Life is too short to skip dessert...especially when there are so many amazing cookie recipes to choose from. Whether you're a traditionalist or like to mix it up, we’ve got something for you. From birthdays to bake sales, holiday cookie exchanges to just something sweet to enjoy at home, get inspired to bake with our 62 easy cookie recipes.
When it comes to cookies, there’s some classic recipes everyone recognizes. We’re talking chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, peanut butter, snowballs… you get the idea. We’ve got lots of options for those here. We know which are our favorites (like our best-ever chocolate chip cookies or lofthouse sugar cookies), but you’ll have to find your own. It’s our favorite part about baking, trying out different recipes and landing on the ones you’ll make again and again.
It's true—this dough is firm, almost like a shortbread, so to make sure it doesn't crack, roll it into balls until smooth and firm, and then gently press your thumb in the center to make sure it doesn't crack. Gently.
Love sugar cookies but hate decorating them? These are for you! The centers will stay soft and chewy after cooling and add the brightest pop of color to any celebration.
You know those thick, soft sugar cookies from the grocery store that have an even thicker layer of frosting on top? This homemade version is just as good! The cream cheese and cornstarch really help give it that soft texture that sticks to the roof of your mouth. Dye the frosting any color you like depending on the season!
These little guys might look simple, but they're dangerously addictive. There's a healthy dose of salt in the dough, making it easy to down 4 or 5 without overdosing on sugar. Serve them up with a cup of coffee or chai latte for dipping!
It took many, many rounds of testing to get these cookies just right. Our biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid of mess. Covering the cream cheese with cookie dough is a messy task (especially with the fresh strawberries!), but we promise you it's worth it a million times over.
These lemon cookies have the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Roll your dough in regular sugar before the powdered sugar to guarantee perfect crinkles every time.
We love the combination of the flavorful, rich cookie and the sweet fruity jam. Linzers are a classic sandwich cookie, which means they're not the fastest to throw together—patience is key, but we can guarantee these are well worth the wait.
These cookies taste like a cheesecake in cookie form. The lemon juice adds the acid necessary to balance out the sweetness of the blueberries, and the zest imparts extra lemon flavor. Yum!
This crazy boxed-cake-mix hack makes super-fudgy crinkle cookies—with a third of the typical ingredients. All you need is cake mix, whipped topping (aka Cool Whip), an egg, and powdered sugar. If you're not a chocolate person (😱!!!), you can use any type of boxed cake mix—vanilla, Funfetti, even red velvet.
Keeping a log of cookie dough in your fridge or freezer is the true genius move. It lets you have dessert ready in just a moment's notice for those last minute guests, and the ability to bake off only a cookie or two for yourself anytime. This recipe is the perfect base for mix-ins—we've included some of our tried and true favorites, but get creative!
These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are an Italian classic, and a breeze to make. What’s more fun than frosting? Sprinkles! You can adorn these cookies with any combination of sprinkles, whether for a celebration or just another Tuesday.
These no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies are nostalgia at its finest— half of our staff has a story about these from childhood. If you don't, whip up a batch asap and you'll see why they're so memorable.
Hamantaschen are shortbread-like cookies filled with jam that are traditionally served around the Jewish holiday of Purim. Shaped like Haman's hat, the cookies represent the defeat of their enemy. Reminiscent of thumbprint cookies, we love the buttery cookie and sweet jam combo.
Very similar to sugar cookies, spritz cookies are soft and buttery. They come from the German word "spritzen", which means to squirt—a nod to the process of making these where you load the dough into a cookie press. Get creative with the colors: You can dye the dough itself or just have fun with sprinkles and sanding sugar!
We're proud to say that this is a really good COOKIE – not a granola bar that's just shaped like one. We decreased the usual amounts of butter and sugar with some help from applesauce, but a cookie isn’t a cookie unless it’s a little naughty – so we added some quality dark chocolate chunks and tart dried cherries for the perfect bite. Everything in moderation!
In this Italian classic, almond-flavored cakes are sandwiched between chocolate with layers of raspberry and apricot jam. It's true these do take some patience, but we promise, it's VERY worth the effort.
Alfajores are a soft and tender shortbread cookie with dulce de leche sandwiched between. Though the cookie originated in the Middle East, the Spanish took the cookies to South America, and now they are especially popular in Argentina. The cookies can be dusted in powdered sugar, or our favorite, rolled in coconut flakes.
Show your love any time of with these heart-shaped delights similar to Lofthouse cookies. We chose a cream cheese frosting in red, pink and white, but feel free to dye the frosting any colors you wish or use any sprinkles your heart desires.
Are you ready for a sticky, gooey, unabashedly messy challenge? If you're up for it, here's the deal: you're about to stuff an entire s'more into a chocolate chip cookie. Some say it can't be done, but with enough focus, patience, and perseverance, you can succeed in making this extremely indulgent dessert. Give us s'more, please!
Loaded with sweet-salty smooth peanut butter and chewy old-fashioned oats, these cookies are perfect for when you’re craving peanut butter cookies but don’t have the time or patience to wait for your oven to preheat. The texture is a bit more fudgy than your average cookie, and WE'RE OBSESSED.
Peanut butter cookies are one of those desserts we're always in the mood for. They're salty, sweet, and more rich than a chocolate chip cookie ever could be. We're suckers for the classic fork crosshatch look, but you can totally skip it. (Ready for the next level? Make peanut butter STUFFED cookies.)
Snowball cookies are one of our favorites, so we love switching things up and taking them next level. Hidden inside these snowball cookies are chocolate kisses for the sweetest surprise.
The cookies are sold at nearly every bakery or deli in New York City where they originated. The giant cookies started popping up in bakery cases as a way to use up leftover cake batter, which is why they have such a cakey texture. Whether you love chocolate or vanilla this is the cookie for you!
We're saying it: these might be our FAVORITE version of the classic chocolate chip cookie. The cherries add a bit more sweetness with a pop of tartness that makes them unforgettable!
This genius hack is similar to the one we use in our Nutella-Stuffed Cookies. Mix peanut butter with powdered sugar, roll mixture into balls, then freeze them. (This prevents a pb explosion while baking.)
