101 Best Cookie Recipes

What is it about cookies that make them so irresistible? Is it the sweetness? Is it the textural sensation of the chew — soft or crispy or better yet both at once?  It could be, perhaps, that they are portable and easy to eat; no fork required. Or maybe we gravitate towards cookies because they are cute, small, and single-serving, so we can trick our brains into thinking that it's ok to have one or two more. Beyond the taste, cookies are great because they are pretty easy to make: mix, drop, bake, enjoy. Click through for our favorite cookie recipes ever.

If you like the flaky, buttery crust of a pie, you're going to love this easy cookie recipe made with pie crust (never throw away your dough scraps again!) These cookies offer everything you love about your favorite pie crust, but in the handy form of cookies. Just as with a pie, before baking, brush your cookies with a rich egg wash and then sprinkle with demerara sugar or with cinnamon and sugar for a truly delicious treat.

For the 5-Ingredient Pie Crust Cookies recipe, click here.

These almond cookies are often made in Chinese homes during the holiday season and are also a staple recipe to help ring in the New Year. Ingredients include butter, sugar, sliced almonds, and an egg white.

For the Almond Cookie recipe, click here.

These sweet almond cookies are called "thumbprint" cookies because just before they head into the oven, your thumb — or traditionally an almond — makes an impression in the center of the cookie dough. When cooked, the holes can be filled with your choice of jam, ganache, or other fillings for a customizable cookie that looks just as beautiful as it tastes.

For the Almond Thumbprint Cookies recipe, click here.

These cookies are inspired by the famous (or infamous) Southern "salad," that mixes together coconut, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, pineapple, nuts, and whipped topping. This crisp cookie version edits down the ingredients a bit.

For the Ambrosia Cookies recipe, click here.

This meta cookie recipe calls for Biscoff cookie butter — speculoos cookies crushed and whipped into a spreadable delight — as a primary ingredient. The cookie butter adds subtle hints of spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg; irresistibly sweet, it has a lovely chewy texture.

For the Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies recipe, click here.

These snickerdoodles have a crazy delicious twist: Not only are they perfectly puffy, soft, and chewy, they are oozing with Biscoff cookie butter spread.

For the Biscoff-Stuffed Snickerdoodles recipe, click here.

These cookies are doubly infused with chocolate using both chocolate extract and unsweetened baking chocolate. After a trip through some confectioners' sugar, they beautifully crack on top as they bake.

For the Black-Out Cookies recipe, click here.

This treat is extremely popular in Brazil. Brigadeiro cookies are delicious, sweet chocolate balls covered in sprinkles. They're perfect if you're looking for a quick and easy dessert to round out your meal. And with only three ingredients, they can even be whipped up in a microwave!

For the Brigadeiro Cookie recipe, click here.

Dried fruit, muesli, and chocolate chips combine to create a chewy, delicious, and healthier cookie that you can enjoy for dessert or breakfast.

For the Breakfast Cookies recipe, click here.

Macadamia nuts add some crunch to these chewy cookies, while the brown sugar and vanilla extract bring out luscious notes of caramel.

For the Chewy Macadamia Nut Cookies recipe, click here.

The double dose of almonds in this cookie, as provided by the almond paste baked into the cookie and the slivered almonds sprinkled on top, provides rich flavor and texture.

For the Chocolate Amaretti Cookies recipe, click here.

Toss these soft and delicious chocolate crinkle cookies in powdered sugar before baking to complete their dramatic, color-contrasting look. The subtle hint of the cardamom in the dough adds just the right amount of spice and depth.

For the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe, click here.

This traditional recipe for macaroons produces a soft and chewy coconut cookie made even more decadent and delicious by its rich, dark chocolate coating.

For the Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons recipe, click here.

These little acorn cookies are a fun, festive way to celebrate the colder months. Plus, the combination if sweet chocolate and salty pretzels is truly unbeatable.

For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Acorn Cookies recipe, click here.

Biscotti means "twice baked" in Italian, and to make them, first you form the crumbly dough into one stiff mass and bake it whole. Then you let it cool, slice it, and bake the pieces again at a lower temperature until they are firm and dry. These chocolate-dipped chocolate and pistachio biscotti are best enjoyed with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

For the Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti recipe, click here.

Roasted peanuts, bittersweet chocolate, and just a touch of salt — what's not to love? These cookies are downright irresistible.

For the Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

Looking for a chocolate chip cookie with a kick? Try this chewy, chocolate chip cookie with a happy dose of spicy cinnamon.

