Katy Brennan Wants to Diversify Your Point of View

Brit + Co's 'Grammable Holiday Cookie Guide

As long as Rudolph’s nose is red and wintry wonderlands are white, the holidays and cookies will go hand in hand (or, preferably, in both hands). We teamed up with cookie artists Ashley McNeal and Vickie Liu to help you create some of the prettiest cookies on the block! Get ready for serious inspiration, whether you're a total cookie newbie or a next-level baker.

Cookie Decorating Essentials

Half the battle of whipping up the perfect batch of cookies is having the right equipment. Here are all the essential tools you'll need in the kitchen to help master any recipe.

FOR MAKING DOUGH

FOR ROLLING OUT DOUGH

FOR BAKING COOKIES

FOR DECORATING

FOR FINISHING TOUCHES

Succulent Cookies

Create a Christmas succulent garden on top of a round cookie for an on-trend treat. We used a peanut butter sugar cookie as the base and vanilla buttercream for the cactus effect, but you could always go with your fave flavors and apply the same decorating technique.

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll out the cookie dough, cut it using a round cookie cutter, and bake until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.

2. Dye the buttercream frosting. Divide frosting into five bowls and use the coloring to create varying shades of green plus terracotta. Bowl one: Dye with black and green food gels, beginning with just a drop until you create a dark green. Bowl two: Add drops of green and brown to achieve a less-dark green. Bowl three: Dye with black and green to form darkest color green. Bowl four: Dye with terracotta. Bowl five: Dye with lime green.

3. Transfer frosting into piping bags. Bowl one goes into a piping bag fitted with tip #243. Bowl two is fitted with tip #62, and Bowl three is fitted with tip #2. Bowl four and five go into the bag together (one on each side), fitted with tip #21.

4. Pipe on details with buttercream icing. Use tip fitted with #61 to pipe on a large succulent on the cookie. Pipe a cone-shaped base for the center, then pipe arch-shaped rows from top to bottom as you turn the cookie. Then use a medium rosette piping tip #243 to create smaller succulents. Pipe multi-color spikes for filler succulents with #21 piping tip. Lastly, apply small green pearls for final filler with #2 piping tip.

5. Sprinkle on those pearls. After icing each cookie, quickly sprinkle a few pearls. Allow to dry.

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Galaxy Snowflake Cookies

These starry night snowflake cookies look pretty stellar, don’t they? There are various icing techniques used in this intermediate recipe. You can make them simpler by skipping some of the decorative piping and focusing on the mirror glaze. The results will still be out of this world.

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll cookie dough out, cut it using a snowflake cookie cutter, and bake until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

2. Dye the royal frosting. Divide it into four bowls. Bowl one: Dye with enough purple food gel to create a vibrant color. Bowl two: Do the same with the blue drops. Bowl three: Dye with black, beginning with one drop and adding more as needed. Bowl four: Leave white.

3. Transfer frosting into piping bags. Fill the purple, blue, and half of the black royal icings into a bag fitted with tip #2. Put the remaining black icing from bowl three into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. White icing goes into a bag fitted with tip #1.

4. Line and fill each cookie. Use the black icing bag and outline each snowflake to create a dam for flooding with icing (AKA filling the entire cookie with icing). Flood with the purple, blue, and black mixture. Drizzle in a little white. Use a toothpick or chopstick to lightly swirl the frosting to the outside edges.

5. Add galactic touches. Sprinkle on stars, and splatter on the edible gold luster dust with the paint brush. Let royal icing dry until hardened.

6. Pipe on the snowflake. Pipe on a snowflake design on the tops of each cookie using the white icing. Add a pearl sprinkle to the center. Coat with sanding sugar and shake off excess. Allow to dry.

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Candy Cane Sloth Cookies

We're always rush-rush-rushing during the holidays, so why not take after the sloth and slow things down. Bake cookies and meticulously ice them, sloth-like, so every detail is perfectly placed. We created our own custom cookie cutter! Download our cookie cutter printable, take it to your local baking supply shop, and have them 3D print the cutter for you. Or, in a pinch, print the doc, cut out the shape, and use it to trace around the dough.

