If Thanksgiving is all about the pie, Christmas is definitely about the cookies. There are so many enticing varieties of the hand-held treat, it’s nearly impossible to choose which ones to chow down on every year. Given the state of the world, we all deserve a bottomless cookie jar of sweet, sweet oblivion.
But since your stomach can only hold so much, how to decide which cookies to prioritize during your yuletide binge? We’re here to help, with a ranking of the 10 best holiday and Christmas cookies to shove in your pie hole. So get baking, or go on a cookie shopping spree, because there’s plenty of time left to indulge this holiday season.
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Christmas Cookies 2020
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10. Snowball Cookies
These poppable treats are made from nut-flavored doughs (often pecan or almond), then rolled in copious amounts of powdered sugar. They're messy, but oh-so-worth the frosted fingers.
Photo: karamba70 (Getty Images)
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9. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate and powdered sugar make for a chewy, sweet, and complex holiday cookie eating experience.
Photo: Martysjahlushyk (Getty Images)
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8. Linzer Cookies
These festive treats originated in Austria. They're made from an almond-flavored dough, which is rolled out, cut out, then filled with preserves. Think of them as mini-pies, in cookie form.
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7. Eggnog Cookies
Even if you're not an eggnog fan, we have a feeling you'll enjoy these cookies. It's double the eggnog flavor, in both the cookie itself and in the frosting, without the weird mouthfeel (and upset stomach) that accompanies a cup of eggnog.
Photo: Betty Crocker
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6. Frosted Sugar Cookies
Hello, sugar rush! These cookies are among our faves because of the decorating fun, but because they're overly sweet and sometimes on the stale side, they didn't rank higher on our list.
Photo: Artem Orlyanskiy / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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5. Molasses Cookies
Similar to gingersnaps, which are so hard that they "snap" when you bite into them, these cookies offer up that subtle kick of spice but in a chewy, soft cookie. The subtle, sophisticated flavor is a welcome change from the excessively sweet taste of other Christmas cookies.
Photo: Mehrab (Getty Images)
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4. Candy Cane Cookies
Bakers make these tasty treats with either a vanilla or chocolate cookie base studded with crushed peppermint or candy canes. We like the pairing of earthy chocolate with cool, refreshing peppermint.
Photo: Tracey Kusiewicz/Foodie Photography (Getty Images)
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3. Reindeer Cookies
For sweet tooths who like a little salt on the side, there are reindeer cookies, a combo that involves a peanut butter cookie decorated to look like a reindeer's face with pretzel antlers and an M&M nose. They're adorable and irresistible.
Photo: StockFood (Getty Images)
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2. Peanut Butter Blossoms
Lovers of peanut butter and chocolate eagerly await the arrival of these holiday cookies to the dessert table. Soft peanut butter cookies are adorned with a single Hershey's kiss. It's simple but so very satisfying.
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1. Gingerbread People
These isn't a holiday cookie more iconic than this one. Aside from the delicious combo of gingerbread and icing, these cookies are the most fun to make. From adding clothing, hair, and accessories to putting the gingerbread people in compromising positions, there's simply no substitute for gingerbread people when it comes to celebrating the holidays.
Photo: Hybrid Images (Getty Images)
