Hand-decorated Christmas Cookies from CupKate’s Bakery. Photo provided by CupKate’s Bakery.

CupKate’s Bakery in Greenville has been serving cookies as well as custom cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts since opening in 2022.

Jamie Kleman | Contributing Writer Delaware Live 

December is full of reasons to bake, and December 18 adds an official one to the calendar. National Bake Cookies Day arrives just a week before Christmas, making it the perfect moment to turn on the oven, revisit family recipes, and lean into the sweet traditions that define the season.  CupKate’s Bakery shares family-style cookies in Greenville.

For many households, holiday baking is rooted in familiar favorites made year after year. It is also the time when kitchens fill with cookies destined for cookie exchanges, classroom parties, and neighborhood swaps, where everyone brings their specialty and goes home with a box of variety. At the same time, specialty cookies from local bakeries often play a role in celebrations, gifts, and gatherings. That mix of homemade and handcrafted treats is part of what keeps the season feeling special.

“Our customers are drawn to sugar cookies with royal icing and buttercream icing, hand-decorated like polar bears, snowmen, reindeer, presents, and all things holiday related,” said Kati Singley, owner of CupKate’s Bakery. “People tend to stick to baking the traditional cookies at home, but use those specialty cookies for family treats, presents, and hostess gifts.”

CupKate’s Bakery, located at 4001 Kennett Pike in Greenville, has been serving custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other desserts since opening in 2022. During the holidays, the bakery’s detailed sugar cookies add a festive touch to celebrations across the area, complementing the classic cookies many families still prefer to bake themselves.

In honor of National Bake Cookies Day, here are ten Christmas cookie classics that continue to show up on holiday trays, cookie exchanges, and dessert tables year after year.

1. Sugar cookies
   A holiday staple, perfect for rolling, cutting, and decorating with icing and sprinkles.
2. Gingerbread cookies
   Spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies are closely tied to Christmas traditions.
3. Chocolate chip cookies
   A year-round favorite that always earns a spot on holiday dessert tables.
4. Peanut butter blossoms
   Soft peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate kiss and instantly recognizable.
5. Snickerdoodles
   Rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked until just set, warm and comforting.
6. Thumbprint cookies
   Buttery cookies with centers filled with jam, chocolate, or caramel.
7. Shortbread cookies
   Simple, rich, and crumbly, often shaped or dipped in chocolate for the holidays.
8. Molasses cookies
   Soft and chewy with deep spice flavor and crackled tops.
9. Spritz cookies
   Pressed into festive shapes like trees and wreaths using a cookie press.
10. Linzer cookies
    Delicate sandwich cookies filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar.

National Bake Cookies Day may only last one day, but the tradition of baking and sharing cookies stretches throughout the season. Whether baking for a cookie exchange, filling tins for friends and neighbors, or picking up a few specialty treats from a local bakery, December 18 is a reminder that some of the simplest traditions are also the sweetest.

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