Holiday Entertaining These Cookies Inspired By Cocktails Go From the Bar to the Cookie Jar Bake up these holiday cookies based on the flavors of Margaritas, Negronis, Mai Tais, and other classic cocktails. By Paige Grandjean Published on November 17, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Celebrate the holiday season with these playful, gift-worthy cookies, each based on the flavor profile of a well-known cocktail. We reached out to 12 of our favorite brilliant bakers to create an arsenal of cookies fit to delight any occasion or connoisseur. From crisp and buttery Margarita Shortbread With Tequila-Lime Glaze to chewy and spiced Cranberry Moscow Mule Gingersnaps, we have you covered with biscotti, meringues, and more. Packed with make-ahead tips, storage suggestions, sparkling sugar, and booze, these recipes are sure to stir up a buzz at your next cookie swap. 12 Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes to Make This Holiday 01 of 12 Bushwacker Bars These decadent bars from Preppy Kitchen’s John Kanell have a rum-spiked, macaroon-like layer of shredded coconut on top of coffee shortbread. Get the Recipe: Bushwacker Bars 02 of 12 Sorrel Thumbprints Chef Ramin Ganeshram’s recipe combines West Indian spices like nutmeg, allspice, and ginger with hibiscus spread in a bite-size cookie. Get the Recipe: Sorrel Thumbprints 03 of 12 Mudslide Meringues Dark chocolate batter and espresso meringue are swirled together for a chewy and crisp marbled cookie in this recipe from baker Laurie Ellen Pellicano. Get the Recipe: Mudslide Meringues 04 of 12 Margarita Shortbread with Tequila-Lime Glaze Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Esteban Castillo’s buttery, lime-infused cookies are topped with a sweet-and-sour glaze and finished with flaky sea salt and lime zest. Get the Recipe: Margarita Shortbread with Tequila-Lime Glaze 05 of 12 Bee’s Knees Snowballs These delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies from cookbook author Leah Koenig combine fresh lemon zest and orange blossom honey to play off the flavors of the Bee’s Knees cocktail. Get the Recipe: Bee’s Knees Snowballs 06 of 12 Negroni Cookies Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Angela Garbacz’s recipe for Negroni Cookies lean on orange zest–infused sugar and Campari icing to pay homage to the Negroni cocktail. Get the Recipe: Negroni Cookies 07 of 12 Cranberry Moscow Mule Gingersnaps Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver These soft and cakey cookies from cookbook author Vallery Lomas are packed with freshly grated ginger, ginger syrup, and dried cranberries rehydrated in vodka. Get the Recipe: Cranberry Moscow Mule Gingersnaps 08 of 12 Old-Fashioned Sablés Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Cookbook author Jerrelle Guy’s sweet, earthy cookies get their amber flow from an Angostura bitters egg wash; a crystal rocks glass pattern is imprinted on the cookie’s surface. Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sablés 09 of 12 Fudgy Grasshopper Sandwich Cookies Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Soft chocolate cookies are sandwiched with mint and dark chocolate ganache to create cookbook author Jesse Szewczyk’s eye-catching treats—a riff on the grasshopper cocktail. Get the Recipe: Fudgy Grasshopper Sandwich Cookies 10 of 12 Hot Buttered Rum Biscotti Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Blogger Jonathan Melendez’s interpretation of a buttered rum cocktail use browned butter, warm spices, and rum extract to yield crispy cookies perfect for dunking in hot coffee or tea. Get the Recipe: Hot Buttered Rum Biscotti 11 of 12 Mai Tai Swirls Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver These pinwheel-style cookies from Bay Area food blogger Kristina Cho are made with almond-scented dough spiraled around an orange marmalade and rum filling. Get the Recipe: Mai Tai Swirls 12 of 12 Milk Punch Cornmeal Cookies Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Cookbook author Cheryl Day’s buttery drop cookie tribute to a classic Milk Punch cocktail are topped with a bourbon-spiked white chocolate ganache. Get the Recipe: Milk Punch Cornmeal Cookies Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit