39 Festive Treats for Your Merriest Holiday Cookie Plate Yet

Whether you’re setting out Christmas cookies for Santa, assembling a cookie plate for your Hanukkah get-together or packing up a tin of holiday cookies to ship to someone special, you’ll no doubt need a good mix of treats. That was the inspiration behind this collection of holiday goodies. Start with the classics (like sugar cookies and gingerbread) and some easy-to-make options, add in a few pieces of chocolate bark and then top it all off with traditional candies like peanut brittle or fudge and, before you know it, you’ve got a festive assortment that’s sure to spread plenty of cheer. This is one of our favorites this time of year; With just a single recipe you can add four different varieties to your cookie plate. All it takes is a few tubes of store-bought dough and some colorful chocolate candies.

These biscotti have the same warm spices and crispy-crunchy texture that you love in a traditional gingerbread person, but require less time and effort than the classic cutout cookie! Each one gets an extra dip of melted white chocolate and a sprinkle of sanding sugar, for a sparkly holiday treat fit for a cookie tin.

Recipe developer Dan Langan says, "I always look forward to making peppermint bark during the winter holidays. Here I combine its flavors with a simple bittersweet brownie recipe. The brownies come together quickly and are the perfect base for the sweetness of the white chocolate and crushed peppermint candies."

Buttery and crisp with just the right hint of sweetness, Ina Garten’s classic shortbread cookies are a timeless addition to any holiday cookie platter.

Making candy sounds like a really complicated thing to do, which is why Ina likes to make chocolate bark, which is quite simple. Temper white chocolate in the microwave, a foolproof way that also cuts down on prep time. Once the chocolate is poured onto a baking sheet, add your favorite toppings and then let it harden. Ina chose items that look good and taste good together: pistachios, cranberries and apricots.

Celebrate the season with these vibrant tricolored almond layered cookies, filled with apricot jam, topped with chocolate and chilled to perfection.

Instead of melting on the stovetop or in a microwave, candy melting wafers are gently melted in a low oven to make this break-apart bark. Not only does this cut down on dishes but also the wafers can be arranged in the design of a Christmas tree before melting. We love topping this bark with gingerbread cookies and candied ginger, but feel free to try different holiday flavors, like chocolate cookies with candy canes.

These chocolatey, coconutty cookies are sure to be a hit at your next holiday cookie swap. It’s important to add the chocolate candy to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven, while they’re still soft and pliable; so, if your kitchen is on the cooler side, simply turn off your oven (to prevent overbaking) and work with one baking sheet at a time. The secret to that telltale coconut cookie chew is letting them cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing.

Not all the holiday fun happens at the North Pole. These South Pole denizens are the season's cutest critters. Have fun shaping and rolling colorful sugar cookie dough so that every slice produces a perfect penguin.

This quick and easy bake-sale classic goes over the top for the holidays — we've loaded the bars with your favorite Christmas candies.

This sweet and salty peanut brittle has the perfect crunch and sheen. With a little patience, you'll have a delicious brittle to serve to party guests or as an edible gift around the holidays.

This holiday cookie tastes like what would happen if a pie and peppermint bark became besties. While this recipe requires a bit of time and effort, the process is surprisingly simple and the result is absolutely worth the wait. These tasty treats are not only perfect for making for yourself, but they also make fantastic gifts. Plus, here's a little secret: you can prepare the dough in advance and store it in your freezer for a couple of months, ensuring you always have something delicious on hand to enjoy whenever the craving strikes.

This three-ingredient bark recipe packs a double punch of peppermint and fits the bill as an inexpensive holiday treat.

If you love cutesy gingerbread cookies, but not the work it usually takes to make them, then this recipe is for you. These cookies have the same great flavor as the classic cutouts but there’s no need for a rolling pin, cookie cutters, icing or special equipment like piping tips. Instead, just shape the gingerbread people by pressing your fingerprint into the dough as you would with a thumbprint cookie. Then fill the indentations with easy microwave-melted chocolate and top off the holiday treats with festive sprinkle buttons.

These sweet Hanukkah treats come together quickly and are easy to transport to a party or school event. The bars are quite gooey so be sure to let them cool completely before cutting. There are a lot of fun holiday sprinkle blends available online or you can make your own.

Amy Kritzer Becker writes, "This recipe is a twist on my great Bubbe’s famous mandel bread! She normally made it with a marmalade filling and nuts, but I hope she would like my addition of rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips. Mandel bread is slightly softer than a biscotti, and just as delicious with coffee. Traditionally it is twice baked, but my Bubbe always baked hers just once, so we could eat them sooner!"

Puddles of creamy white chocolate harden into delightful holiday treats without turning on the oven. Decorate them with different candies to complete their jolly, frosty look.

This traditional Hanukkah game just got a tasty new twist — and it makes the perfect addition to your cookie plate or cookie box during the Festival of Lights.

'Tis the season, and who doesn't love peppermint bark? This recipe spruces the seasonal staple up by adding a layer of pretzels for salt and some crispy rice cereal for even more crunch. These bars are sure to be the life of the party.

Roughly bashed salted pretzels and toasted hazelnuts are stirred into melted chocolate, then decorated with crushed freeze-dried red strawberries and green pistachios for extra color and flavor to complete this delicious, sweet treat.

Palak Patel writes, "My mom doesn’t bake much because when she was growing up in India, most homes didn’t have ovens (even today most don’t). But these eggless cookies (also sometimes spelled nan khatai or nankhatai) are popular during the holidays, and the perfect snack to put out with tea. They remind me of the texture of pecan sandies meet shortbread/butter cookies, but keep in mind they’re meant to be not too sweet with a crumbly texture inside. For besan flour, look for the fine or regular variety – not coarse."

These homemade Hanukkah gelt just might be your new holiday tradition! You only need a mini muffin tin and some gold sprinkles. We like the richness of bittersweet chocolate, but you can easily swap in your favorite type.

Trisha says it's the baking soda that makes this peanut brittle so light and crunchy. Act quickly because once you add the baking soda, it's time to pour the mixture on the sheets to harden.

Paola Velez writes, "Coquito is one of my family's favorite Latino holiday drinks. We love it so much that when we can, we make it for our friends and have a holiday drink exchange. So, to take coquito to the next level, I’ve combined it with one of my favorite NYC cookies to make the perfect treat for your next holiday cookie swap. This cookie is robust in flavor, with warming oaky notes from the nutmeg and golden rum balanced by the chocolatey ganache, while coconut and vanilla shine through as superstars. This cookie is going to be put on your evergreen rotation. Trust me, after plenty of cookie recipes, my family now calls me the cookie lady."

Paola Velez writes, "In my home growing up, we never had a shortage of pistachios. We would have them on salads, sprinkle them on ice cream or enjoy them on their own — as we watched popular 90’s sitcoms. So, it isn't a far stone to throw to say that we absolutely love love love this tasty cousin of cashews. Infusing the mantecaditos with pistachios and then drizzling them with EVEN MORE pistachio icing will take this popular Latino cookie to festive new levels."