For the Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

Chock-full of oats, pecans, and raisins, these cookies are perfect for an afternoon indulgence.

For the Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe, click here.

If you like your chocolate chip cookies more on the cakier side, look no further than this recipe from Brooklyn's One Girl Cookies — their favorite cookies are always "cakey, bittersweet, small, and thick." 

For the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

Corn has a lot of natural sweetness, which perfectly pairs with the coconut in these easy-to-make cookies. They are sweet, chewy, and crispy, making them the perfect afternoon treat.

For the Cornmeal and Coconut Cookies recipe, click here.

These petite cookies have just the right amount of tartness from the cranberries to cut through the sweet powdered sugar that gives these cookies a beautiful snowball appearance.

For the Cranberry Sugar Pecan Balls recipe, click here.

The secret to these crisp, buttery cookies is vanilla powder — which gives these treats a huge blast of flavor.

For the Crisp Vanilla Butter Cookies recipe, click here.

Upgrade the classic with a serious boost of flavor and texture from coarsely chopped pistachios.

For the Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

These thin, crisp cookies are more complex than your average chocolate cookie: The hint of orange zest added to the dough both contrasts and complements the flavor of the dark chocolate.

For the Decadent Chocolate Coins recipe, click here.

Decadent cocoa powder and chocolate chips give these cookies an irresistible earthy richness and an extra chocolatey flavor.

For the Double Chocolate Cookies recipe, click here.

These flourless peanut butter cookies are surprisingly light and airy. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk when they emerge fresh from the oven.

For the Easy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe, click here.

Two well-loved holiday traditions, eggnog and cookies, come together in one delicious, soft cookie package that you can make and snack on all holiday season long.

For the Eggnog Cookies recipe, click here.

A delicious alternative to traditional chocolate chip cookies, these are made with extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter or shortening.

For the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

This recipe turns the dense and fudgy flourless chocolate cake into dense and fudgy cookies. You may need a tall glass of cold milk to wash down these soft and rich chocolate cookies.

For the Flourless Chocolate Cookies recipe, click here.

These cookies are said to have been introduced to France in the sixteenth century by Catherine de Medici, who was raised in Florence before marrying Henri II. There are many different variations of the cookie — some include candied cherries, cornflakes, or oats.

For the French Lace Cookie recipe, click here.

These ring-shaped cookies are topped with colorful sprinkles — chocolate sprinkles for an everyday treat, and red and green ones for the holidays. They're popular in Mexico and are made with egg yolks, vanilla extract, an egg white, and, of course, a variety of sprinkles.

For the Galletas recipe, click here.

Ginger, a natural anti-inflammatory agent, is utilized here in three different forms: as ground ginger, peeled and grated fresh ginger, and chewy crystallized ginger candies.

For the Ginger Molasses Cookies recipe, click here.

Break away from the usual oatmeal cookie with this chewy version that is boosted with spicy ginger.

For the Ginger Oatmeal Pecan Cookies recipe, click here.

Gingerbread dough is very versatile and can be cut in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But as soon as you cut out a cute, round-headed man out of gingerbread cookie dough, you've got a classic holiday treat that is guaranteed to make everyone smile.  

For the Gingerbread Men recipe, click here.

Lose the gluten, not the taste with these decadent and chunky chocolate-peanut butter cookies that are perfect for edible gifts or a delicious after-dinner treat.

For the Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Cookie recipe, click here.

Cream cheese, cocoa powder, and plenty of red food coloring combine to create the gooey cookie version of red velvet cake. The festive red color is perfect for holiday gift baskets and dessert tables.

For the Gooey Red Velvet Butter Cookies recipe, click here.

These super-scary cookies come courtesy of Lil' Luna blog. The recipe uses candy eyeballs to decorate the funky-colored, soft, buttery cake cookies. These cookies contain cream cheese, which automatically just makes them delicious.

For the Gooey Monster Eye Cookie recipe, click here.

With their characteristic triangle shape,these Hamantaschen —a classic cookie that is mostly associated with the Jewish holiday Purim — are infused with green tea and filled with apricot preserves.

For the Green Tea Hamantaschen recipe, click here.

This classic hamantaschen recipe calls for a tender, flaky cookie dough instead of the more traditional tougher cookie base.

For the Hamantaschen recipe, click here.

These classic Iranian cookies are made with rice flour and a hint of rose water (a common ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes), and tend to be quite crumbly. They're often topped with poppy seeds for decoration, but it's optional.

For the Iranian Rice Cookies recipe, click here.

These classic Iranian cookies are made with rice flour and a hint of rose water (a common ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes), and tend to be quite crumbly. They're often topped with poppy seeds for decoration, but it's optional.

