Our 100 All-Time-Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Our 100 All-Time-Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Spread some holiday cheer with sugar and spice — and lots of frosting!

Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

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Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

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Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

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Photo By: Matt Armendariz

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Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

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Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

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Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

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Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

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Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Renee Comet ©©Renee Comet

Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Renee Comet ©2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Renee Comet ©© 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

The Perfect Treats for Your Cookie Plate

Whether you’re still learning the basics of cookie making or are all about using those pro baking tips you’ve mastered over the years, there’s no better time to bake from scratch than during the holidays. Whether you whip up an assortment of holiday bars and barks to pack and ship to someone special or are baking a batch of easy-to-make cookies to serve alongside homemade hot chocolate on movie night, you’ll find that cookies always spread cheer. Nut and spice cookies, fruity cookies and more: we always have a hard time narrowing down our favorites (which is why this collection has 100 recipes!). But, we have to admit that these giant, saucer-sized treats are at the top of our list! They’re packed with all your festive favorites (red and green candies, peppermint chunks, salty pretzels and white chocolate chips), so they really live up to their name. If you leave these mammoth treats for Santa, don’t forget a supersized glass of milk for washing them down!

Get the Recipe: Holiday Monster Cookies

Gingerbread Man Mug Mates

These gingerbread men are people-pleasers — you’ll love how they hang around with lots of holiday spirit.

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Man Mug Mates

Poinsettia Pinwheel Cookies

Despite the intricate design, these festive pinwheels are simple to create. The cream cheese in the cookie dough adds just the right amount of pliability, so you can cut, fold and shape with ease. We decorated the cookies with white, red and green coarse sanding sugar, sometimes called pearlized sugar, but you can feel free to swap in plain confectioners’ sugar. They’ll look stunning either way!

Get the Recipe: Poinsettia Pinwheel Cookies

Reindeer Mask Cookies

With these playful cookies, everyone can join in the reindeer games.

Get the Recipe: Reindeer Mask Cookies

Minty Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies

Lined up in a row on a platter, these cute treats are sure to get your guests in the holiday spirit. The cookies are tender but hold their shape when baked (so you end up with precise Christmas trees, not Christmas blobs). And adding mint makes them extra special.

Get the Recipe: Minty Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies

Barefoot Contessa’s Coconut Macaroons

Get the Recipe: Coconut Macaroons

Classic Sugar Cookies

These familiar cookies have crispy edges (thanks to superfine sugar) and a slightly soft middle. The small amount of baking powder ensures that they puff just a little without spreading too much — so they’re perfect for cut-outs in all your favorite holiday shapes.

Get the Recipe: Classic Sugar Cookies

Eggnog Meltaway Cookies

The secret to these cookies’ melt-in-your-mouth texture is the confectioners’ sugar, which easily comes together with almonds in a food processor. The flavors of rum, bourbon and nutmeg make the little snowball look-alikes taste just like your favorite holiday drink. We’ll say “cheers” to that!

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Meltaway Cookies

Penguin Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Not all the holiday fun happens at the North Pole. These South Pole denizens are the season’s cutest critters. Have fun shaping and rolling colorful sugar cookie dough so that every slice produces a perfect penguin.

Get the Recipe: Penguin Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Citrus Crinkle Cookies

These soft-and-chewy cookies are positively bursting with bright citrus flavor. We created this versatile recipe to highlight whatever citrus fruit you like the best — try tart lemon, zesty lime or sweet orange. A few drops of food coloring add a vibrant visual cue. These cookies are equally festive during the summer or winter months.

Get the Recipe: Citrus Crinkle Cookies

White Chocolate Bark

Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Bark

Pan-Banging Pecan Snickerdoodle Cookies

We packed these cookies with cinnamon, pecans and chocolate toffee chunks for the ultimate snickerdoodle experience–and then added one finishing touch. Inspired by blogger Sarah Kieffer’s internet-famous crinkled chocolate chip cookies, we pulled the snickerdoodles out of the oven midway through cooking and banged the baking sheet on the counter, producing a cookie with the best of both worlds–crispy ripples around the edge and a soft, chewy center.

