35 Holiday Cookie Recipes for Everyone on Your List

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September 14, 2025

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Make everyone’s holiday treat baskets extra special by making them holiday cookie recipes in a variety of special flavors designed just for them.

A red cookie tin with white snowflakes sits open showing chocolate cookies inside. Text overlay reads: 35 holiday cookie recipes for everyone on your list

Tips for Baking Big Batches

Holidays require big batch most of the time. We can do that in such a way as to not make ourselves crazy.

Do double or triple recipes whenever possible. Split those big batches up among several folks or care packages.

Make smaller cookies. Get double the cookies with the same amount of dough. And give folks a wider range of cookies in small bites for baskets, buffets, and packages.

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Figure out the best work flow for yourself and your kitchen. Mix up dry ingredients the night before baking. Make the next dough while the last tray of cookies are in the oven, etc.

Cut Out Cookies

The holiday season just screams for cookies cut out into shapes and decorated for eating and gift giving. The making of these cookies is often a fun family tradition that makes the season complete.

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Heart shaped chocolate cookies decorated with red frosting sit on a plate. A heart shaped box is in the background. Text overlay reads: Chocolate Sugar Cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
An easy and delicious chocolate sugar cookie recipe perfect for gift giving and having with tea as an afternoon snack. These are perfect plain but also serve as a great canvas for decorating with frosting, sprinkles, and more.
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A square white plate holds gluten-free cut-out cookies in various shapes like a stocking, donut, star, tree, and bell. Each delight from holiday cookie recipes is decorated with colorful red, green, and yellow sprinkles. The plate rests on a festive tablecloth.
wildlyorganic.com
Gluten-Free Cut-Out Cookies
Gluten free friends and family can have some cut out cookies too with this quick and easy recipe.
Check out this recipe
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A collage showcasing Holiday Cookie Recipes featuring peanut butter cut-out cookies with orange icing and chocolate jack-o'-lantern designs. Includes a raw dough sheet ready for cookie cutters and a beautifully decorated treat. Text reads "Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies" from The Merchant Baker.
www.themerchantbaker.com
Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies
Peanut butter lovers can have the best of both worlds with this recipe that is sure to surprise and delight on your holiday cookie tray.
Check out this recipe
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A plate of round, scalloped-edge sugar cookies topped with bright blue and purple icing, perfect for adding a festive touch to your holiday cookie recipes.
www.tastesoflizzyt.com
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Make those cut-out cookies extra rich and creamy with the addition of cream cheese.
Check out this recipe
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A wooden surface displays holiday cookie recipes with sugar cookies shaped like hearts, butterflies, leaves, and flowers. Text overlays: "Perfect No Chill Sugar Cookies. Lots of Tips and Tricks for Easy Fun." Notes on cookies say: "Perfect Edges!" and "Great Flavor!
www.mirlandraskitchen.com
Perfect No Chill Sugar Cookies
Make cut out cookies in a hurry with this recipe that doesn't require any chill time before rolling and cutting.
Check out this recipe

Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate is always in season, after all. Make all your chocolohics happy with these tasty variations.

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A tray of freshly baked hot chocolate cookies topped with toasted marshmallows. The image has text at the bottom that reads "Holiday Cookie Recipes: Hot Chocolate Cookies {with toasted marshmallows}.
www.schneiderpeeps.com
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Give the hot chocolate fan their favorite drink cookie form, it even comes topped with marshmallows.
Check out this recipe
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An open jar spills out dark chocolate quinoa sugar cookies onto a cloth, perfect for any holiday cookie recipes collection. The cookies are irregularly shaped and appear crunchy. The text on the image reads, "Dark Chocolate Quinoa Sugar Cookies.
homesteadlady.com
Quinoa and Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Use gluten-free whole grains for a chocolate cookie sure to please the folks with sensitivities on your list.
Check out this recipe
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A floral teacup filled with tea sits on a matching saucer. In the foreground, a white plate holds chocolate cookies drizzled with white icing, perfect for holiday cookie recipes. Another plate with more cookies is in the background, all set on a table with sunlight filtering through blinds.
joybileefarm.com
The Best Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Because it's the holidays and it might as well be indulgent and triple the chocolate.
Check out this recipe
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A white cup filled with tea sits on a matching saucer adorned with a small bird-shaped handle. A red Twinings tea bag tag dangles from the cup, alongside two chocolate biscotti reminiscent of holiday cookie recipes. The background is a simple dark color, highlighting the cozy setting.
themondaybox.com
Chocolate Espresso Biscotti
Crunchy, sweet, and full of chocolate coffee goodness Biscotti makes a great care package filler as well as midday snack.
Check out this recipe
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A festive tin decorated with snowflakes holds a batch of chocolate cookies on parchment paper, evoking the charm of beloved holiday cookie recipes, with a holiday-themed container lid slightly visible in the background.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies
Chocolate and cheesecake flavors combine into soft portable form in these treats.
Check out this recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies

