The holiday season is here, and if you’re anything like me, you’re checking off your Christmas baking bucket list. This year, mine’s jam-packed with festive treats made for sharing. I’m particularly excited to get cracking on my grandma’s signature fruitcake cookies and a batch of pillow-soft Peppermint Meltaways. But over the last few years, I’ve learned that a holiday baking marathon becomes an event of its own. In fact, it’s one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season.
To prepare for this year’s baking days, I’ve prepared a master plan:
- Block off a few hours in the kitchen.
- Give my oven its annual check-up.
- Gather all the special ingredients. (Because let’s face it, those neon green-and-red candied fruits can be impossible to find!)
But there’s one last thing to do: Create the ultimate holiday playlist.
That’s right. The only way to kick off a cookie-baking marathon in my house is to fill the kitchen with holiday cheer that can only come in the form of music. I make sure to have a playlist of all my favorite seasonal songs revved up while I get my bake on. Seasonal tunes just make spending time in the kitchen so much more fun. Cream butter to Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas” or a decorate cutouts to a laid-back cover of “Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer” from Jack Johnson. Plus, music means I can have a spur-of-the-moment dance party while the cookies bake!
Ready to jingle bell rock? Check out the playlist, below.
I hope these holiday jams add as much cheer to your kitchen as they do to mine. Though, I will admit that my favorite sounds of the season are the giggles that (inevitably) come from friends and family when we realize we forgot to add an ingredient to our cookie mix!
Add Our Best Christmas Cookie Recipes to Your Lineup
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Almond Spritz Cookies
This almond spritz cookies recipe can be left plain or decorated with colored sugar and frosting. In our house, it just wouldn't be Christmas without some cookie press recipes.—Tanya Hart, Muncie, Indiana
Gingerbread Men Cookies
No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread man cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I'm happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland
Vanilla-Butter Sugar Cookies
These are one of my favorite cookies to bake for Christmas. The dough recipe is versatile and you can use it for other holidays, too. Children like to help with decorating. —Cynthia Ettel, Glencoe, Minnesota
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
My group of friends had a weekly "movie night" during winters on Martha's Vineyard, and we'd take turns making a chocolate treat to share. These terrific cookies were an instant success. Once they debuted, I had to make them many more times. —Laura Bryant German, W. Warren, Massachusetts
Peppermint Biscotti
Dipped in melted chocolate and rolled in crushed peppermint candy, this flavorful biscotti is a favorite. It's one of the many sweets I make for Christmas. —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
Italian Rainbow Cookies
My family has made these classic Italian cookies for generations, and this homemade version is so much better than the bakery version. They are always a special treat during the holidays or any time of year!—Cindy Casazza, Hopewell, New Jersey
Peanut Butter Christmas Mice
With their black licorice tails, candy noses and peanut ears, these chewy "mice" were always a hit at classroom parties. My children are in their teens now, but they still ask me to make these cookies for the holidays. —Nancy Rowse, Bella Vista, Arkansas
Christmas Sandwich Cremes
These melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies have a scrumptious filling. I helped my sister make these in high school when she needed a project in her home economics class. She got an A+! —Janice Poechman, Walkerton, Ontario
Buttery Spritz Cookies
This tender spritz cookie recipe is very eye-catching on my Christmas cookie tray. The dough is easy to work with, so it's fun to make these spritz cookies into a variety of festive shapes. This is hands down the best spritz cookie recipe ever. —Beverly Launius, Sandwich, Illinois
Pizzelle
This recipe was adapted from one used by my Italian-born mother and grandmother. They used old irons on a gas stove, but now we have the convenience of electric pizzelle irons. The cookies are so delectable and beautiful, they're worth it! —Elizabeth Schwartz, Trevorton, Pennsylvania
Coconut Clouds
Coconut lovers will have extra reason to celebrate when they taste these cakelike drop cookies. The generous frosting and coconut topping make them a hit at holiday cookie swaps. —Donna Scofield, Yakima, Washington
Snickerdoodles
The history of this whimsically named treat is widely disputed, but the popularity of this classic cinnamon-sugar-coated cookie is undeniable! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Peppermint Meltaways
This recipe for peppermint meltaways is very pretty and festive-looking on a cookie platter. I often cover a plate of these peppermint cookies with red or green plastic wrap and a bright holiday bow in one corner. And yes, they really do melt in your mouth! —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan
Frosted Eggnog Cookies
Eggnog stars in both the cookie and frosting in this new-found recipe, imparting a subtle holiday flavor.—Amanda Taylor, Glen Ewen, Saskatchewan
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 18 cookies; they go fast so you may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Jeweled Coconut Drops
Red raspberry preserves add a festive flair to these tender coconut cookies. Perfect for potlucks and cookie exchanges, these shaped cookies never last long when I make them for my husband and two sons. -Ellen Marie Byler Munfordville, Kentucky
Dipped Gingersnaps
I get tremendous satisfaction making and giving time-tested yuletide treats like these soft, chewy cookies. Dipping them in white chocolate makes much-loved gingersnaps even more special. —Laura Kimball, West Jordan, Utah
Pistachio-Cranberry Rugelach
Traditional rugelach gets dressed up for the holiday with pistachios, cranberries, and snow-white icing. Rich but not too sweet! — Deborah Hinojosa, Saratoga, California
Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
I always make these chocolate cherry cookies for family gatherings, and they never last very long. They require a little extra effort, but they're worth it. —Marie Kinyon, Mason, Michigan
Scottish Shortbread
Scottish settlers first came to this area over 150 years ago. My mother herself was Scottish, and—as with most of my favorite recipes—she passed this on to me. I make a triple batch of it each year at Christmas, to enjoy and as gifts. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba
Holiday Almond Tassies
I make so many of these fancy tassies, I use up a 7-pound container of almond paste every year! They’re one of my family’s holiday favorites. —Donna Westhouse, Dorr, Michigan
Lemon Snowflakes
You’ll need just four items to whip up these delightful cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas
Jolly Ginger Reindeer Cookies
I made gingerbread cookies for years before realizing my gingerbread-man cutter becomes a reindeer when turned upside down. They’re super crispy and fun! —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Italian Pignoli Cookies
Cookies are the crown jewels of Italian confections. I can’t let a holiday go by without baking these traditional almond cookies rolled in mild pine nuts.—Maria Regakis, Somerville, Massachusetts
Fig & Almond Cookies
In our family, holiday cookies—like these nutty fig ones—are a big deal. I'm so proud to be passing on this Italian tradition to my two boys. —Angela Lemoine, Howell, New Jersey
Whipped Shortbread
These whipped shortbread christmas cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I'll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and ladies' teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta
Italian Christmas Cookies
A single batch of these ricotta cheese cookies is never enough. I usually make one to give away and two more to keep at home. The ricotta cheese makes the morsels extra moist. —Doris Marshall, Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Touch-of-Gold Christmas Trees
You can decorate these pretty Christmas trees with other types of sprinkles if you don't have the gold dust. The filling alone makes the cookies special and so delicious! —Linda Sweet, Cornwall, New York
Fruitcake Christmas Cookies
As holiday gifts, these rich fruit- and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. Make them ahead—the taste actually gets better over time! —Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa
Callahan Christmas Wreaths
When my family asked for good old Norwegian wreath cookies, I studied several recipes for ideas, then added my own special touches. — Cassidy Callahan, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
White Velvet Cutouts
We make and decorate these cutouts for different holidays and give lots of them as gifts. Last year, we baked a batch a week before Christmas to be sure we'd have plenty to give and plenty for ourselves, too. These rich cookies melt in your mouth. —Kim Hinkle, Wauseon, Ohio