Holiday 2026 cookie trends lean nostalgic and heritage-inspired, with deep reds, forest greens and rich blues, plaid and bow details, and old-fashioned traditions like the peppermint pig, according to Vermont cookie cutter maker Ann Clark Ltd. It continues last year's pull toward classics, when Google searches for peanut butter blossoms led in 26 states.
If this year's holiday cookie table feels a little like Grandma's, that's the point. Early holiday previews point to a nostalgic, heritage-inspired season, with classic shapes, rich jewel-tone colors and old family traditions taking center stage.
What's trending
In its Holiday 2026 collection announcement on September 28, Ann Clark Ltd., a family-owned cookie cutter maker in Rutland, Vermont, said holiday decor and gifts are becoming more nostalgic and heritage-inspired. The company points to rich jewel tones, plaids, delicate bows and equestrian touches, a look it describes as "collected rather than coordinated."
For cookies, the company suggests decorating in deep reds, forest greens and rich blues, with a subtle shimmer from sparkling sugar and classic plaid patterns. Its new holiday shapes include a bow cutter alongside sleighs, stars, snowflakes and Christmas trees. It's also spotlighting the peppermint pig, an old tradition of breaking a peppermint candy pig and sharing the pieces, with pig-shaped cookies frosted in peppermint pinks, reds and whites.
It's worth noting this comes from a brand launching products, not an independent survey. But it fits what bakers were already searching for.
Why it's resonating
Last December, Google search data reported by Axios showed Americans gravitating to the classics. Peanut butter blossoms were the top-trending Christmas cookie in 26 states, peanut butter balls led in 16, and buttery spritz cookies topped the list in 8 states plus Washington, D.C. Unlike the year before, when each state had a more distinctive favorite, the 2025 map showed searches converging on a handful of old-school recipes.
Put together, the message is clear: shoppers and bakers want holiday traditions that feel familiar, handmade and worth passing down.
Bringing the trend to your cookie table
The nostalgic look is easy to recreate at home:
- Decorate in jewel tones. Deep red, forest green and navy icing with a dusting of sparkling sugar looks instantly vintage.
- Add a bow. Bow-shaped cookies or piped bows on round sugar cookies tie into the season's favorite motif.
- Bake the recipe card, not the trend. The most nostalgic cookie is the one from a stained family recipe card.
That last idea is what makes a cookie exchange such a natural fit for this year's mood. A swap is a tradition in itself: friends or neighbors each bring several dozen of one recipe, plus copies of the recipe to share, and everyone leaves with a box of other families' favorites. Hosts going for a classic baking look might like this editable Christmas cookie exchange invitation, which shows frosted gingerbread men, a rolling pin and flour, and lets you add a "bring your family's favorite recipe" line in Canva.
The bottom line
Holiday 2026 is shaping up as the year of the classic Christmas cookie: jewel-tone icing, plaid and bows, and recipes with a story behind them. Whether you're baking solo or hosting a swap, the most on-trend cookie this year might be the oldest one in your family.