All the Holiday Cookies You Should Be Making This Year, According to Our Editors

What are the holidays with at least one (or 12) batches of cookies?

By
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Associate Editor
Yasmine is an Associate Editor at Serious Eats. Her work has been featured in Women’s Health and on L’Officiel USA, and she recently graduated from New York University with a master's in journalism. You can find her at Bleecker Street Pizza on any given weekend.
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and
The Serious Eats Team
The Serious Eats Team
At Serious Eats, we’re a team of self-proclaimed food nerds who are ever-curious about the “why” behind cooking. The staff has worked in restaurants, test kitchens, bakeries, and other notable publications, bringing extensive culinary and editorial expertise to the table.
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Published December 13, 2024
Collage of holiday cookie recipes

Serious Eats

What is December if not a month-long excuse to bake as many cookies as possible for your friends, family, and yourself? There are many classics to choose from: gingerbread, peanut butter blossoms, spritz cookies, and snickerdoodles galore. The question is: Which will you choose? Are you a fan of jammy cookies? Maybe spiced ones? Or is chocolate and peanut butter more your speed? If you're like our editors, you're probably looking forward to baking up a storm (looking at you, Genevieve). For a complete list of the very best holiday cookies, I polled the staff on their go-to cookie recipes to make this time of year. Below, you’ll find staples like shortbread and Mexican wedding cookies, as well as some of our original creations. So make sure you get that holiday cookie swap on your calendar ASAP, because you’re going to need a lot of help eating all the cookies you’re about to make.

  • Custard Creams

    Overhead view of custard creams

    Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

    "I traveled to the UK for the first time over the summer and was very impressed by the biscuit (a.k.a. cookie) selection at the grocery store. Sure, I can find shortbread in any U.S. grocery store, but why don't we have Jammie Dodgers and digestives at every store? And, most importantly, custard creams. They are absolutely fabulous and you can make them at home using Rebecca Frey's five-star recipe. What makes it a holiday cookie, you ask? Nothing really, but if you go out of your way to get a custom stamp to make them, you'll want to show off your work to as many people as possible. Perhaps at a cookie swap or an ugly sweater party?" —Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

  • Shortbread Cookies

    Overheav view of shortbread cookies with coffee

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Genevieve's shortbread cookies practically broke the internet, and I've been wanting to make them ever since. They remind me of the biscuits from Ted Lasso (if you know, you know), which made my mouth water every time I watched an episode of the show. This recipe yields the most tender, buttery cookies you could ever imagine, and I can't wait to take that first bite of them." —Yasmine Maggio, associate editor

  • Millionaire's Shortbread

    Side view of millionaires shortbread

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "I make millionaire's shortbread once a year around Christmas time, and I'm so excited to try out Genevieve's new recipe. While technically a candy confection, I include them in my holiday cooking baking extravaganza. Her version features a tender, crumbly shortbread base and a complex, just-salty-enough butterscotch filling, along with a dark chocolate topping that's bittersweet enough to prevent the dessert from being unbearably cloying." —Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

  • Lemon Sugar Cookies

    Plate of lemon sugar cookies on a yellow textile on top of yellow and white tiles.

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    "Since my Mom has a lemon tree in her yard in Louisiana, lemony desserts just say 'family vacation' to me. This brand-new lemon sugar cookie recipe employs both lemon juice and zest for a treat that looks and tastes bright as can be. These would be great for any holiday party, and they're a nice break from the sea of chocolate (not that there's anything wrong with a sea of chocolate)." —Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

    Continue to 5 of 12 below

  • Amaretto Sour Lemon Bars

    Amaretto Lemon Bars on a warm blush colored plate and tile surface. smaller serving plates and a small bowl of cherries to the side

    Serious Eats / Vy Tran

    "They may not technically be a cookie, but I'm going to break the rules and be annoying and pick our new amaretto sour lemon bars as my must make sweet for this season. Look how chic these lil bites are! What's better way to say "it's the holiday season" than with a new way to incorporate alcohol into your day? Nothing, I would argue!" —Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals

  • Gingerbread Cookies

    20181126-gingerbread-cookies-vicky-wasik-39
    Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: Serious Eats Team

    "I absolutely cannot get through December without making a gingerbread house and several gingerbread folks to go along with it. It's such a fun, delicious baking project and I love sharing the cookies with my friends, family, and neighbors!" —Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

  • Spritz Butter Cookies

    20151110-spritz-cookies-vicky-wasik-001.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    "After editing this review of cookie presses, I immediately bought the winning press from OXO. You really can't beat spritz cookies for holiday nostalgia, and the press is easy enough for kids to use. Making a big batch of spritz is definitely going to become a new holiday tradition in my family. With real vanilla bean in the recipe, I have a feeling my house is going to smell amazing, too." —Rochelle Bilow, editor

  • Lacy Brown Butter and Ricotta Cookies

    20180129-ricotta-cookies-vicky-wasik-11
    Vicky Wasik

    "These cookies are, like, stupid good (and easy to make!). The brown butter is nutty and toasty and the ricotta helps the cookies easily spread, making them lacy, thin, and chewy with super crispy edges. I will make them at least twice this month." —Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

    Continue to 9 of 12 below

  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

    20180810-white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies-vicky-wasik-14
    Vicky Wasik

    "White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are the epitome of the holidays for me. They feel a little fancy and very special. I love the big chunks of white chocolate and the salty macadamia nuts. The toasted sugar is just the kind of extra step I'm willing to take for the holidays. They strike just the right balance for a cookie. The very best!" —Haley Scarpino, newsletter editor

  • Malted Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies

    20170125-malted-white-chocolate-butterscotch-pecan-cookies-vicky-wasik-16.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    "Chocolate chip cookies with an OOMPH and extra crunch. Like Stella, I loved malted milk powder—here, it tenderizes the cookies and gives them savory depth." —Genevieve

  • Easy Mexican Wedding Cookies

    20161207-mexican-wedding-cookies-vicky-wasik-12.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    "My mother-in-law makes these Mexican Wedding Cookies every Christmas season, and every year I find my fingers and lips covered in powdered sugar because I can’t stop (won’t stop) eating them. So this year, I’m going to make them myself so I can treat myself to a delightfully nutty, crumbly treat whenever I want." —Grace Kelly, editor

  • Crispy Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies

    20170410-lemon-ginger-cookies-vicky-wasik-18.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    "I have very ambitious cookie box goals this year. The theme is 'sandwich cookies,' and this Serious Eats one is by far a favorite. A bright lemon cream filling gets sandwiched in between two crispy gingerbread cookies. I'm hooked! They're a standout in this year's box for sure." —An Uong, writer

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