For the Iranian Rice Cookies recipe, click here.

The kieflie (often called a kiffle) is a crescent-shaped pastry with a walnut filling. They are mildly sweet, very buttery, soft, and flaky, and they can be found throughout the country during Christmas time.

For the Kifle Cookies recipe, click here.

The koeksister is a traditional Afrikaans treat and literally translates to "cookie sister" and is prepared by frying the dough strips in oil and then covering them in syrup. They we traditionally made at church celebrations or fundraisers.

For the Koeksisters recipe, click here.

These daisy-shaped shortbread cookies are packed with a sweet and mildly sour lemon curd filling perfect for any lemon lover.

For the Lemon Jammies recipe, click here.

Lemon zest is baked into these tender shortbread cookies for a bright delicious flavor that pairs perfectly with a hot cup of tea and a cozy place to sit.

For the Lemon Shortbread Cookies recipe, click here.

Called either lebkuchen, meaning "gingerbread," or pfefferkuchen, meaning "pepper cookie," this cookie is softer than the traditional gingerbread cookie you may be used to and typically have honey and spices. The German variation can be rectangular or round and has a sweet, slightly nutty taste. Similar recipes date back to ancient Egypt, but the most well-known variation of the cookie is the Nürnberger lebkuchen, from the German city of Nürnberg, where it was made into creative shapes and designs and decorated by a professional guild of gingerbread makers, the Lebkuchner Guild.

For the Lebkuchen recipe, click here.

These jam-filed Linzer cookies are made just a touch richer than their classic counterpart by the addition of sour cream.

For the Linzer Cookies recipe, click here.

These are big, soft, voluptuous cookies with crunchy bits of coarse cornmeal and flecks of lime zest scattered throughout. Once baked, they are drizzled with a light glaze made with confectioners' sugar and freshly squeezed lime juice.

For the Lime Cornmeal Cookies recipe, click here.

Mailänderli are lemon-flavored shortbread cookies, which are cut into various shapes and sizes, are a traditional holiday cookie in Switzerland. They're made with a simple list of ingredients: margarine, eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt.

For the Mailӓnderli recipe, click here.

The addition of lemon gives these cookies a bright Mediterranean twist. They are crunchy and very buttery, a refreshing addition to your tea or coffee at a post-holiday feast.

For the Maltese Lemon Infused Cookies recipe, click here.

Japan is a culinary goldmine, and it's famous for having many interesting sweets and pastries that have become popular around the world. Matcha has become particularly popular — not only for its health benefits, but also because of its unique, earthy flavor. These bright green cookies are easy to make, slightly healthier than your average butter cookie, and add a pop of color to any spread!

For the Matcha Cookie recipe, click here.

This recipe is a tribute to the retired Nabisco Cookies which were pulled off the market in the 1970s. They are a little more cocoa-flavored than chocolatey and are perfect as an accompaniment to some vanilla ice-cream. This recipe works well with a dark cocoa, such as Valrhona.

For the Melody Cookies recipe, click here.

Greek melomakarona are egg-shaped cookies made with flour, olive oil, and honey, but this recipe ups the ante with cognac and orange zest, too.

For the Melomakarona recipe, click here.

Spanish shortbread cookies, called mantecados, are exceedingly crumbly. The recipe calls for cinnamon, lemon peel, and egg white, but the cookies are also flavored with anise.

For the Mentecados recipe, click here.

These revved up chocolate chip cookies incorporate crystallized ginger for its aesthetic glittery quality as it festively adorns each cookie.

For the Milk Chocolate Cookies With Ginger and Toffee recipe, click here.

These cookies will add an attractive contrast to any holiday or special occasion cookie selection with their round shape and powdered sugar coating.

For the Mini Chip Snowball Cookies recipe, click here.

These cookies are crisp on the outside with crazy soft-centers, and the molasses makes them both deeper in flavor and chewier than your typical spiced sugar cookie.

For the Molasses Cookies recipe, click here.

Bake these ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove cookies longer for a snappy cookie with an incredible crumb.

For the Molasses Ginger Snaps recipe, click here.

These treats are Canada's hidden culinary secret! They are really wonderful and pretty simple to make: with a graham cracker base, an instant-pudding filling and melted chocolate on top. They are named after Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver. The best part about making these is that they require no baking!

For the Nanaimo Bars recipe, click here.

These biscuits originated in the city of Surat during the sixteenth century and are now popular throughout India and Pakistan. Often served warm with tea in the afternoon or after a large meal, they have a dense, buttery texture.

