tender, thanks to a base made from a duo of crushed graham crackers and flour. Right in the center is a dollop of the jelly or jam of your choice.

7 / 8

Credit: Izy Hossack

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint and chocolate is the perfect combination for the holiday season, and the peppermint buttercream in these cookies is an absolute dream.

8 / 8

Credit: Dan Goldberg/Ten Speed Press

Mindy Segal's Banana Nillas

Got a few overripe bananas at home? Well, banana bread is not the only solution for that. These Nilla Wafer-inspired sandwich cookies are calling your name.

Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies

What’s easier than slicing and baking? Here are some of our favorite takes on slice-and-bake cookies.

1 / 11

Credit: Lauren Volo

Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Pinwheel cookies are a simple upgrade on a classic sugar cookie, perfect for the home baker who wants to bake beautiful sugar cookies but doesn’t have the time (or desire) to decorate two-dozen cookies with royal icing.

2 / 11

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Black Sesame-Espresso Pinwheel Shortbread Cookies

Think of these shortbread cookies as the love child between the iconic peppermint pinwheels that pop up every year at Christmastime and the trendiest black sesame dessert you’ve seen on your feed.

3 / 11

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Salted Black Sables with Caramelized White Chocolate

You'll be amazed by the level of complexity that shines through these easy-peasy sliice and bake treats. Each cookie is studded with caramelized white chocolate chunks and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

4 / 11

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Evergreen Shortbread Cookies

These woodsy winter cookies call for fresh conifer needs, though fresh rosemary makes a nice substitute.

5 / 11

Credit: Faith Durand

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

These cookies really contain tea leaves, which are ground fine with the flour and give them a rich yet delicate flavor. With the buttery crunch of a sophisticated shortbread, these are dangerously addictive.

6 / 11

Credit: Faith Durand

Chai Tea Cookies

This thin, crisp, flaky shortbread flecked with black tea and spices is one of the simplest cookie recipes we know, and it comes together in just a few moments in the food processor.

7 / 11

Credit: Guy Ambrosino and Kate Winslow

Galette des Brittany (Salted Butter Cookies)

These cookies are special because they rely on cultured butter to flavor them. No vanilla, no citrus zest — just high-quality, salted butter.

8 / 11

Credit: Emma Christensen

Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies

These are great cookies for people who don’t like too-sweet cookies. They are crumbly and buttery, just like good shortbread should be.

9 / 11

Credit: Emma Christensen

Peanut Butter and Jelly Icebox Cookies

Because the only thing better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a peanut butter and jelly cookie.

10 / 11

Credit: Tessa Huff

Lemon Lime Curd with Rosemary Sables

Sometimes you just need a moment to treat yourself. Whether that be a nice, breezy walk outside, a superb homemade latté (I’m talking with real steamed milk here), or a special snack. These buttery cookies with citrus curd are just that treat.

11 / 11

Credit: Leela Cyd

Double Vanilla Sablés

These tender, buttery, slice and bake shortbread cookies are flecked with vanilla beans and finished with a vanilla bean glaze.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Classic Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Baking cookies is truly one of the best holiday-season pastimes. Not only is it the perfect way to spend an afternoon inside while the weather is cold, but cookies also make for such a great gift to friends and loved ones around Christmas time. It wouldn’t really feel like the holidays to me if there weren’t constantly snacks around to munch on, and cookies of all variations are a large component of that. With Christmas lurking just around the corner, here are more than 80 of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes to bring a little a holiday joy to you and your loved ones.

Traditional Christmas Cookies

These are some of our favorite classic cookie recipes that are good all year round, but especially at Christmas.

1 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

The soft, tender crumb paired with this cookie's delicate aroma of anise are guanteed to delight the senses of everyone at a holiday function.

2 / 14

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies

Just like the cookies from the classic blue tin, these butter cookies are just sweet enough with a crisp, snappy bite and a sandy texture.

