Twelve Days of High-Altitude Holiday Cookies and Treats

Hello and thank you for coming to my treat party, which I am a little late to myself, having just realized there are only two weeks to Christmas. Who’s panic-baking this weekend? *raises hand* Luckily, I’ve put all my favorite holiday treats in one place for easy reference. Twelve Days of High-Altitude Holiday Cookies and Treats, ahoy!

We’ve got sweets for every taste and timeline, with lots of tips on how to turn them out perfectly at altitude. From easy holiday classics and gluten-free options to majorly indulgent, gooey treats, I hope to help make your holiday baking both fun and successful. Ready, set … bake!

HIGH-ALTITUDE COOKIES

High Altitude Gingerbread Cookies
This is hands-down my most-requested holiday recipe. These classic roll-and-cut cookies bake up perfectly with crispy edges and slightly soft centers. These are not cardboard-y holiday cookies that look pretty but are set aside after one bland bite, nooo. They’re spicy, buttery, and addictive!

Easy High Altitude Sugar Cookies
Holiday classic #2 comes in the form of these simple vanilla-flavored sugar cookies. Soft yet substantial, they hold up well to man-handling (a plus if you’ll be making them with children) and are easy to cut out. They’re not too sweet, so basically the ideal vehicle for all your favorite icings and sprinkles. And you can make the dough in advance, so it’s roll-out-ready when you are.

High Altitude Hot Cocoa Cookies
A twist on the ubiquitous chocolate crinkle cookie, these cocoa-flavored cookies are chewy and rich, with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar and the cutest little marshmallow crowns.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread
Buttery, deep, dark chocolatey shortbread rolled in crunchy peppermint bits … welcome to all my fave cookie flavors in one. They look incredibly festive on a cookie tray, and are always scooped up immediately.

Easy High Altitude Orange-Cardamom Fig Thumbprint Cookies
These just taste like Christmas to me. Subtly spicy, scented with orange zest and topped with luxurious little dollops of fig jam, they’re delicious and even sort of elegant.

Chewy High Altitude Ginger Cookies
If you want the flavor of gingerbread without the rolling out and cutting shapes, may I suggest these little pillows of awesome? They’re easy to whip up and will satisfy your craving for gingery holiday flavor with a dense, chewy center.

Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
Also known simply as The Cookie, these sweet-salty bites with big pools of chocolate are adapted from Alison Roman’s recipe. They just melt in your mouth and I’ve yet to find a single person who doesn’t swoon after trying them. I’ve also made these successfully with gluten-free flour (Cup for Cup or King Arthur’s GF blend work well).

HIGH-ALTITUDE GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES

Flourless Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
These contain only five ingredients and are so delicious that I find myself craving them often, even though I don’t follow a gluten-free diet. They puff up beautifully at altitude and have a moist, chewy texture. They’d be perfect for making those cute little peanut butter blossoms we always see at the holidays. Just pop a chocolate kiss on the top of each cookie as they come out of the oven!

Grain-Free Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies
Lower in sugar and free of any grains whatsoever, these chewy chocolate cookies are an excellent option not just for anyone observing a gluten-free or grain-free diet, but for … well, anyone, really. Because they’re delicious. Studded with extra chocolate, they taste just as indulgent as their traditional counterparts.

HIGH-ALTITUDE CANDY AND OTHER TREATS

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars
These were a last-minute add to my cookie boxes last year and let me tell you, people went bananas for them. They’re super rich – a single square’ll do ya – but ’tis the season for excess, no?

Sandy’s Christmas Fudge
My mom’s recipe, the classic 1970’s-era fudge that I grew up with and used to sneak squares of every evening of every holiday season. Also gluten-free!

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Okay, so not strictly a holiday treat, but if you’re short on time or lacking an oven, these might be your best friend. You can make them on the stovetop in about 15 minutes. The brown butter really elevates them above the standard rice krispie treat; they’re definitely crowd-pleasers. Use cookie cutters to cut out holiday-esque shapes, and maybe add some festive sprinkles or pipe on a little holiday icing to fancy them up.