Quick Answer: One box: Pepperidge Farm holiday Milanos. Spiced crisp: Anna's Ginger Thins. For a crowd: Kirkland European Cookies (156 pieces, about $17–23). Budget: Benton's Danish Butter Cookies at Aldi ($3.89).
Our top picks
We picked taste-test winners, one of each texture.
All 8 picks
Holiday flavors change every year. Prices are store listings checked October 2026.
Best overall
Pepperidge Farm holiday Milanos
- Sporked rank
- 1st of 6 PF holiday cookies
- Peppermint Milano Slices
- 9.5 / 10
- Season
- Holidays only
Why it's here: Topped one 2025 ranking and a second holiday Milano scored 9.5 in another.
Watch out: Flavors change every year, so 2026's lineup may differ.
Best value
Lotus Biscoff Cookies
- Count
- About 32 per pack
- Sporked
- 8 / 10, crowd-pleaser
- Costco
- 4 × 8.8 oz for $11.99
Why it's here: Cheap, easy to find all year, and the warm spice suits Christmas.
Watch out: Not festive-looking on its own; Sporked says ginger fans will want more bite.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked rated it 8/10 (Sporked); Harris Teeter lists $4.49 (Harris Teeter) and Eat This the Costco 4-pack (Eat This).
Best butter cookie
Benton's Danish Butter Cookies (Aldi)
- Chowhound
- 1st of 16 Aldi cookies
- Per cookie
- About 10 cents
- Where
- Aldi only
Why it's here: It won a 2026 ranking and costs a fraction of the name-brand tin.
Watch out: Aldi-only, and stock varies.
Why we picked it (sources)
Chowhound ranked it first of 16 Aldi cookies (Chowhound).
Best gingerbread
Anna's Ginger Swedish Thins
- Sporked
- 10 / 10, tied 1st
- Type
- Crisp thins
- Price per oz
- About 57 cents
Why it's here: A perfect score in two separate Sporked tests.
Watch out: They break easily; lay them flat in a stack.
Best chocolate
Oreo White Fudge Covered Cookies
- Sporked
- 10 / 10 (2025)
- Size
- 8.5 oz
- Season
- Holidays
Why it's here: The top-scoring packaged cookie in Sporked's 2025 holiday test.
Watch out: Seasonal, and the coating softens near heat.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked rated them 10/10 (Sporked).
Best for kids
Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Rating
- 4.7 / 5 at Walmart
- Colors
- Seasonal
- Texture
- Soft, cakey
Why it's here: Soft, colorful and cheap, the obvious pick for kids.
Watch out: People either love them or find them bland, and they don't freeze well.
Best tin to give
Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies
- Size
- 24 oz tin
- Made in
- Denmark
- Rating
- 4.4 / 5 at Walmart
Why it's here: The reusable blue tin makes it the easiest cookie gift.
Watch out: Prices vary widely; Aldi's version is a close match for much less.
Best variety pack
Kirkland Signature European Cookies
- Size
- 49.4 oz
- Varieties
- 15, with Belgian chocolate
- Made in
- Germany
Why it's here: One tin fills a whole board, and the Daily Meal called it a steal.
Watch out: Costco-only and seasonal; contains tree nuts.
Why we picked it (sources)
The Daily Meal ranked it second of eight Costco holiday cookies (The Daily Meal). Costco lists 156 pieces in 15 varieties (Costco), and a tracker shows $16.99–$19.99 (Warehouse Runner).
How to build a cookie board
- Mix textures: one buttery (Danish butter cookies), one spiced and crisp (ginger thins), one chocolate (fudge-covered Oreos or Milanos), one soft (frosted sugar cookies).
- Keep crisp and soft apart so the crisp ones don't go soft, and keep chocolate-coated cookies away from candles and heat.
- Fill the gaps with peppermint bark, chocolate coins, candied nuts and a few clementines.
- Put out half and refill from sealed packages so the second round tastes as fresh as the first.
See the full layout in our Christmas cookie board, and for shortbread, the best store-bought shortbread.
Christmas cookie questions
How many cookies per person for a cookie board?
Plan on 3 to 4 cookies per guest when the board is the party dessert, or 2 to 3 after a big dinner. Mix four or five kinds so guests can try several.
How far ahead can I buy store-bought holiday cookies?
Buy limited holiday flavors as soon as you see them, because they sell out. Packaged cookies keep until the best-by date, so buying two or three weeks early is fine.
How do I keep cookies fresh on a board?
Build the board shortly before guests arrive, keep crisp and soft cookies apart, and refill from sealed packages instead of putting everything out at once.
What goes on a Christmas cookie board besides cookies?
Peppermint bark, chocolate coins, candy cane marshmallows, candied nuts, clementines and a few pretzels for salt.
Can you freeze store-bought cookies?
Sturdy ones, yes: freeze in a single layer, then store airtight with parchment between layers for up to three months. Skip frosted and delicate cookies.
How we picked these, and sources
Picks come from Sporked's 2024–2025 cookie tests, the Daily Meal's Costco and Trader Joe's holiday rankings (Daily Meal), Tasting Table's Costco cookie tray ranking (Tasting Table) and Chowhound's 2026 Aldi ranking, plus store listings. Freezing advice from Taste of Home (Taste of Home). Checked October 26, 2026.
- Sporked: best holiday cookies
- Sporked: Pepperidge Farm holiday cookies ranked
- Sporked: best gingerbread cookies
- Sporked: best cookies from our taste tests
- The Daily Meal: Costco holiday cookies ranked
- Tasting Table: Costco holiday cookie tray ranked
- The Daily Meal: Trader Joe's holiday treats ranked
- Chowhound: best Aldi cookies
- Eat This: Costco Christmas cookies
- Costco: Kirkland European Cookies
- Warehouse Runner: Kirkland European Cookies
- Harris Teeter: Lotus Biscoff
- ShopRite: Anna's Ginger Thins
- Walmart: Lofthouse
- TODAY: frosted sugar cookies
- Walmart: Royal Dansk
- Wikipedia: Royal Dansk
- Taste of Home: how to freeze cookies
Build the board with our Christmas cookie board, and add drinks from the best hot cocoa mixes. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
Add a sliced loaf too: see the best panettone.
