Our 20 Most Popular Holiday Cookies, Ever
Whipped shortbread cookies. (Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.)
While all of our holiday cookie recipes are worth baking, hundreds of batches are probably a bit much—no matter how much of a head start you like to get on your winter baking.
Instead, we've rounded up 20 of our most searched, most clicked and most baked recipes to help you narrow down your options. From chocolate crinkle to gingerbread, a millionaire bar and more than a few excellent shortbread options, this list is sure to spark some holiday baking inspiration.
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
One of our most popular cookie recipes ever! Each bite of these delicate, buttery cookies melts in your mouth. Get our whipped shortbread cookies recipe.
Tacofino’s Chocolate Diablo Cookies
The tickle of Mexican cayenne makes these delectable cookies from Tofino, B.C,'s iconic taco chain, Tacofino, especially addictive. Get Tacofino's chocolate diablo cookies recipe.
Classic Nanaimo Bars
This decadent no-bake dessert bar is named after the city in British Columbia where the recipe originated, likely in the 1950s. Get our classic Nanaimo bars recipe.
Ginger Crackle Cookies
Chewy, spicy and delicious, these ginger crackle cookies are a classic at Christmas (and any other time of year). Get our ginger crackle cookies recipe.
Pink Coconut Snowballs
Okay, we have to admit the Chatelaine team got into a bit of a fight as to whether these even count as cookies (one editor argued vehemently that they are actually mini cakes), but these pink coconut snowballs still make a stunning addition to a Christmas cookie plate. Get our pink coconut snowballs recipe.
Caramel Apple Millionaire's Shortbread
Recipe developer Camilla Wynne put a caramel-apple spin on her granny’s millionaire’s shortbread—a buttery base topped with a thick layer—and she thinks this version is even better than the original. Get this caramel apple millionaire's shortbread recipe.
Classic Shortbread Cookies
If you're making one cookie this holiday season, make it a classic. This is our go-to shortbread recipe, with good reason: it delivers that signature, buttery and crumbly texture. Get our classic shortbread cookies recipe.
Salted-Almond Nanaimo Bars
Some of our kitchen team find traditional Nanaimo bars too sweet, so we developed a bar we all could love. Thanks to cocoa powder, salted almonds and much less sugar, we got it. Get our salted-almond nanaimo bars recipe.
Ultimate Shortbread Cookies
These shortbreads are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Between our chocolate, lemon, and Skor bar variations, that festive cookie tin you keep stocked for drop-by guests won’t stay full for long. Get our ultimate shortbread cookies recipe.
Holiday Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Fudgy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and dipped into (yes more) chocolate, these cookies are holiday perfection (and a Chatelaine staff favourite!) Try sprinkling them with crushed candy canes if you haven't got festive sprinkles. Get our holiday brownie cookies recipe.
Easy Millionaire Shortbread Bars
This decadent square—with a shortbread base, caramel filling and melted chocolate top—is thought to have originated in Scotland. We use store-bought toffee bits to streamline the caramel-making. Get our easy millionaire shortbread bars recipe.
Holiday Nanaimo Bars
What makes this Canadian dessert standard a holiday knockout? Toasting the walnuts for extra oomph, adding a little salt to balance the sweetness and cutting it into sleek diamond shapes. These cute little bars appear here exactly as they did in our December 1995 issue. Get our holiday Nanaimo bars recipe.
Whipped Shortbread Spritz Cookies
As beautiful as they are tasty, these cookies add cranberries to whipped shortbread. Get our whipped shortbread spritz cookies recipe.
Black Forest Thumbprints
These delicious cookies from recipe developer Camilla Wynne have all the flavours of Black Forest cake—chocolate, cherry, kirsch and vanilla—in a hand-held treat. Get this black forest thumbprints recipe.
Easy Mincemeat Tarts With Shortbread Stars
Packed with flavour, texture and festive colour, this (mostly) store-bought spread proves that shortcuts can be an indulgent treat to others—and to yourself. Get our easy mincemeat tarts with shortbread stars recipe.
Scottish Shortbread For Christmas
This classic buttery cookie recipe was published in the magazine’s first-ever Christmas issue in 1928. We’ve dialled down the flour and added more citrus peel for a lightly sweet and crisp treat. Butter and candied orange are the two key flavours in this recipe; try to find the best quality of both. Get our Scottish shortbread for Christmas recipe.
Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Bars
This festive cheesecake for a crowd has all the flavours of the classic holiday candy and is sweetened almost entirely with white chocolate. If you can get hold of peppermint oil, it will give an even more vibrant mint taste. Get our peppermint bark cheesecake bars recipe.
Turtle Fudge
This iconic flavour combo is irresistible. We use melted packaged caramels instead of homemade, which saves time and yields the same delicious result. Get our turtle fudge recipe (yes, that's them in the photo with the salted-almond Nanaimo bars!)
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
These gluten-free cookies get loads of rich chocolate flavour from cocoa and melted dark chocolate. Get our flourless chocolate cookies recipe.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
These bite-sized peanut butter balls are perfect for New Year's entertaining or a post-holiday treat. Get our chocolate peanut butter balls recipe.
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