Photo, Erik Putz.
While we believe all of our holiday cookie recipes are worth baking, 200-plus batches is probably a bit much—no matter how much of a head start you like to get on your winter baking.
Instead, we've rounded up 20 of our most searched, most clicked and most baked recipes to help you narrow down your options. From chocolate crinkle to gingerbread, a millionaire bar and more than a few excellent shortbread options, this list is sure to spark some holiday baking inspiration. Want to see our whole cookie recipe archive anyway? We've got you!
One of our most popular cookie recipes ever! Each bite of these delicate, buttery cookies melts in your mouth. Get the recipe of whipped shortbread cookies.
Chewy, spicy and delicious, these ginger crackle cookies are a classic at Christmas (and any other time of year). Get our ginger crackle cookies here.
These shortbreads are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Between our chocolate, lemon, and Skor bar variations, that festive cookie tin you keep stocked for drop-by guests won’t stay full for long. Get our ultimate shortbread cookies recipe here.
Fudgy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and dipped into (yes more) chocolate, these cookies are holiday perfection. Get our holiday brownie cookies recipe here.
Make giving extra special with these beautiful, edible tree ornaments. Get our classic gingerbread cookie recipe here.
This decadent no-bake dessert bar is named after the city in British Columbia where the recipe originated, likely in the 1950s. Get our classic nanaimo bars recipe here.
No more cookie cutters, finicky doughs or long chill times: These sugar cookies require hardly any effort, but you wouldn’t know by looking at them! Get our no-roll sugar cookies with royal icing recipe here.
As beautiful as they are tasty, these cookies add cranberries to whipped shortbread. Get our whipped shortbread spritz cookies recipe here.
Some of our kitchen team find traditional Nanaimo bars too sweet, so we developed a bar we all could love. Thanks to cocoa powder, salted almonds and much less sugar, we got it. Get our salted-almond nanaimo bars recipe here.
These sweet almond cookies can be shaped into stars with a piping bag. No piping bag? No problem. Just roll into small rounds and coat in extra sugar. Get our gluten-free Amaretti cookies recipe here.
A savoury take on one of the holiday’s most popular cookie recipes. From thyme to rosemary, parsley or oregano, the options are are delicious.Get our savoury herb shortbread cookies recipe here.
Our triple-tested sugar cookies are also infinitely adaptable. Try our pistachio ginger and vanilla bean variations, included in this recipe. Get our easy sugar cookies recipe here.
This decadent square—with a shortbread base, caramel filling and melted chocolate top—is thought to have originated in Scotland. We use store-bought toffee bits to streamline the caramel-making. Get our millionaire shortbread bars recipe here.
Calgary-based Crave Cupcakes first started selling this dark chocolate cookie 17 years ago. This version has a hint of mint and is decorated with a fun green chocolate drizzle and mini chocolate chips.Get our mint chip chocolate recipe here.
This recipe, from Newmarket, Ont.’s Nutmeg Bakeshop, is a delicious spin on the holiday sugar cookie. The browned butter, as well as a generous amount of both salt and vanilla, give it some added depth. Get our brown butter confetti cookies recipe here.
This unique gingerbread cookie from Kooky Biscuiterie in Sherbrooke, Que. is soft and chewy. The bakery’s customers say that eating one is like having a piece of Christmas in your mouth. Get our glazed gingerbread cookies recipe here.
This recipe from Whisk and Sugar bakery in Charlottetown yields a classic, soft and fudgy holiday cookie that’s perfect for any party or cookie exchange. They’re sure to please even the pickiest cookie or chocolate lover. Get our vegan chocolate crinkle cookies recipe here.
This ultra-chocolatey cookie strikes the perfect balance between fudgy chewy inside and crisp crackle outside. Get our double-chocolate brownie cookie recipe here.
Cherries and pistachios make a wonderful Christmas combo in this delightful shortbread cookie recipe from Sable Shortbread in Kentville, N.S. Roast your pistachios ahead of time and use the best-quality maraschino cherries you can find (Sable uses Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino Cherries). Get our cherry pistachio shortbread recipe here.
Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.