29 Holiday Baking Recipes People Are Starting Weeks Early This Year

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The holidays are creeping up, and kitchens everywhere are starting to smell like cinnamon and sugar weeks in advance. People are diving into festive treats earlier than usual, whipping up cookies, pies, and other sweet delights that make this season feel extra cozy. From classic favorites to new twists, these holiday baking recipes have everyone planning their menus ahead of time. It’s the kind of early holiday spirit that makes the countdown to the big day even sweeter.

Peppermint White Chocolate Blondies

Peppermint blondies on parchment paper.
Peppermint White Chocolate Holiday Blondies. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Decadent white chocolate blondies with peppermint frosting that bring cozy holiday vibes early.
Get the Recipe: Peppermint White Chocolate Holiday Blondies

Berry Crumble Bars for Festive Baking

Buttery Berry Crumble Bars for Holiday Cheers. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Juicy berries in a buttery crust make these crumble bars a must-bake for early holiday treats.
Get the Recipe: Buttery Berry Crumble Bars for Holiday Cheers

Pecan Praline Fudge Bars Everyone Loves

pecan brownies on a wire rack.
Pecan Praline Fudge Bars With Nostalgic Flavor. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Rich chocolate, caramel, and toasted pecans come together for fudge bars that capture holiday nostalgia.
Get the Recipe: Pecan Praline Fudge Bars With Nostalgic Flavor

Zesty Lime Cornmeal Cookies for Holidays

Cornmeal Lime Cookies With Lime Glaze. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Buttery cornmeal cookies with a refreshing lime glaze, adding a bright twist to your holiday baking.
Get the Recipe: Cornmeal Lime Cookies from Grandma’s Pantry

Chocolate Chip Shortbread for Festive Treats

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Rich shortbread loaded with chocolate chips—perfect for starting your holiday cookie countdown early.
Get the Recipe: Buttery Chocolate Chip Shortbread from Grandma’s Tin

Triple Chocolate Cookies for Holiday Indulgence

Triple Chocolate Cookies With Grated Chocolate. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Fudgy triple chocolate cookies that make early holiday baking extra indulgent.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Triple Chocolate Cookie Secret

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars for Early Holidays

stacked sugar cookie bars.
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars. Photo credit: Lauren’s Latest.

Buttery cookie bars topped with creamy frosting and sprinkles—perfect for starting your holiday baking early.
Get the Recipe: Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Pumpkin Spice Cookies to Start Holidays

A stake of pumpkin frosted cookies.
Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Soft pumpkin cookies topped with cream cheese frosting—perfect for starting your holiday baking streak.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies from Grandma’s Fall Kitchen

No-Bake Holiday Haystack Cookies

Four Ingredient Haystack Cookies With White Chocolate. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Creamy, crunchy no-bake haystacks that bring holiday cheer to your kitchen in minutes.
Get the Recipe: No-Bake Haystacks Just Like Grandma Made

Gooey Pecan Praline Bars for Holidays

Pecan Praline Bars with Brown Sugar Bliss. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Brown sugar, butter, and toasted pecans make these praline bars a must-bake for holiday gatherings.
Get the Recipe: Pecan Praline Bars with Brown Sugar Bliss

Caramel Oat Bars for Early Holiday Baking

Caramel Oat Bars with Buttery Layers. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Soft oats and golden caramel make these bars a cozy treat to kick off your holiday baking.
Get the Recipe: Caramel Oat Bars with Buttery Layers

Magic Bars with Brown Sugar Crunch

Magic Bars with Buttery Brown Sugar Crunch. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Layered bars with coconut, chocolate, and buttery sweetness—perfect for early holiday indulgence.
Get the Recipe: Magic Bars with Buttery Brown Sugar Crunch

Fudgy Brown Sugar Bars for Holiday Cheer

Fudgy Brown Sugar Bars Worth Every Bite. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Crackly top, melty inside—these fudgy bars bring warm holiday comfort to your early baking plans.
Get the Recipe: Fudgy Brown Sugar Bars Worth Every Bite

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Holiday Cookies

Quick And Easy Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

Soft, simple peanut butter cookies that are quick to bake and perfect for early holiday sweet treats.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Early Holiday Sugar Cookies to Start Baking

A baking tray filled with decorated holiday sugar cookies, including Christmas trees, snowflakes, stars, a bell, a gingerbread person, and a snowman, all with colorful icing and sprinkles.

