Christmas Eve is filled with anticipation, wonder, and traditions that make the holiday feel truly magical. One of the most cherished moments of the night is preparing a special cookie plate for Santa, a small but meaningful gesture that delights children and adults alike. Building Santa a cookie plate offers an opportunity to slow down, get creative, and enjoy time together while adding a personal touch to the evening’s festivities. Thoughtfully chosen treats, festive presentation, and a bit of holiday imagination turn this simple tradition into a memorable experience that captures the spirit of Christmas and keeps the magic alive well into the night.
Build Santa a Cookie Plate
Gingerbread Cookies
While baking these warmly spiced cookies, fill your home with the inviting scents of cinnamon and ginger. Have fun with your little ones shaping these into festive figures. Whether you decorate them with icing or let their traditional form shine, each bite is full of holiday cheer.
Pine Needle Shortbread Cookies
Add a woodland twist to your cookie plate this Christmas Eve. These buttery cookies feature finely chopped pine needles, giving them the flavor of winter forests. Finish them with a light dusting of powdered sugar as a memorable treat to share while preparing for Santa’s visit.
Glendorn Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can’t have Christmas without the timeless chocolate chip cookie. This particular recipe creates cookies with golden edges as well as soft, chewy centers. You just may want to make an extra batch of these ones so that there are still some available for Santa at the end of the night.
Mom’s Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies
Add a burst of color and creativity to your Christmas Eve cookie plate with classic sugar cookies. Soft, buttery cut-outs become a festive canvas for icing, sprinkles, and anything else your mind desires. It’s a nostalgic treat that Santa is sure to love.
French Meringue Cookies
Airy little clouds of sweetness give you a bit of a break from the cake-like texture of Christmas cookies. You can even pipe the meringue into various shapes such as the snowflakes above. Adding this cookie to your plate makes sure you have a variety ready for Santa.
Drinks Other Than Milk to Leave Out for Santa
Eight Maids-a-Milking Coconut Coquito
Even Santa could use a break from the cold to dream of the tropics. Creamy and spiced this recipe is inspired by the traditional Puerto Rican holiday favorite, coquito. Rich with coconut flavor, baking spices, and a touch of rum, this velvety drink feels like a cozy hug.
Coffee and Bourbon Cocktail, The Revolver
When delivering presents to all the children all over the world, we could use a hard one ourselves. Keep Santa awake and warm as he sips on The Revolver. A hint of orange bitters finds the perfect middle between the coffee and bourbon. Just go easy on the serving size, he still has a sleigh to drive after all!
Cardamom and Clove Oat Milk Latte
In case your Santa prefers something warming without the booze, there’s a recipe for him too. It’s a latte that wraps rich spices and creamy oat milk together. Thoughtful, soothing, and full of seasonal charm, it’s a perfect companion to a cookie plate.
Story by Kylie Thomas
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