My name is Jane and I don’t love baking holiday cookies. There, I said it! I absolutely love cookies, but I’ve just never been a spend-all-day-in-the-kitchen-making-sugar-cookies type of gal. But you can’t have the holidays without cookies. So I’ve put together a mouthwatering list of the best holiday cookie recipes that are easy enough for the non-bakers, and ahem, reluctant bakers out there.
Related: 5 easy cookie recipes for Santa. Or you. Or anyone on the nice list.
If you love a good store-bought shortcut, the 4-Ingredient Christmas Cookies at Your Cup of Cake (above) are for you. A little devil’s food cake mix makes these fudgy, delicious, and a cinch to make.
It’s hard to resist the combination of dark chocolate and peppermint in the No Bake White Chocolate Thin Mints at The View From Great Island. Note that Sue uses white bark coating, which is also sometimes labeled as candy coating (found in my general grocery store or at Target).
If this is the year you want to master a classic, opt for our delicious Basic Sugar Cookies recipe. Jane gives you options for slice-and-bake, roll out, or chocolate-dipped cookies. Personally, I find the slice-and-bake option the easiest. Form a couple of rolls, slice off disks, and then go crazy with the sprinkles or toppings.
I know this isn’t technically a cookie, but who cares when it’s this darn good. I’ve had no problem whipping up this Easy Graham Cracker Toffee at Two Peas & Their Pod during a slow Sunday football game. My girls (and I) love it.
The same goes for these Easy Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats at Rachel Cooks. I guarantee the kids will go for these festive delights before any of the other cookies on the plate.
Photo by James Ransom for Food52
The 3-ingredient Almond Crackle Cookies at Food52 are the perfect choice if you need a last minute sweet to bring your host or hostess. This is an incredibly simple recipe that happens to be gluten-free, if that’s something you fancy.
Let’s forget about calories for now, shall we? The Oreo Truffles at Sally’s Baking Addiction are no-bake and made with only three [indulgent] ingredients. Make sure to read all of Sally’s tips and instructions for these adorable treats.
Vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free cookies that don’t require a lot of special ingredients are hard to find. The Coconut Snowballs from our friends at The Kitchn are all three, and perfect for the coconut lover in your life.
These Chocolate Snowball Cookies at a trEATs affair were featured in last year’s classic Christmas cookie recipes roundup, and I had to include them again here. The dough is a simple pour and stir, and the kids will have fun tossing them in powdered sugar.
Photo by Greg DuPree for Real Simple
Classic rugelach is wonderful, but can also be quite involved. The Puff Pastry Chocolate Hazelnut Rugelach at Real Simple smartly uses store-bought puff pastry and nutella to turn the classic into an easy, kid-friendly recipe. Perfect.
