Staff Favorites: The Best Holiday Cookie Recipes

There’s something about holiday cookies that layers extra cheer on an already joyful season.

Maybe it’s the sugary sweetness that comes with each bite or the act of baking with loved ones. Maybe it’s the togetherness you feel when sharing something delicious, the traditions and customs behind a recipe, or all these things combined.

Whatever it is, it’s almost here.

Around the world, traditional holiday treats are about to make their annual resurgence, from Austria’s traditional Linzer Cookies and Swedish Pepparkakor (Gingerbread) to Scottish Shortbread Cookies and more. And at Collette, our team is getting ready to bake their own go-to holiday cookies—and they’re sharing some of those recipes below.

4 Holiday Cookie Recipes

Technically, any cookie can be a holiday cookie. A classic chocolate chip can bring plenty of joy to the dinner table. But if you’re looking for some unique recipes to satisfy that sweet tooth, you might give one of these a try.

Russian Tea Cakes (“Snowballs”) – Dominique F.

Tea cakes are rich, crumbly, and a style of bite-sized shortbread. Shaped into balls and covered in powdered sugar, they’re a fun wintertime treat.

Makes: 48 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup finely chopped nuts* (various, optional)
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts, and salt until the dough holds together.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set, but not brown.** Remove from the cookie sheet. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool on a wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again

*You can vary the texture and flavor by playing with different nuts. Macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, or black walnuts are lovely choices, especially if toasted and finely ground before mixing into the dough.

**This dough doesn't spread during baking, so arrange them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Like shortbread, they don't brown; they're done when firm to the touch.

Ricotta Christmas Cookies – Alex S

Ricotta cheese is the star of the show, and holiday-themed sprinkles add some festive flair to this holiday cookie recipe.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 lbs (32 oz) ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 4 ½ - 5 cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda

Icing Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• 4 Tbsp milk
• Lemon extract to taste, or ½ tsp
• Holiday-themed sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream butter/margarine and sugar. Then add eggs one at a time and beat well. Blend and add ricotta, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and grated lemon rind.
3. Mix baking soda and baking powder together. Add flour and mix well.
4. Add the flour mix to the ricotta and egg mixture, and combine.
5. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are light brown along the edges. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Make your icing: Beat the confectioner’s sugar, lemon extract, and milk together until a smooth icing forms.
8. Frost the cooled cookies and add sprinkles.

Chocolate Chow Mein Cookie Clusters (No-Bake) – Jodie D.

Skip the oven with this unique and simple no-bake recipe. Noodles and nuts add a delightful crunch while chocolate chips and butterscotch chips bring the sugar and bind these cookies together.

Makes: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chocolate chips, semisweet
• 2 cups butterscotch chips
• 2 cans chow mein noodles, 5 oz each
• ½ cup cashew halves
• Holiday-themed sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until it’s melted and smooth.
2. Remove from heat and add the chow mein noodles. Add nuts and mix quickly to coat.
3. Spoon out tablespoons of the mixture onto wax paper. Top with holiday-themed sprinkles or other festive additions. Allow them to cool.

French Macaroons – Liz D.

If you love coconut, you might make a batch of Liz’s French macaroons for the holiday dinner table. Not to be confused with French macarons (one “o”), which are cookie sandwiches, these macaroons come together with sweetened flaked coconut, condensed milk, vanilla, and whipped egg whites.

Makes: Approximately 25 macaroons

Ingredients:

• 1 package sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (whites only)
• ½ tsp salt
• Optional: semisweet chocolate and holiday-themed sprinkles for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a bowl, combine coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat egg whites with the salt into peaks, then fold into the coconut mixture.
4. Drop ice cream scoops of the mixture onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake until edges appear golden, about 25 minutes.
6. Optional: Once cooled, dip the bottoms or drizzle the tops of the macaroons with melted semi-sweet chocolate and decorate with festive sprinkles before the chocolate cools.

Time to Make Some Treats!

We might have a few weeks before the holiday season is officially here, but it’s never too early to start recipe testing. And who knows? One of these recipes could become your new holiday tradition.