Thanksgiving Cookies

Introduction

Thanksgiving Cookies offer a festive twist on traditional holiday desserts, making them a memorable addition to your holiday table. With warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, these cookies capture the comforting essence of fall while adding a personal, creative touch to any Thanksgiving gathering. They’re easy to bake, fun to decorate, and guaranteed to delight guests of all ages—making them a perfect treat for family feasts, school gatherings, or edible gifts.

Deliciously Unique Thanksgiving Cookies

What makes Thanksgiving Cookies stand out is their versatility and seasonal flair. You can shape and decorate them like leaves, pumpkins, or turkeys, using colored icing and sprinkles to evoke the spirit of autumn. The inviting aroma and spiced, buttery flavor make these cookies a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re baking with kids or preparing a platter for your holiday dessert table.

Preparing the Perfect Dough and Decorations

Start with a spiced sugar cookie dough, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes—this step ensures your cookies hold their shape when baked. Use festive cookie cutters for a Thanksgiving theme, then bake and cool completely before decorating. For icing, mix powdered sugar with a splash of milk and tint with food coloring to create a vibrant palette for your cookie art.

Assembling and Decorating Your Thanksgiving Cookies

Once the cookies are baked and cooled, unleash your creativity with piping bags, icing, and sprinkles. Outline shapes with icing, then flood the centers using a thinner icing for smooth coverage. Add details while the icing is wet for a layered effect, or wait until it sets for more intricate designs. Let the cookies dry at room temperature before serving or packaging as delightful edible gifts.

Serving Suggestions for Show-Stopping Thanksgiving Cookies

Arrange your decorated cookies on a platter surrounded by mini pumpkins or colorful leaves for an appealing festive display. Serve alongside apple cider, hot chocolate, or coffee for a complete autumn treat. These cookies also make thoughtful party favors—simply wrap them in clear bags with a festive ribbon.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 24 medium-sized decorated cookies. Each cookie typically contains around 120 to 150 calories, depending on the amount of icing and decorations used. They’re a perfect portion-controlled indulgence fitting for Thanksgiving celebrations.

Thanksgiving Cookies (Recap)

Thanksgiving Cookies combine the warmth of fall spices with creative decoration for a treat that’s both delicious and visually stunning. They’re easy to make, fun to customize, and guaranteed to put a smile on every guest’s face.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and stress-free holiday meal planning.

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and any additional spices. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing to incorporate.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until the dough forms. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
4. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters.
6. Arrange cookies on prepared sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. For icing, whisk powdered sugar with milk and divide among bowls. Tint with food coloring as desired. Decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles. Allow to set before serving or storing.

Weekly Meal Planning

Thanksgiving Cookies are ideal for prepping ahead—they keep well and their dough can even be frozen for quick, festive baking on short notice. Save and schedule this recipe for your Thanksgiving week plan and generate a combined shopping list that brings together every ingredient for all your planned meals and treats.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically calculates total ingredient quantities—never run short on flour or eggs
• Consolidates your shopping list by grocery store sections
• Reduces duplicate purchases and forgotten ingredients
• Keeps your holiday meal prep efficient, organized, and stress-free

Pro tip: When you schedule all your holiday recipes with CookifyAI, the app automatically updates your shopping list, helping you avoid extra store runs and enjoy more time with family and friends.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes (+30 min chilling)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour (including chilling and decorating)