For the Indian Spiced Cookie recipe, click here.

If you've ever dreamed of making your own version of the Starbucks Cake Pop, now is your chance. These beautiful treats on sticks are way easier to make than you'd imagine and are fun to decorate in whatever way you like!

For the No-Bake Champagne Cookie Pops recipe, click here.

These chunky Sicilian cookies incorporate granola, dark chocolate, pistachios, and sweet dried fruit into the sweet dough.

For the No-Bake Sicilian Cookie Magic Chunks recipe, click here.

The perfect macarons have a thin, crisped shell that gives way to a soft and chewy meringue center. As if the perfect French macarons weren't delicious enough, these are filled with a smooth, chocolate-hazelnut filling.

For the Nutella Macarons recipe, click here.

This recipe is a twist on an old classic. The hint of orange extract enhances the flavor of the dried cherries and dark chocolate chips, giving the cookies a surprisingly pronounced flavor.

For the Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

Don't be confused by this cookie's quirky name, but this recipe really does make 100 cookies. The secret to this cookie is the crunchy Rice Krispies cereal that is folded into the dough.

For the Orphan One Hundred Cookies recipe, click here.

This recipe bolsters classic chocolate chip cookies with rolled oats and rich, creamy peanut butter — it's like three cookies in one!

For the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies recipe, click here.

These peanut butter cookies include a toffee candy bar crunch surprise. English toffee bits are folded into the dough, and then when fully cooked and cooled, the cookies are drizzled with melted semisweet chocolate.

For the Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch Cookies recipe, click here.

Around the holidays, people in Poland bake jam-filled cookies called kołaczki, which may be round, square, or diamond-shaped. Poland, Croatia, and the Czech Republic all claim to have invented this traditional treat.

For the Polish Kolaczki recipe, click here.

These cookies are both crisp and chewy; they can be frozen after they're iced, too. It's a great way to have some baking done ahead of time for holidays or special occasions.

For the Praline Cookies recipe, click here.

With puréed pumpkin, rich cashews, and warm winter spices layered into the dough, these crunchy biscotti make a terrific holiday gift or addition to the brunch table.

For the Pumpkin and Cashew Biscotti recipe, click here.

These cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and raspberry jam.

For the Raspberry Jam Dot Cookies recipe, click here.

Imagine a delicious Oreo cookie infused with rich cream cheese and the chocolatey taste of a classic red velvet cake. Well, that is exactly what you get with this delicious homemade red velvet cookie sandwich.

For the Red Velvet "Oreos" recipe, click here.

This cookie was also popular in England in the Middle Ages and consists of lots of butter, flour, and sugar — with ground hazelnuts mixed in of course.

For the Russian Tea Cakes recipe, click here.

Caramel candies are stuffed inside chocolate cookie dough and then sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Chilling the dough before baking not only deepens the flavor and reduces cookie spread, it also helps with handling the sticky dough.

For the Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies recipe, click here.

In the Netherlands, the Christmas season begins on the second Saturday of November and continues through December 6, which is St. Nicholas' Day. In Belgium and the Netherlands, these spiced ginger cookies are elaborately cut and carved into depictions of St. Nicholas (or Sinterklaas, as he is called in this region) and other characters from stories about him by way of special wooden molds.

For the Scandinavian Krumkake recipe, click here.

You can't beat this buttery shortbread recipe that produces a tender, crumbly cookie. Add nuts, raisins, or spices to make it your own.

For the Shortbread Cookie recipe, click here.

Improving on a classic, these soft-baked chocolate chip cookies are mixed with some colorful M&M's, too.

For the Soft Batch Mini M&M's Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

In the Netherlands, the Christmas season begins on the second Saturday of November and continues through December 6, which is St. Nicholas' Day. In Belgium and the Netherlands, these spiced ginger cookies are elaborately cut and carved into depictions of St. Nicholas (or Sinterklaas, as he is called in this region) and other characters from stories about him by way of special wooden molds.

For the Speculaas Holiday Cookie recipe, click here.

Two cookies in one! Here sugar-crusted peanut butter cookie dough wraps around Thai-spiced chocolate cookie dough.

For the Spicy Chocolate-Filled Peanut Butter Cookies recipe, click here.

Pecan pie takes cookie form in this super simple recipe. Your house will smell like the holiday season in no time thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg.

For the Spiced Butter Pecan Cookies recipe, click here.

Enjoy these sugar cookies for what they are: sweet, crisp, and buttery. Or, break out the cookie cutters and royal icing to make holiday ornaments for the tree like they do at New York City's Gramercy Tavern.

