28 Recipes for Easter Cookies

Easter Egg Cookies

My mother started baking these cookies with me and my eight brothers and sisters when I was a child, and I carried on the tradition with our four youngsters when they were little. Now, my children are grown and can make these cookies with their own tots. —Barbara Neuweg, West Point, Iowa

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Lemon Cutouts

Full of lemony flavor, these cookies are great for any time of year and always popular with family and friends.—Patricia C. Quinn, Omaha, Nebraska

Apricot-Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

I enjoy experimenting with cake mixes to make new cookie recipes. I love apricot, but feel free to fill the thumbprint in the center of these goodies with any fruit preserve you like. —Nancy Johnson, Laverne, Oklahoma

Jelly Bean Cookies

It's a family tradition for my grandmother and me to make these colorful cookies every year for the holidays. —Cheyenne Fink, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania

Italian Honey Clusters

My mother made these treats flavored with cinnamon and anise for neighbors, teachers and anyone who stopped by. Make sure the honey doesn’t boil longer than a minute or it could burn.—Sarah Knoblock, Hyde Park, Indiana

Buttersweets

With cream cheese, cherries and a sweet topping, this recipe turns chocolate chip cookies into something special. They taste like a combination of cookie and candy, and the sweet bites are a treat for the eyes as well. They're a family favorite at Christmastime—and year-round! —LeeAnn McCue, West Springfield, Massachusetts

Pastelitos De Boda

In Mexico, these rich cookies are called "Little Wedding Cakes" and usually are served with hot chocolate. Since moving here close to Mexico from the Midwest, I've enjoyed trying authentic recipes—they're a sharp departure from the Iowa favorites I grew up with! I love introducing these to relatives and friends! —Terri Lins, San Diego, California

Italian Cornmeal Spritz Cookies

A chef at a local culinary school gave me this recipe, and I've been using it for years. Italian cornmeal cookies are from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. They're not too sweet, and the glazed cherries add just the right touch. — Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

Tender Italian Sugar Cookies

These traditional Italian cookies are moist and tender. —Weda Mosellie, Phillipsburg, New Jersey

Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies

These wonderfully chewy cookies have a light lemon flavor from both the juice and zest. The sanding sugar on top adds sparkle and a bit of crunch. —Michael Vyskocil, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania

Slice 'n' Bake Lemon Gems

Rolled in colorful sprinkles, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are pretty enough for a party. I make a lot of them for holiday cookie trays. (Complete your cookie tray with Chocolate Pretzel Rings.) —Delores Edgecomb, Atlanta, New York

Polka-Dot Macaroons

Macaroons 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

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite desserts. I thought it would be great to capture all that wonderful flavor in a cookie. The pastry-like cookie is topped with pink strawberry frosting. —Allison Anderson, Avondale, Arizona

Coffee Shortbread

You'll be remembered for these cookies when you serve them for a morning coffee or at a gathering. Melted chips drizzled on top make them look fancy, but they're so easy to make. —Dixie Terry, Goreville, Illinois

Pastel Tea Cookies

These glazed sugar cookies are perfect for nibbling between sips at a tea party, graduation or shower. —Lori Henry, Elkhart, Indiana

Crisp Lemon Shortbread

Fresh juice and zest pair up to give my buttery cookies a lemony pop. Sprinkle sugar on top for extra sparkle. —Marcia Whitney, Gainesville, Florida

Amish Raisin Cookies

I found this recipe for a chewy raisin cookie in one of the many Amish cookbooks I own. I haven't seen it duplicated anywhere else. —Marcia Wagner, Berrien Springs, Michigan

Apricot-Filled Triangles

Traditionally called hamantaschen, these crisp, buttery triangle cookies truly do melt in your mouth. It's a good thing this classic Jewish dessert recipe makes a big batch because no one can stop after eating just one! —Mildred Lorence, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Lemony Coconut Macaroons

These 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

Confetti Cake Batter Cookies

Mom 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

Orange Sugar Cookies

I make these citrusy cookies for parties and special occasions, and we always get to eat the ones that don't come out perfectly. Eventually I had to start making extra "mistakes" to keep my family happy! —Myrrh Wertz, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Super Chunky Cookies

Chocolate lovers will go crazy over these cookies that feature loads of chocolate! When friends ask me to make "those cookies," I know exactly what recipe they mean. —Rebecca Jendry, Spring Branch, Texas

Lemon-Lime Butter Cookies

I was looking for a light cookie that would freeze and travel well and couldn't find one, so I created these. They are so good you won't be able to eat just one.—Brenda Brooks, Bowie, Maryland

Raspberry Cream Sugar Cookies

We make sugar cookies and fill them with a tangy raspberry cream cheese. They taste best after they've been refrigerated for at least 45 minutes.—Heidi Farnworth, Riverton, Utah

Glazed Bonbon Cookies

The chocolate in the middle of these cookies is such a fun surprise. And the dough is so simple to make, with just the right amount of sweetness. —April Shuttleworth, Fort Wayne, IN

Slice & Bake Coconut Shortbread Cookies

Light and buttery, these delicate shortbread cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good. The coconut flavor makes them extra special. —Roberta Otto, Duluth, Minnesota

Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)

I had to bake something from my heritage for school. So, I made this heavenly kourabiedes recipe. —Rebecca Sprague, St. Louis, Missouri