15 Must-Bake Cookies For This Holiday Season

The holidays are all about good company, great food, and, of course, cookies. This season, step up your baking game with these must-bake recipes that bring something special to the table. Forget the usual suspects—these cookies will impress, whether you’re filling gift tins, prepping for a party, or just making sure the cookie jar stays full for late-night snacks.

Chocolate sage cookies with sage leaves on a baking sheet. — Chocolate Dipped Cashew Almond Butter Cookies. Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Orange Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two cookies studded with chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds are placed on a dark wooden surface. More pomegranate seeds are scattered around, adding a pop of red to the rustic setting. A blurred background with more cookies is visible. — Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Infused with orange zest and extract, these pomegranate oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a perfect winter-themed treat, adding a refreshing twist to holiday baking.
Get the Recipe: Orange Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread collagen cookies, high in protein and gluten-free, are a healthy and festive treat, offering a cozy addition to winter cookie assortments.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Almond Cashew Butter Cookies

These flourless cashew almond butter cookies, dipped in dark chocolate and garnished with candied sage, offer a chewy winter treat that’s both fun and unique.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Almond Cashew Butter Cookies

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

With crisp edges and a buttery texture, this cranberry orange biscotti recipe combines fresh cranberries and orange flavor, ideal for dunking in tea or coffee.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Christmas Tree Cookies

A chocolate and walnut Christmas tree cookie leaning against a glass of milk with red and white straws. The cookie has red and white string through a hole as if it's an ornament. — Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Take your holiday cookies up a notch with these festive Christmas tree treats! Loaded with chocolate chunks and walnuts, they’re both tasty and charming. Whether you hang them on your tree or enjoy them with a glass of milk, these easy-to-make cookies add a fun twist to holiday baking without relying on the usual sugar cookie lineup.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cookies

Amaretto Fudge Cookies

A crystal-patterned plate filled with chunky, chocolate cookies sits on a light wooden table. A blue and white patterned cloth and additional cookies are visible in the background. — Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Dark chocolate amaretto fudge cookies bring a decadent and slightly boozy twist to holiday treats, perfect for those who enjoy a hint of spirits in their sweets.
Get the Recipe: Amaretto Fudge Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

This easy peanut butter cookie recipe delivers rich peanut butter flavor in the classic criss-cross design. Soft and chewy, these cookies are a must-try for any peanut butter fan!
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies

Matcha shortbread cookies drizzled with chocolate on a baking sheet. — Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

These matcha shortbread cookies, drizzled in chocolate, are buttery and crispy, ideal for pairing with a warm holiday beverage.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Cashew Cookies

A stack of nut-studded cookies on a blue plate with a white parchment liner. The cookies are brown and have a crunchy texture, with visible chopped nuts. Other cookies are scattered in the background. — Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Combining the best of chewy brownies and sugar cookies, these chocolate cashew cookies, rolled in chopped nuts, are a healthy and chocolaty holiday delight.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cashew Cookies

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Revamping the classic chocolate chip cookie with tart fresh cranberries, these treats offer a soft center, crispy edges, and gooey chocolate chips.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies

Utilizing leftover almond pulp from homemade almond milk, these thumbprint almond pulp cookies are an easy, gluten-free, and vegan holiday baking option.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies

Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A stack of gingerbread chocolate chip cookies on a plate. — Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies. Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

These healthier molasses gingerbread cookies, soft and chewy with chocolate chunks, embody the flavors of the holidays in every bite.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Easy Thumbprint Cookies

A plate of cookies with jam and nuts on it. — Vegan Thumbprints. Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

Thumbprint cookies are a fantastic holiday treat, simple to make with just a few ingredients. They’re a delightful addition to any festive gathering.
Get the Recipe: Easy Thumbprint Cookies

Pignoli Cookies

Almond cookies in a bowl with powdered sugar. — Pignoli Cookies. Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

A must for almond paste lovers, these pignoli cookies maintain the classic Italian flavor with a chewy, almond base and crunchy toasted pine nut topping.
Get the Recipe: Pignoli Cookies

Cranberry Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies blend cranberries, almond, and chocolate chips with a hint of orange zest, creating a treat perfect for the holiday season.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.