For the Sugar Cookies recipe, click here.

Poke a hole through the top of the cookies before baking just large enough to thread a ribbon through. Once they're done you can decorate them as you please and then string them up as ornaments.

For the Sugar Cookie Ornaments recipe, click here.

Small round cookies called struffoli are baked for the holidays in Italy. They're also known as "honey balls," and they can usually be found piled in a tree-shaped mound or arranged to resemble a wreath. Ingredients include honey, eggs, and margarine, but the treats can be topped with sprinkles, toasted pine nuts, silver balls, or candied fruits.

For the Struffoli recipe, click here.

This peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie uses teff flour, from a gluten-free grain, instead of regular all-purpose flour for a tender, deliciously sweet and crunchy cookie treat that's safe for sensitive stomachs.

For the Teff Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

The chocolate chip cookie has got to be one of America's proudest culinary achievements. So why not make a batch of these national treasures yourself? Nobody can say no to the perfect chocolate chip cookie, especially when they have walnuts for that extra crunch. I suggest using semi-sweet dark chocolate chips and milk chocolate for something extra-special.

For the Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You Will Ever Need recipe, click here.

These sweet-as-sin gingerbread cookies came to us just in time for the holiday, courtesy of pastry chef Annika Loureiro. The molasses in this recipe gives these a lovely soft texture, and they aren't too sweet, so you won't feel guilty having more than one!

For the Ultimate Gingerbread Cookie recipe, click here.

The butter is cut down from a typical chocolate chip cookie recipe to achieve these bite-sized, chewy chocolate chip cookie mounds.

For the Thick N' Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

These sweet and nutty meringue cookies have an added crunch provided by sweet toffee candy pieces that are folded into the pillowy meringue base.

For the Toffee-Almond Meringues recipe, click here.

All the wonderful taste of s'mores is baked into a single cookie. While the cookies are in the oven, marshmallows develop that signature caramelized color and taste; no campfire necessary.

For the Toasted Marshmallow and Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

"Healthy" and "cookie" rarely go together well, but these cookies are packed with healthy oils from the nuts, fiber-rich oats, and vitamins from the fruit.

For the Trail Mix Cookies recipe, click here.

Part butter cookie, part shortbread, this hybrid version of the famous Girl Scout Trefoil is vegan but still boasts of a super-crunchy texture and buttery flavor.

For the Trefoil Cookies recipe, click here.

Chocolate (both white and dark), peppermint, and pistachios come together in this cookie dough to produce a truly flavorful delight.

For the Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint Cookies recipe, click here.

Break open these chocolate chip cookies to reveal the surprise inside: a gooey truffle center that wonderfully melts in the oven.

For the Truffle Stuffed LChocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

These nutty cookies are perfect for Christmastime. They're rolled in vanilla sugar which gives them a great fragrance as well. The type of nut used can vary — both walnuts and almonds work perfectly.

For the Vanilice Cookies recipe, click here.

These bright colorful cookies are loaded with sprinkles. Consider using red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah, and black and white for New Year's Eve.

For the Vanilla Bean Confetti Cookies recipe, click here.

A vanillekipferl is a crescent-shaped cookie that is made with ground almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts, flavored with vanilla, and dusted with sugar. The cookie originates in Austria, but is served throughout central Europe during Christmas time.

For the Vanille Kipferl recipe, click here.

The classics are hard to top, but this chocolate chip cookie from vanilla gurus Nielson-Massey is one of the best. Of course, use a high-quality vanilla extract to achieve the best possible flavor.

For the Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here.

The addition of walnuts produces a supremely crunchy twist on a classic raspberry Linzer cookie. You can swap the walnuts for pine nuts, almonds, pecans, or any other nut you prefer.

For the Walnut-Raspberry Linzer Thumbprint Cookies recipe, click here.

"Whiskey" and "bacon" are magic words in the food word. But when they are paired together (in a cookie no less) they become straight up impossible to overlook.

For the Whiskey-Bacon Cookies with Pecans and Maple Sugar recipe, click here.

Sweet and creamy white chocolate pairs incredibly well with spiced Biscoff cookies. It is recommended that you enjoy them warm straight from the oven with a cold glass of milk.

For the White Chocolate Biscoff Cookies recipe, click here.

You'll never be able to eat just one. These classic sugar cookies are vamped up with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts making them a super addicting dessert. If you're looking for other festive treats this holiday season, check out the 30 Best Holiday Cookies From Around the World.

For the White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies recipe, click here.