Lifestyle
The Best Holiday Cookie Recipes
It’s the most wonderful time of year and Team LIY is fully embracing having a few extra sweet treats around for the holidays! In the spirit of the season, we’re sharing our go-to cookie recipes – tried & true crowd pleasers for all your holiday festivities. Sorry Santa, we’re not sharing these. 
Break out the KitchenAid Mixer, friends. Here are Our Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes!
Reindeer Peanut Butter Blossoms
Reindeer Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Shortening
- 1 Cup Peanut Butter
- 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspooon Salt
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar for decoration
- 1 Bag Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups unwrapped
- 1 Bag Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses unwrapped
- 1 Bag Edible Candy Eyes
- 1 Bag Red Candy Chocolates
- 1 Bag Mini Twisted Pretzels
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, mix together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until blended. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until mixed in. Add the milk and vanilla extract.
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In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the peanut butter mixture until blended.
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Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss or peanut butter cup into each cookie. Apply the candy eyes and the red chocolate to the peanut butter cups for the noses. Break the pretzels in half and insert at the top of the cookie for the antlers.
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Allow the cookies to cool before eating. Enjoy!
Little Grannie No Bake Cookies
Little Grannie No Bake Cookies
My great grannie would make these no bake cookies for so many special occasions and all of the kids, grand kids, and great grand kids couldn't wait to open their Christmas present each year from her: a wrapped tissue box filled with our yummy "little grannie" [aka no bake or peanut butter oatmeal" cookies. I hope these bring a smile to your face [and belly] as much as they do for me!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cup oats
- 1/2 cup milk I used almond milk
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cup quick oats
Instructions
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Prep: lay out a sheet of wax paper large enough to drop cookies! You will want this ready before you start.
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Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan
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Stir and cook on medium heat until it starts to boil
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As it starts to boil, watch and count to 60 [most important step!]
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Remove from heat and add in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla
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Stir and drop on wax paper in preferred cookie size
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Let the cookies "set" for about an hour
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ENJOY!
Notes
Serving size depends on size of cookie scoops!
Holly Berry Cookies
Holly Berry Cookies
These cookies have been a sweet, holiday tradition for my family for the past few years! They are easy to make but bring a festive and unique bite to any Holiday party….or hey a party any time of year!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Pillsbury white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough square package
- 1-6 oz Dried cranberries use to preference!
- 3/4 cup Chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 tsp Orange extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
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Put the softened cookie dough in a large bowl, add the other ingredients and blend with your hands.
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Drop onto the cookie sheet at whatever size you prefer.
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Bake for approximately 12 minutes. I wouldn’t not over bake! They are best a bit chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges.
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Enjoy!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Taken straight from the Betty Crocker website!
Servings 72
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Vegetable Oil
- 4 Oz Unsweetened Baking Chocolate melted and cooled
- 2 C Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 4 Eggs
- 2 C Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Powdered Sugar to coat before baking
Instructions
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In large bowl – mix Oil, melted and cooled Chocolate, Granulated Sugar and Vanilla.
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Stir in Eggs, one at a time.
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Stir in Flour, Baking Powder and Salt
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.
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Heat oven to 350°. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Create small balls of dough using spoons. Roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place on cookie sheet.
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Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Snowman Turds
Snowman Turds
Russian Tea Cakes reimagined , making it festive and fun for your kids!
Servings 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 16 tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cup powdered sugar for rolling cookies
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Toast nuts on a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing often.
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In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla, until smooth.
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Add flour and salt and continue mixing until no streaks of flour remain. The mixture will be lumpy. Use a firm spatula to fold in the nuts until evenly incorporated.
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Use a firm spatula to fold in the chopped nuts until evenly incorporated.
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Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a clean baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Bake at 400˚F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden at the base.
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Fill a bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar and roll the cookie balls in it while they are still very warm then transfer to a platter to cool completely.
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Once cookies are at room temperature, roll them in more powdered sugar to get perfect little snowballs. Cookies may be stored up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Notes
Recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen
Rolo Cookies
Rolo Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Package Individually Wrapped Carmel Rolos
Instructions
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Preheat Oven to 350°
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Grease cookie sheet
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Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil
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Unwrap Rolos
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Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the Rolo, covering the Rolo completely. Use enough dough to just cover the rolo evenly.
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Place on greased cookie sheet
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Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until edges are starting to crack.
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Let cool then sprinkle with powdered sugar!
Notes
Recipe from Six Sister’s Stuff
Andes Mint Cookies
Andes Mint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter Softened
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 1 Egg
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup Andes Mint Baking Pieces
- 24 Andes Mints
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°
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In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
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In a large bowl beat together softened butter and sugars until fluffy
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Beat in the vanilla and mint extracts.
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Beat in the egg.
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Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined
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Stir in the Andes Mint baking pieces.
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Form dough into about the size of a 1" balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Place refrigerated cookie dough on greased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and immediately place one Andes Mint on top of the cookie. Let melt.
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Once the Andes Mint has melted, gently spread the top of the cookie with a knife to coat evenly.
Notes
Recipe from Chocolate with Grace
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter, Softened
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Sprinkles
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix softened butter and sugars together until fully combined.
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Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add flour, baking soda, and salt – mix until no streaks of flour remain. Add sprinkles and slowly mix until combined.
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Scoop or create dough balls [optional] onto baking sheet. Top cookies with a few extra sprinkles. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Let cool before transferring from baking sheet. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
Servings 24
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, yolk and white separated
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
- 15 caramels (such as Kraft)
- 2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
- flaky or course sea salt
Instructions
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In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high spread until slightly pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg yolk (set egg white aside in a bowl in refrigerator) and vanilla extract.
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Blend in buttermilk. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
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Shape dough into a ball and drop onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten dough into a 6-inch disk then wrap with plastic wrap and chill 45 minutes, until slightly firm (or up to 1 day. If chilling longer than a few hours, I'd recommend letting the dough rest at room temperature a bit so the dough isn't too firm and cracking when making indentations).
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove egg white from refrigerator and whisk vigorously until frothy. Place finely chopped pecans in a bowl.
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Shape dough into 1-inch balls then working with one at a time, drop into egg white and roll to evenly coat then lift and allow excess egg white to run off and immediately place in bowl with chopped pecans and roll to evenly coat.
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Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets and make a deep indentation with thumb in the center of each dough ball.
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Bake in preheated oven until set, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven then using the bottom of a rounded tsp, gently press down on existing indentation. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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For the topping:
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Place caramels and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat mixture in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each intercal until melted and smooth. Spoon caramel into indentation in cookies and sprinkle tops with a small pinch of sea salt.
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Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted slightly from Cooking Classy
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