Get the Recipe: Pan-Banging Pecan Snickerdoodle Cookies

Cheesecake-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.

Get the Recipe: Cheesecake-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

Millionaire Shortbread Cookies

Get the Recipe: Millionaire Shortbread Cookies

Peppermint Meringues

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Meringues

M&M Magic Bars

This quick and easy bake-sale classic goes over the top for the holidays — we’ve loaded the bars with your favorite Christmas candies.

Get the Recipe: M&M Magic Bars

Ina’s Fruitcake Cookies

Get the Recipe: Fruitcake Cookies

Gingerbread Biscotti

These biscotti have the same warm spices and crispy-crunchy texture that you love in a traditional gingerbread person, but require less time and effort than the classic cutout cookie! Each one gets an extra dip of melted white chocolate and a sprinkle of sanding sugar, for a sparkly holiday treat fit for a cookie tin. By Amanda Neal for Food Network Kitchen.

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Biscotti

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms

Alton’s Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

Linzer Star Sandwich Cookies

Get the Recipe: Linzer Star Sandwich Cookies

Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge

Get the Recipe: Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge

Butter and Jam Thumbprints

These are a classic holiday favorite for a reason — the buttery dough melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with the tangy jam (baker’s choice on the flavor!). Plus, they’re just too nostalgic and adorable to resist.

Get the Recipe: Butter and Jam Thumbprints

Butterscotch Blondies

Blondies are wonderful to make around the holidays because they come together quickly and one tray results in a whole batch of treats. Not to mention, these blondies are loaded with festive flavor, thanks to the toasted pecans, white chocolate chips and dried cranberries studded throughout. The drizzle of sweet butterscotch sauce and pinch of flaky sea salt makes for a winning salty-sweet combination.

Get the Recipe: Butterscotch Blondies

Valerie’s Neapolitan Holiday Cookies

Get the Recipe: Neapolitan Holiday Cookies

Trisha Yearwood’s Snickerdoodles

Get the Recipe: Snickerdoodles

Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

Cornflakes get dressed for the holidays when mixed with a green marshmallow coating. Shaped into individual wreaths and topped with festive candies, these crunchy treats are a fun no-bake project.

Get the Recipe: Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

Super Chocolatey Buttons

Tiny chocolate cookies with a gooey center (even when cooled!) make decadent one-bite treats.

Get the Recipe: Super Chocolatey Buttons

Sunny’s Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

Get the Recipe: Sunny’s Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men

Cream Cheese Cookies

A triple dose of cream cheese (mixed into the batter, in chunks in the dough and as a glaze on top) makes these pillowy cookies extra tangy. We topped ours with lime zest and minced cranberries, but these treats are the perfect vehicle for many toppings — consider your favorite cheesecake flavorings for inspiration.

Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Cookies

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Iced oatmeal cookies remind me of home, family and baking on a cold winter’s day. I love them because they are classic cookies (oatmeal, cinnamon and raisins) that have been dressed up for the holidays like mountains with freshly fallen snow.

Get the Recipe: Iced Oatmeal Cookies

The Best Butter Cookies

Your search is over — this perfect butter cookie will stay in your recipe box for years. It’s crisp, yet tender and perfect for tea for two or cookies for Santa. Plus, you have the choice to make drop cookies or a slice-and-bake version!

Get the Recipe: The Best Butter Cookies

Peppermint Bark Cookies

The combination of white peppermint bark atop a chocolate cookie base equals the ultimate holiday treat. This big-batch recipe is ideal for cookie swaps, festive parties or even wrapping up as gifts. It is also easy enough for baking with the whole family. Instead of forming individual cookies, you break the giant sheet into pieces, just like you would with traditional bark.

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Bark Cookies

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut Butter Brownie Swirl Cookies

Why settle for one cookie flavor when you can have three? Peanut butter, sugar cookie and fudgy brownie batter are swirled together and baked into one giant cookie, making for a slice-and-bake you’ll want to serve at parties and keep in the freezer for a weeknight cookie fix.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Brownie Swirl Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Our Triple Chocolate Cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream: They’re chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and full of white, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chunks.

