9 Cookies to Make for the Holidays That Aren't Sugar Cookies

Including spiced Italian pecan meringues, gingerbread cookies, triple chocolate-peppermint cookies, and more.

Sugar cookies are definitely a popular choice come holiday season, and they're great, of course! But there are also plenty of other cookies you can fill your tins with this year. Crispy, delicate burnt honey-orange tuiles, made from leftover croissants; pillowy pecan meringues with grappa and warming spices; thumbprint cookies topped with a light white-chocolate espresso ganache. Love s'mores? We have a linzer-inspired cookie that's right up your alley. You can find all of those recipes and five more options below — you just might find a new favorite for this season.

Triple Chocolate–Peppermint Cookies

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Justin Walker

For chocolate lovers, these cookies are it. There's white chocolate in the homemade peppermint bark, and the cookies are made with semisweet chips, crushed chocolate wafers, and two types of cocoa powder.

Brown Butter-Cardamom Spitzbuben

Spitzbuben Holiday Cookie Recipe
Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

These gorgeous Spitzbuben (German for "cheeky boys") can be filled with all kinds of jam—we recommend apricot, blueberry, cherry, or seedless raspberry.

Thumbprint Cookies with White Chocolate-Espresso Ganache

Thumbprint cookies with white chocolate espresso ganache
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Thumbprint cookies are definitely popular for the holidays, and these are filled with a homemade white-chocolate espresso ganache.

Spiced Italian Pecan Meringues

Spiced Italian Pecan Meringues
John Kernick

Merrin Mae Gray's meringues include a little bit of grappa, as well as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for spice.

Chocolate Pretzel Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Pretzel Crinkle Cookies
Greg DuPree

Need a gluten-free option? These crinkle cookies, a twist on the holiday classic, use finely ground gluten-free pretzels instead of flour.

S'mores Linzer Cookies

S'mores Linzer Cookie
Greg DuPree

In order to give these linzer-inspired cookies a s'mores-like flavor, Justin Chapple swaps in graham flour and hazelnut meal for the typical all-purpose flour and almond meal. Don't forget that final drizzle of chocolate on top.

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies
© Frances Janisch

These gingerbread cookies call for butter instead of corn syrup and shortening, and you can cut them into whatever shapes you like (the recipe recommends using a floured three-inch cookie cutter).

Burnt Honey-Orange Tuiles

Burnt Honey Orange Tuiles
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

If you have any croissants lying around, these burnt-honey orange tuiles (we consider them a cookie-brittle hybrid) would be delicious for the holidays. A sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds adds an eye-catching finishing touch.

Triple-Ginger Rye Cookies

Triple Ginger Cookies
Greg DuPree

Attention, ginger fans: Ground ginger, crystallized ginger, and grated fresh peeled ginger all go into these triple-ginger rye cookies.

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