Nothing gets us into the holiday spirit more than the smell of sugary cookies baking in the oven. Our grandparents may have spent hours in the kitchen perfecting their recipes, but thankfully, we have plenty of shortcuts available today, from premade dough to flavored frostings and candy toppings. Still, it’s fun to get the whole family involved when it comes to baking and decorating cookies for pretty holiday plates to give to friends (or to simply keep for yourself).
Traditional treats such as gingerbread men, frosted sugar cookies and spritz cookies are delicious but more time-consuming than other recipes you can find. If you’re like us and prefer to bake from (mostly) scratch while also keeping things simple, here are 30 easy holiday cookie recipes that don’t require a rolling pin or cookie cutter (some don’t even require an oven!) and are just as tasty.