3 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Spritz cookies, sometimes called butter spritz or pressed butter cookies, are pretty, petite cookies with a tender, crisp crumb and a rich butter flavor.

4 / 14

Credit: Kelli Foster

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

They're soft, tender, and just a little bit chewy, with a delicate exterior that's coated with a thick layer of powdered sugar.

5 / 14

Credit: Leela Cyd

Jammy Shortbread Thumbprints

These cookies are sandy and buttery with a crisp, snappy bite, and a very subtle sweetness to make the the soft, jammy center stand out.

6 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are a rather dignified affair, often paired with tea and leaning towards savory with their light sweetness and flavors like lemon and rosemary.

7 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Everyone loves a swirled sugar cookie, especially when it’s infused with a touch of peppermint. Brush one side of the finished cookies with melted chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed peppermint candies for something extra festive, extra minty, and extra delicious.

8 / 14

Credit: Melissa Ryan

Classic French Palmiers

It's easy to see why Palmiers are such a popular classic. We love the crunch of the sugar with the crunch of the pastry, and the way the flaky, buttery layers practically melt on the tongue.

9 / 14

Credit: Danielle Tsi

Classic Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Gingerbread cut-out cookies that are crisp enough to snap in half, but tender and ever so slightly chewy when you take a bite.

10 / 14

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Super Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

While snickerdoodle cookies are usually on the crunchier side, these ones are super soft and guaranteed to stay that way.

11 / 14

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Holidays

Yes, chocolate chip cookies. A decidedly non-holiday cookie. But hear us out: these cookies make great gifts for friends and loved ones.

12 / 14

Credit: Lauren Volo

Classic Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet-tart cookies have a rich, tender crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient.

13 / 14

Credit: Emma Christensen

Coconut Macaroons

As long as you have some shredded coconut in your pantry and a few eggs in the fridge, a batch of sweet macaroons can be yours in less than half an hour.

14 / 14

Credit: Emma Christensen

Candy Cane Cookies

If you're going for nostalgia, you just can't beat minty vanilla candy cane cookies.

Spiced Christmas Cookies

Cookies with a kick. These spiced cookies are perfect when you want to add a little something to the mix.

1 / 10

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: JoJo Li

Jumbo Chewy Honey Spice Cookies

Extra spices are what amplify this take on a vintage honey cookie recipe and what firmly cement them as a new holiday classic.

2 / 10

Credit: Leela Cyd

Spiced Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Everything you'd expect from classic peanut butter blossoms, with a cinnamon spice twist.

3 / 10

Credit: Leela Cyd

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

If you love a good spice cookie, these soft, chewy rounds, sweetened with molasses and coated with crunchy sugar to tame the spicy bite, are not to be missed.

4 / 10

Credit: Sara Kate Gillingham

Spiced Mexican Wedding Cookies

These buttery, nutty one-bite cookies go by many names.Whatever you might call them, these Spiced Mexican Wedding cookies are the perfect antidote — or addition — to the sugar-studded cookie plate.

5 / 10

Credit: Lauren Volo

Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to texture, this is a classic chocolate chip cookie — crisp on the outside, tender on the inside — but tucked into that dough is something extra special.

6 / 10

Credit: Nealey Dozier

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

If you feel overwhelmed by options or just don’t have a lot of time, might we suggest these scrumptious chocolate gingerbread cookies? They’re fast and easy — and good news, no piping skills required!

7 / 10

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani | Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

Sweet Potato Snickerdoodles

These sweet potato snickerdoodles are chewy, nutty, and full of razzle-dazzle shine — and they’re a heck of a lot more fun than the classic.

8 / 10

Credit: Anjali Prasertong

Gingerbread Cake Cookies

With their warm, spiced flavor and cake-like softness punctuated by the coarse crunch of sparkly sugar, you might call these cookies a new holiday tradition.

9 / 10

Credit: Andrea Bemis

Spiced Carrot Oat Cookies

These breakfast cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with oats, walnuts, shredded carrots and raisins — making them perfect for a quick breakfast.

10 / 10

Credit: Faith Durand

Chewy Molasses Cookies with Crunchy Lemon Glaze

Small, soft cookies, with an initial snap and tanginess of lemon and sugar, giving way to the melting softness of the cookie, and the last, lingering spiciness of fresh ginger and just a pinch of black pepper.

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

You can never go wrong with chocolate, and these are our favorite chocolate cookie recipes.

1 / 9

Credit: Kelli Foster

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

With a texture that's insanely soft and chewy, these decadent holiday-ready treats have a rich chocolate cookie dough plus tons of chocolate chips scattered thorough.

2 / 9

Credit: Leela Cyd

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

For anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and mint, these crinkle cookies are a must.

3 / 9

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice-and-No-Bake Cookies

Looking for an easy no-bake cookie recipe made for the holidays? These creamy-meets-crunchy, dark chocolate and peanut butter slices have your name written all over them.

4 / 9

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Chocolate Halawa Cookies

The combination of nutty halawa and sweet chocolate in these chewy, cardamom-spiced cookies is absolutely wonderful.

5 / 9

Credit: Leela Cyd

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

If your ideal cookie has thin, crispy edges that enclose a thick, fudgy middle with just a touch of chewiness in between, then you should definitely be making these flourless chocolate cookies.

6 / 9

Credit: Maria Siriano

Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies

Thanks to a little cocoa powder and cayenne pepper, this twist on Mexican wedding cookies is reminiscent of a mug of spicy hot chocolate.

7 / 9

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix is shortcut that makes these crinkle-inspired cookies your reality in no time.

8 / 9

Credit: Emma Christensen

Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Cherries & Walnuts

These decadent and deeply chocolatey cookies are almost brownie-like in the middle, but with a crisp exterior, and studded with tart cherries and crunchy bits of nut.

9 / 9

Credit: Emma Christensen

Two-Bite Nutella Chocolate Cookies

These cookies hit all the spots that a good cookie should: a little crunch, a little chew, and sweet enough to make you smile. Make them festive with a drizzle of red and green icing.

Bar Cookies

These bars bring a little something different to the table, and are equally as delicious as regular cookies.

1 / 18

Credit: Lauren Volo

Magic Cookie Bars

Crispy, sandy, creamy, gooey, sweet, chocolatey, and nutty — this recipe is part-candy, part-cookie, and all delicious.

2 / 18

Credit: Leela Cyd

Christmas Funfetti Bar Cookies

Bar cookies are softer, more tender cookies — just sturdy enough to support a thick layer of buttery frosting and even more sprinkles, and these funfetti ones are perfect for the holidays.

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Credit: Stephanie Loo

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Once you make the Starbucks bakery treat from scratch, it's pretty hard to go back to the chain version. Folded into the blondie base are dried cranberries, orange, and ginger. The bars are then topped with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with more dried cranberries, and drizzled with white chocolate.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Making a graham cracker cookie into a s'mores bar that you can take anywhere.

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Credit: Nealey Dozier

Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Bars

What more is there to say besides Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Bars? These make for the perfect winter treat.

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Credit: Emma Christensen

Halfway Cookie Bars

Chewy cookie on the bottom, marshmallow-like meringue on top, and a rich layer of chocolate sandwiched in between — these bar cookies are the best!

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Credit: Nealey Dozier

Heavenly Hash Bars

The combination of bittersweet chocolate, roasted almonds, and marshmallows in these candy bars is truly the greatest gift of all!

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

This recipe channels everything there is to love about dense, gooey sugar cookies, and brings them to you in the form of a bar cookie topped with a generous slick of frosting.

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Credit: Paul Strabbing

Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars

Give classic snickerdoodles a twist by baking them into bars and topping the pan with a layer of buttercream frosting.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Maple Pecan Pie Bars

All the flavor of pecan pie, with none of the fuss.

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Credit: Ellen Silverstein

Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate-Covered Chai-Tea Bars

If you’re a fan of masala chai — the Indian tea filled with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom — then make these bars immediately.

