15 Make-Ahead Holiday Cookie Recipes to Bake Now

Get ahead of the holiday rush. These 15 cookies are made for making ahead — bake now, freeze, and enjoy fresh-tasting treats all season long.

Below you’ll find 15 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Classic Sugar Cookies

Buttery, soft, and perfect for decorating.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup sprinkles

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour and baking powder.
4. Chill 1 hour; roll and cut.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

2. Gingerbread Men

Spicy-sweet holiday icons, ready to decorate.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add molasses.
3. Combine; chill 2 hours.
4. Roll, cut, and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
5. Decorate with icing.

3. Snickerdoodles

Tangy, chewy, cinnamon-sugar classics.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp cinnamon sugar

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs.
3. Combine; chill 30 minutes.
4. Roll in cinnamon sugar.
5. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes.

4. Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter cookies crowned with chocolate kisses.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 24 chocolate kisses

Instructions

1. Cream butters and sugar.
2. Beat in egg.
3. Mix in flour and soda.
4. Roll into balls; bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
5. Press a kiss into each warm cookie.

5. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Fudgy centers with crackled snowy tops.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Mix flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
2. Whisk sugar, oil, and eggs.
3. Combine; chill 4 hours.
4. Roll in powdered sugar.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

6. Buttery Shortbread Cookies

Melt-in-your-mouth buttery simplicity.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

1. Cream butter and powdered sugar.
2. Add vanilla and zest.
3. Mix in flour and salt.
4. Press into a pan; score.
5. Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.

7. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chewy, hearty, and full of plump raisins.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups oats

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, soda, and cinnamon.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs.
3. Stir in oats and raisins.
4. Scoop onto sheets.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

8. Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery rounds with jewel-like jam centers.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup jam

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour and baking powder.
4. Roll balls; press thumbs in centers.
5. Fill with jam; bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

9. Chewy Molasses Cookies

Dark, spicy, and irresistibly chewy.

Ingredients

• 2.25 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add molasses.
3. Combine; chill 1 hour.
4. Roll in sugar.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

10. Snowball Cookies

Nutty shortbread snowballs rolled in powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add vanilla and pecans.
3. Mix in flour and salt.
4. Roll into balls.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes; roll in sugar twice.

11. Holiday Spritz Cookies

Buttery pressed cookies in festive shapes.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup colored sprinkles

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour and baking powder.
4. Press through a cookie press.
5. Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.

12. Pecan Sandies

Crumbly, nutty, old-fashioned favorites.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups pecans, chopped
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar

Instructions

1. Cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Add vanilla and pecans.
3. Mix in flour and salt.
4. Roll into logs; chill 1 hour.
5. Slice; bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

13. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Festive red-and-white holiday showstoppers.

Ingredients

• 2.25 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs.
3. Fold in chips and cranberries.
4. Scoop onto sheets.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.

14. Double Chocolate Cookies

Intensely chocolatey with melty chips throughout.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, cocoa, and soda.
2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs.
3. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Scoop onto sheets.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.

15. Linzer Cookies

Elegant sandwich cookies with jam peeking through.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour and baking powder.
4. Cut tops and bottoms; bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
5. Sandwich with jam; dust with sugar.