These classic cut-out sugar cookies are the first treat everyone makes when holiday cravings hit early.
Get the Recipe: Make-Ahead Holiday Sugar Cookies

Warm Butter Chess Bars for Early Baking Days

Butter Chess Bars That Taste Like Home. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Rich, gooey butter bars with a cozy old-fashioned flavor perfect for kicking off holiday baking early.
Get the Recipe: Butter Chess Bars That Taste Like Home

Brown Sugar Toffee Bars for Early Treat Cravings

Brown Sugar Toffee Bars Made for Sharing. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Soft, chewy toffee bars packed with caramel richness—perfect for when early holiday cravings kick in.
Get the Recipe: Brown Sugar Toffee Bars Made for Sharing

Caramel Butter Bars to Start Holiday Baking

Caramel Butter Bars from Grandma’s Tin. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Buttery caramel bars with a nostalgic flavor that makes them a must-bake weeks before the holidays arrive.
Get the Recipe: Caramel Butter Bars from Grandma’s Tin

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread for Early Bakers

Overhead view of several cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies on a cooling rack and baking tray, surrounded by shelled pistachios and dried cranberries.
Dried Cranberry Shortbread Cookies With Pistachios. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Buttery shortbread with ruby cranberries and pistachios—an early-season treat that feels holiday-ready.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread from Grandma’s Tin

Raspberry Lemon Cookies for Early Celebrations

Three raspberry lemonade cookies on a plate.
Pink Lemonade Cookies With Raspberry Lemon Filling. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Bright raspberry-lemon flavor brings a fresh twist to early holiday baking with a soft, buttery bite.
Get the Recipe: Raspberry Lemon Cookies Grandma Would Love

Early Holiday S’mores Cookies for Cozy Nights

Easy S’mores Cookies With Graham Cracker Crumbs. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Campfire flavors wrapped in a cookie—perfect for getting an early start on holiday baking traditions.
Get the Recipe: Classic S’mores Cookies from Grandma’s Campfire

Peanut Butter Cookies to Kickstart Holiday Baking

peanut butter pretzel cookies on a wire rack.
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies that taste like the start of the holiday season itself.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Treats

Peppermint Chocolate Cookies to Start Early

Fudgy White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Fudgy chocolate and cool peppermint deliver that early-holiday flavor everyone looks forward to.
Get the Recipe: Peppermint Chocolate Cookies Grandma Saved for Guests

Crispy Rice Oatmeal Cookies for Early Season

A batch of Rice Krispie oatmeal cookies on a rack.
Chewy Rice Krispie Oatmeal Cookies. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Crispy, chewy oatmeal cookies that feel just right for launching holiday baking weeks early.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Rice Oatmeal Cookies from Grandma’s Tin

Apricot Crumble Bars for Early Holiday Baking

Apricot Crumble Bars with Buttery Crust. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Sweet apricot filling and a buttery crust make these bars the perfect early-season bake.
Get the Recipe: Apricot Crumble Bars with Buttery Crust

Peppermint Fudge Bars to Start the Season

Peppermint Fudge Bars for Holiday Nights. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Cool peppermint and rich chocolate come together in a festive bar perfect for early December nights.
Get the Recipe: Peppermint Fudge Bars for Holiday Nights

Sweet Salty Marshmallow Bars for Early Treats

marshmallow squares on a dark background.
Sweet and Salty Butter Marshmallow Bars. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Buttery, chewy marshmallow bars with a salty crunch that make early holiday snacking irresistible.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Salty Butter Marshmallow Bars

Lemon Shortbread Bars for Early Holiday Cheer

Lemon Shortbread Bars with Brown Sugar Crust. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Bright, tangy lemon over a buttery crust delivers a fresh pop of flavor to early-season celebrations.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Shortbread Bars with Brown Sugar Crust

Chocolate Coconut Bars for Early Holiday Flavor

Chocolate Coconut Bars with Buttery Layers. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Toasted coconut and rich chocolate layers make these bars a favorite to bake well before the holidays begin.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Bars with Buttery Layers

31 Holiday Desserts That Look Straight Out of Grandma’s Cookbook

The holidays just don’t feel complete without something sweet cooling on the counter. These desserts could have come straight from Grandma’s handwritten cards, the ones dusted with flour and sugar.
Grab it here: 31 Holiday Desserts That Look Straight Out of Grandma’s Cookbook

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