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Credit: Olive & Mango

These old school bar cookies basically taste like a chewier, more superior Reese’s cup.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Granny Neal’s Maple Coconut Christmas Bars

These bars have brown butter in the crust, so they have a toasty, rich, nuttiness, and adding a bit of maple syrup to the sticky coconut layer gives it a more complex flavor and hit of nostalgia.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

White Chocolate Cranberry Bar Cookies

Lightly scented with orange zest and studded with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, these bars are full of holiday flavor and take next to no time to pull together.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Layered Chocolate Toffee Bars

With a buttery shortbread base and a rich, thick layer of semi-sweet chocolate and chopped toffee bits, these sweet treats are outrageously impressive.

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Credit: Apartment Therapy

Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

What we love best about this shortbread—besides the butter, of course—is its ease. There’s no tedious rolling and cutting, sparkling and spraying.

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Credit: Maria Siriano

Snickers Bar Cookies

Two kinds of bars — candy and cookie — come together in a superhero-worthy pairing that, yes, truly satisfies. A chewy cookie layer replaces finicky nougat in this homemade version, leaving you free to expend your energies on making caramel from scratch.

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Credit: Lauren Volo

Linzer Bar Cookies

Classic Linzer cookies have a lot of yummy things going on for them. But all the rolling, cutting, and filling might be a more involved project than you’d like to tackle, especially around the holidays. This easier rendition layers all the classic elements of Linzer cookies into a 9×13-inch baking pan.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are great because it’s easy to pretend like they’re a breakfast food. After all, they do have oatmeal in them!

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Credit: Christine Han

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

When in doubt remember that it's hard to beat a timeless classic like lightly spiced oatmeal cookies studded with raisins.

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Credit: Christine Han/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn

Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You'll never regret swapping raisins for chocolate chips. And what's more, this recipe comes together in one bowl, with no mixer required.

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Credit: Apartment Therapy

Apple Gouda Oatmeal Cookies

Cheese? In a cookie? Oh yes! These cookies are an after-school treat we remember from childhood — not too sweet, with just a touch of brown sugar.

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Credit: Faith Durand

Fudge & Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies, while they bring joy and gladness in the lunchbox or the classroom, are so easy — just a gilded version of the old-fashioned oatmeal cookie. Don’t be intimidated by the fudge — it’s nothing more than sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips.

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Credit: Emma Christensen

Crinkle Top Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

These cookies are unusual and delicious – the raisins are ground into a paste and then mixed into the batter. The resulting cookie has a crisp outer shell with a chewy middle and a deep raisin flavor.

Drop Cookies

The options are endless when it comes to drop cookies. Here are some of our favorites.

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Credit: Kelli Foster

Creamy Cheesecake Cookies

Dressed up with powdered sugar, these tender cookies might remind you of soft, pillowy sugar cookies, but a lingering subtle tang makes them all their own.

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Credit: Photo: Paola + Murray; Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta cheese and an almond-flavored icing bring out the best in these cookies: a super soft, fluffy-textured, not-too-sweet complexity.

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Credit: Kelli Foster

Cornflake Cookies

These drop cookies have a crackly texture similar to candy and to gild a lily, they come together in 5 to 6 minutes of boiling (no baking required)!

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Butter Pecan Sandies

This recipe makes a firm and sturdy cookie, with a nutty, caramel flavor and a crisp edge all around that gently mellows as you get towards the center.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn

Toasted Sugar Cookies

These toasted sugar cookies are everything you want in a classic sugar cookie — crisp and chewy edges with a soft and buttery middle — but the toasted sugar gives them a surprising honey-lemon flavor (without adding either of those ingredients).

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Credit: Kelli Foster

Applesauce Cookies Recipe

While applesauce is a homey snack on its own, this recipe shows us how it's a trustworthy baking ingredient that yields a tender, domed-top holiday cookie.

