This is my favorite Christmas baking list! Everything I’m planning to bake in 2024 is below — tried-and-true cookie recipes, a few new additions, and other holiday snacks I love to make and gift.
It’s the best time of year — my holiday baking list is here!
This huge tradition started with my grandma and has become the highlight of my season. I love hearing what others bake during the holidays — baking is the one time of year I truly enjoy being in the kitchen.
For years, Lacy and I baked together and tackled big projects like a buche de noel, usually finishing late at night and always laughing about how long it takes. We make candied citrus peels and homemade amaretto every year and gift most of the amaretto to friends. We also make my smoky vanilla bourbon pretzels — they’re a favorite to snack on and give as gifts — and a batch of caramel chipotle Chex mix to share.
This year I partnered with a local cookie company I loved growing up to share a fun gifting option — my kids adore these cookies and they make a festive addition to any cookie plate. I included them as a gift idea and a way to add variety to your holiday spread.
Here’s my favorite holiday baking playlist to keep you company in the kitchen. If you follow me on Spotify, you can explore other holiday playlists I use while I bake.
MY 2024 HOLIDAY BAKING LIST
Below is my ideal list of what I’d love to make this season.
Chewy sprinkle cookies — a fun, colorful treat that’s perfect for packaging and sharing.
Chocolate crinkle sprinkle cookies — an old favorite that’s consistently unbeatable for texture and flavor.
Royal cookies — a relatively new addition we’ve grown to adore for their sweet simplicity and festive look.
Frosted cranberry drop cookies — they were a hit last year and add a bright, tangy note to the cookie box.
Cashew butter buckeyes and possibly classic buckeyes too — sometimes I crave the nutty richness, sometimes I skip them, but they’re always nostalgic.
Peanut butter blossoms — my all-time favorite cookie and a family favorite the kids request every year.
Lemon crinkle cookies — bright, zesty, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Soft snickerdoodles and chewy chai snickerdoodles — I can’t choose between them, so I usually make both.
Soft gingersnaps — a recipe we sometimes multiply to keep the house smelling like warming spices; even non-gingersnap fans tend to love these.
Old-school Oreo balls — a classic that never fails to disappear from the platter.
Bourbon-soaked cherry oatmeal cookies — a grown-up cookie with warm flavors that feel special for the holidays.
Mother Lovett’s pink and green thumbprints — a holiday staple in my family and one I always include because they’re a must-have at Christmas.
Mother Lovett’s orange cookies — bright, citrusy cookies that are always popular.
Peanut butter M&M cookie bars made with red and green M&Ms — great for packaging and adding festive color.
Peanut butter fudge — I try a different recipe every year, though I often think back to the classic family version.
Pretzel peanut butter–stuffed chocolate bark — salty, sweet, and crunchy, perfect for gifting in jars or boxes.
Perfect cut-out sugar cookies — a foolproof, simple sugar cookie that I decorate with cream cheese frosting or a dip-icing technique for smooth, polished cookies. For some cookies I like to finish with a light spray of edible glitter for extra sparkle.
I’ll probably make peppermint bark and chocolate-covered Oreos as easy, festive additions. A handy shortcut is to buy white-fudge-covered Oreos and drizzle them with dark chocolate and sprinkles for a quick, pretty treat.
HOW I MAKE MY COOKIE BOX
Each year I assemble similar cookie boxes inspired by the way my grandmother packaged hers. Her cookie tins and boxes were beloved hostess gifts and treats she shared with friends and family — everyone looked forward to them.
I’ve kept that tradition alive. Cookie tins are easy to find at stores like Target, The Container Store, and discount shops. My favorite way to create a large presentation is with sturdy gift boxes that have both rectangle and round shapes. I make compartments inside the box by cutting cardboard dividers to keep cookies separated and prevent smudging — simple, effective, and visually appealing.
I don’t mail these boxes; I typically deliver them to friends and family within driving distance, so I focus on appearance and freshness rather than long-distance packing. If you plan to mail homemade cookies, pack them tightly with bubble wrap and sturdy padding — in my experience, mailed cookies often arrive broken unless very well protected.
So tell me — what are you baking this season?