Keep these cookies in the freezer for craving emergencies.
Taste of Home
Easy Oatmeal Cream Pies
These easy cookies use only five ingredients and taste very similar to a store-bought cookie. Of course, everything's better from your own kitchen! —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado.
Also, take a quick look at this
cookie salad recipe perfect as a sweet side with your cookies.
Go to Recipe
Cherry Pistachio CookiesDried cherries, crunchy nuts, bits of orange, white chocolate—there's a lot to love in this cookie! It's very different from any I've had before. —Kathy Harding, Richmond, Missouri
Freezing Tip: Chill dough in refrigerator until firm. Then, shape into a disk. Wrap in freezer paper, then place in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Thaw dough in the refrigerator before baking.
Winter Fruit MacaroonsCoconut macaroons with sweetened condensed milk instead of egg whites are my version of a recipe my mom loved. All you do is mix, drop and bake. —Veronica Miller, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Freezing Tip: For drop cookies, freeze individual cookie portions onto waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Once frozen, transfer to labeled freezer bags. Remove as many portions as you need and bake, making sure to add additional baking time.
Vanilla-Butter Sugar CookiesThese butter sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookies to bake for Christmas. The dough recipe is versatile, so you can use it for other holidays, too. Children like to help with the cookie decorating. —Cynthia Ettel, Glencoe, Minnesota
Cinnamon-Candy CookiesI was trying to make a unique Christmas cookie inspired by my brother's love of Red Hots, so I used the candies for cinnamon flavor in these lacelike cookies. —Wendy Rusch, Cameron, Wisconsin
Lemon SnowdropsI save my snowdrop cookies for special occasions. The crunchy, buttery sandwich cookie has a puckery lemon filling. —Bernice Martinoni, Petaluma, California
Jeweled ThumbprintsWhen I moved here from Malta more than 20 years ago, a kind neighbor lady took me under her wing and baked many cookies for me. This is one of her recipes that I treasure. —Maria Debono, New York, New York
Vegan Gingerbread CookiesIt's so much fun to decorate cookies with children's help. We created gingery moose-shaped cookies to go with a book made especially for my niece's third-grade class. The crispy vegan gingerbread cookies stole the show. —Jenet Cattar, Neptune Beach, Florida
Chocolate-Strawberry Pretzel CookiesEvery year I come up with a new recipe, and this is one that's been requested over and over. Who would ever guess how good pretzels are in cookies? —Isabel Minunni, Poughkeepsie, New York
Chocolate Macadamia MacaroonsThis perfect macaroon has dark chocolate, chewy coconut and
macadamia nuts and is dipped in chocolate—sinful and delicious! —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut CookiesHawaiian nuts and melty morsels make a fantastic combination in these buttery white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee
Buttery Ganache Cookie CupsOur family wanted to share our love of ganache-filled cupcakes, so we made them into cookies. Even better: we bake the cookies in muffin cups, fill with ganache, and get the best of both worlds! —Adela Srinivasan, Parker, Colorado
Honey-Lime Almond CookiesDecades ago my grandmother passed this buttery lime cookie recipe to me. Through years of baking, our cookie memories keep the family connected, although we’re miles apart. —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
Frosted Eggnog Cutout CookiesMy husband loves the creamy richness of eggnog, so I add it to the dough and buttercream icing in these cookies. Top each one with a sprinkle of nutmeg. —Joan Sarge, Asheville, North Carolina
Hungarian Walnut CookiesAs a child, I always looked forward to eating these goodies at Christmastime. Now I make them for my own family. —Sharon Kurtz, Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Red Velvet Whoopie PiesEveryone gets a kick out of this fun take on the popular red velvet cake. Take a shortcut and use packaged cream cheese frosting for the filling. —Judi Dexheimer, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
These
Ree Drummond red velvet cake cookies offer another alternative recipe of the delicious treat.
Lemon Pudding CookiesThese lemon slice cookies are a refreshing variation of my grandmother's sugar cookies. Lemon pudding mix and icing add a subtle tartness that tingles your taste buds. —Melissa Turkington, Camano Island, Washington
Citrus Gingerbread CookiesOrange and lemon zest give gingerbread cutouts a refreshing twist. Brushing a honey glaze over the top adds a subtle shine and an extra touch of sweetness. —Monique Hooker, DeSoto, Wisconsin
Banana Cream Sandwich CookiesPeople go bananas for these! These rich little sandwiches are a nice change of pace on a Christmas platter, and they ship well, too. —Elaine Owens, Dubuque, Iowa
Mexican Chocolate Sugar CrispsMy grandma loved these so much, she would hide them from my grandpa! I think of her every time I make a batch. Like Mexican spice? Try stirring in a little chili powder. —Michele Lovio, Thousand Oaks, California
Pecan Roll-UpsThis recipe is so delicious and is sure to become a favorite of your family. The pecans make them so rich.—Lee B. Roberts, Racine, Wisconsin
Grandma Krause's Coconut CookiesWhen my two daughters were young, their great-grandma made them coconut cookies with oats. Thankfully, she shared the recipe. —Debra Dorn, Dunnellon, Florida
Spiced Toffee CookiesI bake these cookies for family gatherings because my crowd likes cookies thin and chewy with a crispy exterior. The toffee bits make a happy surprise.—Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Illinois
Cranberry Orange Sandwich CookiesMy sweet-tart cookies make a terrific addition to a holiday dessert tray. I love the creamy orange filling.—Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Chocolate-Glazed Doughnut CookiesMy little nieces love to help decorate these doughnut-shaped cookies. They top them with sprinkles, chopped pecans or crushed candy canes. —Jolie Stinson, Marion, Indiana
Lemon & Rosemary Butter CookiesCooling lemon and aromatic rosemary make these butter cookies stand out at the holidays. I use them to punch up the cookie trays for potlucks or as gifts.—Elizabeth Hokanson, Arborg, Manitoba