Protein packed and adored by kids and adults alike, peanut butter cookies are favored by many.

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A plate of delicious flourless peanut butter cookies sits beside a printed napkin and a glass of milk. The text reads "Flourless & Quick Peanut Butter Cookies.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies have 3 ingredients. Three. You can pull together a small batch in no-time or make a big batch for cookie exchanges, pot lucks, and care package fillers.
Check out this recipe
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Close-up of several holiday cookie treats on a plate. Each treat is a chocolate chip cookie cup with a peanut butter chocolate candy in the center. The delights boast a golden-brown cookie crust with the candy slightly melted on top, perfect for festive occasions.
www.schneiderpeeps.com
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Is there ever a bad time for peanut butter and chocolate? These cookies have candies tucked right into the dough.
Check out this recipe
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A blue plate holds four peanut butter cookies beside a glass of milk. White text on the image reads, "Easy Peanut Butter Cookies for After School," perfect for your holiday cookie recipes collection. "JoybileeFarm.com" is elegantly displayed in the corner.
joybileefarm.com
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
The classic simple flavors that everyone loves in a quick to make crunchy package.
Check out this recipe
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Three delightful oatmeal cookies with a jam center rest on a white plate, sitting on a wooden table beside a glass of milk. A decorative beige napkin with orange accents is partially visible, setting the scene for discovering your next favorite holiday cookie recipe.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Always a classic combination these cookies give you a great way to share homemade jam beyond just giving a jar.
Check out this recipe
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Close-up of peanut butter blossom cookies on a cooling rack. Each cookie is topped with a chocolate kiss, perfect for any holiday cookie recipes collection. The text on the image reads, "Classic, All Butter Peanut Butter Blossoms.
thedomesticrebel.com
Classic, All Butter Peanut Butter Blossoms
These are always a holiday favorite for exchanges and buffets.
Check out this recipe

Spice Cookies

December is a month of strong spices both for flavor and warmth. These cookies provide both in tasty and giveable packages.

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A white square plate holds nine evenly spaced, round pumpkin cookies with a soft texture. The light brown treats are the perfect result of a cherished pumpkin cookie recipe. The plate sits on a dark wooden table with a patterned cloth partially visible in the background.
The Best Soft Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Around
These soft pumpkin cookies are lightly spiced and moist making them great keepers and perfect for any fall buffet.
Check out this recipe
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A stack of five cookies, inspired by holiday cookie recipes, sits on a white plate next to a blue speckled mug filled with a hot beverage. A floral-patterned napkin is placed beside them on the wooden table.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Chai Spice & Cream Cookies
Give the chai fanatic their favorite flavors in a soft, tangy cookie
Check out this recipe
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A tray of embossed rectangular cookies, reminiscent of holiday cookie recipes, is displayed next to a glass of milk and a decorative rolling pin on a wooden surface. The cookies boast intricate patterns, enhancing the image's rustic aesthetic.
www.attainable-sustainable.net
Easy Ginger Cookies
These pretty and delightful cookies are spiced with fresh ginger for a surprising change.
Check out this recipe
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A stack of snickerdoodle cookies on a white plate, with one cookie in the foreground featuring a bite taken out. The text reads "Big and Chewy Snickerdoodles" and "landeelu.com," perfect for your holiday cookie recipes collection.
www.landeeseelandeedo.com
Big and Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
An old-fashioned cookie that tickles everyone who comes across them.
Check out this recipe
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A batch of crinkle cookies on a cooling rack evokes holiday cookie recipes. One cookie is stacked on top with a bite taken out, revealing its soft interior. The cookies showcase their signature cracked surface, dusted with powdered sugar for a festive touch.
www.mysequinedlife.com
Pfeffernusse (Spice Cookies)
Thick cookies loaded with spice for the person who can never have enough.
Check out this recipe

Oatmeal Cookies

Hearty and filling, oatmeal cookies ship well and pack into lunch boxes easily too.

