I’m sort of a cookie fanatic, which is just one more reason why holiday cookies make this the BEST time of the year. Cookies, cookies, and more cookies. I can’t get enough!
I’ve been baking up a cookie storm in my kitchen lately, and today I’ve rounded up my favorite, must-make holiday cookies for this season! Some of my absolute favorites are Gooey Butter Cookies , Snowball Cookies , and my Grinch Cookies ! Check ’em out!
Holiday Cookies
Can’t you just smell it? Imagine when you are walking into your family party. As you walk through the door, you are overtaken with the most amazing smell of HOMEMADE COOKIES. It really doesn’t get any better than this! I mean, I guess the beautiful snow, the sight of all of the lights, and the family gathering together are all great too. But the cookies… That’s where it’s at for me! Holiday baking is what I live for during December!
It isn’t just holiday baking though. It’s specifically the cookies. I have rounded up all of my most favorite holiday cookies for you to look through all in one place! Good luck picking “the one” because they are all love at first taste! Ranging from sugar cookies to the classics like Linzer and Milano cookies to kid-loving ones like the grinch cookie… You are just going to have to get started early this year so that you can try them all! I know that you will love them!!
Baking Tips
This year is going to be YOUR year when it comes to holiday cookies! Once you’ve picked a recipe to try, read through these tips to ensure you are doing the basics just right. Then, you will be absolutely sure to bake the best cookies you’ve ever had!
- Chill AFTER rolling : Try rolling the sugar cookie dough before you let it chill in the fridge. It’s super soft, and you can just roll it between a few pieces of parchment paper. Then store it to chill!
- Round Cookies: If you want your cookies to be perfectly uniform in their size and shape, and you don’t have a round cookie cutter, try using an empty paper towel holder. You can use this as a cookie cutter, and all of your dough will be the exact same size! (This is helpful to evenly bake the cookies too!)
- Powdered Sugar: When you roll out cookie dough and need to spread something (usually flour) out onto the counter so that it doesn’t stick, try using powdered sugar instead! It works the same way, except it adds a tiny bit of sweetness to the holiday cookies, and it won’t dry them out!
- Bring the Baking Sheet to Room Temperature: Before you throw another batch of cookie dough onto that hot pan, let it cool down to room temperature. (Or you can run it through some cold water for it to cool faster.) This helps so that your butter doesn’t melt before the other ingredients, which will help the cookies not to spread.
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Italian Christmas Cookies
Linzer Cookies
Homemade Milano Cookies
Gingersnap Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookies
Grinch Cookies
Butter Cookies
White Chocolate Oreo Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Best Ever Molasses Cookies
The Best Sugar Cookies Ever!
Chocolate Peppermint Dipped Shortbread Cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pudding Cookies
Twix Thumbprint Cookies
Almond Thumbprint Cookies with a Salted Caramel Center
Meet my upgraded Twix thumbprint cookies! I re‑tested and updated the recipe so you’ll get defined wells, clean edges, and a tender center every time ! They are perfect for gift giving and cookie parties!
Why These Are Better Than The Real Deal
- Cookie Perfection : I discovered that chilling the cookies after scooping and indenting helps them hold their shape better!
- Silky caramel, Smooth Chocolate: If you use soft caramels and real melting chocolate (skip chips), you’ll get a smoother, silkier finish!
- Gifting & Parties: These cookies are show stoppers! They are great for cookie exchanges, neighbor gifts, or just a treat for yourself and your family.
A Reader’s Review
Love these! We make them every year and they go fast!
Twix Thumbprint Cookies Ingredients
- Chocolate: Skip chocolate chips; instead, use good quality chocolate bars, baking chocolate, candy coating chocolate, or chocolate melting wafers .
- Caramels: Use soft caramel candies like Werther’s or Kraft . You’ll need about 130g.
- Sea salt: Sprinkle flake sea salt right after drizzling the chocolate for that salty pop.
- Dairy‑free: If you need these to be dairy-free, you can u se butter-flavored shortening and swap the cream for coconut or almond milk.
How to Make Twix Thumbprint Cookies
Holy cow, these taste like a Twix in cookie form! I’m not admitting how many I “tested” before rushing a plate to the neighbors, but fair warning, they disappear fast! Here’s how to make them.
Make Cookies
- Combine Butter & Sugar: Add unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg & Vanilla: Add egg and vanilla extract , then mix again until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add flour and salt, and beat on low speed until fully combined and all the flour has been absorbed.
- Scoop & Indent: Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough onto parchment‑lined baking sheets. Indent each ball of dough with the back of a 1‑teaspoon measuring spoon , then chill 30–60 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F during the last 15 minutes of chilling. Arrange dough 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets. Bake 8–10 minutes, until the centers are matte but slightly soft. Re‑indent each cookie right out of the oven. Cool for 2 minutes on the sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
- Melt Caramel: Meanwhile, heat the caramel candies and heavy cream in the microwave. Do it in 15-20-second increments, stirring between each increment until fully melted and smooth.
Caramel Topping & Chocolate Drizzle
- Add Caramel: Spoon ~½ tsp caramel into each indent. If your caramel starts hardening, just warm it up in the microwave. Freeze for 5 minutes before adding the chocolate, so the caramel firms up.
- Melt & Drizzle Chocolate: Microwave the chocolate in 30‑second bursts, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a Ziploc bag , snip a corner, and drizzle over Twix thumbprint cookies. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired, and let set.
Alyssa’s Pro Tips
- Chill: Chilling the dough until firm, after you’ve made the indent, allows the butter to set and helps the cookies keep their shape.
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Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- ▢ ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 24 soft caramel candies about 130 grams
- ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ▢ 4 ounces milk chocolate melting chocolate or chopped baking chocolate
Instructions
- Add 1 cup softened unsalted butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and mix again until fully combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt and beat at low speed until fully combined and all the flour has been absorbed.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls and lay them out on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Use the back of a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to press an indent into the center of each ball. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- About 15 minutes before the dough is finished chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Arrange the chilled dough on parchment-lined baking sheets so there is 2 inches between each cookie, then bake for 8-10 minutes, until the centers of the cookies still look slightly underbaked, but have lost their sheen and turned matte.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use the same 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to reform the indent in the top of the cookie since it will puff up while the cookies bake. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Meanwhile, heat 24 soft caramel candies and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in the microwave in 15-20 second increments, stirring between each increment until they are fully melted and smooth.
- Use a teaspoon to fill the indentation in each cookie with caramel, about ½ teaspoon or so. Warm the caramel for 5-10 seconds in the microwave as needed to keep it liquid enough to spoon into the cookies.
- Melt 4 ounces milk chocolate melting chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, until fully melted and smooth, stirring between each increment. Add the melted chocolate to a small ziplock bag, then barely snip the corner of the bag off, and quickly drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired, and let them sit until the caramel and chocolate is fully set.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Airtight at room temp for up to 5 days; use parchment between stacked cookies.
- Freezing: Best Method: freeze unbaked (scooped + indented) up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 30–60 sec if needed. Or freeze baked, filled, drizzled cookies in layers with parchment up to 3 months; thaw 1–2 hours (caramel may weep).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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