It’s time to be real and admit that sugar cookies are overrated. As cute and fun as they are to decorate, they are just not that good. There are far better dessert dishes to make around Christmas time, and here is a list of just a few:
1. Peanut butter kiss cookies
My personal favorite Christmas cookie, this peanut butter and chocolate combination will have you going back for more each time! They are delicious and fairly easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ cup of butter, softened
- ½ cup of smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar (plus a little more for coating dough)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Hershey’s Kisses
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two large baking sheets. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add brown and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg, then add milk and vanilla to mix until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, stir on low until combined.
- Roll dough into a ball, then coat in sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat, setting cookies at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until cookies are baked through (they will not darken in color).
- Top with Hershey’s Kisses and serve.
2. peppermint bark
Peppermint is a delicious flavor that makes the most wonderful time of the year that much better! Combine it with chocolate and you get a delicious dessert for the holidays! Plus, it looks festive with the red and white.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 12 ounces of white chocolate, chopped
- ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract
- 8 candy canes, crushed
Directions:
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate, stirring occasionally. Then add in extract and pour into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread an even layer, then place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Melt white chocolate, stirring occasionally. Pour over the refrigerated chocolate and immediately add crushed candy canes. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
3. santa hat cheesecake bites
Cheesecake is a dessert that is criminally underrated (at least, it is in my family). There are so many flavor combinations and decorations that can be created with cheesecake. Adding strawberries gives these bites a light and fruity flavor, while resembling Santa’s hat!
Ingredients:
- 1 plain cheesecake, either store-bought or homemade
- 1½ cups of whipped cream
- 12 strawberries with the tops sliced off
Directions:
- Cut cheesecake into small circles (about the same circumference as a strawberry).
- With a piping bag, pipe with whipped cream.
- Add a strawberry on top with the sliced side down.
- Pipe a dot of whipped cream on top of the strawberry to resemble Santa’s famous hat and serve.
4. Snowball cookies
These cookies can get messy, but that makes them that much more fun! They are delicious and a wonderful winter treat. Just don’t throw them at anyone like you would with a normal snowball!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups of walnuts, finely chopped
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- A pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup of butter, chopped and softened
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, walnuts, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. Add butter and combine everything with your hands.
- Form dough into small balls, then place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Once cooled, but still slightly warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar.
- Let cool completely, then dust once cookies once more in powdered sugar.
5. Reindeer bait
This is such a great snack to bring to a party. It can easily be made more personalized and festive by adding some red and green M&Ms, peppermint shavings or whatever Christmas candy you enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Corn Chex
- 2 cups of Wheat Chex
- 2 cups of mini pretzels
- 2 cups of mini marshmallows
- 1 cup of red and green M&Ms
- 20 ounces of white chocolate
- Red and green sprinkles
Directions:
- Mix Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, pretzels, mini marshmallows and M&Ms in a large bowl.
- Melt white chocolate. Pour over mixture and stir until everything is fully coated.
- Transfer mixture to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with sprinkles, then refrigerate until firm (about one hour).
- Break into bite-sized pieces and serve.
Sugar cookies were fun as kids, but there are better holiday treats. These recipes are wonderful alternatives. All of these recipes, and more, can be found right here.