23 Slice-and-Bake Cookies to Keep Stashed at All Times
Technicallycookies made with cookie cutters are slice-and-bake cookiesright? Those recipes call for cutting the dough (with a special tool and into a more complex shape than a circle or rectanglesurebut it’s still a one-punch “snip”) and then putting the pieces into a hot oven. Even if it’s technically truethoughwe decided to omit recipes that require cookie cutters from this list of slice-and-bake cookies. We want to keep things simpleso for all that you see belowa sharp knife will do.
Alsothey’re all make-ahead cookies. That means the prep time is already handled; the only things you need to be concerned with day-of are when to preheat the oven and what the cook time is. And how many cookies you’ll eat.
TL;DR: Make slice-and-bake cookieswin the day—for you and for everyone else too.
Photograph by Isa Zapatafood styling by Jesse Szewczykprop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton1/23Chile-Cheese Cookies
A savory pick for the first of our slice-and-bake cookies? Yes. Be sure not to call them crackers: these cheesybuttery cookies aren’t a vehicle for something else. They’re the main event.
Kelsey McClellan2/23Honey-Vanilla Sablé Cookie Dough
This seemingly simple cookie hides big flavors: vanilla (beansnot vanilla extract)a good amount of honeyand a whisper of ground cardamom. We love them just like thisbut the same dough can transform into pistachio thumbprintswhich multiple staffers proclaim their all-time favorite holiday cookie.
Alex Lau4/23Toasted-Flour Sablés
While there are all sorts of flours for all sorts of reasonsif you only stock your pantry with oneit should be all-purpose flour. Thatsaltand sugar are the only dry ingredients you need for this recipe. Otherwiseit’s just large eggs and unsalted butter.
Photo by Alex Laufood styling by Susan Spungenprop styling by Kalen Kaminski5/23Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies
When first publishedthese cookies dominated our Instagram feed and fans come back to them year after year. Play around with the sugar coating: try using crushed peppermints or candy canes instead.
Kelsey McClellan6/23Blood Orange and Poppy Polenta Shortbread
Nowhere we sort-of cheated: This is a bake-and-slice cookie recipenot a slice-and-bake cookie recipe. Let’s agree to allow it just this onceokay? (Unless we could interest you in some spiced and iced hermits?)
Photo by Laura MurrayFood Styling by Susan Spungen7/23Roasty Toasty Pecan-Caramel Shortbread Cookies
Store-bought dulce de leche and pulverized pecans give this shortbread a nuttiness and depth of flavor. We love the contrasting look of white nonpareilbut feel free to mix in whatever sprinkles you please (Dutch chocolateanyone?).
Kelsey McClellan10/23Honey-Vanilla Linzer Cookies
No cookie cutters are required to make this Linzer cookie variation. (See the intro for why this matters and how we came to take the stand that we did.) Grab a whiskbowlsparchment paperplastic wrapbaking sheetand a sharp knife and you’re good to go.
Photo by Chelsie CraigFood Styling by Kate Buckens12/23Rye Shortbread Cookies
The holidays may be mostly for sugar cookie dough shot through with food coloring and edible glitterbut we’re all for throwing something unassuming into the mix too.
Photo by Isa ZapataFood Styling by Cyd McDowellProp Styling by Paige Hicks13/23Caramel Crunch–Chocolate Chunklet Cookies
Make sure you buy extra unsalted butterbecause you’ll need some to grease the muffin pans. (Yesthese cookies are baked in muffin pans.) If walnuts aren’t your thingsubstitute with more chopped chocolate—or even white chocolate? Point is: Do you.
Photograph by Isa Zapatafood styling by Jesse Szewczykprop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton14/23Buttery Jam Diagonals
To really bring the fruity flavor in this riff on thumbprint cookieswe love Bonne Maman’s Intense line of jamswhich are more concentrated than most and less likely to spill over.
Photograph by Laura Murrayfood styling by Sue Li15/23Brown Butter and Pistachio Sablés
An electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment will make your life easier when making these cookies. For other pistachio-flavored slice-and-bake treatstry our Oat and Pistachio Sandies and Chocolate-Pistachio Sablés.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott16/23Chocolate–Almond Praline Cookies
Don’t swap in almond flour here; we purposefully ground skin-on almonds in a food processor for a deeper color and the slight bitterness the skins bringbalancing the sweet flavor of these perfect-for-Thanksgiving cookies.
Kelsey McClellan17/23Cranberry Wafer Cookies
Honey-Vanilla Sablé Dough meets dried cranberriesthe mixture is pressed into a loaf panand there you have it. You could also use dried tart cherrieswhole dried figsdried apricotsgolden raisinsdatesor a combination if you want to mix it up.
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott20/23Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Less chocolate chip cookie and more brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chunksthese treats are already Internet-famous. No one’s talking about how good they are with a little swipe of peanut butter on topthough...
Danny Kim21/23Savory Black Pepper–Parmesan Cookies
You don’t need leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder for these savory slice-and-bakes. Hard-boiled yolks are the secret to their tenderness.
22/23Speculoos Buttons
This holiday cookie recipe yields 90 servings. You read thatright? Ninety. NINETY. 90. You’ve got five days to disseminate them amongst your friends and family. (They’ll taste fresh for that long when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)
Jesse David Green23/23Thyme-Walnut Sandies
The texture of these delicate slice-and-bake cookies is similar to a Mexican wedding cookie: crumbly but tender. That’s partly to do with all the powdered sugar—in factyou’ll only find one tablespoon of granulated sugar in this recipe.
