With the holiday season upon us, it is now time to enjoy meals with family and friends. One essential aspect of a holiday meal is the dessert. And some of the most important pieces of a holiday dessert are cookies.

 While cookies can be enjoyed throughout the year, there’s something special about holiday cookies, even if they’re made from the same recipe as any other time of year. Some families have special recipes that are used exclusively during the holidays, which builds up anticipation and excitement all year long.

However, some people don’t have the time, or ingredients to bake their own cookies. Despite this, there are several viable store bought options to choose from. Here are my top three store-bought cookies.

A very simple, and easy to make classic are Pillsbury shape cookies. These sugar cookies are small, and come pre cut, similar to a package of crescent rolls. The only action needed to prepare them is to place them on a baking sheet, and bake them. These cookies tend to have some sort of holiday symbol on them, like a Christmas tree or a Snowman. However, while Pillsbury cookies are simple, and delicious, they take the number three spot on my list.

Oreo cookies are one of the most universally enjoyed cookies in the world, the chocolate and creme combination is iconic, and delicious. But what if I told you that they get better during the holiday season. Some people may think that the Holiday Oreos with red creme are what’s being referred to, however there’s an even better alternative. Trader Joe’s has a similar cookie to an Oreo, the Joe Joe, and every holiday season, they release candy-cane Joe Joe’s. While some buyers may think that these cookies are just knock-off oreos with candy-cane flavored creme, they are mistaken. Oreo released a cookie with candy-cane flavoring to combat the Joe Joe, but they are hardly comparable. What truly sets them apart is the fact that Joe Joe’s have pieces of candy-canes mixed in with the creme filling. This gives them a more distinct flavor and crunch than just adding flavor to the filling. This aspect lands candy-cane Joe Joe’s the number two spot on this list.

While the previous two cookies are both outstanding, they are nowhere near the level of perfection found in a Lofthouse Sugar Cookie. These delectable morsels melt in your mouth, and have a great ratio of frosting to cookie. The texture is soft, but not too soft, to make sure they don’t break in your hand. While these masterpieces are available all year, there’s something truly special about having at least one with a glass of hot chocolate. The overall texture and taste is what earns Lofthouse sugar cookies the top spot on the list of store bought cookies.

Store bought cookies can be a great alternative if you lack the means to bake cookies on your own, but if you have the opportunity to bake homemade cookies, I would encourage you to do so, because they are most certainly worth the time.