Best Store-Bought Holiday Cookies

I must admit that I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to packaged baking mixes. However, after a bite of Krista’s Baking Co.’s smoked molasses cookies, I’m now a total convert. In adorably packaged boxes, these cookies use only the best ingredients: Jacobsen’s sea salt, Theo chocolate, and organic and fair Trade spices. The Espresso Chocolate Chip cookies are must-tries. $14.99 (1 box makes about 16 cookies), kristasbakingco.com

You know those people who never eat the cookies they make because they fill up on the batter before the cookies are done? (No, uh, me neither…) San Francisco-based Dough & Co has the perfect gift for them. Their cookie dough is egg free, which means you can safely eat it raw (or if you insist) bake it off as delicious, chocolate chunk cookies. $49 for 4 tubes (40-48 cookies); dough-and-co.myshopify.com

These festive little butter cookies are rolled in a sweet-sour raspberry powder and pack a surprisingly large flavor punch. Perfect for stocking stuffers or a “me time” snack post-family festivities. $18/4oz package, mouth.com

For the coffee drinker in your life, here’s coffee’s best friend: Almond Fennel Biscotti, AKA the best thing to happen to your cup o’ joe since the French Press. SF favorite Jane Bakery sells these slightly-savory, crispy cookies in cute jars, so they’re ready to gift. $20/18 oz., jane-sanfrancisco.squarespace.com

A German ginger cookie, this traditional lebkuchen from Leckerlee is a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts, a warm blend of spices, candied citron and orange peel. These toothsome cookies come glazed, dipped in chocolate or in a mini bite–size version. Regular lebkuchen tin, $35; mini lebkuchen tin, $25 leckerlee.com

The Happy Merry Salty Sweet box from the Brooklyn-based The Good Batch company includes 24 cookies ranging from a chewy molasses and fresh ginger cookie to the Oat Chocolate Chunk: a hefty oat cookie filled with pieces of Belgian milk and dark chocolate, then finished with sea salt. 20 cookies, $30; thegoodbatch.com

These gluten-free cookies are crisp on the outside, soft in the middle and chock-full of fresh flakey coconut. With a variety of seasonal variations (ie Spiced Pumpkin), these macaroons are the perfect addition to this year's holiday cookie plate. 4 cookies, $15; dannymacaroons.com

One of our longtime favorites here at F&W, the cookies and bars from Lisa's Cookie Shop are crisp home-style treats that will give grandma's a run for their money. Made with fresh, wholesome ingredients and in very generous portions, do yourself a favor and just order these cookies for any of your baking commitments this holiday season. $10 for 6 cookies lisascookieshop.com

Settle down in front of the fireplace with your loved ones and roast some marshmallows in style with this adorable S'mores Kit from Whimsey & Spice. Enjoy house-made cardamom or maple marshmallows with graham cracker shortbread cookies and squares of Valrhona chocolate. S'mores Kit, $18; whimsyandspice.com

We could not stop snacking on these wonderfully chewy cookies from the family-owned Grey Ghost Bakery. Our favorites were the chocolate espresso and molasses spice. $4.75 to $36; greyghostbakery.com

Gingerbread men get a makeover from the confectioners at Zugar Haus: These fancy guys are ginger-spiced sablés made with flecks of crystallized ginger and dusted with turbinado sugar. The gift box also includes heirloom lebkuchen, chocolate sablés with crystallized ginger ganache and vanilla bean sablés with raspberry jam. Holiday gift box, $34; zugarhaus.com