It’s finally the holiday season. With that comes a plethora of Christmas cookies and delicious treats to give you a taste of the Christmas spirit. If you needed an excuse to go overboard with the baking this year, we’re glad to tell you that now is the perfect opportunity to bake your heart out. We’ve gathered some of our top recipes for Christmas cookies and other holiday treats that are perfect to make for your family and friends – as well as yourself, of course.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

The only appropriate way to start our baking journey is with your good ol’ gingerbread men cookies. Nothing smells or tastes more like Christmas than these delicious treats. We love this recipe from Natalie over at Life Made Simple.

Ingredients:

• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup molasses

Directions:

1. In 1 bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients apart from the sugar (flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt).
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter and sugar (with an electric mixer if you have one). After about a minute, add the molasses and the egg.
3. Slowly add the bowl of dry ingredients to combine all the ingredients together.
4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap (you can split it into two sections), and place it into the refrigerator to let it sit for at least an hour. While the dough is in the refrigerator, heat the oven to 350˚F with two racks in the oven.
5. After removing the dough from the refrigerator, place it on the counter. You want to sprinkle some flour on the work area and add a little more over the dough. Roll out the dough to your desired thinness and cut out gingerbread men with a cookie cutter.
6. Bake the cookies for around 8-10 minutes. Remember to let them cool down before taking a bite!
7. If you want to decorate them with some icing, you will have to wait a couple hours to let them cool down completely.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

These cute cookie cups are a twist on your traditional Christmas cookies and perfect to pair with your hot chocolate on a cold winter night. With not much preparation, this recipe from Butter With a Side of Bread will leave you fully satisfied.

Ingredients:

• Premade pack of sugar cookie dough (we suggest Pillsbury)
• Sprinkles (to add some color)
• A pack of mini candy canes
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 cups of dark chocolate

• 2 cups of sweetened, condensed milk
• 1/4 cup icing sugar (optional, for extra sweetness)
• Small marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.
2. Knead the dough to mix in the sprinkles (add in the amount you prefer)
3. Separate the dough into little balls and press into the muffin cups so it’s covering the bottom and all sides.
4. Bake for 9-12 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool down before taking the cookies out of the tray.
6. Break the candy-canes at the curve to mimic handles for the cookies. Dip both ends in the matching white chocolate and attach them to the side of the cookies.
7. For the chocolate ganache, melt the dark chocolate and mix in the condensed milk.
8. Slowly mix in the icing sugar (if you choose to add any).
9. Pour an appropriate amount of ganache into each cup.
10. To top it all off, add some marshmallows and candy cane ends.

Christmas Fudge

Aside from Christmas cookies, there’s nothing better to satisfy your sweet craving like Christmas chocolate fudge. Give this winning recipe from A Southern Fairytale a try, and you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1 pack dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Line a square pan foil and lightly coat it with butter.
2. In a bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the condensed milk for a minute. Stir the mixture while adding the butter, and microwave in 10-second intervals until it is fully mixed.
3. Add in the chopped walnuts and cranberries and gently combine it into the fudge.
4. Spread the fudge into the pan and chill for around 2 hours.
5. Remove the fudge from the pan and cut into the desired size.
6. Enjoy!

Peppermint and Chocolate Bark

Extremely simple to make, the two-layered bark is a perfect combination of chocolate and peppermint. Snowflakes and Coffeecakes has you covered this year with this yummy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 packs white chocolate chips
• 2 packs of semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 5 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions:

1. Line a square pan with foil.
2. Melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until fully melted.
3. Mix in the peppermint extract and pour into the pan. Cool in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes.
4. While cooling, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave while stirring every 20 seconds.
5. Pour the melted white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate in the pan.
6. Top it off with the crushed candy canes and refrigerate for at least an hour.
7. Break into small pieces, and you’re done!

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