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Credit: Kelli Foster

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Cream cheese is so often the source of such simple pleasures, and these cookies are no exception. Lemony, fluffy, and festive, with sweet drizzled icing, they’re tasty, sure — but perhaps what these cookies really have going for them is their ease. Ready? Go.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

These sunny, sweet-tart lemon cookies made with just 4 ingredients.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Funfetti Cookies

These easy shortcut cookies are packed with sprinkles inside and out.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Gooey Butter Cookies

This is the easy treat to make if you’re craving a richly flavored cookie with a soft and chewy bite.

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Credit: Izy Hossack

Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although they come in many forms — thin, crispy, cakey, dense — these are some of our favorite chocolate chip cookies. Chewy with a crisp edge and some toasted nuts (in this case, almonds) mixed in for an extra crunch.

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Credit: Lauren Volo

Graham Cracker Cookies

These graham cracker cookies possess the qualities of any desirable cookie: crispy around the edges, with a super-soft, chewy center.

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Credit: Lauren Volo

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

Rich and nutty brown butter is a special ingredient with the power to make everything it touches taste a little more luxurious — including sugar cookies.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Chocolate Chip Macaroon Puffs

Coconut macaroons are always a treat, but add a double-dose of chocolate (with mini chips studded throughout and a chocolate-slicked bottom), and these cookie plate must-haves will become a holiday staple.

Filled and Frosted Christmas Cookies

Cookies are best when there’s a surprise in the middle. Wouldn’t you agree? We love these filled and frosted stand-outs.

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Credit: Faith Durand

Peanut Butter & Fudge Oatmeal Cookies

Oaty, hearty peanut butter cookies with a bit of salt and not too much sweetness, half-smothered in a gooey glob of fudge. Now that’s what we call a crowd-pleaser.

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: JoJo Li

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery shortbread and sticky-sweet caramel collide in one irresistible thumprint cookie.

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Credit: Emma Christensen

Peppermint Cream-Filled Butter Cookies

These cookies involve a great deal of rolling and filling and pressing and coating. And also waiting until you can finally (finally!) take your first buttery, peppermint-filled bite. But oh my, what a bite that is.

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Credit: Nealey Dozier

Peanut Butter & Espresso Truffle Blossoms

A barely-sweet, Kahlua-spiked truffle topping, gives classic peanut butter blossoms a serious upgrade.

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Credit: Megan Gordon

Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

Sometimes the time comes when you need to double down on the chocolate. Or triple down, perhaps. Especially when there’s a silky peppermint filling involved and little shards of peppermint candy strewn on top.

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Credit: Lauren Volo

Graham Cracker Thumbprints

This twist on the classic thumbprint cookie bakes up plump and tender, thanks to a base made from a duo of crushed graham crackers and flour. Right in the center is a dollop of the jelly or jam of your choice.

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Credit: Izy Hossack

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint and chocolate is the perfect combination for the holiday season, and the peppermint buttercream in these cookies is an absolute dream.

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Credit: Dan Goldberg/Ten Speed Press

Mindy Segal's Banana Nillas

Got a few overripe bananas at home? Well, banana bread is not the only solution for that. These Nilla Wafer-inspired sandwich cookies are calling your name.

Slice-and-Bake Christmas Cookies

What’s easier than slicing and baking? Here are some of our favorite takes on slice-and-bake cookies.

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Credit: Lauren Volo

Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Pinwheel cookies are a simple upgrade on a classic sugar cookie, perfect for the home baker who wants to bake beautiful sugar cookies but doesn’t have the time (or desire) to decorate two-dozen cookies with royal icing.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Black Sesame-Espresso Pinwheel Shortbread Cookies

Think of these shortbread cookies as the love child between the iconic peppermint pinwheels that pop up every year at Christmastime and the trendiest black sesame dessert you’ve seen on your feed.

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Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Salted Black Sables with Caramelized White Chocolate

You'll be amazed by the level of complexity that shines through these easy-peasy sliice and bake treats. Each cookie is studded with caramelized white chocolate chunks and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

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Credit: Apartment Therapy

Evergreen Shortbread Cookies

These woodsy winter cookies call for fresh conifer needs, though fresh rosemary makes a nice substitute.

