Ring in the new year with cookies that feel special enough for celebration but won’t stress you out in the kitchen. These recipes range from elegant to indulgent – perfect for parties, gifts, or just treating yourself right.
1. Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
These soft, chewy sugar cookies get their luxurious flavor from real vanilla bean paste. I love making these for New Year’s because they feel fancy but are simple enough to whip up when you’re already tired from holiday baking. The vanilla bean specks make them look store-bought expensive.
2. Molasses Crinkle Cookies
The crackled tops on these cookies remind me of fireworks, which makes them perfect for New Year’s Eve. Brown butter and molasses create this deep, complex flavor that pairs beautifully with champagne or coffee. They’re chewy in the best possible way.
3. Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Think classic snickerdoodle but with rich chocolate flavor – these are my secret weapon for impressing guests. The tangy cream of tartar gives them that signature snickerdoodle taste, while the cinnamon sugar coating adds the perfect sparkle for celebrating.
4. Red Velvet White Chocolate Cookies
The gorgeous red color makes these cookies instantly festive for New Year’s celebrations. They’re soft and fudgy with white chocolate chips that melt in your mouth. I always get compliments on how beautiful they look on a cookie tray.
5. Soft Amaretti Cookies
These Italian almond cookies are naturally gluten-free and have that elegant crinkled appearance that screams special occasion. The marzipan-like texture feels sophisticated, and they’re traditional enough to feel like you’re starting the year with something meaningful.
6. Rum Refrigerator Cookies
I love that you can make the dough ahead and slice these when you need them – perfect for New Year’s entertaining. The dark rum, cardamom, and lemon zest combination tastes grown-up and celebratory. Plus, chopped almonds add a nice crunch.
7. Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Instead of the usual dry sugar cookie base, these use rich, fudgy chocolate that gets its dense texture from melted butter. They look elegant on a party tray, and you can fill the centers with different jams to add color and variety.
8. White Chocolate Cherry Jam Cookies
The swirls of cherry jam throughout these cookies create this beautiful marbled effect that’s perfect for celebrations. I fold the jam in just a few times to keep distinct ribbons of flavor. The white chocolate makes them feel extra indulgent.
9. Coconut Oatmeal Rum Raisin Cookies
Soaking the raisins in dark rum is what makes these cookies special – it adds this warmth that balances all the sweetness. They’re definitely a grown-up version of oatmeal cookies, which feels right for starting a new year.
10. Chocolate Filled Cookies
These cookies hide a frozen dollop of chocolate-hazelnut spread in the center, so you get this amazing molten surprise when you bite in. They use melted butter so you don’t need a mixer, making them perfect when you want something impressive but simple.
11. Chocolate Peanut Butter Marbled Cookies
Two doughs swirled together create these stunning marbled cookies that look way more complicated than they actually are. The combination of peanut butter and double chocolate satisfies every craving, and they’re large enough to feel substantial and celebratory.
12. Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Forget those hard, bland grocery store versions – these are soft, chewy, and get their complex flavor from brown butter. The icing makes them feel special enough for a New Year’s celebration while still being comfort food at heart.
13. Spiced Hermit Cookies
These classic New England cookies are packed with warm spices, dates, raisins, and walnuts. The combination feels cozy and traditional – perfect for those quiet New Year’s moments when you want something that tastes like home.
14. Coffee Cake Cookies
All the best parts of coffee cake – the buttery base and crunchy cinnamon streusel – packed into one cookie. They’re perfect with your morning coffee while you’re making New Year’s resolutions, or as an afternoon treat with friends.
15. Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
If you love the gooey inside of a cinnamon roll, these cookies are for you. Dark brown sugar gives them this rich molasses flavor, and they stay soft and chewy. The cinnamon sugar coating adds just the right amount of sparkle.
16. Easy Lemon Bar Cookies
These taste like classic lemon bars but in cookie form, with a soft cream cheese base filled with sweet and tart lemon curd. The bright citrus flavor feels like a fresh start, which is exactly what you want for the new year.
17. Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Most peanut butter cookies are either too dry or too cakey, but these hit that perfect sweet spot – crispy edges, chewy center, and they actually melt in your mouth. Sometimes the classics are classic for a reason.
18. Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
I use cold, cubed butter instead of softened, which means you can bake these immediately without chilling the dough. They stay incredibly gooey in the center, making them perfect when you need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for your New Year’s gathering.