Dutch Waffle CookiesMy mom taught me how to make these waffle iron cookies. Now I have my friends bring their waffle irons to the house, and we make big batches.—Rachel Setala, Surrey, British Columbia
Berry-Filled Butter RibbonsTangy boysenberry is an unusual for a cookie, but it goes well with chocolate. I change the sprinkles and even the type of chocolate to suit the season.—Amy Sauerwalt, Columbia, Maryland
Chocolate Cutout CookiesI love gingerbread cookies, but my grandchildren don't like the ginger flavor. Now I use chocolate and watch them smile as they take that first bite of these chocolate cutout cookies. —Nancy Murphy, Mount Dora, Florida
Coffee-Glazed Molasses CookiesI dreamed up these molasses cookies while sipping coffee and watching snow fall. The aroma from the baking cookies reaches all corners of the house. —Faith Ford, Big Lake, Minnesota
Nutty Pie-Crust CookiesI like Italian cream cake, so I used it as inspiration for this cookie recipe. The splash of orange liqueur in the filling is my special touch. —Sonji McCarty-Onezine, Beaumont, Texas
Mint-Filled CookiesI tuck a peppermint patty inside these treats for a fun surprise. The bites will melt in your mouth. —Karen Nielson, St. George, Utah
Apricot PinwheelsI decorate my little spirals with vanilla icing, but they're yummy without it, too. Dried apricots and lots of spice give the cookies Old World flavor. —Beverly Sadergaski, Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Snickerdoodle CrispsThis classic cookie from New England can be made two ways: soft or crunchy. My happy version with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg is crispy to perfection. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Almond Chocolate BiscottiThese white chocolate-drizzled cookies are a cinch to make, so I’m always happy to whip up a batch. This is good because my neighbors always look forward to them! —Ginger Chatfield, Muscatine, Iowa
Polka-Dot MacaroonsMacaroons studded with M&M's are easy to mix up in a hurry. That's good, because believe me, they never last long. —Janice Lass, Dorr, Michigan
Lemony Coconut MacaroonsThese chewy gems have refreshing lemon flavor. They freeze well and thaw easily in the fridge, so you can cure a craving anytime. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana
White Chocolate-Cappuccino CookiesThese adorable cookies shaped like coffee cups don't last long with my friends and family. For an even richer flavor, I use a mocha latte coffee mix. —Nancy Sousley, Lafayette, Indiana
Cream Cheese Turtle CupsSometimes the best thing about a cookie is the memories made. My daughter and I love to make and eat these “turtles.” —Lesa Renner, Kingsport, Tennessee
Chocolate-Swirled Peanut Butter CookiesOur kids’ most-requested cookies are peanut butter and chocolate chip, so
I created this combination. The two doughs swirled together create a marbled pattern that’s so pretty, the cookies don’t need additional decorations! This is the best chocolate-peanut butter cookie you'll make! —Lori Kesinger, Baker, Montana
Glazed Strawberry CookiesI learned to bake with my grandmother and mother. I knew I was giving them a sweet new family tradition when I shared this recipe with them. —Andrea Zulauf, Livonia, New York
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream SandwichesIf you’re tight on time, you can use store-bought cookies, but I highly recommend making these oatmeal chocolate cookies from scratch. The dessert sandwiches are pure fun. Sometimes I decorate the sides of the sandwiches with colorful jimmies, too. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Rainbow S'moreo CookiesHomemade Oreo-style cookies are pretty great on their own, but they're even better when you add graham cracker crumbs to the cookie dough, stuff them with marshmallow creme and roll them in sprinkles. You can change the color of the sprinkles depending on the holiday or occasion. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Cherry BiscochitosI discovered the wonderful anise flavor of
biscochitos, which are traditional cookies of New Mexico. I created my own version with maraschino cherries and fresh cranberries. —Mary Shivers, Ada, Oklahoma
Chai Tea Sandwich CookiesYou’ll love these cookies filled with a dreamy chai-infused ganache. They’re perfect after a meal, with a cup of tea, as a breakfast treat—or anytime at all. —Lauren Knoelke, Des Moines, Iowa
Confetti Cake Batter CookiesMom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Red Velvet White Chip CookiesThese cookies are soft, chewy and taste as good as they sound. The first time I baked them, I took them to an aunt's yard sale. Now they’re my go-to for any special event. —Samantha Gstalder, Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Coffee Maple SpritzI like spritz cookies because they're easier to make than rolled cutouts but I can still be creative with different shapes and sizes. Feel free to substitute vanilla or rum extract for the maple flavoring. —Dierdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
Pecan TassiesThese pecan tassies are very good for parties and special occasions. You'll probably want to double the recipe, because they'll disappear in a hurry! —Joy Corie, Ruston, Louisiana
Salted Toffee Cashew CookiesWhen I get toffee bits, butterscotch chips and cashews together in one cookie, the sweet and salty combo is nearly impossible to resist. —Crystal Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota
Ultimate Candy Bar CookiesI created these after Halloween, when I had way too much candy left over. You can make them with any mini chocolate candy, but if you use peanut butter cups, throw them in the freezer just before unwrapping so the chocolate won’t stick to the paper. —Tara John, Plymouth, Minnesota
Coffeehouse Caramel-Dark Chocolate-Latte CookieThese taste like my favorite coffee house drink in cookie form. They're crispy outside, but soft in the middle. —Angela Spengler, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mini Peanut Butter Sandwich CookiesPeanut butter lovers go nuts for these rich little sandwich cookies. On a hot day, sandwich ice cream between the cookies instead of frosting. It cools you right down. —Keri Wolfe, Nappanee, Indiana