Ready to make this year’s cookie tray the best it’s ever been? Here are 15 cookie ideas, each with a detailed, personality-packed description—no ingredient lists, just enough friendly inspiration to get you baking (and maybe even laughing). Let’s start turning your kitchen into the hottest December destination.
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Picture this: your classic snickerdoodle, only with a secret weapon—brown butter. The butter gets toasted until it turns nutty and golden, infusing the whole cookie dough with a subtle caramel note. The result? A cookie that’s chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and rolled in just the right mix of cinnamon and sugar. Each bite is both comforting and just a little bit fancy—the kind of cookie that makes people ask, “What’s your secret?” (Hint: it’s not love; it’s butter, brown butter.)
Lemon Ricotta Drop Cookies
Soft, pillowy, and impossibly light, these cookies are like sunshine on a plate. The ricotta cheese keeps them moist without making them heavy, while bright lemon zest and juice add a zingy freshness. Glazed with a simple lemon icing, they look delicate but eat like a holiday hug. If you want a cookie that feels both wholesome and a little indulgent, this is your go-to.
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
Ever wish you could eat a cinnamon roll without the drama of yeast and rising dough? These sugar cookies swirl brown sugar and cinnamon right into a buttery base. They bake up soft with just a hint of chew, and once glazed, they’re the perfect cross between a sugar cookie and your favorite breakfast treat. This is the cookie for people who like their desserts with a little morning nostalgia.
Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Festive doesn’t even begin to cover these. Alternating swirls of chocolate and peppermint dough make each cookie a visual stunner—perfect for brightening up any cookie box. The mint is cool and refreshing, the chocolate rich and deep, and together, they’re the definition of holiday decadence. Crushed candy canes on top? Mandatory. Santa would approve.
Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
If oatmeal cookies and holiday cheer had a baby, this would be it. Chewy oats, tart dried cranberries, and creamy white chocolate chips come together in a cookie that’s soft, satisfying, and just a little bit wholesome. They’re the kind of cookie you can feel good about eating (and sharing, if you’re feeling generous). Bonus? That pop of red from the cranberries is pure holiday eye candy.
S’mores Stuffed Cookies
Imagine a thick, buttery chocolate chip cookie—now stuff it with a marshmallow and a hunk of chocolate. Baking turns the whole thing into a gooey, melty wonder, with graham cracker crumbs adding a nostalgic campfire crunch. These are messy, indulgent, and ridiculously fun. Just don’t blame me if your family starts asking for s’mores year-round.
Spiced Molasses Crinkles
Deep, dark, and not too sweet, these cookies are all about the spices—ginger, cinnamon, cloves—and lots of molasses. Rolled in sugar before baking, they develop a signature crackled top and a chewy middle. These are the cookies for people who like their holidays with a little old-fashioned warmth. They’re perfect with coffee, even better with memories.
Matcha White Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Vivid green from matcha powder, these cookies look cool before they even hit the oven. Powdered sugar gives them that classic crinkle, and white chocolate chunks add creamy contrast to matcha’s subtle bitterness. They’re modern, unexpected, and just the thing to impress your trendier friends. Instagram will thank you.
Gingerbread Yule Log Cookies
Roll out your gingerbread dough, pipe a stripe of Nutella (or chocolate ganache), then roll it up into mini logs. Bake until just firm, then glaze and add a little lime zest for brightness. These look like tiny Yule logs and taste like your favorite gingerbread with a chocolatey surprise. The kind of cookie that turns heads—and empties plates.
Candy Cane Cookies
These are basically edible holiday decorations. Peppermint-flavored dough, twisted into candy cane shapes, with classic red-and-white stripes. They’re crispy, minty, and so much fun to decorate—especially if you have kids (or just want to feel like one). The taste is pure winter magic, and they make your whole kitchen smell like Christmas.
Eggnog Cookies
Creamy, rich, and spiced with nutmeg, these cookies taste just like eggnog in solid form. Soft, almost cake-like, and dusted with extra nutmeg, they’re pure comfort. If you love the drink but want less mess (or just want to soak up spilled nog), this is your cookie. Bonus points if you serve them with actual eggnog—living dangerously.
Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies
Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of black pepper come together in a buttery sugar cookie for a cozy, sophisticated twist. The spices are warm without being overwhelming, and the texture is just right—crisp at the edges, soft in the middle. These cookies are best dunked in chai tea (or coffee, if you’re a rebel).
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Dark, milk, and white chocolate chunks all crammed into a brown butter cookie—this is the cookie for people who can’t decide which chocolate they love most. The brown butter makes the whole thing taste richer, caramelized, and just a little grown-up. A pinch of sea salt on top? That’s the chef’s kiss moment.
Snow Globe Sugar Cookies
These aren’t just cookies; they’re a conversation starter. Sugar cookies cut into circles, decorated with royal icing as a “globe,” and filled with tiny winter scenes—snowmen, trees, you name it. They’re fun to make, beautiful to look at, and taste sweetly classic. Kids (and Instagram) will go wild for these.
Peppermint Bark Cookies
Crunchy shortbread base, a layer of rich dark chocolate, creamy white chocolate, and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes—this cookie is basically peppermint bark in portable form. They pack a punch of flavor, look super festive, and disappear fast. If you want a cookie that screams “holiday,” this is your guy.
Your Cookie Game Just Got a Whole Lot Stronger
So, what’s it gonna be? The classic comfort of brown butter snickerdoodles, the zesty joy of lemon ricotta drops, or the showstopping fun of snow globe cookies? No need to choose—mix, match, and let your cookie trays tell a story this year.
Want variety? Throw in a few wildcards. Spice things up for the adults, keep it sweet and simple for the kids, and be sure to save a couple for Santa. Who knows—maybe he’ll leave you an extra present for all your hard work.
Need a challenge? Try a new shape, a new flavor, or a new decorating idea. Cookie baking is about fun, memories, and a little bit of chaos. Embrace it. Enjoy it. And most of all, eat it.