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll out the dough out, cut it using a candy cane sloth cookie cutter, and bake until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.

2. Dye the royal frosting. Divide it into six bowls. Bowl one: Adding one drop at a time, create a light brown color with brown food gel. Bowl two: Dye black, using one drop and adding more as needed. Bowl three: Dye red, using those drops a few at a time. Bowl four: Do the same with the pink gel. Bowl five: Leave white. Bowl 6: Dye green using those drops, a few at a time.

3. Transfer frosting into piping bags. The green icing goes into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. The remaining icings go in separate piping bags fitted with tip #2.

4. Sketch on your design. Use the edible black pen to draw out your design.

5. Pipe on the icing. Line the candy cane with white and red. Flood the candy cane with white and red icing, and allow for dry time. Line the scarf with green icing, the Santa hat with red and white icing, and the sloth body with brown. Flood the scarf and hat with green, red and white icing. Repeat for the sloth body and add the eye detail with light and dark brown. Allow dry time.

6. Add final details. Draw on a mouth and nose with the edible marker. Add eyes and toenails with black icing in piping tip. Line the scarf and hat. Add face details by dotting eyes with white, and adding pink cheeks with #2 piping tips.

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Grinch Linzer Cookies

Linzers get a Grinch make-over for this beginner decorative cookie recipe. Start with animal cracker cookie dough, dye it Grinch green, and cut out tiny hearts in the center of each cookie. Then, sandwich the cookies in-between bright red raspberry rosé jam. You can’t help but get in the spirit of Christmas after one bite of these cookies.

(Makes 12 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Make the jam and Santa hats the day before decorating. Allow jam to cool completely and chocolate hats to firm up (pop them in the fridge or freezer to speed up time).

2. Bake the cookies. Using a stand or hand mixer, dye the cookie dough Grinch green with green food gel (use 2 drops or more as needed.). Roll out the dough, cut it with ruffle-edge round cookie cutter, and bake it according to directions.

3. Cut out the hearts. Once out of the oven, on half of the cookies, cut out a small heart in the center of the cookies using the mini heart cookie cutter. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

4. Assemble the sandwiches. Spread a dollop of jam on each solid cookie. Carefully sandwich with the heart cut-out cookie. Use a little bit of leftover melted compound chocolate to glue the hats (directions below) to the top side of each cookie.

GET THE CHOCOLATE SANTA HAT RECIPE

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Blue Ombré Pinwheel Cookies

Although these look complicated, the recipe and technique is quite simple. The trickiest part is all the refrigeration needed. In total, these cookies will take about seven to eight hours to complete, so plan to divide the labor into two days. The best part, of course, is rolling the dough in the sprinkles of your choice. Just be sure they won't melt! We found sanding sugar and jimmies work best.

(Makes 12 cookies)

Ingredients:

Directions:

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Rudolph Corgi

Surely nothing is cuter than a corgi tush, so of course, we had to create our own custom cookie cutter. Just like with the sloth, download our cookie cutter printable, and either have the custom cutter made or print and cut it out.

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll it out, cut it using the corgi cookie cutter, and bake according to directions. Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing.

2. Dye the royal frosting. Divide it into six bowls. Bowl one: Dye light tan with food gel, beginning with just a drop until you achieve the desired shade. Bowl two: Dye red, using those drops a few at a time. Bowl three: Dye black, starting with just one drop at a time. Bowl four: Repeat with the pink dye. Bowl five: Leave white. Bowl six: Dye brown, using a few drops at a time.

3. Transfer frosting into piping bags. The brown icing goes into a piping bag fitted with a #7 tip. The remaining icings go in separate piping bags fitted with #2 tips.

4. Pipe on details with royal icing. Line the rump and feet using skin tone, and line the tail and fur with the same icing. Allow to dry completely.