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Credit: Faith Durand

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

These cookies really contain tea leaves, which are ground fine with the flour and give them a rich yet delicate flavor. With the buttery crunch of a sophisticated shortbread, these are dangerously addictive.

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Credit: Faith Durand

Chai Tea Cookies

This thin, crisp, flaky shortbread flecked with black tea and spices is one of the simplest cookie recipes we know, and it comes together in just a few moments in the food processor.

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Credit: Guy Ambrosino and Kate Winslow

Galette des Brittany (Salted Butter Cookies)

These cookies are special because they rely on cultured butter to flavor them. No vanilla, no citrus zest — just high-quality, salted butter.

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Credit: Emma Christensen

Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies

These are great cookies for people who don’t like too-sweet cookies. They are crumbly and buttery, just like good shortbread should be.

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Credit: Emma Christensen

Peanut Butter and Jelly Icebox Cookies

Because the only thing better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a peanut butter and jelly cookie.

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Credit: Tessa Huff

Lemon Lime Curd with Rosemary Sables

Sometimes you just need a moment to treat yourself. Whether that be a nice, breezy walk outside, a superb homemade latté (I’m talking with real steamed milk here), or a special snack. These buttery cookies with citrus curd are just that treat.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Double Vanilla Sablés

These tender, buttery, slice and bake shortbread cookies are flecked with vanilla beans and finished with a vanilla bean glaze.

Special-Diet

Gluten-free? Vegan? We’ve got you covered. These are some special-diet cookie recipes that we adore.

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Credit: Clare Barboza

Gluten-Free Cut-Out Cookies

This cookie recipe is easy to make and it’s quite forgiving — it works for dough that is rolled out thick or thin. It is also yummy iced or left plain, and can be lightly flavored with a bit of citrus in addition to the vanilla extract if desired.

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Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Cranberry-Glazed Chewy Almond Cookies

Gluten-free by chance (thanks to 100% almond flour) and unutterably easy to make (just stir, roll, and bake), these cookies are scented with cardamom and lemon zest, both citrusy flavors that are echoed in the jewel-bright cranberry glaze, thanks to a squeeze of lemon juice.

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: JoJo Li

Vegan Vanilla Oat Milk Latte Shortbread with Oat Milk Espresso Drizzle

An oat milk latte in the form of a Walker's shortbread is the dreamiest (and easiest) Christmas indulgence.

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Credit: Dana Velden

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

Nutty, oat-y, sweet with maple syrup and a touch of jam, these thumbprints will please vegan and non-vegan palates alike.

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

These fudgy vegan cookies are practically verging into brownie territory, and are packed with chocolate flavor through and through.

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Credit: Gina Eykemans

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie & Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies

Who doesn’t love a scoop of creamy marshmallow fluff, sandwiched between two sweet-and-salty peanut butter cookies? It’s a simple treat that feels perfectly nostalgic. What if we told you that we were able to make this treat vegan?

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Credit: Christine Han

Vegan Meringue Cookies

Harness the egg-replacing power of aquafaba (aka chickpea water) to whip up easy vegan meringue cookies.

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Credit: Samantha Bolton

The World's Easiest Cookies

You just need four ingredients and a little elbow grease to make macaron-flavored cookies that are crisp on the edges and chewy in the center.

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Credit: Brie Passano

No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

These are the kind of cookies you can snack on and feel good about it. They’re packed with high-protein ingredients like peanut butter, and naturally sweetened with banana and just a bit of maple syrup.

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Credit: Emily Han

Chewy Almond Spice Cookies

A baked cookie that’s gluten-free and vegan, made without refined sugar and fantastically soft, chewy, and delicious? These almond spice cookies are kind of like a chewy peanut butter cookie, filled with spices for the holidays.

This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: 85+ Easy and Delicious Cookies to Bake This Holiday Season.

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