29 Last-Minute Holiday Bakes You Can Make in 30 Minutes

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Using hot cocoa mix and marshmallow bits in the cookie dough really makes these hot chocolate cookies taste like the cozy drink. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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Christmas M&M’s Cookies

These M&M Christmas cookies make any cookie platter feel festive. Swap in pastel M&M’s for Easter and orange and brown for Halloween. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Here's proof that peanut butter and chocolate just belong together. These peanut butter blossom cookies are an easy family favorite and never fails to make my children smile. —Tammie Merrill, Wake Forest, North Carolina

Raspberry Coconut Balls

My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois

Contest-Winning Chocolate Mint Cookies

My dad sandwiches mint patties between two tender chocolate cookies to create these chewy treats. The blend of chocolate and mint is a big hit at our house. Best of all, these cookies are easy and fun to make. —Christina Burbage, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy and studded with tangy dried cherries. It’s a good thing the recipe makes only a small batch, because we eat them all in one night! —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

Peppermint Puff Pastry Sticks

I wanted to impress my husband's family with something you'd expect to find in a European bakery, and these chocolaty treats are what I came up with. The flaky pastry melts in your mouth. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

Cherry Cookies

With a tall glass of ice-cold milk, a couple of these cherry cookies really hit the spot for dessert or a snack. The coconut and bits of cherries provide a fun look and texture. —Judy Clark, Elkhart, Indiana

Cherry Kiss Cookies

Topped with a chocolate kiss, these cherry-flavored cookies look super cute on a dessert tray. Share them with family and friends. —Joy Yurk, Grafton, Wisconsin

Coconut Cranberry Yummies

When my husband came home from the grocery store with six bags of fresh cranberries, I launched a full-scale effort to creatively use them all. Bursting with tart and sweet flavors, these cranberry coconut cookies are my favorite result from that experiment. —Amy Alberts, Appleton, Wisconsin

Snickerdoodles

The history of these whimsically named treats has been widely disputed, but their popularity is undeniable. Help yourself to one of our soft cinnamon-sugared cookies and see for yourself. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Holiday Thumbprint Cookies

Speckled with chopped nuts and topped with a candied cherry, these tender cookies will disappear fast.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Cranberry Pecan Cookies

These are so tasty and simple to prepare! Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and vanilla, giving them the taste of a treat that’s been slaved over. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Nothing beats these quick muffins for irresistible, homemade pumpkin pie flavor. Serve them with any meal or as a satisfying snack. —Michel Karkula, Chandler, Arizona

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Folks who adore the classic cookies will enjoy that same beloved flavor in these chocolate chip bars. This blondie recipe can be mixed up in a jiffy, tastes wonderful, and is perfect for occasions when company drops by unexpectedly or you need a treat in a hurry. —Rhonda Knight, Hecker, Illinois

Chocolate Mint Creams

This recipe came from an old family friend and is always high on everyone's cookie request list. I make at least six batches for Noel nibbling and give some away as gifts. —Beverly Fehner, Gladstone, Missouri

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

When I baked this moist, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe for the first time, my three preschool children went wild over them! But I like them because they're lower in fat and easy to mix and bake. —Maria Groff, Ephrata, Pennsylvania

Frosted Red Velvet Cookies

My student job in college was in the bakery. These dreamy morsels take me back to that special place and time. Red velvet lovers will appreciate this fun take on the cake. —Christina Petri, Alexandria, Minnesota

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don't care for crunchy gingersnaps. —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho

Gluten-Free Snowballs

I took a classic holiday cookie and made it gluten-free. It’s now my husband’s favorite Christmas cookie. They’re so buttery, nutty and sweet—and everyone loves how they crumble in your mouth.
—Joan Sarge, Asheville, North Carolina

Sinterklaas Cookies

After opening our gifts on Christmas Eve as children, we would make these cookies for Santa Claus to snack on with his glass of milk. The crisp spice cookies are delicious dipped in that milk—or in your coffee on Christmas morning. —Charli Fontana, Pella, Iowa

Candied Fruit Cookies

These no-fuss candied fruit cookies are both nutty and fruity, so they're always a hit at holiday time. —Florence Monson, Denver, Colorado

Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, and they go fast. You may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

These dainty cookies just melt in your mouth. I enjoy making them for get-togethers when there are lots of people around to enjoy them. —Mary Lou Welsh, Hinsdale, Illinois

Raspberry Almond Strips

Get ready to pour yourself a cup of tea, because you won’t be able to resist sampling one of these cookies. Almonds add taste and texture to the simple strips that are dressed up with raspberry pie filling. —Taste of HomeTest Kitchen

Gluten-Free Sugarplums

Lots of moist, fruity flavor and nutty crunch give these sweet/spicy bites a kind of gumdrop richness. They make a delicious addition to cookie trays. Sneak one early—they’ll be gone before you can lick the sugar off your fingers! —Corleen Heidgerken, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cherry Kisses

Cookies that melt in your mouth and are practically fat-free—is it any wonder these crispy meringue morsels disappear as fast as I can whip them up? Friends and family love them. —Jo Ann Blomquest, Freeport, Illinois

Fruitcake Cookies

These old-fashioned goodies are fun, colorful and chewy without being sticky. —Dorcas Wright, Guelph, Ontario

Miniature Peanut Butter Treats

This recipe is one of my family's favorites, and I make the treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have three children and eight grandchildren, and every one of them loves those "peanut butter thingies," as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma