Make room on your dessert table for Thanksgiving cookies! Discover festive cookie recipes and holiday baking ideas worth saving a little appetite for!
Thanksgiving cookies deserve a little room beside pumpkin pie, especially when they arrive with browned butter, jewel-bright cranberries, maple-coated pecans, and marshmallow tops toasted just until golden!
These six recipes take familiar holiday flavors in playful directions, from cranberry rosemary cornmeal thumbprints to apple cider oatmeal cookies with little sparks of ginger, so every choice brings a different texture and a reason to reach across that dessert table.
Pour something warm, claim a corner of your kitchen counter, and prepare a cookie tray that might make everyone reconsider how much room they saved for pie!
Before You Start Baking
- All oven temperatures below are for a conventional oven, and baking times are listed per sheet unless a recipe uses a muffin pan.
- Total times include chilling and cooling, with cookie sheets baked one at a time.
- Use large eggs, unsalted butter, and fine salt; when butter needs softening, aim for a texture that takes a gentle finger dent while still holding its shape, about 65°F to 70°F.
- A kitchen scale is especially helpful for flour, pumpkin, and cookie portions. If you measure flour by volume, fluff it, spoon it into your cup, and level it without packing!
- Keep unbaked dough chilled while another sheet bakes, preheat your oven fully, and let baking sheets cool before adding another round.
- A warm pan starts melting butter before cookies reach your oven, which is a very efficient way to turn carefully shaped dough into one enthusiastic cookie continent.
Thanksgiving Cookies
1. Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Chai Sugar
These pumpkin cookies have softly chewy middles, lightly crisp edges, and a fragrant sugar coating that smells like orange peel meeting a spice cupboard.
Browned butter adds a toasted, almost caramel-like note, while ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of pepper keep pumpkin from tasting flat. My vote is to keep them unfrosted: that citrus-spice crust deserves your full attention!
Yield: 20 cookies, or 10 servings of 2 cookies
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 1 hour | Bake: 12 to 14 minutes per sheet, 2 sheets
Total: About 2 hours 20 minutes, including cooling | Oven: 350°F (175°C)
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 g) canned plain pumpkin puree, reduced to 1/4 cup (60 g) by blotting as directed
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
For the Orange Chai Sugar:
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, from a washed orange
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
How to Make It
1. Melt butter in a small, light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring and scraping along its bottom as it foams. After about 5 to 8 minutes, milk solids should look amber and smell pleasantly nutty; pour everything into a heatproof mixing bowl immediately, including those flavorful brown specks.
Let it cool for about 15 minutes, until barely warm. Expect roughly 90 to 95 g of browned butter after moisture evaporates, and use all of it without adding water back.
2. Meanwhile, spread pumpkin about 1/2 inch thick on a plate lined with several sturdy paper towels, press more towels gently over its surface, and replace them as they become wet. Scrape pumpkin into a bowl and repeat until you have 60 g, approximately 1/4 cup, of thick puree.
Don’t skip this step! Removing extra water helps these cookies keep a denser middle instead of puffing into little cakes, and pumpkin should hold a soft mound rather than slump into a puddle.
3. Whisk brown sugar and granulated sugar into cooled browned butter, then whisk in blotted pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all five spices; fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture just until flour disappears.
Dough will feel soft and slightly sticky, which is exactly why it needs a covered 1-hour rest in your refrigerator.
4. Heat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Rub orange zest into coating sugar with your fingertips until fragrant, then stir in cinnamon and cardamom. Divide chilled dough into 20 portions of about 30 g each, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons, roll gently into balls, and coat generously in orange chai sugar.
Arrange 10 on each sheet with at least 2 inches between dough balls, then flatten each to about 1/2 inch thick.
5. Bake one sheet on a middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating once if your oven browns unevenly. Look for set edges and centers that have lost their wet shine but still look soft; waiting for every inch to feel firm will give you a much drier cookie after cooling.
Leave cookies on their sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack, and repeat with remaining chilled dough.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these slightly warm with black tea, coffee, or cold milk, especially when you want their orange aroma to greet everyone before the first bite.
For a plated dessert, set two cookies beside a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and spoon a few drops of maple syrup over ice cream. Let cookies cool completely before arranging them on a tray so their sugar coating stays distinct!
2. Cranberry Rosemary Cornmeal Thumbprints
Think buttery shortbread with a delicate cornmeal crunch, a bright orange fragrance, and a ruby cranberry center that brings welcome tartness to a sweet dessert tray.
A small amount of finely minced rosemary gives these cookies a piney, fresh finish without making them taste like an herb garden. Chop it until almost confetti-fine, because a rosemary needle is not the surprise anyone came for!
Yield: 20 cookies, or 10 servings of 2 cookies
Prep: 30 minutes, including filling
Chill: 30 minutes | Bake: 14 to 17 minutes per sheet, 2 sheets
Total: About 2 hours, including cooling | Oven: 350°F (175°C)
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Filling:
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, frozen berries left unthawed
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon very finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (40 g) fine yellow cornmeal, not coarse polenta
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
How to Make It
1. Combine cranberries, filling sugar, and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once berries begin popping, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently and crushing berries with a spoon, until thick and jammy. Drag your spoon through mixture; a trail should stay visible briefly before closing.
Transfer to a shallow bowl and cool completely, about 20 to 30 minutes, while you prepare dough. You need about 1/2 cup of thick filling, with any small extra amount saved for toast.
2. Beat softened butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until smooth and a little lighter, then beat in egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla, and rosemary. Scrape around your bowl so no buttery streaks remain. Mix flour, fine cornmeal, and salt separately, then add to butter mixture on low speed, stopping when dough forms moist clumps; press those clumps together with your hands instead of continuing to beat them.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment and divide dough into 20 portions, about 20 g each. Roll into smooth balls and arrange 10 per sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press a rounded 1/2-teaspoon measure into each ball to make a deep well, widening it gently to about 3/4 inch across without going through its base.
If edges crack, pinch them back together now, because a neat little wall helps keep cranberry filling where you put it!
4. Refrigerate shaped cookies for 30 minutes and heat oven to 350°F during that time. Spoon about 1 level teaspoon of cooled filling into each indentation, keeping it just below the rim; a tall mound is much more likely to bubble over.
If your filling still runs off a spoon, simmer it a little longer and cool it again before using, because extra liquid can soften those carefully shaped centers.
5. Bake one sheet on a middle rack for 14 to 17 minutes, until cookie edges are pale gold and filling looks glossy and gently bubbling. Leave them on their sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a rack; warm shortbread is fragile, and hot cranberry filling is extremely enthusiastic about sticking to fingers.
Bake remaining cookies, then cool everything completely before serving or stacking.
Serving Suggestions
Pair these with spiced tea or a lightly sweetened latte, or arrange them between pale cookies and dark chocolate treats so those cranberry centers catch the eye.
I would put a few beside a bowl of orange segments on a dessert buffet, where that fresh citrus gives guests a lovely little pause between richer bites. Use a single layer for the prettiest presentation!
3. Salted Maple Pecan Pie Cookie Cups with Pretzel Crust
These little cups give you crisp cookie edges, a buttery pretzel base, and a soft maple pecan filling in two tidy bites. Finely crushed pretzels bring enough salt and crunch to keep that caramel-like center interesting, while real maple syrup gives a rounder flavor than plain sugar alone.
You will need a standard 24-well mini muffin pan, with wells roughly 1 3/4 inches wide at their tops, so every cookie has a little support while it bakes!
Yield: 24 cookie cups, or 12 servings of 2 cups
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 20 minutes | Bake: 22 to 26 minutes
Total: About 1 hour 45 minutes, including cooling | Oven: 350°F (175°C)
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Cookie Cups:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for greasing
- 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (40 g) very finely crushed salted pretzel crumbs, measured after crushing
For the Maple Pecan Filling:
- 3/4 cup (75 g) pecans, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- A small pinch of flaky salt for finishing, optional
How to Make It
1. Heat oven to 350°F and spread chopped pecans on a small baking sheet. Toast for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and slightly darker, then transfer to a plate to cool. Lightly grease every well of your mini muffin pan, including upper edges, because a little escaped maple filling can become impressively determined glue.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until smooth, then beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir flour and fine pretzel crumbs together, add them to your bowl, and mix just until a soft dough forms. Pretzels should look like coarse flour with only tiny specks remaining; large shards make dough harder to press and leave weak spots in those small cookie walls.
