11 Ways To Upgrade Your Holiday Cookies

The holiday season is upon us, and that means it's time to dust off those cookie sheets, preheat the oven, and indulge in the tradition of baking festive treats. While the classic sugar cookie might hold a special place in your heart, why not elevate your cookie game this year? We've gathered some simple yet effective ways to upgrade your holiday cookies, turning them into irresistible bites that will leave your friends and family asking for the recipe.

The tantalizing aroma of browned butter wafting through your kitchen, the crunch of crushed candy canes, and the subtle caramel notes of toasted sugar. These are the nuances that can turn a batch of cookies into a culinary masterpiece. There are many ways to upgrade holiday cookies that don't take much work but can transform a perfectly fine cookie into something that will be remembered for years to come.

So, this holiday season, let's reimagine the cookie jar. It's not just about what you bake; it's about how you elevate it. With these creative upgrades, your holiday cookies will become the talk of the season. And, there's no question about winning that cookie swap — you'll be a shoo-in. I've baked cookies professionally and developed cookie recipes, so I know a little about cookie upgrades. I've also gathered tips from food bloggers, recipe writers, and professional chefs to bring you the best holiday cookie upgrades that will make a difference for real.

Few techniques wield as much transformative power as the art of browning butter. Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette in French, is the result of gently cooking butter until its milk solids caramelize, creating a rich, nutty aroma and a golden-brown hue. This simple process turns a familiar kitchen staple into a secret weapon for enhancing the taste and texture of your baked goods.

When incorporated into cookie recipes, brown butter introduces a complexity of flavor that regular butter alone cannot achieve. The nutty undertones give you a cookie that tastes special and elevated — like you put the effort in. It's a subtle yet impactful upgrade that can make a significant difference, especially during the holiday season when the quest for exceptional treats is at its peak.

While the allure of an all-brown butter cookie might seem tempting, it's essential to strike the right balance. Using only brown butter can result in a grittier texture due to the intensified nutty particles of milk solids. Moreover, brown butter has less water, which can affect the loft and spread of your cookies.

To achieve the perfect harmony of flavor and texture, consider replacing only half of the butter in your recipe with browned butter. This allows you to savor the rich flavor without compromising on texture. The remaining portion of regular butter helps ensure an ideal moisture content, contributing to a cookie that strikes the perfect balance between chewy and crisp.

One key secret to elevating your holiday cookies lies in your choice of butter, a decision that can make a remarkable difference in both flavor and texture. Unlike its lower-quality counterparts, premium butter boasts a higher butterfat content, offering a luscious mouthfeel and a depth of flavor that can transform your cookies into gourmet delights. There's nothing like the flavor of high-quality butter. So, if you're looking to make cookies that stand out in a sea of holiday baking, splurge on the good stuff.

Beyond flavor, the choice of butter influences the texture of your cookies, too. Low-quality butter, with its higher water content, can lead to greasier cookies. Because high-quality butter contains less water, your cookies maintain loft and a perfect balance between chewiness and crispness. When embarking on your holiday baking adventures, look for butter with a higher percentage of butterfat and minimal water content. 

While it might be tempting to cut corners, the choice of butter is not an area to compromise. Your cookies deserve the best, and this simple upgrade can elevate your creations from standard to special. Whether it's a classic sugar cookie, a decadent shortbread, or a spiced gingerbread masterpiece, high-quality butter lays the foundation for baking success.

Sugar cookies are a festive classic but you have to admit that they can get boring. Luckily, it's extremely simple to upgrade your favorite sugar cookie dough into thumbprint cookies. This simple modification not only makes your cookies look extra special but also introduces an array of creative filling possibilities so they stand out on a festive platter. 

Start with your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Once the dough is mixed and ready, portion it into uniform balls. With your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, create an indentation in the center of each cookie. This well, or "thumbprint," is the canvas for a world of flavor possibilities.

Now we get to the fillings. You can add all kinds of fillings to the thumbprint. Consider adding a burst of fruity goodness by filling the thumbprints with your favorite fruit preserves or jams. Raspberry, apricot, and strawberry complement the buttery sweetness of the dough. But there's no reason to stop at jam. Opt for a rich and indulgent twist and fill the thumbprints with nut butter, chocolate ganache, or homemade caramel sauce. You can also tweak the sugar cookie dough. Add a hint of citrus zest, a splash of almond extract, or a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg to boost its flavors.

While vanilla extract or essence is a kitchen staple, if you're looking to take your baking up a notch, you should go a step further and use real vanilla beans. They offer a depth of flavor and aromatic complexity that is simply unparalleled.

Real vanilla beans are the undisputed royalty of the vanilla world. Their slender pods house thousands of tiny seeds, each bursting with rich flavor and aroma. Using real vanilla beans in your cookie recipes introduces fruity and floral flavors that extract or essence can't quite replicate. The seeds, when scraped from the pod, can also create a visually captivating speckled effect in your dough, signaling to your brain that something truly special is on the way.

For those who seek the richness of real vanilla beans but prefer a more convenient option, vanilla bean paste emerges as a close second. This paste combines a thick vanilla extract with whole vanilla beans. It retains the distinctive vanilla bean speckles, ensuring your cookies not only taste great but look like the real deal.

When using real vanilla beans, split the pod lengthwise, scrape the seeds out with the back of a knife, and incorporate the result into your cookie dough. If you are instead opting for vanilla bean paste, use it as a one-to-one substitute for vanilla extract in your recipes. This holiday season, invite the essence of true vanilla into your cookie creations — you won't regret it.

Consider introducing crushed pretzels to your holiday cookies. This unconventional mix-in brings salty, umami notes that complement the sweetness of the dough. Take classic chocolate chip cookies to new heights by folding a generous amount of crushed pretzels into the dough. The combination of sweet chocolate and salty pretzels creates a perfect balance of flavors, offering a satisfying crunch in every bite. 

Use this ingredient to infuse a versatile thumbprint cookie with a delightful trio of sweet, salty, and buttery goodness. Roll the cookie dough in crushed pretzels before creating the thumbprint well, then fill it with luscious salted caramel. The result is a visually stunning and flavor-packed treat that's pure indulgence.

Give the classic snickerdoodle cookie a textural makeover by coating the cookie dough in crushed pretzels before baking. The juxtaposition of the soft, cinnamon-spiced interior with the crunchy texture of pretzels creates a cookie that's not only visually appealing but also a delightful sensory experience. But, of course, these are just a few ideas to get you started. The truth is that you could add pretzels to almost any holiday cookie with crowd-pleasing results.