From peanut butter to biscochitos to chocolate chip, you can add a holiday twist to any cookie. Here are some of the best holiday cookies for any Western gathering.
In the heart of the American West, holiday cookies are as much a part of the season as cowboy boots and campfires. These rustic treats, often baked with simple, wholesome ingredients, evoke the frontier spirit — where hearty meals and sweet indulgences are a cherished delight.
Holiday cookies bring a sense of warmth and comfort, whether you’re gathered around a crackling fire or enjoying a festive ranch celebration. Classic cookies like cinnamon-spiced snickerdoodles, rich peanut butter cookies, and classic chocolate chip cookies capture the flavors of the open range. Cowboy favorites like “cowgirl” sugar cookies shaped like stars, horseshoes, and boots are decorated with colorful icing, adding a touch of fun and flair to holiday gatherings.
For a truly Western twist to any cookies, try adding a pinch of cayenne spice to a cookie where cinnamon is called for or adding nuts to a classic chocolate chip cookie. For a holiday twist, decorations of red and green sprinkles or icing always do the trick. The best part of holiday cookies is they are made with love and a bit of pioneer ingenuity and are often shared with friends and neighbors, continuing the spirit of community that defines the West.
This holiday season, we’ve rounded up our favorite holiday cookie recipes. Put your own twist on them, and get ready for them to be a favorite for your family this year. Whether out on the ranch or at home with family, Western holiday cookies offer the delicious taste of tradition, ready to sweeten the season.
Death by Chocolate
This one is a perfectly classic holiday cookie with a deep rich flavor. With a name that implies you could die from how much chocolate is used, it’s got to be good, right? To add a holiday twist, you can always tie a cute holiday string around a few cookies or sprinkle some peppermint pieces on the top of each cookie for a peppermint chocolate flavor.
Biscochitos
These delicate butter cinnamon sugar cookies are a staple holiday cookie in New Mexico, but they should be baked all over. They just melt in your mouth. Plus, cinnamon is the quintessential holiday spice. To make them even more fit for the holidays, try throwing in some sugar sprinkles with the cinnamon when you roll them around before baking.
Grandmother’s Peanut Butter Cookies from Patricia “Mimi” Cavender
Peanut butter cookies are perfect all year round. The rich, buttery, and nutty flavors make them a favorite of mine. In a holiday cookie exchange, they are always a welcome sight because they bring another rich flavor profile that isn’t just chocolate, peppermint, or vanilla. But if you want to take them a step further for the holidays, I suggest dipping half of the cookie in melted chocolate or drizzling some chocolate over the top in a loopy figure-eight Christmas tree shape.
Pasqua Pizzelle
These cookies may come from an Easter recipe round-up, but both the vanilla and chocolate versions scream holiday with the beautiful snowflake-like pattern made by the pizzelle iron. There are countless ways to add some holiday cheer to these delicate cookies. Try sandwiching them together with caramel or jam to make a similar version of a stroopwafel, or drizzle with white chocolate colored with red and green coloring.
Jesse James Decker’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Possibly the most classic of all cookies is the chocolate chip cookie. But how do you add some holiday flair to a classic? It’s easy — add some nuts, such as lightly roasted pecans, or swap half of the chocolate chips for peppermint chips. Throw in some red and green sprinkles. My personal favorite: Add a pinch of cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg to the dough. Holiday spices help to make everything a little bit more cozy and warm.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (Cover Image) courtesy Taylor Cole via Unsplash; (Death by Chocolate) courtesy Lindsey Johnson; (Biscochitos) Courtesy Inn of the Governors; (Peanut Butter cookies) Rhiannon Lee Photography/Courtesy Jacqueline Cavender; (Pasqua Pizzelle) courtesy C&I staff; (Chocolate Chip Cookies) Nicole Gerulat/Courtesy Jessie James Decker.
