Deliciously Simple: Classic and Creative Cookie Recipes Made Easy

From classics to creative spins on familiar favorites, you’ll find cookies galore in this collection of cookie recipes shared on our blog. We’ll raise a tall glass of milk to that!

Easy Cookie Recipes

These are some of our favorite cookies perfect for the holidays, birthday events, parties, or when you want to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Skip the store and bake a fresh batch of these chocolate shortbread cookies from the comfort of your home. They’re surprisingly easy to make and only require five pantry staples - butter, unsweetened cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and all-purpose flour. Melt your choice of chocolate chips for an optional drizzle that makes them look extra luxe.

Starbucks Coffee Meringue Cookies

I wanted to make these light and airy meringue cookies to prove they aren’t as challenging to master as I’d thought. They get their signature coffee flavor from the Columbia variety of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. If you don't mind irregular shapes, you can spoon them onto your baking tray. Otherwise, pipe the mixture with an icing tip for the classic meringue shape.

Air Fryer Cookies

We love that the air fryer can cook for two without heating the kitchen like an oven would. Did you know this handy countertop kitchen appliance can turn store-bought cookie dough into freshly baked cookie perfection?

Ranger Cookies

These decked-out cookies bring back fond memories of getting to know my husband, John, before we married many moons ago. They are unique for their layers of texture and flavor, which come from Rice Krispies, coconut flakes, and raisins.

M&M Cookie Recipe

Easy M&M Cookie Recipe that tastes amazing! Chocolate M&M Candies and a yummy homemade cookie recipe combine to create the perfect sweet treat.

Apricot Cookies

Filled with juicy apricot preserves and shredded coconut underneath a sweet apricot glaze, these quaint cookies look fresh from grandma’s kitchen. They are part of our 2013 series of holiday cookies and treats.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These festive four-ingredient holiday treats feature enough candy cane pieces and chocolatey goodness to delight Santa and his reindeer crew. Don’t forget to serve them with a tall glass of milk for dunking!

Butter Pecan Cookies

Buttery, sweet, and nutty pecans lend themselves naturally to a range of baked goods. The self-rising flour in these scratch-made butter pecan cookies makes them incredibly fluffy, while dipping the pecan halves in beaten egg whites helps them adhere to the cookies as they bake in your oven.

Caramel Macchiato Cookies

Turn this barista favorite into a tray of delicious homemade cookies with the help of instant coffee and sugar cookie mix. We recommend letting the dough chill in the fridge for at least half an hour before baking and using a cookie scoop for evenly-sized cookies.

Snowball Cookies

Also known as Mexican wedding cookies, these powdered sugar-coated almond cookies look delightful on your next holiday cookie tray. While these are the original recipe, we’ve also made a tart lemon version.

Frosted Pineapple Cookies

These homemade cookies with a tropical twist can be made with or without coconut, depending on whether you enjoy this ingredient. Pineapple lovers can rejoice, however, since these cookies contain the fruit in the cookie dough and glaze.

Halloween Pinwheel Cookies

While we used black and burgundy food dye to create the color contrast in these spooky pinwheel cookies, the colors can easily be switched out for any others that match the time of year or the gathering you’re serving for. For example, use red and white for V-Day, red and green for the holidays, and your team’s favorite colors for a tailgating or homecoming party.

Earth Day Cookies

These crazy easy cookies are made with five simple ingredients - sugar cookie mix, eggs, butter, and blue and green food coloring. We used two boxes of sugar cookie mix to dye one box blue and the other green. Shaping the cookies into the perfect Earth-resembling balls takes some skill but is a fun process, not to mention a kid-friendly one!

Apple Cider Cookies

Whether the weather has crisped up where you are, or you are hankering for this favorite fall beverage, these apple cider drink mix sugar cookies made with real apples are just the thing for your autumn-inspired baking. Add a dash of nutmeg for a warmer, amped-up cookie.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies made with the sugar substitute Truvia are on the healthier end of those we have shared on our site, but they certainly don’t skimp on flavor if a rustic oatmeal raisin cookie is what you seek. To carry on the healthy theme, we’ve included some tips from the Nutrition Twins on jump-starting your health.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut and chocolate is such a winning combination (hello, Almond Joy and German chocolate cake!), so why not coconut chocolate chip cookies? The coconut flakes also add texture to this twist on a classic cookie.

Olaf Cookies

Do you also sing songs from the movie Frozen, especially around the holiday season? If so, a cookie decorating session with these adorable Olaf cookies is long overdue. We use an Olaf cookie cutter to shape each cookie just right.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

We combine real peanut butter into the cookie dough of these thumbprint cookies to infuse them with maximum peanut butter flavor. We used strawberry jelly in this recipe post, but you can use any jelly you enjoy with peanut butter, such as grape.

Lemon Butter Cookies

These elegant lemon butter cookies come from a sweet hors d’oeuvres class we took at Erna Elderberry House in the Yosemite Madera County area. Since you’ll be working with fresh lemons, we recommend using a zester and a lemon juicer to streamline the prep work.

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

Nothing says summer and warm weather like freckled lemonade, so why not transform this idea into cookie form? We use one box each of lemon and strawberry cake mixes for a balanced strawberry lemonade flavor.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Does anything lemon-flavored remind you of sunny spring and summer skies? This tart twist on the classic sugar cookie features lemon juice and real lemon zest for the maximum infusion of lemon flavor. We recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice - you won’t regret it!

Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies

These bacon and peanut butter cookies are a fun way to appease your palate's sweet and salty sides. We enjoy using crunchy peanut butter to add texture, but you can use a creamy variety if you prefer a smoother cookie.

Valentine’s Day Cookies

These Linzer cookie-cutter treats can be filled with a dollop of any red filling you have on hand, from red icing to a red jam, such as strawberry or cherry. Decorate them with these adorable sprinkles for even more Valentine’s Day fun for you and your sweetheart.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

These fall-inspired cookies are so yummy that you’ll be tempted to make them past sweater weather season. The creamy peanut butter acts as a binding agent and mega flavor booster, while the rolled oats add a rustic touch. We recommend using pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie mix for the best texture, but any chocolate chip variety you enjoy melting into the cookies works wonderfully.

Lemon Meringue Cookies

My equal love for lemon meringue pie lovingly inspired these zesty meringue cookies that are delightfully easier to make than you’d think. We have more lemon desserts here that are perfect for spring, summer, or anytime you want a sweet treat on the tarter side.

Potato Chip Cookies

Are you an eater who can’t decide between salty and sweet cravings? Fortunately, you won't have to choose when enjoying these potato chip and butterscotch cookies that feature the best of both worlds. This fun cookie recipe comes from the pages of Taste of Home’s Recipes Across America cookbook, only one of the many I’ve collected over time.

White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies

Do you crave the sweet taste of the tropics but aren’t able to hop on a plane to Hawaii? These three-ingredient cookies made with premade white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough and coconut flakes have your back any day of the year.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

These carrot cake oatmeal cookie sandwiches come with homemade cream cheese frosting and have grated carrots. Whether the carrots count as a vegetable serving is debatable, but we can agree that they’re darn delicious when you want a warm, nostalgic cookie.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

I’ve written about my love for Hawaii in various recipe posts on the site. These almost-scratch-made cookies get their macadamia nut goodness from Hawaiian Host Milk Chocolate AlohaMacs, the self-professed “original chocolate-covered macadamia nut” every chocolate aficionado or tropical flavor lover needs to try at least once!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Rum Cookies

What’s the only thing better than the quintessential chocolate chip cookie? A rum and coconut treat that’s taken a trip to the tropics. This cookie is as much a mouthful to say as a mouthful of delight!

Butterscotch Cornflake Clusters

Do you have cornflake cereal, butterscotch chips, and a jar of creamy peanut butter in your pantry? If so, you’ve got 100 percent of the ingredients needed to make these three-ingredient baked goodies.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I’m convinced that chocolate and pumpkin are a universally loved combination that is tasty well beyond sweater season. Aside from pumpkin spice muffins, we adore making these white chocolate pumpkin spice cookies anytime fall nears, or we’re craving a pumpkin treat. Add ground cloves, ginger, or nutmeg to the cookie dough if you prefer a more spiced cookie.

Apple Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These rustic cookies prove that apples, oatmeal, and raisin are just as tasty in cookie form as in a breakfast bowl. They are also a fantastic option for those who love a sweet treat but aren’t looking for chocolate.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

These scratch-made holiday fan-favorite treats have the flavor of white chocolate peppermint bark, only in cookie form. Hello, Christmas joy on a plate!

Eggnog Cookies

Rich, creamy, and delicious eggnog is one of the best parts of the holiday season. These white cake mix eggnog cookies feature eggnog in the cookie dough and glaze for a double dose of this holiday beverage favorite. Bonus - you can make these year-round if your local grocery store sells eggnog off-season!

Red, White, and Blue Cake Mix Cookies

Do you need an easy cookie recipe for patriotic events like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July? Look no further than this five-ingredient cookie made with a white cake mix and red, white, and blue sprinkles.

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

These extra chocolatey cookies glazed in cocoa powder frosting came together after a pantry clean-out that led to me discovering multiple boxes of chocolate cake mix in danger of expiring. For the best cookie experience, be careful not to over-bake them.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Did you know these old-fashioned, peanut-centric cookies first appeared in a 1925 research bulletin by the late agricultural scientist George Washington Carver? Our flourless, three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe requires only peanut butter, a cup of white sugar, and an egg for instant cookie delight.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Can you tell how much we love boxed cake mix? Not only do they make easy-peasy cakes, but they also make a versatile cookie base for a variety of flavors.

Brownie Mix Cookies

Is it a brownie, or is it a cookie? We suppose it doesn’t matter as long as it’s delicious! Since the brownie mix flavor takes center stage in this cookie recipe, we recommend using the best-quality mix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

These no-bake chocolate, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies are a wonderful creation of my husband, John, who often collaborates with me and feeds me ideas for our home test kitchen. They blend texture and chocolatey peanut butter bliss perfectly.

Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

I owe my enduring love of cake mix cookies to the Complete Cake Mix Magic Cookbook, which opened my eyes to all the yummy cheesecake, cookie, sweet roll, and muffin possibilities that begin with a box of cake mix.

Pie Crust Cookies

Do you have pie crust on hand but want a sweet treat that is more toned down and easier to make than a full-blown pie? These pie-crust cookies are adaptable, taking well to swaps like brown sugar for cinnamon. Even better, they taste swoon-worthy with a sweet liquid element like praline dip or a powdered sugar glaze and can be cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

It’s hard to go simpler than a two-ingredient dessert like these coconut macaroons that only require coconut flakes and sweetened condensed milk. This is the perfect go-to when you want something sweet with zero effort.

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

These colorful three-ingredient cookies are a tasty excuse to keep a box of cake mix in your pantry whenever possible. Like most other cookie recipes, it’s best to chill the dough before baking to help the cookies retain their shape better.

Church Window Cookies

The stained glass look of these unique classic American cookies comes from a bag of pastel-colored marshmallows, while the snow-covered “log” comes from shredded coconut and melted chocolate chips.

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

What’s indulgent, fruity, and pretty in pink? These strawberry cake mix cookies! We decorated ours in Valentine’s Day-colored sprinkles and M&M candies for extra oomph.

Mini Apple Cookies

Although these mini apple cookies are made for the kiddos during back-to-school season, we can verify that they’re just as delightful to the young at heart! They look adorable when stored in a mason jar.

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Yellow or butter cake mix forms the perfect base for these zesty cookies that get their lemon flavor from instant lemon pudding and lemon juice. Baking time is essential to the beautiful crinkled top, so be sure not to over-bake them.

3-Ingredient Nutella Cookies

Sugar is an optional ingredient in these three-ingredient Nutella cookies, so feel free to omit it if you enjoy your Nutella as-is. Don’t forget to serve these dunk-worthy cookies with a tall glass of milk!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

The canned pumpkin in this fall take on the classic snickerdoodle cookie adds texture and the yummy flavor of everyone’s favorite gourd. If you can't find Snickerdoodle cookie mix at the store, use a sugar cookie mix and cinnamon instead.

Krumkake

We love making recipes inspired by our travels and the travel goals we have yet to check off our bucket list. These airy and delicate wafer cone cookies are a holiday cookie recipe from Norway and Sweden and require a krumkake iron and rollers to get the shape just right.

Cinnamon and Sugar Crescents

Like cake mix, premade crescent roll dough has many applications beyond crescent rolls. These cookie-shaped crescents are coated in cinnamon sugar and are pillowy-soft like crescent rolls yet palm-sized like a cookie.

Dessert Recipe Collections

Easy Dump Cake Recipes - Easy Dump Cake Recipes, including crockpot dump cakes and oven-based dump cakes! These are the perfect potluck and holiday desserts.

Cherry Pie Filling Recipes - These cherry pie filling recipes, which range from Crock Pot favorites to boxed cake mix treats, are made instantly with ruby red cherry pie filling in a can, but they can also be made with any quality pie filling you have.

Easy Lemon Desserts - Pucker Up for These Delicious Lemon Desserts! They are the perfect spring and summer sweet treat.

5 ingredient or less desserts - All the recipes in this collection are made with five or fewer ingredients, ensuring you’re never more than a few steps and ingredients away from sweet treat bliss.

Sweetened Condensed Milk recipes - Sweetened condensed milk is the unsung hero of your baking supply toolkit.

Easy Apple Desserts - Easy Apple Dessert Recipes perfect for Fall of all year long! Everything from apple dump cakes to cookies, and more!

Must try Fall Desserts - Everything from apple crumble to pumpkin pie and so much more! Perfect for Fall parties, Thanksgiving, Harvest events, and family dinners.

Great Kitchen Tools

Heat resistant potholders - A couple of years ago, we had a fire scare when we didn't realize we had turned a burner on, and a cloth potholder caught fire. Thankfully we walked by the kitchen and saw the smoke and were able to get it out ourselves. Since then, we have only used these heat-resistant potholders

Baking Sheets - We are huge fans of these baking sheets with sides. You don't have to worry; you will remove the cookies from the oven and have them slide right off.

Microwave Silicone cover - I swear by these lid covers to help prevent butter splatters when melting butter in the microwave. I have had way too many butter explosions while baking. These lid covers help keep the butter in the bowl and not on the roof of your microwave.

Parchment Paper -  I love that I can use parchment paper to help make it easier to remove the cookies. They also make clean-up a breeze. If you are not using parchment paper you will want to spray non-stick cooking spray on your baking sheet to help the cookies not stick.

Large Mixing Bowl - We are big fans of this glass batter bowl that has a handle. It makes it easy to mix ingredients and keeps the mixing bowl steady on the counter.

Cookie Scoop - A cookie scoop makes it so easy to get consistent cookies that all look great together.