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A rectangular white plate with six oatmeal raisin breakfast cookies sits on a wooden table. The cookies are round and chunky, with visible bits of fruit. A blue mug is partially visible in the background. Text reads "Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies
Because sometimes cookies can be for breakfast too. These would be great for easy holiday brunches too.
Check out this recipe
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A variety of thin, round crisps are artfully arranged on the surface. Some are drizzled with dark chocolate, while others remain plain, echoing the festive spirit of holiday cookie recipes and showcasing a mix of textures and shades from golden brown to rich dark brown.
themondaybox.com
Chocolate Covered Hobnob Oat Cookies
Make the oat cookies wafer thin and covered in chocolate with this unique twist on the classic.
Check out this recipe
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A plate with five oatmeal cookies featuring white chocolate chips, perfect for holiday cookie recipes, sits on a floral-patterned cloth. A glass of milk is visible in the background.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Sunflower White Chocolate Cowboy Cookies
Gluten free and filled with sunflower seed butter instead of nut butter these can be used for folks with food sensitivities.
Check out this recipe
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A plate of homemade carrot cookies is displayed on a white surface, showcasing "Vintage Carrot Cookies, great-grandma's 1940s holiday cookie recipe." A blue checkered cloth is partially visible beneath the plate.
melissaknorris.com
Healthy Carrot Cookie Recipe
These oatmeal cookies are made healthier with the addition of grated carrots for lovely flavor and color.
Check out this recipe
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A bouquet of colorful flowers in a vase sits on a white surface next to a glass of milk, perfectly complementing the festive spirit. Three chocolate cookies are scattered nearby, echoing the charm of cherished holiday cookie recipes.
feastandwest.com
No-Bake Nutella Oatmeal Cookies
Sometimes you need cookies in a hurry for yourself, for guests, for a meeting, and that's where these super easy no bake bites come in.
Check out this recipe

Coffee Cookies

For the coffee lover, these cookies are the ideal combination of sweet and bitter.

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Two chocolate sandwich cookies with cream filling rest on a white plate, with more cookies on a tray in the background. A blue speckled mug filled with a beverage sits beside them. The setting, perfect for holiday cookie recipes, is on a white floral-patterned tablecloth.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Caramel Mocha Sandwich Cookies
These dark crunchy cookies are sandwiched around a creamy caramel filling for an indulgent treat.
Check out this recipe
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A plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies stacked on a wooden table, with a glass of milk and more cookies in the background. Perfect for holiday cookie recipes, the cookies look soft and freshly baked, with visible chocolate chips and golden-brown edges.
lifeloveandgoodfood.com
Espresso Coffee Bean Cookies
Fill cookies with chocolate covered espresso beans for a crunchy creamy cookie any fancy coffee drinker will love.
Check out this recipe
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A stack of coffee crinkle cookies sits on a wooden tray, with a vintage metal teapot beside them. The text reads "Coffee Crinkle Cookies, overtimecook.com" in white script. Perfect for holiday cookie recipes, the rustic wooden background adds a cozy touch.
overtimecook.com
Coffee Crinkle Cookies
These are simple but elegant cookie perfect for simple and formal gatherings.
Check out this recipe
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A batch of espresso walnut shortbread cookies with dark chocolate ganache, perfect for Holiday Cookie Recipes, is displayed on parchment paper. The cookies are drizzled with chocolate, and a steaming cup of coffee beckons in the background.
anoregoncottage.com
Espresso Walnut Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Rich and buttery as well as dark and bitter these would be perfect alongside coffee for dessert any time of year.
Check out this recipe
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A plate of chocolate coffee cookies stacked in a pyramid shape next to a glass of milk. The cookies, perfect for holiday cookie recipes, have a glossy chocolate coating and are placed on a white plate over a red cloth. A text overlay reads "Chocolate Coffee Cookies.
commonsensehome.com
Chocolate Coffee Cookies
The chocolate coffee cookies are even shaped like a coffee bean for the true coffee fanatic in your life.
Check out this recipe

Citrus Cookies

Use fresh and in-season citrus fruits for bright and flavorful holiday cookies.

