Grab a friend & get baking for your holiday cookie exchange!

Picture this: snowflakes gently falling, the warmth of a roaring fire, twinkling lights on the mantle, and family and friends gathered together with good food. This is how we all hope to spend our holidays. As long as there are cookies, of course. No celebration would be complete without delightful sweet things. Especially at bedtime, right?

Which means lots and lots and lots of baking.

Making and sharing sweet treats is a tradition that makes this time of year extra special. Especially when you’re part of a Holiday Cookie Exchange. What a joy to get together with people you love to mix and stir and sift and roll–followed by sharing and trading and laughing as all enjoy the cookies of each other’s labor.

To help you out, we’re here to offer up some of the best cookie recipes we could find from around the web. Festive and delicious, these treats are sure to please everyone–including the big man in the red suit. So, grab a big glass of milk and an empty plate. And get baking!

Soft White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Ooey, gooey, soft and delicious, chocolate chips cookies are a true American classic. But what happens when you switch out the regular chips for white chocolate and cranberries? A new, holiday staple, that’s what. These cookies are bound to be a new favorite in your house–and the addition of a secret ingredient means they’ll stay soft for days – if there are any left, that is… Get the recipe: Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Nutella Stuffed Snowball Cookies Recipe

Snowball cookies are a sweet standby for this time of year. This recipe kicks them up a notch with the addition of a nutty and chocolate-y Nutella center. Super easy to make, even the most novice bakers will be able to pull these ones off. Here’s a little-known secret: not only do they freeze well, but they taste even better frozen. Yum! Get the Recipe: The Cookie Recipe.

Easy Santa Cookies Recipe

Impress everyone with these adorable little Santa cookies. Whip up a simple yet classic butter cookie dough recipe and make it special with some prepared tubes of colored icing. You’ll delight one and all while brightening up your holiday cookie tray. P.S. this dough is a real multi-tasker. The large batch can be frozen for fresh cookies in a pinch and can be shaped and decorated in a multitude of ways. Get the recipe: Southern Living.

Chocolate Mint Dreams Recipe

Chocolate and mint are the perfect combination, we think, and these cookies make the most of that pairing. Dainty and pretty, these bite-sized treats are exactly what your cookie tray needs. The touch of frosting and chocolate drizzle are so very elegant, they might even replace truffles as your holiday indulgence of choice. We think they’re the perfect end to a holiday get-together–that is if there are any left for guests. Get the Recipe: Taste of Home.

Candy Cane Cookies

What says ‘holidays’ more than candy canes? Well, lots of things, but in this case, we’re in a twist for these adorable butter cookies rolled and twirled to look like the iconic treat. Perfect for those who want to join the candy cane train without the taste of mint, these super cute cookies delight with a hint of vanilla. The best part? The dough, with its texture of playdough, is just right for little kitchen helper hands. Get the Recipe: The Kitchn.

Cake Mix Holiday Cookies

Want to change things up? How about cookies made from cake mix? Soft and tender and coated in a yummy cream cheese frosting, cake mix cookies taste just like the top of a cupcake-only better. Colored sprinkles make them so very festive, especially when you add a spoonful of extra love for good measure. Get the Recipe: Food Network.

Soft Batch Gingersnap Cookies

We think gingersnap cookies are great for any time of year, but the combination of spicy ginger and a hint of sugar make them extra right for a holiday cookie exchange. Crisp, buttery edges, soft chewy centres, perfect for sharing–we’re baking up an extra big batch of this recipe. Some for you, some for us, enough for all. Get the recipe: Picky Palate.

Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies

Cookie season wouldn’t be complete without a crinkle cookie on our plates. Of course, we can’t be ordinary, so we’re choosing this red velvet version that feel like cake but is dressed up as cookies. Beautiful and festive with their dusting of snow-like icing sugar, they’re soft and chewy and chock full of cream cheese goodness. What a treat! Get the recipe: My Food Story.

Rest well & wake up ready to go!

Better sleep gives rise to better mornings, bringing your goals into focus and dreams within reach. Hungry for more sleep info? Dig into these posts: