Chicago may be just settling into autumn, but it’s already time to kick off the annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest, which is celebrating its 40th edition. So whip out your signature holiday cookie recipe and see if you have what it takes to be one of this year’s winning readers.
In the past, we’ve had various professional bakers or Tribune journalists judge the contest. But this year, in honor of all the readers who have participated in this festive tradition, we’ve enlisted some former winners and finalists to judge.
Erin Traynor is a two-time finalist who made it to the baking stage in 2018 with her almond coffee cookies and in 2019 with her drunk uncle cookies.
The 57-year-old from Lockport grew up around baking, with her mother and grandmothers involved in the kitchen. Her grandmother even ran the Fingerhut bakery in Berwyn.
Traynor’s favorite cookies tend to be butter-based, and she loves nuts and fruits. She takes a more traditional approach to her holiday cookies, focusing on classic treats such as gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies and “Orange You Glad It’s Christmas” cookies, which play off the flavors of a chocolate orange.
“What I am excited to see and enjoy are cookies that mean a lot to the person who baked them and what inspired them to create the cookie,” she said. “I love family stories, and the holiday season is full of great stories. I also enjoy whimsical things, so it would make me happy to see a whimsical cookie!”
Alicia Andry took home the second-place prize in 2017 with cookies inspired by the quintessential treat from another holiday: the Thanksgiving pie. Her sweet potato cookies featured a piped crown of sweet potato frosting.
The 44-year-old South Loop resident owns a private pediatric physical therapy practice, but has also begun selling cookies. With a grandmother who was a chef and a grandfather who was a pastry chef, she learned how to cook at a young age.
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She highlighted how something as simple as giving cookies can spread holiday joy, helping people feel recognized and a part of a community.
“I think holiday cookies are any cookies, new or old, that bring people together and spreads happiness to those you care about,” Andry said.
She is partial to a soft, chewy and buttery cookie, with flavor — whether unique or nostalgic — being more important than presentation.
Also in 2017, Serena Daley placed third for a cookie developed with her friend Maggie Dring. Their nostalgic cookie combined melty s’mores with chewy Rice Krispies Treats. Both 17 at the time, Daley and Dring are among our youngest winners.
The Lakeview resident said her early interest in baking began with an Easy Bake Oven. Now 26, Daley works in the candy industry.
“Something that has always interested me about holiday cookies is how every culture seems to have a distinct recipe that has been passed down and every family has a go-to recipe,” she said.
Daley said she appreciates familiar classics with a surprise flavor twist, and cookies that “can go from ingredients to mouth in less than 90 minutes.” She said she’ll be looking for originality, where whimsy will factor more than appearance.
“I love seeing how people’s different personalities can be represented in the things that they produce — not just cookies, but in everything,” she said. “I think that everyone has a unique story and a unique view of the world and I’m really excited to see how that comes through in the cookies.”
But most of all, she hopes to see cookies where it’s clear the submitter had fun. While placing third was a memorable moment for her, what remains more important are the memories of baking together with a friend.
“I remember the hours spent in our parents’ kitchens — laughing, burning cookies, and enjoying our senior year of high school,” she said.
How to enter
To enter the Tribune Cookie Contest, submit your recipe, a 200-word description of why it’s special and a photo of your cookies through the form at the bottom of the page.
Describe how to make your cookies in a clear and detailed manner. Recipes must be your own; entries that are copies of another person’s published work will be disqualified.
Please note: This contest is offered only in Illinois; Lake County, Indiana; and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. You must be at least 13 years oldto enter. You are not eligible to enter if you were one of last year’s three contest winners or a food professional. Be sure to read the full rules at chicagotribune.com/cookiecontestrules, as well as the terms of service and the privacy policy.
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Deadline
Recipe submissions close at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 9.
Voting begins Oct. 12, and readers can vote once per day for the recipe they want to move forward to the taste-testing round. After voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 23, Tribune staffers will bake the 12 recipes that received the most votes for our guest judges to sample. The Tribune food team has the option to make a “Joe Gray Save,” named for a former dining editor, and make it a baker’s dozen of finalists if we feel that a recipe should advance.
Prizes
First place wins $250; second place, $150; third place, $50. We’ll announce the winners online and in print Dec. 2.
Need inspiration?
Check out the stories about last year’s winners and their recipes, as well as the food team’s guide to our favorite cookies around Chicago. Plus, check out “Holiday Cookies, Second Edition,” our cookbook that includes winning dessert recipes from over the years.
Enter the 2026 Holiday Cookie Contest below:
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