Holiday Cookie Recipe Roundup - Simply Better Living (2024)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which means one thing: holiday cookies! Cookies are one of our favorite things to bake because they are not too complicated and can be made with so many different flavor combinations—the options are endless! Baking a holiday treat not only makes your kitchen smell incredible but also is a delicious and thoughtful gift for friends or family.

We’re rounding up some of our favorite cookies to bake during December and can’t wait for you to try them out! Pro tip: enjoy any of these recipes with a cold glass of your milk of choice and a festive movie to get in the spirit!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you’re looking for a soft brownie-like cookie, then this recipe is for you! The peppermint extract and crushed candy cane topping complement the deep chocolatey flavor, making this a delicious choice for your holiday cookie exchange!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 2 eggs large
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract optional
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the Sharp European Convection Oven to 350º F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix to combine. Set aside.
3. Add the melted coconut oil, and stir in. Next, add the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick and sticky.
4. Chill the dough for 1-2 hours. This step is important if you’d like your cookies to have a thick coating of powdered sugar. Coating the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar while the dough is still sticky will result in the powdered sugar mostly dissolving and leaving only a thin layer of powdered sugar.
5. Once the dough is chilled, scoop it out in 1 tablespoon scoops, and roll into balls. Roll each ball into the powdered sugar, and optionally, into the candy cane. Press the balls hard into the candy cane to get it to stick well.
6. Place the coated cookie dough balls on a large baking sheet, with space between each ball for spreading.
7. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Coconut Macaroons

These adorable dark chocolate and peppermint macaroons are a mindful choice this holiday season and are made without refined sugar. We love this recipe because you can substitute it in any of your favorite flavors if you’re not a fan of peppermint. Other yummy flavors we love are vanilla, orange, and almond – the choice is yours!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 egg whites *carefully separate, so there is no yolk
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2-1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 1/4 cup coconut *fine shred or macaroon shred
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add egg whites and honey to a bowl and use a whisk to beat the mixture until it becomes light and foamy. The idea isn’t to form peaks, like a meringue, but to make the mixture very foamy. This should take 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in the peppermint extra (or other flavoring desired), and then the coconut. Use a spoon to coat the coconut fully.
3. Using a rounded tablespoon or a cookie scoop, pack the coconut mixture into a ball shape, and place on a lined baking tray. This recipe makes about 20 tablespoons sized cookies.
4. In the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven, set the oven to BAKE/REHEAT at 350 degrees, and bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned on top.
5. To bake these in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 16-18 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned.

Gingerbread Cookies

It’s not the holidays without gingerbread! This recipe from the Minimalist Baker is great to make for guests who may have a gluten allergy or follow a vegan diet. We love the tradition of baking these warm, spiced cookies every year and decorating them with our family!

Ingredients

• 1batchflax egg
• 1/2cupbrown sugar
• 1/4cupalmond butter
• 3Tbspmolasses
• 1/4cupvegan butter(softened)
• 3/4tspginger
• 1/2tspcinnamon
• 1/4tspnutmeg(optional)
• 1/4tspsalt
• 1/2tspbaking soda
• 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 cups gluten-free baking/pancake mix

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax egg by mixing flax and water and rest for 5 minutes.
2. Add softened butter, molasses, almond butter, brown sugar, salt, spices, baking soda, beat on low with a mixer, or vigorously whisk.
3. Add gluten-free baking mix to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir until well combined. Your dough should hold its shape when pressed but not feel dry. I found that 1.5 cups (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) was about the perfect amount, but this will depend on your blend.
4. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (preferably overnight).
5. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (176 C). Carefully roll out dough to a little thicker than 1/8 inch between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment/wax paper, generously sprinkling the bottom layer and the top of the dough with white or brown rice flour before rolling. You don’t want it too thin, or they’ll be too crisp.
6. Remove the top sheet and, working quickly, dip your cookie cutters in rice flour and cut out shapes. Next, lift the plastic wrap (with all of the dough) and place it on a baking sheet or large plate and freeze for 5 minutes to let them firm up. This will make them easier to transfer to your baking sheet for baking.
7. Next, use a lightly floured spatula to carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, working quickly. Leave 2 inches for spreading.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they appear only slightly browned on the edges. They’ll continue firming up as they sit on the pan. Let rest on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
9. Once cooled, decorate with frosting or sprinkle with powdered sugar. I think a perfect, simple frosting option is piping on a mix of 2 cups icing sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter, and 1-2 Tbsp almond milk (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Just make sure it’s on the thicker side, so it doesn’t run.
10. Store covered at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer-term storage. The batch should make between 25-35 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter / or if you decide not to cut them and roll them into balls.

Classic Sugar Cookies

If you’re looking for a classic holiday sugar cookie, we’ve got you covered! This recipe from Dinner at the Zoo uses less than 7 ingredients to make and are a great way to get your children involved in cutting out the different shapes or decorating with icing and sprinkles.

INGREDIENTS

Sugar Cookies:

• 1cupunsalted buttersoftened
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2eggs
• 1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract
• 1/2teaspoonsalt
• 3cupsall-purpose flour
• 3/4cupChristmas sprinkles

Frosting:

• 1cupunsalted buttersoftened
• 5cupspowdered sugarplus more if needed
• 2teaspoonsvanilla extract
• 1/4cupheavy creamplus more if needed
• gel food colorings

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookies:

1. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
3. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly mix in the flour until thoroughly combined
4. Remove the dough from the bowl. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before you plan to bake your cookies.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
6. Divide the dough in half. Re-wrap one half of the dough and place it in the fridge. Roll the remaining dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.
7. Using a 3-4-inch sized Christmas cookie cutters, cut out as many shapes as you can from the dough.
8. Re-roll the dough and repeat the process until you’ve filled your first baking sheet. Cookies should be spaced 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet.
9. Place the pan of cookies in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are set, and the edges are just barely turning brown.
11. Cool the cookies completely
12. Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough that you previously put in the refrigerator.

For the frosting:

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer. Beat for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat until smooth and creamy.
4. If the frosting seems too thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
5. If the frosting seems too thin, you can add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
6. Divide the frosting into bowls and add your desired food colors to each bowl; stir to combine.
7. After the cookies have cooled, spread a layer of frosting over each one and add sprinkles on top.
8. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s just something so nostalgic about a classic chocolate chip cookie—there’s a reason why it’s a favorite! This recipe results in a crispy edge and chewy center cookie, studded with lots of sweet chocolate throughout. Bonus: these can be made under 30 minutes and bake best in our SuperSteam+ Built-In Wall Oven!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter melted, but not hot
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the Sharp SuperSteam+ Built-In Wall Oven on Convection Bake at 350º F for 1 tray.
2. Line both baking trays with parchment paper.
3. Into a stand mixer bowl, add butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Using the paddle attachment, mix until the sugars are creamed with the butter.
4. Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine.
5. Add the flour and continue to mix until a crumbly batter forms. The mixture will look slightly dry but will stick together when pressed into balls.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks using a spoon.
7. Using a 4-teaspoon cookie scoop, tightly pack dough and line 12 cookies on a baking tray, about 1 inch apart to allow for spreading.

If you try any of these recipes out, be sure to tag us on social media to see! From our team here at Sharp, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.