A holiday cookie recipe for bakers at every level

Cookies are THE perfect holiday treat. They’re individually portioned, travel well to cookie exchanges and are as varied as a sentimental snickerdoodle or a stylish pistachio pinwheel.

Regardless of your baking experience or how much time you have, there is a cookie you can bake. Whether you’re chasing nostalgia or looking for creative, ultramodern indulgence, it’s worth making time to bake holiday cookies this season. 

For beginners, we have the quickest, most straightforward recipes that are accessible to every baker.

For intermediate bakers, we have recipes that are a little more time-consuming, but worth the extra effort.

For advanced bakers, we have recipes that require more time and steps, but will create a final product that will wow your friends and family.

We’ve collected classic and contemporary recipes for bakers at each of these skill levels. 

Click below or scroll down to explore each recipe.

Beginner Classic | Beginner Contemporary | Intermediate Classic | Intermediate Contemporary | Advanced Classic | Advanced Contemporary

Classic: Brown butter snickerdoodles

Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Makes: about 24 cookies

Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes. Requires refrigerating dough.

This is the snickerdoodle you know and love, but it’s so much better. Brown butter adds a caramel flavor and a gooey texture to this cookie, and it’s all coated in cinnamon-sugar goodness. You’ll want to eat these right off the baking sheet (speaking from experience).

Ingredients:

For cookie dough:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter 
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

For rolling:

• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Steps:

1. Brown the butter: Add butter to a large saucepan and place over medium heat. The butter will melt, then crackle, then foam. Whisk the butter constantly and wait for it to turn a golden-amber color on the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from heat as soon as the butter gives off a nutty aroma, and immediately transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat butter and both sugars at medium speed until combined, for about 1 minute.
3. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and Greek yogurt and beat at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
4. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until combined into a smooth dough.
5. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll dough into balls the size of 2 tablespoons. (Dough will be sticky.) Place in an airtight container or on a baking sheet covered in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours (or overnight).
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar until thoroughly coated, then place on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges have lightly browned.

Contemporary: Red velvet crinkle cookies

Adapted from Eating on a Dime

Makes: about 24 cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 10 minutes

If you really think baking isn’t for you, this recipe is calling your name. Seriously. It requires just four ingredients! The trick is sidestepping some of the measuring and mixing by using store-bought cake mix. While your family and friends might be used to seeing the typical chocolate crinkle cookies on holiday spreads, this red velvet version brings a vibrant and festive color to the table. And they taste like they took a lot more effort (and ingredients). 

Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix (any brand)
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil.
3. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each.
4. Roll each ball in powdered sugar until it is fully coated.
5. Place balls onto baking sheets, leaving roughly 2 inches in between.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be just barely brown on the edges. 

Classic: Gingerbread cookies

Adapted from Mary Ellen Blatchford / Good Housekeeping 

Makes: 24-36 cookies, depending on the size of cookie cutters used

Prep time: 30 minutes; cook time: 10 minutes. Requires refrigerating dough.

My (Taylor’s) stepmom has made these cookies every Christmas for nearly 40 years, since she clipped the recipe out of an early 1980s Good Housekeeping magazine. These cookies have the perfect warm spiced gingerbread flavor, and they’re not too sweet. Mary Ellen’s advice: Don’t roll out the dough too thin, because a thicker cookie will be softer and chewier. And don’t overbake them — they’ll continue baking when they cool on the baking sheet.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 egg
• ½ cup light molasses
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Steps:

1. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat butter and sugar together at medium speed until combined, for about 1 minute.
2. Add molasses and egg and beat at medium speed until mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed until all ingredients are incorporated into a uniform dough.
4. Shape dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour (or freeze for 30 minutes) until dough is firm and chilled.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll dough ¼-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
7. Place cutouts about ½ inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges have lightly browned. 