3. Divide dough among 24 wells, using about 16 g per well, roughly a level tablespoon. Press evenly across each base and up its sides, leaving a hollow center with walls about 1/8 inch thick; lightly floured fingertips or a small tart tamper make this easier.
Patch thin areas with a tiny pinch of dough from a thicker edge, then refrigerate your filled pan for 20 minutes so butter firms up before baking.
4. Melt filling butter with brown sugar and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring only until butter melts and sugar begins dissolving, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes, until just lukewarm, then whisk in beaten egg, vanilla, and fine salt.
Stir in cooled pecans. Don’t add egg to a hot saucepan! You want a smooth filling, and scrambling breakfast in your cookie mixture would be an inconvenient plot twist.
5. Divide filling evenly among chilled shells, about 2 teaspoons per cup, staying just below their rims. Stir filling occasionally as you portion it so pecans do not collect in one part of your bowl.
Bake on a middle rack for 22 to 26 minutes, until cookie edges are golden and filling has puffed slightly and no longer looks liquid when you gently nudge your pan; if centers ripple like syrup, give them another 2 minutes and check again.
6. Let cups cool in their pan for 15 minutes, then gently loosen edges with a thin, blunt knife and lift them onto a rack to finish cooling. A tiny pinch of flaky salt can go on while filling is still warm, but taste one cooled cup before salting every piece, since pretzel brands vary.
Resist pulling them out straight from your oven: warm filling needs a few minutes to settle into a center that holds together.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at cool room temperature with strong coffee, or place two on a small plate with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream added just before eating. These are especially good for guests who love pecan pie but would rather try several small desserts.
Because this filling contains an egg custard, refrigerate cups within 2 hours and keep them covered at 40°F or below for up to 4 days, following guidance for egg-based pies.
4. Apple Cider Oatmeal Cookies with Crystallized Ginger
These cookies combine chewy oats, concentrated apple cider, soft pieces of dried apple, and little ginger bites that wake up every mouthful.
For flavor, reducing cider matters just as much as choosing good apples, because a spoonful of concentrated cider carries autumn flavor without flooding dough with liquid!
Yield: 24 cookies, or 12 servings of 2 cookies
Prep: 35 minutes, including cider reduction
Chill: 30 minutes | Bake: 12 to 14 minutes per sheet, 2 sheets
Total: About 2 hours, including cooling | Oven: 350°F (175°C)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider, not apple cider vinegar or hard cider
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups (120 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, not steel-cut oats
- About 1/2 cup (45 g) soft dried apple rings, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces; avoid crisp apple chips
- About 1/4 cup (35 g) crystallized ginger, finely diced
How to Make It
1. Pour cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 15 to 25 minutes, reducing heat as its volume drops, until only 2 tablespoons remain. Measure it rather than guessing, because saucepan width changes evaporation speed considerably.
If you reduce it too far, add enough water to return to 2 tablespoons; if you still have more, simmer a little longer. Pour into a small heatproof bowl and cool until no longer warm, about 10 to 15 minutes, while you measure remaining ingredients.
2. Beat butter with both sugars for 2 minutes, until creamy, then beat in egg, vanilla, and cooled cider reduction. Scrape your bowl and mix again briefly so cider is distributed throughout. Don’t worry if mixture looks slightly curdled at this point; it should come together when dry ingredients join in.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then mix into wet ingredients on low speed just until no dry patches remain.
Fold in oats, dried apples, and crystallized ginger with a sturdy spatula, checking underneath dough for any flour hiding at the bottom. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, giving oats time to absorb moisture and making dough easier to portion.
4. Heat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into 24 portions of about 32 g each, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons, and arrange 12 per sheet with at least 2 inches between dough portions. Press each mound to about 1/2 inch thick, then tuck exposed apple pieces gently into dough so their edges are less likely to scorch.
5. Bake one sheet on a middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look set but still soft. A little shine from a piece of ginger is fine; a glossy patch of raw-looking dough is your cue to wait another minute.
Let cookies rest on their sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack, then bake remaining chilled portions. Their centers become chewier as they cool, so give them a chance to finish settling before judging texture!
