32 Cookies to Make When Your Pantry Is Bare
Updated: Feb. 21, 2024
Are Mother Hubbard's cupboards bare? Don't worry—you can still stir up delicious cookies. All of these basic cookie recipes use five ingredients or less but still have five-star flavor.
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Chocolate Caramel Wafers
To keep my holiday cooking quick, I've come to rely on fast recipes like this one. The crunchy-chewy tidbits are our youngster's favorite.
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Shortbread
I live in Missouri, but many of our family recipes come from New Zealand, where I lived as a youngster. I proudly claim a Down Under heritage! These special-occasion cookies bring back warm and sweet memories of my childhood, and I'm going to make sure they're passed on to the next generation in my family—no matter where they live. —A. Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri
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Chocolate Almond Drops
So much rich, chocolaty flavor, so little time! My trufflelike cookies are deceptively easy to make and look so elegant on a party tray. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Raspberry Coconut Balls
My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois
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Raspberry Almond Strips
Get ready to pour yourself a cup of tea, because you won’t be able to resist sampling one of these cookies. Almonds add taste and texture to the simple strips that are dressed up with raspberry pie filling. —Taste of HomeTest Kitchen
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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Yes, you really can make amazing peanut butter cookies with just three ingredients; just follow this three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe to find out how.
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Tender Pecan Logs
Folks always ask me to make these tender nutty logs. Not overly sweet, they're just right with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. —Joyce Beck, Gadsden, Alabama
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Coconut Macaroons
These crunchy, golden and chewy coconut macaroons are ideal for their simplicity and texture, and you can have this treat on the table in 30 minutes or less.
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
As part of a Mexican tradition, I tucked these sugar-dusted Mexican wedding cookies into small gift boxes for the guests at my sister's wedding. Most folks said the cookies never made it home! We bake them around the holidays too. —Sarita Johnston, San Antonio, Texas
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Cranberry Pecan Cookies
These are so tasty and simple to prepare! Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and vanilla, giving them the taste of a treat that’s been slaved over. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas
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Sweetheart Cookies
These rounds filled with fruit preserves were blue-ribbon winners at the county fair two years running. A family favorite, they never last beyond December 25! —Pamela Esposito, Smithville, New Jersey
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Buttery Almond Cookies
"My husband loves these cookies," says Elaine Anderson of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. "They have an old-fashioned flavor that goes well with a cup of tea. Plus they're simple to put together."
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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
These chocolate shortbread cookies offer a rich, buttery texture with a hint of cocoa. Easy to make, with simple pantry ingredients, these cookies are ideal for any occasion and pair wonderfully with tea, coffee, even ice cream.
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Peppermint Puff Pastry Sticks
I wanted to impress my husband's family with something you'd expect to find in a European bakery, and these chocolaty treats are what I came up with. The flaky pastry melts in your mouth. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
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Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
With only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire
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Pumpkin-Spice Sugar Cookies
I've been making these quick and easy cookies for over 20 years. They're the first to go at our annual church bake sale.—Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
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Chocolate Amaretti
These classic almond paste cookies are like ones you'd find in an Italian bakery. My husband and children are always excited when I include these goodies in my holiday baking lineup. —Kathy Long, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
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Palmier Cookies
Seriously impressive palmier cookies need only two ingredients. Break out that box of premade puff pastry and your bag of granulated sugar to create these buttery, flakey French pastries.
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Brownie Mix Cookies
Our brownie mix cookies rely on a not-so-secret ingredient to yield moist, tender cookies in just 25 minutes. They're crunchy, crispy and perfectly moist.
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Whipped Shortbread Cookies
These whipped shortbread cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I'll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and afternoon teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta
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Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
You’ll love to give tins of these chocolate-coated cookies to your lucky friends. The shortcut holiday recipe is almost too simple to believe! Here's how to make peanut butter cookies without eggs. —Jackie Howell, Gordo, Alabama
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Colorful Candy Bar Cookies
No one will guess these sweet treats with the candy bar center start with store-bought dough. Roll them in colored sugar or just dip the tops for even faster assembly. Instead of using miniature candy bars for the centers, you can also slice regular-size Snickers candy bars into 1-inch pieces. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Mimosa Butter Cookies
You can add many different flavors to butter cookies to make them your own. Try an alternate type of citrus zest, or add an alternate liquid to change things up. —Sara Lark, Raton, New Mexico
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Snickers Cookies
Though you wouldn't know by looking, you'll find a sweet surprise inside these cookies. My mother got this Snickers cookie recipe from a fellow teacher at her school. It's a terrific way to dress up refrigerated cookie dough. —Kari Pease, Conconully, Washington
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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are chewy, salty and sweet. You wouldn’t believe you only need three ingredients to make them.
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Shortbread Hearts
These flaky cookies melt in your mouth. Dipped in chocolate, they look festive.—Barbara Birk, St. George, Utah
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Lemon Snowflakes
You’ll need just four ingredients to make these delightful lemon snowflake cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas
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S'mores No-Bake Cookies
There's no easier way to get that s'mores goodness in your kitchen. Mix these cookies together and chill till you're ready to share. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Scottish Shortbread
My mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba
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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Everyone who tries these beloved gems is amazed that they use only five ingredients. Baking cookies doesn't get much easier than this. —Dee Davis, Sun City, Arizona
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These five-ingredient chocolate peanut butter cookies are oh-so-easy to make. Rich, fudgy and ready in 30 minutes, these treats are perfect for last-minute baking.
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