Contemporary: Double chocolate-peppermint cookies

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Makes: 12 cookies

Prep time: 20 minutes; cook time: 12 minutes

There’s nothing quite like a peppermint hot chocolate in winter. But since this is about cookies, here is a recipe for the closest a cookie can get to a peppermint hot chocolate. These cookies are soft and chewy, with a crunchy crushed peppermint topping that adds a nice texture and a boost of holiday cheer.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 15-20 peppermints or 4 candy canes, crushed
• ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.
3. Add the egg and peppermint extract and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually sift flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Mix as you go.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are just set and tops still look slightly soft.
7. Sprinkle crushed peppermints or candy canes onto the cookies immediately. 

Classic: Cranberry-orange biscotti

Adapted from Casual Foodist

Makes: 10-12 biscotti

Prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Our opinion of biscotti had always been based on the rock-hard, slightly stale biscotti we’ve had that’s been sitting on a coffee shop counter for too long. This recipe totally changed our impression and reminded us why biscotti is such a popular holiday cookie. Almond and orange will fill the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma as you mix the dough, and white chocolate drizzled on top adds just a touch of sweetness. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 orange)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3 ounces white chocolate
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat butter, sugar, orange zest and almond extract until light and fluffy, for 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
5. Add the flour mixture in two parts, beating each time at medium-low speed until fully combined.
6. Stir in the cranberries until evenly distributed.
7. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and shape into a log 4 inches wide and 8 inches long.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
9. Using a serrated knife or bread knife, cut the log on a slight angle into slices ¾-inch thick. You should have 10-12 slices (end slices will be smaller).
10. Lie the biscotti flat on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave until smooth, pausing every 30 seconds to thoroughly stir the chocolate. (Optional: Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil or canola oil to help the chocolate drizzle more smoothly.)
12. Drizzle the white chocolate over the biscotti and allow to fully cool before serving. (If you need to speed up the cooling process, place biscotti in the freezer for 15 minutes.)

Contemporary: Pistachio pinwheels

Adapted from “Dessert Person” by Claire Saffitz (Clarkson Potter, 2020, $35)

Makes: 32 cookies

Prep time: 1 hour; cook time: 20 minutes; requires refrigerating dough

These gorgeous, flavorful pinwheel cookies are shortbready, buttery and just downright delicious. The green color from the pistachios gives them a nice festive flair, but they are far from a traditional holiday cookie. 

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup shelled pistachios
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, room temperature
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ⅓ cup almond flour
• ½ cup demerara or turbinado sugar

Steps:

1. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground. Put the ground pistachios in a bowl and set aside.
2. To the empty food processor — which you don’t need to rinse before this step — add the butter and powdered sugar. Process until smooth. Add the egg yolks and almond extract, then process until combined. Add the flour and salt, then pulse until you have a stiff, uniform dough. You will likely need to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice.
3. Put two thirds of the dough in a medium bowl. If you want to weigh out the dough, two thirds should be roughly 10 ounces, or 283 grams. Add the almond flour and mix until combined. 
4. Place the almond dough in between two pieces of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a rectangle and press it into a thin layer. Roll the dough between the parchment paper into a 12-by-8-inch slab, about ¼-inch thick. Place the parchment paper dough sandwich on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until firm.
5. Add the ground pistachios to the remaining dough in the food processor. Pulse until combined into a green dough. Set aside.
6. Remove the almond dough from the fridge and peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of the pistachio dough onto the almond dough. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the pistachio dough into an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border along the longer sides of the rectangle.
7. Use the bottom layer of parchment to begin rolling the pinwheels. Start at one of the longer sides and roll away from you. Roll the dough into a tight spiral. Wrap the log in parchment paper and place it in the fridge. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
8. Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
9. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Spread the turbinado or demerara sugar on a cutting board. Roll the dough across the board, pressing firmly so most of the sugar sticks. Continue rolling until the log is covered. 
10. Use a sharp knife to slice the log in half. Continue cutting each piece in half until you have 32 cookies. After each slice, roll the log one quarter rotation to prevent flattening out the pinwheels. 
11. Arrange the cookies onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place the two end pieces cut-side up. 
12. Bake 15-20 min until the edges are golden. Switch and rotate the baking sheets after 7 minutes.