Get the Recipe: Triple Chocolate Cookies

Giada’s Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing

Get the Recipe: Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing

Ginger Cookie with Garam Masala

Get the Recipe: Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread

Tri-Color Christmas Spritz Cookies

These cheerful spritz cookies are ready to brighten your holiday cookie table — no extra fussing, frosting or decorating needed.

Get the Recipe: Tri-Color Christmas Spritz Cookies

Peppermint Cookies-and-Cream Cookies

These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays, thanks to the generous addition of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and refreshing peppermint candies. Make sure to chill the dough before baking to ensure a thick and fluffy cookie that your friends and family will enjoy in their holiday tins.

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Cookies-and-Cream Cookies

Shortbread Cookies

Get the Recipe: Shortbread Cookies

Marshmallow-Stuffed Blizzard Cookies

These holiday sugar cookies sparkle like winter snow! Vegan marshmallows don’t have gelatin in them and are the key to an ooey gooey center that stays fluffy throughout baking.

Get the Recipe: Marshmallow-Stuffed Blizzard Cookies

Alton’s Gingersnaps

Get the Recipe: Ginger Snaps

Giada’s Holiday Biscotti

Get the Recipe: Holiday Biscotti

Jeff Mauro’s Cherry White Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies

Get the Recipe: Cherry Almond White Chocolate Sandwiches

Anne’s Meringue Cookies

Get the Recipe: Meringue Cookies

Double-Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies

These cookie sandwiches are packed with holiday cheer, thanks to a hint of molasses and gingerbread spice in the soft, chewy cookies, as well as a generous dose of spiced cookie butter spread in the filling. Plus, there’s an extra dusting of sanding sugar to add the perfect sweetness and festive sheen.

Get the Recipe: Double-Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies

Ferrero Rocher Cookie Cups

These truffle-stuffed cookie cups are bursting with hazelnut flavor because the nuts are not only in the truffles themselves, but also in the dough. Make sure that the muffin tin you use is a good nonstick one, because the cookies might be hard to remove otherwise.

Get the Recipe: Ferrero Rocher Cookie Cups

Alex’s Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Toasted Almond Cream

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Toasted Almond Cream

Brownie Mix Cookies

Made from only four ingredients, these cookies are chocolatey, fudgy and pleasing for brownie and cookie lovers alike. Add crushed candy canes to dress them up for the holiday.

Get the Recipe: Brownie Mix Cookies

Pistachio Melbas (Australia)

Get the Recipe: Pistachio Melbas

Tyler’s Dark Chocolate Truffles

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate Truffles

Anne’s Pignoli Cookies

Get the Recipe: Pignoli Cookies

Red Velvet Ooey Gooey Bars

A classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting has been taken to new level of ooey gooey buttery goodness, just in time for the holidays.

Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Ooey Gooey Bars

Loaded Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix is the secret shortcut to light, fluffy cookies. Crispy cornflakes, pretzels and big chunks of dark chocolate give these an irresistible combination of crunch and gooiness — and we also added sprinkles, just for fun!

Get the Recipe: Loaded Cake Mix Cookies

Chinese Almond Cookies

Almond cookies like these are thought to resemble coins, making them particularly popular as a symbol of good fortune during the Chinese New Year. Traditional recipes are made with lard and flavored with almond extract. We used butter and almond flour in these to boost the nutty flavor and create a crumbly texture similar to pecan sandies. Enjoy them year-round, particularly with a cup of tea or coffee.

Get the Recipe: Chinese Almond Cookies

Bobby’s Triple-Chocolate Cookies

Get the Recipe: Triple Chocolate Cookies

Trisha’s White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Alton’s Chocolate Coconut Balls

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Balls

Ree Drummond’s Favorite Christmas Cookies

Get the Recipe: My Favorite Christmas Cookies

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

Buckeyes

Who doesn’t love a confection inspired by nature? In this case, it’s a peanut butter truffle dipped in chocolate, which resembles the nut from Ohio’s state tree, the buckeye.