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A plate of lemon shortbread cookies rests on a floral cloth, with a wooden bowl of lemon slices and a steaming cup of tea in the background. Text reads "Lemon Shortbread Cookies Perfect for Tea.
Lemon Shortbread Cookie
Lightly sweet and buttery with a smooth bright frosting these are sure to please the lemon lover on your list.
Check out this recipe
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A white plate with three exquisitely frosted cookies, inspired by holiday cookie recipes, rests on a wooden table. In the background, three oranges elegantly serve as decoration.
homespunseasonalliving.com
Frosted Orange Cookies
A simple and soft old-fashioned cookie for orange flavor and sweet frosting.
Check out this recipe
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Four orange dough circles sit on a bed of white powdered sugar in a bowl, hinting at delightful holiday cookie recipes. One circle is partially dusted with sugar. The image includes the playful text "Crafting in the Rain" in the corner.
craftingintherain.com
Pink Grapefruit Meltaways
Soft and tart these only use a bit of grapefruit juice and zest so just save a bit from breakfast and make the cookies for an afternoon snack.
Check out this recipe
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Three round cookies rest on a white plate, topped with creamy white icing and beautifully garnished with green lime zest—perfect treats inspired by holiday cookie recipes.
www.gimmesomeoven.com
Coconut-Lime Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Get all the flavors of the tropics even if you're stuck in a blizzard with these cookies.
Check out this recipe
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A tray of lemon cookies decorated with white icing in flower patterns, perfect for your holiday cookie recipes. Lime and lemon halves sit on the side, with a jar of lemon curd and a spoon nearby, all laid on a floral-patterned cloth.
www.savingdessert.com
Lemon-Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Lemon lime is always a lovely flavor combination and getting them in a thumbprint cookie feels especially festive.
Check out this recipe
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Two silver baking trays stacked together at an angle against a white background, perfect companions for holiday cookie recipes. Their smooth, flat surfaces with slightly raised edges make them ideal for baking or roasting festive treats.
www.amazon.com
TeamFar Baking Sheet Set of 2, Stainless Steel Baking Pans Tray Cookie Sheet, Non Toxic & Healthy, Mirror Finish & Rust Free, Easy Clean & Dishwasher Safe
Stainless steel baking sheets are a great choice for cookie baking.
Get it Here
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Three stainless steel ice cream scoops, perfect for portioning dough for your holiday cookie recipes, are arranged in descending size order from top to bottom. Each scoop features a convenient trigger handle mechanism for easy release.
www.amazon.com
Fayomir Cookie Scoop Set – Small/1 Tablespoon, Medium/2 Tablespoon, Large/3 Tablespoon – Ice Cream Scoop Set, 18/8 Stainless Steel Dough Scoop Cupcake Scoop Melon Baller
Get evenly sized cookies when you use cookie scoops.
Get it Here
38
A festive set of metallic cookie cutters in various shapes—circles, hearts, flowers, and stars—perfect for creating delightful holiday cookie recipes, all arranged neatly on a plain background.
www.amazon.com
Cookie Cutters Set – Cookie Cutters Mini Geometric Shapes Cookie Cutters
These geometric shaped cookie cutters are are a great basic set to have on hand for cut out cookies.
Get it Here
39
A box of "If You Care" parchment baking paper, perfect for your holiday cookie recipes. It is FSC and compostable certified, unbleached, and chlorine-free. The box proudly displays eco-friendly certifications and measures 70 sq ft / 2 x 65.6 ft (40 sq ft / 19.8m x 33cm).
www.amazon.com
IF YOU CARE FSC Certified Parchment Baking Paper, 70 sq ft
Some cookies bake better when the baking sheet is lined with parchment paper. It also makes clean up a snap.
Get it Here

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Shortbread cookies on a red star plate with a white mug that has a christmas design on it and a red ornament in the background. Text overlay reads: holiday cookies for everyone on your list.

Thanks for sharing!

1 thought on “35 Holiday Cookie Recipes for Everyone on Your List”

  1. I love this list! I may just start at the top and bake my way to the bottom! 🙂 Thanks so much, Kathie for including my Coconut Milk and Hobnob cookies! Happy holiday baking!

    Reply

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