8 Delicious Cookies To Bring To Your Next Holiday Party
Nothing says the holiday season like some delicious cookie recipes full of festive cheer! Whether you are just starting out your baking journey or want to try a new recipe, these cookie recipes will be a delight this holiday season!
1. Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut butter blossom cookies are one of the cookie recipes that make up any good cookie tray for the holidays. The peanut mixed with the Hershey’s kiss top is delicious and a super easy recipe for you to follow!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 stick of butter softened
3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup of granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Red and green sanding sugar, about 1/4 cup each, optional
42 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). With a hand mixer (or stand mixer with a paddle attachment), beat until creamy and light, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add the flour mixture in 3-4 batches, mixing on low to combine completely in between each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sugar that you plan to use (granulated or sanding sugar) on a small plate.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop mounded balls of dough (about 1 ½ tablespoons each) and place them on a cutting board. Grease your hands and roll the scoops into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar of your choice. Divide the balls among the two baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until the bottom edges look light brown, rotating the trays from top to bottom oven racks, halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey’s kiss into the center of each cookie. (the cookie will crack slightly and that is ok!) Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
2. Hot Chocolate Cookies
Nothing reminds me of the holidays like hot chocolate with marshmallows, so what better way to ring in the holiday season with your cookie recipes than with a hot chocolate cookie!
Ingredients:
6 oz. of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3 envelopes of hot cocoa mix without marshmallows (about 1.38 ounces each)
1 tsp. of instant espresso powder
1 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
2 sticks of salted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips
24 marshmallows halved crosswise with kitchen shears
Directions:
- Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water over low heat. Let melt for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and let cool slightly.
- Combine the flour, hot cocoa mix, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to get rid of any lumps.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the melted chocolate. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and light, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate until it just begins to firm up about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges just begin to set, 9 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place a marshmallow half on the center of each cookie, cut-side down. Continue baking until the edges of the cookies are set and the marshmallows are stuck on, 2 to 3 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pans; remove to racks to cool completely.
3. Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors for cookies around the holidays. The spice and the soft chewy cookie are the best. They are one of the best cookie recipes to break out this holiday season.
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. of baking soda
4 tsp. of ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar
1 cup of neutral oil (avocado oil, vegetable oil, or grape seed oil)
1/3 cup of molasses
1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
- Mix the dry ingredients together – This combination is simple: all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda (which will help with spreading and fluffiness).
- Mix the wet ingredients together – neutral oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients – You want them to be mixed until zero flecks of flour appear.
- Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator – This cookie dough definitely needs some chill time to achieve the perfect amount of spreading.
- Sift the powdered sugar – In order to make them look crackly, we’ll need to coat them in a good amount of powdered sugar. Be sure to sift it before you use it since it tends to be lumpy.
- Scoop and roll the cookie dough – Scoop out the cookie dough using a cookie scoop and then roll it, coating it heavily with powdered sugar.
- Bake – Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until they’ve spread and look a bit puffy. They’ll fall as they cool.
4. Vanilla Bean Butter Pecan Cookies
Whichever way you pronounce pecan these cookies are delicious and not to mention another one of the cookie recipes that make a great addition to any holiday cookie tray.
Ingredients:
2 sticks of salted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cup of granulated sugar + ½ cup for dusting
¼ cup of brown sugar
2 vanilla bean pods (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
1 egg + `1 egg yolk
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. of kosher Salt
1 tsp. of baking soda
½ tsp. of baking powder
½ tsp. of corn starch
2 cups of whole pecans, roughly chopped
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add butter to a stand mixer (or a large bowl) and beat butter for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue to mix for another 1-2 minutes. Cut open vanilla bean pods and scrape out vanilla beans and add to butter/sugar mixture. Add egg and egg yolk and mix for another minute, scraping down the sides where needed.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and roughly chopped pecans. Whisk together until combined. Add to wet ingredients and mix gently for another 30 seconds. The dough may be crumbly, press together and mix with your hands if needed.
- Spoon out 1 ½ – 2 tbsp size cookies and roll them into a ball. Roll the sugar in sugar and add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (This recipe yields about 24 cookies so split cookies between two baking sheets if baking at the same time).
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool.
5. Snickerdoodles
Anytime there are snickerdoodles at a party, I am the first to fill up my plate with snickerdoodle cookies. They are soft and any cookie with cinnamon is one that I could eat all day long. They are one of my favorite cookie recipes and are easy to make!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. of cream of tartar
1 tsp. of baking soda
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and 1 ½ cups sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Then beat in eggs and scrape the bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture until well combined.
- Mix the remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out dough balls. Roll each ball in your hands to even them out, then roll in cinnamon sugar to thoroughly coat.
- Place the balls on prepared baking sheets, 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 8–9 minutes, until just barely golden around the edges. Cool for several minutes on the baking sheets before moving.
6. Spicy Molasses Cookies
As a kid, I loved ginger snap cookies. The warm spice and soft chew of the cookie make me ready to decorate the tree and listen to Christmas music. It’s one of the classic cookie recipes.
Ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
1/4 cup of molasses
1 large egg
2 cups of flour
2 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1 tsp. of ground ginger
1/2 tsp. of ground cloves
1/4 tsp. of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. of salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg together until well combined. Dump in dry ingredients, stirring dry ingredients together lightly. Mix together until dough is combined.
- In your hands roll dough into walnut-sized balls, then generously coat each ball with sugar. Place balls on a baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, allowing to bake for about a minute after cookies begin to crack.
- Remove cookies from the baking sheet and allow to cool.
7. Sugar Cookies
Nothing says holiday party than sugar cookies. They are very versatile and you can make them plain or you can decorate them based on the season! So what better way to kick off the holiday season than by breaking out one of these cookie recipes and making some sugar cookies!
Ingredients
2 whole large eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
4 cups (plus 2 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of cream of tartar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together eggs, oil, butter, sugars, and vanilla.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate the dough for one hour.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Smear a dab of butter all over the bottom of a glass, then dip the glass in granulated sugar. Use the glass to flatten each ball of dough, dipping again into the sugar each time. Repeat until all are flattened.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cookies are just barely turning brown. Don’t over brown!
- Allow to cool before eating. Cookies are ultra crumbly!
8. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
I of course had to save one of the best cookie recipes for last. Chocolate crinkle cookies were the first cookies I learned to bake, and they are the first ones I make now for holiday parties. The powdered sugar reminds me of the winter snow and the rich chocolate taste wants to make me sit around a cozy fire. There are one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever made.
Ingredients
1 stick salted of butter, cubed
6 oz. of semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions
- Combine the butter and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water over low heat. Let melt, for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and let cool slightly.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine and get rid of any lumps.
- Combine the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and ½ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and the powdered sugar in a second shallow bowl. Scoop the dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll first in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar to coat completely. Place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the tops of the cookies are cracked and the edges are firm 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then move to racks to cool completely.
