Kristen Bell reveals her favorite holiday cookie recipe

When it comes to holiday sweets, Kristen Bell Throws moderation out the window and fully embraces the indulgence of the season. While she typically avoids sugar year-round, the holidays are a different story.

Speaking of the holidays — the “Frozen” actress is getting into the Christmas spirit by sharing one of her favorite festive desserts: her “Everything Cookie” recipe. The actress says this tried-and-true recipe is a crowd-pleaser, packed with oats, candy, and chocolate for the perfect combination of textures and flavors.

Whether you want to exchange cookies or just enjoy them with family and friends, these cookies are a holiday must-have in Kristen Bell’s kitchen.

“Holiday baking goes beyond just making delicious sweet things,” Bell said. “The whole thing — gathering in a warm kitchen, the scents wafting throughout the house — feels so comforting and familiar.”

Kristen Bell shared one of her favorite “tried-and-true” cookie exchange recipes: Everything Cookie. She loves the recipe for its combination of oats, candy, and chocolate, creating the perfect combination of textures and flavors to please everyone’s taste buds. Bill jokes that they might as well be called “All Cookies for Everyone.”

This recipe makes about 20 cookies. Here’s what you’ll need.

• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• A quarter cup of unsweetened apple juice
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (try Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract to make it gluten-free)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar works)
• 1 large organic egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (use 3/4 cup coconut flour for a gluten-free version)
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats (use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats to make them gluten-free)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips (Guitar Butterscotch Baking Chips are gluten-free)

Preheat the oven to 350°F, then line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the butter, applesauce, sugar, agave nectar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vinegar until fairly smooth. Add the egg and continue beating until the ingredients are well mixed.

Mix the baking soda and flour until fully combined. Add the oats and both types of potato flakes, ensuring everything is evenly distributed.

Divide the dough into balls using about 2 tablespoons per cookie (a 1-tablespoon serving works best) and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, switching pans halfway through baking (move the top pan to the bottom rack and the bottom pan to the top). For soft cookies, bake for about 12 minutes; For crispy cookies, aim for 14 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely.

Dax Shepard’s gluten-free diet inspires Kristen Bell to get creative in the kitchen, and she’s embracing the challenge of adapting classic desserts to fit his dietary needs. Bell, the Whole Foods spokeswoman, is a fan of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour, which she uses to reinvent favorite foods like pancakes, cakes and waffles so that Shepherd can enjoy them, too.

With her vegan lifestyle and the couple’s focus on healthy living, Belle takes special care about the ingredients she uses. She prefers to shop at stores that carry pantry staples free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup, ensuring that every dish meets her high standards.

“Get creative with sweeteners,” the actress suggested. “I bake with applesauce, agave, maple syrup or other alternative sweeteners.”

In addition to cookies, Bill’s favorite holiday treat is Pookie, a no-bake Ohio dessert made of chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. Belle enjoys making them with her children and remembers making them with her mother when she was growing up.