Get the Recipe: Buckeyes

Peppermint Muffin-Tin Cookies

Thanks to the help of a muffin tin, these peppermint-spiked sugar cookies are perfectly round every single time. They’re also easy enough for everyone in the family to pitch in to help. Frozen peppermint patties are stuffed in the middle to ramp up the flavor and provide a hidden surprise with the first bite. No need to decorate after baking — the sprinkles go right on top before going into the oven so that once they are cool, they are ready to go.

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Muffin-Tin Cookies

Bake and Slice Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies just got a lot easier with this bake and slice version. Instead of pressing divots into multiple mounds of cookie dough and filling each with jam, we shaped the dough into a log with a trough and flooded the center in one go. We used raspberry and apricot jam, but it’s easy to swap out for whatever you have on hand. Once the cookie logs are baked, let them cool and then slice into strips.

Get the Recipe: Bake and Slice Thumbprint Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

These spiced cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly softer inside, with a delicious cinnamon-sugar coating and a heaping spoonful of creamy glaze on top. Inspired by cinnamon rolls, the cookies make the sweetest addition to any holiday cookie box.

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Ultimate Ginger Cookie

Get the Recipe: Ultimate Ginger Cookie

Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Get the Recipe: Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Super-Yummy Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Get the Recipe: Super Yummy Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Peanut Butter Fudge

This fudge is a total triple threat — thanks to peanut butter chips, crunchy peanut butter and chopped roasted salted peanuts. Using sweetened condensed milk, makes it quick and easy to achieve a thick, fudgy texture without cooking raw sugar; no candy thermometer required! Cut the fudge into small squares and share it with family and friends as a delicious edible gift.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge

Sunny’s Cereal Confetti Cookies

Get the Recipe: Sunny’s Cereal Confetti Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

Alex loves these cookies because “they have all the flavors of eggnog but don’t have eggnog in them.” Sandwich the cookies with creamy icing, then top with a drizzle of caramel and spiced sugar.

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Cookies

Gelt Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter blossoms take on a delicious holiday transformation that’s perfect for celebrating Hanukkah. Each cookie is coated in festive sprinkles and pressed with a chocolate gelt coin (a traditional Hanukkah present) while still warm. Soft and chewy, with melted chocolate in the center, these cookies are sure to get you in the spirit!

Get the Recipe: Gelt Peanut Butter Blossoms

Chocolate-Dipped Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons

Cherry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

Get the Recipe: Cherry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

Eggnog Blossoms

The spicy-rich flavors of eggnog (including nutmeg, cream and rum) add a new holiday twist to a classic cookie shape, and the striped chocolate candies on top make them even more festive.

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Blossoms

Gingerbread Reindeer

These cookies turn gingerbread on its head — literally. Flipping gingerbread men upside down provides the perfect shape to decorate the cookies to look like reindeer.

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Reindeer

Oreo Balls

A five-ingredient treat for the chocolate sandwich cookie enthusiast…what’s not to love? These truffles encase a soft cookie filling with a chocolatey shell. They’re fun to decorate with cookie crumbs or sprinkles, depending on the occasion.

Get the Recipe: Oreo Balls

Miss Brown’s Praline Cookies

I love this recipe because it combines two of my favorite sweets in one — butter cookies and Southern pralines! The results are buttery, sweet and nostalgic. I also love this recipe because it includes a simple praline sauce that can be made without a candy thermometer.

Get the Recipe: Miss Brown’s Praline Cookies

Katie Lee’s Chocolate-Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Christmas Tree Cookie Forest

Make your cookie platter vertical (and extra impressive!) with this 3-D Christmas tree forest. Chilling the dough after it’s cut helps the shapes stay sharp during baking.