5. Ice the body and ears. Flood the top part of the rump with light brown, and the bottom part with white. Add a small dollop of pink on each ear, and lightly spread with an offset spatula. Allow to dry.

6. Create the face. Line the head and ears with skin tone. Line the center of the face with white. Flood the cheeks with light brown and the center of the face with white, and allow for dry time.

7. Add the finishing details. Add antlers with brown icing. Allow to dry. Use an edible marker for the mouth. Add eyes with black and nose with red. Re-line the rump with skin tone.

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Millennial Pink Ornament Cookies

Just because you're new to the baking game, doesn't mean you can't wow in the cookie swap. Cut out these simple ornament shapes, and replace those standard reds and greens with of-the-moment millennial pink icing and decoration.

(Makes ~40 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll out the cookie dough, cut it using an ornament cutters. Cut a hole in the top of the ornament with a straw before baking to put the ribbon through. Chill, then bake according to directions. Cool the cookies for 30 minutes minimum.

2. Melt the chocolate according to package directions. Divide into three bowls. Set aside one bowl. In a second bowl, add 1-2 drops of pink dye and stir to form a light shade of pink. In another bowl, add 3-5 drops of dye and stir for a darker shade of pink.

3. Dip the cookies into various shades of melted chocolate. You can dip multiple layers to create an ombre effect. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Allow to dry completely.

4. Attach ribbons/string to cookies. Hang them up to show off your work!

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Reindeer Jolly Rancher Cookies

Ready to step it up a bit? Grab a standard gingerbread-man cutter, and invert these guys to create reindeer — voila! Rudolph’s red nose gets a sleek upgrade thanks to melted candies.

(Makes ~40 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll the cookie dough out and cut it using gingerbread-man cutter. Cut round hole in head of the cut-out men to make space for the red nose. Transfer to baking sheets, and chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

2. Remove from oven and fill nose holes with crushed hard candy. Bake for an extra few minutes (until candy has melted). Cool cookies for 30 minutes minimum.

3. Dye the royal icing. Divide it into three bowls. Bowl one: Dye light brown with brown food gel. Bowl two: Dye darker brown with brown food gel. Bowl three: Dye black with black food gel.

4. Pipe on details with royal frosting. Outline the reindeer's face with light brown royal icing. Fill in, then use a toothpick to swirl the icing to fill in any gaps. This also helps it dry in an even layer. Allow to dry completely.

5. Use dark brown to pipe on the antlers and ear detailing and black to dot on the eyes. Allow to dry completely.

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Holiday Llama Sugar Cookies

Now things get a bit more challenging and a lot more adorable. Decked out in scarves, hats, and holiday decor, these almost too-cute-to-eat cookies will have you singing fa-la-la-la-llama.

(Makes ~25 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake cookies. Roll out cookie dough, and cut it using llama cutter. For some of the cookies, cut out hats with a small triangle cookie cutter to give your llamas a tiny holiday hat. Chill and bake according to instructions. Cool for 30 minutes minimum.

2. Dye the royal icing. Divide it into seven bowls. For bowl 1: leave white. Remaining bowls, dye light pink, green, red, black, blue, and yellow with gel food colors.

3. Transfer icing into piping bags. Fit each icing into a separate piping bag, fitted with a #2 Wilton icing tip.

4. Pipe on details. Outline the llama's body with light pink royal icing. Fill in, then use a toothpick to swirl the icing to fill in any gaps. This also helps it dry on in an even layer. Dry for 30 minutes.

5. With the same technique, use the white icing to ice on the second layer (the face and feet of the llama). Dry for 30 minutes.

6. Ice the third layers (green scarf, red Santa's hat, black strings of the lights). Dry for 30 minutes.

7. Ice on final details (face with black icing, lights with different colors, white fluff of Santa's hat, etc.). Add any candies. Allow to dry completely.

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Snuggly and Pugly Gingerbread Sweaters

Kick your sweater cookies up a notch by sketching out adorable furry fondant friends, and attach them to the front of your sweater creations.

(Makes ~24 cookies)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Make royal icing, dye it, and transfer into piping bags: Divide icing into six bowls. Bowl one, leave white. Remaining bowls, dye orange, brown, black, red, and green. Transfer each into separate piping bags fitted with a #1 tip.

2. Pipe on the royal icing transfers. On a parchment sheet, pipe on the transfers like the pug with Santa hat on parchment paper. Allow to set overnight, then carefully peel off once totally try. Set aside.

3. Bake the cookies. Roll out cookie dough, and cut it using sweater cookie cutters. Bake according to instructions. Cool for 30 minutes minimum.

4. Decorate the fondant base layer. Pipe on sweater decoration with white royal icing. Dry for 1-2 hours. "Glue" on pre-made royal icing transfers with royal icing. Add any final touches and allow to dry completely.

5. Attach the fondant layers to the cookies. Outline each cookie with white royal icing, and carefully attach fondant base layer. Allow to dry completely before serving.

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Palm Springs Gingerbread House

Sure, anyone can make the standard gingerbread house, but if you're looking for a real challenge, you'll love our Palm Springs variety. Mid-century design enthusiasts — and edible house aficionados — will salivate at this reimagined version of the classic gingerbread construction.

(Makes 1 gingerbread house)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Make the cactus and pool decorations. Roll out the dough, cut it in various shapes, and bake. Decorate with fondant and piping gel dyed blue with gel food coloring. Crush some baked cookies for sand.

2. Bake the gingerbread. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours. Preheat the oven, and roll out the dough. Cut out the cookies according to templated shapes and bake. Cool the cookies for at least 30 minutes.

3. Construct the gingerbread house. Place a large white foam board on a flat surface and construct the house on top of it, using royal icing as the mortar between the cookie pieces. Decorate house with fondant/royal icing.

4. Finish with surrounding decorations. Glue on the pool, fondant driveway, cookie palm trees, sprinkle grass with royal icing. Allow it to dry completely.

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Pastel Chocolate Tree Cookies

When it comes to giving your tree-shaped Christmas cookies some added personality, you won't want to rely on the typical red and green icing. Instead, give your trees a chocolatey base and some pastel shades on top.

(Makes 12-24 tree cookies, depending on size)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Roll out the cookie dough, cut out using tree cutters, chill, and bake according to instructions. Cool the cookies for 30 minutes minimum.

2. Dye the royal frosting. Divide it into three bowls. Bowl one: Dye Tiffany blue with blue food gel. Bowl two: Dye light pink. Bowl three: Leave white.

3. Transfer into piping bags. Each color goes into a piping bag fitted with a #2 tip.

4. Line and fill the cookie. Pipe a border of royal icing on each tree using pink or blue royal icing. Fill in (AKA flood) with more frosting, then use a toothpick to swirl the icing to fill in any gaps. This also helps it dry on in an even layer. Allow to dry completely.

5. Add final touches. Pipe on white royal icing details and sprinkle on sanding sugar and position pearl sprinkles. Allow to dry completely.

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Peppermint Penguin Sandwich Cookies

If you've got an Oreo lover on your list of loved ones to treat, these adorable peppermint-filled penguins are perfect. Our DIY version pairs just as flawlessly with a glass of milk as the classic store-bought cookie.

(Makes ~6 cookie sandwiches)

Ingredients:

Filling:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat oven, then roll out dough. Cut it with round cookie cutters, and freeze/chill for 15 minutes. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool the cookies for 30 minutes minimum. Allow to cool completely.

2. Make the filling. Beat butter until light and creamy. Slowly beat in 1 cup powdered sugar, followed by 1 tablespoon milk. Alternate until all is added. Beat in peppermint extract. Lastly, stir in red gel food coloring until swirls are formed (don’t beat in).

3. Assemble the sandwiches. Add small dab of filling to cookies and sandwich them together.

4. Dye the royal frosting and transfer it into piping bags. Divide it into four bowls. Leave one bowl filled with white icing. Dye the remaining icing in each bowl orange, black, red with gel food colors. Transfer each into a separate piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.

5. Decorate. Glue on white fondant belly to top of sandwich cookie with royal icing. Pipe on details of penguin's face, bow tie, etc. Make hats out of peppermint candy with a mini marshmallow glued on top using royal icing. Allow to dry completely.

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Hot Cocoa Cookie Cup Cookies

From hot chocolate to peppermint schnapps, the holiday season is filled with festive beverages. Add your favorite to these edible jiggers that have a chocolate coating to prevent them from getting too soggy before you can say, “Bottoms up!”

(Makes ~6 cookie shots)

Ingredients:

Equipment:

Directions:

1. Bake the cookies.Roll out the cookie dough, and cut it into shapes similar to a shot glass. Prep the cookie shot mold with non-stick cooking spray, and press dough into molds. Cut off any excess. Preheat oven. Chill dough in molds for 15 minutes. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely for 30 minutes minimum before you unmold them from the shot glass mold.

2. Melt chocolate. Thin out with shortening or coconut oil, if necessary. Coat the inside of cookie cup by swirling melted chocolate inside, and leave to set. Glue on candy cane handle with white chocolate. Dip cups in white or milk chocolate followed by a plate of sprinkles to create a sprinkle rim.

3. Add extra decoration. Pipe on holiday designs with royal icing and white sanding sugar, or transform your cup into Rudolph faces using candy and royal icing "glue."

4. Fill with desired drink and top with whipped cream, marshmallows, and cocoa dusting.

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Disney Holiday Cookies

Every Disney fan at your cookie party is going to to go nuts for these beauties. We teamed up with Disney Freeform and cookie artist Aime Pope to craft six magically frosted goodies from across the Disney and Freeform holiday lineup. Check them out!

Disney Holiday Castle Cookie

Every Disneyland fan will love this cookie version of their favorite theme park's central landmark.

Mickey Clause Cookie

You really can't have a proper Disney cookie display without the Mouse himself. Watch our tutorial on how to create this classic version of Mickey Claus.

Buddy the Elf Cookie

We all know the main food groups are candy,candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. But did you know the fifth is holiday cookies? They are when they're Elf cookies!

Olaf the Snowman Cookie

Do you want to build a snowman...cookie? This Frozen buddy will definitely bring huge smiles to even the the smallest faces.

The Grinch Who Stole This Cookie

If your fam's favorite holiday character is actually more green than red and has a heart two sizes too small, this cookie is a perfect pick for your next gathering.

More Holiday Cookie Inspo

You know you want even *more* ideas for amazing holiday cookies. Well, we've got 'em! We teamed up with cookie artist Aime Pope to create four more adorable winter-themed treats that are simple and stunning.

Jolly Ol' Santa Cookie

Nothing goes better with milk than this Santa cookie. Leaving this one out for Kris Kringle should definitely get you some extra goodies in your stocking.

Bright Little Snowflakes

Inject some technicolor into your cookie game with these gorgeous colorful snowflakes, laced with delicate white royal icing.

Chillin' With the Snowmen

Take a basic snowman cookie to the next level by adding earmuffs, mittens, scarves, and even sunglasses. These frosty friends are too cool and too cute to eat.

Share your cookie creations with us @BritandCo!

This article has been updated from a previous post.

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Rachel Zegler's Snow White is more inspirational than ever.

In the standout ballad “Waiting on a Wish," Snow White wonders “is it almost someday?” as she confronts the exhaustion and weary hope of waiting for a day of peace she’s not sure will ever come. Snow knows her father can set everything right, but struggles to believe she’s as “fearless, brave, fair, and true” as he is, even if she knows her true identity is a future queen.

Throughout the course of the movie, she finally comes to believe it’s up to her to change the fact the Evil Queen has “poisoned everyone into believing it’s everyone for themselves.” It’s that echo from the wishing well that provides an undercurrent to this new story — Snow White is waiting, but she’s actively waiting.

We are, after all, living in a post ‘90s-princess world, where our canon includes Belle daydreaming about a life outside her village and Mulan taking destiny into her own hands. Rachel Zegler’s Snow White isn’t just dreaming of a different life, she’s dreaming about actually changing her life, and becoming the boldest, truest version of herself.

This shift proves Disney movies are no longer purely about celebrating an original story’s beauty or providing comfort; they’re a call to action. Whether that shift is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but I walked out of the theater feeling better than I did walking in.

Despite Disney’s OG princess getting a couple contemporary updates, the integrity of the character remains intact because the updates aren’t harsh or biting. The character doesn’t steer into one-dimensional territory where she’s only obsessed with true love or only obsessed with reclaiming the kingdom. Snow White doesn’t let anyone step all over her, but none of her sweetness is sacrificed for shock value, and that combination of firm and bold kindness inspires change in others.

Whether it’s offering comfort or literally saving someone’s life, Snow White actually shows up for people. And the butterfly effect of her actions culminate in a true, old fashioned showdown between Snow White and the Queen. Snow White’s return to the palace — as princess and not servant — moves the townspeople to sing her parents’ old song, in turn giving her the confidence to claim she’s “everything [she was] wishing and waiting for.”

'Snow White' is the kind of nostalgic Disney movie we haven't seen in years.

Erin Cressida Wilson's script feels like the kind of sweet Disney story we all love, with emotional beats, pacing, and humor that had me reminiscing on titles like Tangled, Miramax's Ella Enchanted, and the first season of Once Upon a Time on ABC.

Director Marc Webb reframes the original cartoon’s theme of waking up in a really remarkable way because outside the literal poison apple of it all, after Snow White challenges the Queen, she reminds the soldiers of their true identities to wake them up and reclaim the palace.

Snow also ties the idea of waking up with falling in love, because contrary to internet chatter, the live-action Snow White does actually have a love story. And it’s one that had me literally giggling. Rachel Zegler and Andrew Burnap’s fun banter quickly morphs into butterfly-inducing stares and smaller, quiet moments every romance fan will love. And yes, they do address the kissing-without-consent issue a lot of Disney viewers have with the original cartoon.

The fleshed-out love story as well as added subplots about Dopey’s inability to speak and Snow White’s desire to make her father proud — plus a truly gorgeous score from Jeff Morrow — add so much nuance and emotion to the iconic story that people in my theater gasped and applauded throughout the third act.

Rachel Zegler is a true shining star.

Rachel Zegler is radiant as Snow White, and her performance makes the whole film shine. I’ve said for years that her voice solidifies her as a generational talent, but her expressions and awareness of the world around her truly set her apart. Not to mention the fact the film itself is a gorgeous, textured visual display that made me forget I was in a movie theater. And I could talk forever about the animated woodland animals!

The movie features songs from the original like “Whistle While You Work” (and if you listen closely, you can hear Rachel humming a few notes of “Someday My Prince Will Come” during a key scene), but the movie also adds some new songs from Justin Paul and Benj Pasek that join the ranks of great Disney music — especially “Waiting on a Wish” and “A Hand Meets A Hand,” which they co-wrote with Lizzy McAlpine.

But Gal Gadot's performance leaves something to be desired.

Compared to Rachel Zegler’s stellar performance, Gal Gadot’s role as the Evil Queen left me wanting more, especially when it comes to her big number “All Is Fair,” which I wish I'd heard from a Broadway diva. The character’s obsession with her physical beauty in and of itself also feels thin and outdated compared to the depth the new story offers Snow White. (The beginning of the movie does mention the Queen’s beauty is the source of magical power, but it’s so brief I forgot about it until my second watch).

And while I found the animated Seven Dwarves charming (and their story brought me to tears), I still don’t understand the decision to animate the characters rather than casting seven actors with dwarfism.

Overall, Disney’s live-action Snow White is a heartfelt film that inspires audiences to not just dream of redemption, but to actually make changes that better the world around them. Because Snow White will always be kind, but she’s not whispering anymore.