Serving Suggestions
Serve with warm cider or a mug of tea, or crumble one cooled cookie over vanilla yogurt for a small dessert.
These also make a lovely next-day coffee companion, when apple and spice flavors have had time to mingle. If you plan to offer them alongside ice cream, keep cookies on a separate small plate so their edges stay crisp until each bite.
5. Sweet Potato Graham Cookies with Toasted Marshmallow Tops
These soft cookies borrow sweet potato casserole’s best party trick, a golden marshmallow cap, and place it on a cinnamon-scented graham cookie.
Mashed sweet potato gives their centers a tender, almost cake-like texture, while graham crumbs add that familiar toasted-honey flavor. They are meant to be soft, so this is a good choice for anyone who likes a gentle cookie with a sticky, stretchy finish!
Yield: 20 cookies, or 10 servings of 2 cookies
Prep: 25 minutes, plus about 25 minutes to cook and cool a sweet potato if needed
Chill: 30 minutes | Bake: 14 to 16 minutes per sheet, 2 sheets
Broil: About 20 to 60 seconds per sheet | Total: About 2 hours 15 minutes starting with a raw sweet potato; about 1 hour 50 minutes with cooled mash
Oven: 350°F (175°C), then high broil
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 g) cooled, plain mashed sweet potato, from about 1 medium sweet potato weighing 10 to 12 ounces before cooking; measure mash, since potatoes vary
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (75 g) fine graham cracker crumbs, from about 5 full sheets
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a small pinch for finishing
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 10 regular large marshmallows, not jumbo, cut in half across their middles
- About 1 teaspoon neutral oil for greasing foil
How to Make It
1. If you need to cook sweet potato, scrub it, pierce it several times with a fork, and microwave on a microwave-safe plate for 5 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through, until completely soft; larger potatoes or lower-powered microwaves may need another minute or two.
Let it stand for 5 minutes, split it, and mash flesh until smooth. Spread mash on a plate to cool, then measure 120 g. Use plain potato without milk, butter, syrup, or seasoning, and save any extra for another meal.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until creamy, then mix in cooled sweet potato, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk flour, graham crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg separately, then add to your bowl and mix just until combined.
Dough should be soft and scoopable; cover and chill for 30 minutes so graham crumbs can absorb moisture.
3. Heat oven to 350°F and line two rimmed, broiler-safe metal baking sheets with aluminum foil, lightly brushed with neutral oil. Use foil here because these sheets will eventually go under your broiler, where parchment can burn.
Divide dough into 20 portions of about 30 g, arrange 10 per sheet with at least 2 inches between portions, and flatten each gently to about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Bake one sheet on a middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges feel set and tops spring back lightly when touched. Pull your sheet out, place a marshmallow half cut-side down in each center, and return it to your oven for 2 minutes so marshmallows soften and adhere.
Repeat with remaining dough before switching oven settings, keeping both finished sheets uncovered while you prepare to toast their tops.
5. Move an oven rack about 8 inches below your broiler and switch to high broil, following your oven’s instructions. Return one sheet at a time for about 20 to 60 seconds, checking after 20 seconds and staying right beside your oven, until marshmallows have golden patches.
Broilers differ sharply in strength, so color matters more than a stopwatch here. Remove immediately and repeat with your second sheet; you want a toasted top, not a tiny campfire!
6. Add a very light dusting of cinnamon, then leave cookies on their sheets for 10 minutes before transferring carefully to a rack. Let marshmallow tops cool for at least another 10 minutes before eating, since their centers can stay much hotter than cookie edges.
Arrange in a single layer and serve on the day you make them for the best combination of soft cookie and freshly toasted marshmallow.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these on a wide platter where their marshmallow tops have room, with coffee, milk, or lightly spiced tea nearby. A few thin apple slices make a fresh accompaniment, especially after a big holiday meal.
Skip stacking them in a cookie jar, because marshmallows tend to interpret that arrangement as an invitation to become one large marshmallow.
6. Dark Chocolate Tahini Shortbread with Toasted Pepitas
This shortbread brings a delicate, sandy bite, a mellow sesame flavor, and a dark chocolate edge scattered with toasted pumpkin seeds. Tahini gives butter a nutty companion without requiring chopped nuts in dough, while a little cinnamon ties everything back to autumn.
I would choose a 60% to 70% dark chocolate here so its slight bitterness balances shortbread’s gentle sweetness and lets those toasted seeds have a moment!
Yield: 24 cookies, or 12 servings of 2 cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Chill: 1 hour 30 minutes | Bake: 18 to 22 minutes per sheet, 2 sheets
Total: About 3 hours 20 minutes, including cooling and chocolate setting | Oven: 325°F (165°C)
Ingredients
For the Shortbread:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (60 g) smooth tahini, thoroughly stirred before measuring
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cool water, only if needed to bring dough together
For the Chocolate and Pepita Finish:
- 1/4 cup (30 g) raw shelled pepitas
- 4 ounces (113 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- A small pinch of flaky salt, optional
How to Make It
1. Stir tahini thoroughly in its jar before measuring, working any settled paste back into oil until texture is uniform. Beat butter, tahini, and powdered sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, just until creamy, then mix in vanilla. This dough needs a smooth mixture with minimal extra air, so stop before it becomes very fluffy.
2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and fine salt, then add to butter mixture and mix on low until sandy clumps form. Squeeze a small handful; it should hold together without crumbling apart. If dough still feels loose, press and knead it gently a few times, and only if needed add cool water 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 2 teaspoons total.
Tahini varies between brands, so this small adjustment is more useful than adding a big splash and hoping for the best!
3. Shape dough into an even log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 90 minutes, rolling it a quarter turn after 20 minutes if you want rounder slices. Before cutting, it should feel firm all the way through, because a soft center makes slices squash instead of separate cleanly.
4. Heat oven to 325°F. Spread pepitas on a small baking sheet and toast for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and beginning to puff, then cool and chop roughly. Line two cookie sheets with parchment, unwrap dough, and use a sharp knife to cut 24 slices about 1/2 inch thick.
If chilled dough cracks, let it stand for 5 minutes and press any small broken edges back into place.
5. Arrange 12 slices per sheet with at least 1 inch between them and bake one sheet on a middle rack for 18 to 22 minutes. Shortbread should look dry on top, with lightly golden edges and a little color underneath; it will still feel delicate while hot.
Cool on its sheet for 10 minutes, transfer carefully to a rack, and bake remaining slices, allowing all cookies to cool completely before dipping.
6. Place chocolate in a dry, microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring well after every interval, until almost melted; stir until remaining small pieces disappear.
Dip half of each cooled cookie into chocolate, letting excess drip back into your bowl, then place on parchment and immediately scatter with chopped pepitas and an optional tiny pinch of flaky salt.
Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to set chocolate, then keep finished cookies in a cool spot away from direct sun.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with espresso or black tea, or arrange beside cranberry thumbprints for a pretty mix of deep brown, green, and ruby red. These are also a good choice for small cookie gifts once chocolate is fully set; separate layers with parchment and keep packages away from warm windows.
Their sesame flavor is pronounced enough to feel different, while their buttery shortbread texture remains familiar and easy to love!
How to Prepare a Thanksgiving Cookie Tray?!
- If you make all six recipes, you will have about 132 cookies, enough for roughly 33 to 44 people at 3 to 4 cookies each when cookies are your main dessert.
- For a smaller gathering, I would choose cranberry thumbprints, maple pecan cups, and pumpkin cookies for a mix of tart fruit, rich filling, and soft spice, then add chocolate shortbread if you want a fourth option.
- Keep marshmallow cookies in a single layer, and place pecan cups out in smaller batches so the rest can stay refrigerated.
- You can prepare the cranberry filling a day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container, or refrigerate the wrapped shortbread log for up to 2 days before slicing and baking.
- Keep crisp shortbread separate from soft cookies until you arrange your tray, since moisture moves between them in a closed container.
- Set out a small stack of napkins, a serving plate, and something warm to drink, then let guests choose their own favorite combination!
From orange-scented pumpkin cookies to dark chocolate shortbread with toasted pepitas, these Thanksgiving cookies give familiar fall ingredients a fresh place at your holiday table.
Choose a couple for a small gathering or prepare a colorful spread, then enjoy every buttery edge, tart cranberry center, and golden marshmallow bite with people you love feeding.
Just save one or two for yourself before that platter starts making its rounds!