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cookie Forest

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

No-Bake Sticky Toffee Balls

Get the Recipe: No-Bake Sticky Toffee Balls

Geoffrey Zakarian’s Hermit Cookies

Get the Recipe: Hermit Cookies

Linzer Doily Wreaths

Rolling a woven doily over cookie dough leaves an impression which, after baking and glazing with a simple green frosting, looks like the fluffy pine needles of a holiday wreath. A paper doily doesn’t provide enough of an indentation, so using a woven doily is a must—plus it can be washed and used year after year! Tart raspberry jam pairs well with the almond Linzer cookie, but feel free to mix it up with your favorite flavor.

Get the Recipe: Linzer Doily Wreaths

Narkel Naru

This is my take on a delicious childhood dessert that my guru’s wife used to make. In Bengal, narkel means coconut and naru means a ball-shaped sweet (laddoo in Hindi). Though this can be made with white sugar, it’s amazing with unrefined sugar because of the lovely earthy caramel tastes that it adds. I tried it both with traditional Indian jaggery and with panela, the Latin version of jaggery, and I have to say I almost preferred it with panela. Use any unrefined sugar you can find.

Get the Recipe: Narkel Naru

Santa Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Santa’s iconic red coat, fluffy white trim and black belt cookies are sure to bring out joyful belly laughs.

Get the Recipe: Santa Slice-and-Bake Cookies

The Spiciest Gingerbread Cookies Ever

Don’t let their angelic faces and doughy bodies fool you — these gingerbread cookies are super-spicy from the very first bite. Cayenne, allspice and a hefty dose of black pepper result in a complex, lingering heat that is surprisingly pleasant, and molasses makes them chewy while taking the edge off.

Get the Recipe: The Spiciest Gingerbread Cookies Ever

Jeff Mauro’s White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies

Around the holidays Jeff clearly has sweets on the brain; he even likes to call these his “I’m Dreaming of a White Chocolate” cookie. “One look at something covered in sprinkles and your brain explodes with excitement,” he says. “Sprinkles add color, crunch and a healthy dose of holiday cheer!”

Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies

Apple Pie Thumbprint Cookies

A spiced apple filling tops these buttery cookies, packing all the flavor of your favorite pie into a single bite — for a fraction of the work! Smoosh a small scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies for an inspired take on “pie a la mode.”

Get the Recipe: Apple Pie Thumbprint Cookies

Classic Shortbread

This satisfying shortbread is as easy as it gets — and its traditional style is perfect for this time of year. It’s simultaneously crisp, crumbly and tender because we’ve added a little cornstarch to the flour. And granulated sugar gives the cookies their gorgeous golden color.

Get the Recipe: Classic Shortbread

The Best M&M Cookies

We took our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and increased the brown sugar to make these cookies extra moist and chewy. Then we super-sized them — the better to get in more of our favorite candy-coated chocolates. Save some extra candy for topping each cookie before baking. The result, cookies that look just as good as they taste!

Get the Recipe: The Best M&M Cookies

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Inspired by the candy, this indulgent dessert is both familiar and elegant. Almond paste fortifies the rich aroma of the cherries, and the two-ingredient chocolate glaze is rich and velvety. Cocktail maraschino or glace cherries work fine here, but might we suggest you treat yourself to high-quality candied cherries, such as Luxardo or Amarena? It is the holiday season, after all.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Slice-and-Bake Italian Rainbow Cookies

We transformed the classic cakey confection into a fun slice-and-bake cookie. But don’t worry, we kept the almond flavor that’s well known and loved! A dip in a raspberry-spiked chocolate icing provides extra flavor and visual appeal.

Get the Recipe: Slice-and-Bake Italian Rainbow Cookies

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar (Canada)

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar (Canada)

Cinnamon Stars

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)

Santa Skillet Cookie

This holiday decorating project is a delicious brain teaser. “Where is the Santa?” you’ll ask yourself as you pipe decorative circles and triangles over the giant sugar cookie. But then, you will suddenly see them — eight Kris Kringles!

Get the Recipe: Santa Skillet Cookie

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are serious about peanut butter: Each has a full-size peanut butter cup tucked inside the salty-sweet peanut butter dough. As the cup bakes, the peanut butter inside softens, creating the perfect combination of crisp cookie shell, creamy center and crunchy honey-roasted topping.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies