Let’s be honest—most of us don’t have the time to make a Pinterest-perfect gingerbread house. I’d love to, but I am stressed just thinking about the construction of those cookie walls and the sticky mess in the kitchen. Let’s just say I’m still having flashbacks from previous Christmas baking projects. Instead, I will be keeping it simple this year, with easy festive treats that are kid-proof and won’t have me reaching for extra eggnog.
5-Ingredient Peppermint Bark
This amazingly easy bark has the elegance of the store-bought stuff.
Mini Strawberry Santas
These festive strawberry treats are the cutest little Santas ever. They’ll take you just minutes to make, and everyone will love eating them.
Reindeer Cookies
Oh, pretzels, where would we be without you? You taste great, and you also make cookies look like reindeers!
Grinch Kabobs
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
These fresh fruit treats are the perfect healthy snack for the little ones during the holidays. They’re delicious served with a little chocolate sauce on the side.
Chocolate Pretzels
Pretzels save Christmas again. This recipe is so simple, the kids can help out. Just try to resist eating them all as you make them!
Reindeer Food
This magical “reindeer food” snack mix recipe is fun to make. You can choose a holiday mix of M&M’s to make it extra festive! “This is a huge hit with kids big and small. It’s particularly nice because you can tweak ingredients – I added M&Ms this time, I’ve also used coarsely crushed peppermint candy.” —WildKayak
Christmas Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes
Add a little green coloring to your cornflake treats to make these mini Christmas wreaths. Add some red hot candy ornaments to make them extra festive! You could also make these into one large wreath for an impressive presentation.
Candy Cane Cocoa
Christmas cuteness in a warm and cozy cup of cocoa, topped with whipped cream and embellished with crushed candy cane.
Candy Cane Cookies
Allrecipes/Julia Hartbeck
A great peppermint flavored cookie that’s Santa approved! A sweet, vibrantly colored twist on a traditional sugar cookie.
My Mom’s Spritz Cookies
A wonderful Spritz cookie recipe with a touch of cinnamon— These are simple, elegant, and freezer-friendly for make-ahead holiday menus.
Sugar Cookie Icing
Will Dickey / Food Styling: Margaret Dickey / Prop styling: Phoebe Hauser
A must-have in your holiday baking arsenal. This icing dries hard and shiny, while the colors stay bright. Choose as many different food colorings as you desire.
Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes
Turn ordinary cupcakes into reindeer cupcakes with just a few easy moves. Watch the video to see how it’s done, and get more ideas for decorating Christmas cupcakes.