Holiday cookie swaps are all about sharing something sweet, something fun, and something homemade—and these recipes make it easy to show up with cookies everyone remembers. With all the baking basics and seasonal goodies you need, ShopRite helps you jump right into the kitchen and start creating treats that feel joyful from the very first mix.

This year’s cookie lineup is all about classic holiday flavors with a playful twist. Think cozy gingerbread, peppermint-kissed treats, rich cocoa bakes, and nostalgic favorites reimagined for the season. Each recipe is made to share, trade, or tuck into a festive box, and every ingredient you need is right at your local ShopRite. From pantry staples to seasonal must-haves, ShopRite makes it simple to bake something memorable.

Whether you’re filling a cookie tin or setting out a holiday platter, these bakes bring that homemade sparkle to every gathering and make your cookie swap one to remember.

 

 

Gingerbread Oatmeal Crème Pies

Difficulty: Easy • 1o servings • Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Bowl & Basket™ Quick Oats
• 1 tsp McCormick® Ground Ginger
• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

for the Spiced Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 tsp McCormick® Ground Ginger
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. To make the Spiced Vanilla Buttercream: Mix together the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and McCormick® Ground Ginger until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag, and aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses, and mix until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, Bowl & Basket™ Quick Oats, cinnamon, and McCormick® Ground Ginger.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold together until a dough forms. Refrigerate dough for 15–20 minutes.
6. Scoop 20 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden.
7. Once the cookies are out of the oven and slightly cooled, use a small gingerbread-man cookie cutter to cut the center out of half of the cookies.
8. Pipe the Spiced Vanilla Buttercream onto the whole cookies, then top each with a cutout cookie to create a crème pie. Serve, and enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Difficulty: Easy • 12 servings • Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Bowl & Basket™ Marshmallows
• ¼ cup Holiday Creamy Vanilla Coca-Cola®
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the Bowl & Basket™ Marshmallows in half, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, microwave the unsalted butter and chocolate chips in short bursts until fully melted.
4. To the melted chocolate, add the sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, and Holiday Creamy Vanilla Coca-Cola®. Mix well until fully combined.
5. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then stir until a batter forms.
6. Scoop 12 balls of the dough onto the lined baking sheet.
7. Press one marshmallow half onto the top of each ball.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Once the cookies come out of the oven, you can torch the marshmallow tops for a toasty, golden finish. Enjoy!
   
   

Peppermint Snowball Cookies

Difficulty: Easy • 20 servings • Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + ¼ cup Bowl & Basket™ Peppermint Starlights, crushed, divided
• 1 tsp Bowl & Basket™ Vanilla Extract
• 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup + ¼ cup powdered sugar, divided
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract, then mix to combine.
3. Add the flour and salt, and mix until a soft dough forms.
4. Fold in ¾ cup of the Bowl & Basket™ Peppermint Starlights to evenly distribute throughout the dough.
5. Divide the dough into 20 even balls.
6. Roll each ball in the Peppermint sugar mixture, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Combine 1 cup of the Bowl & Basket™ Peppermint Starlights and 1 cup powdered sugar. Once the cookies have cooled, roll each in the mixture to coat thoroughly. Enjoy!
   
   

Iced Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Difficulty: Easy • 15 servings • Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 ½ cups Bowl & Basket Granulated Sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

for the Eggnog Buttercream:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅓ cup non-alcoholic eggnog
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

for the sugar topping:

• 1 cup Bowl & Basket™ Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. To make the Eggnog Buttercream: in a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, butter, and eggnog until fluffy and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
2. To make the sugar topping: whisk together the Bowl & Basket™ Granulated Sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. In a bowl, cream together the butter and Bowl & Basket Granulated Sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to fully combine.
6. Slowly add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg, and mix until a dough forms.
7. Divide the dough into 15 equal balls.
8. Roll each ball in the sugar topping to fully coat, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake until the edges are crispy and the tops are set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
10. Pipe a spiral of frosting onto each cooled cookie, starting in the center and moving outward. Dust lightly with nutmeg, and enjoy!

Pistachio Almond Linzer Stars 

Difficulty: Easy • 12 servings • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bowl & Basket™ Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Bowl & Basket™ Powdered Sugar
• ⅔ cup Whole Natural Blue Diamond® Almonds, chopped
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pistachio cream

Directions:

1. In a bowl, cream the Bowl & Basket™ Unsalted Butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and the Whole Natural Blue Diamond® Almonds.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until a dough forms.
4. Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap each tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
5. After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a large star-shaped cookie cutter to create 24 stars. Use a smaller star cutter to remove the center of half of the stars.
7. Transfer the cookies to the prepared sheet, and bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 12 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Spread about a tablespoon of pistachio cream onto each of the whole cookies.
9. Dust the cutout cookies with Bowl & Basket™ Powdered Sugar, then sandwich on top. Enjoy!