Learn how to bake like grandma with these time-tested secret cookie recipes.
The Secret Cookie Recipes Grandma (Almost) Wouldn’t Share
Updated on May 08, 2024
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
My mother insisted that my grandmother write down one recipe for her when Mom got married in 1942: the how to make peanut butter cookies from scratch recipe. That was a real effort because Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used a little of this or that until it felt right. This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin. Next, try this easy-to-make mom’s best cookie recipe.
1/38
2/38
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A friend gave me the recipe for these cookies many years ago, and they’re as delicious as the ones Mom used to make. The secret to the recipe is to measure exactly (no guessing on the amounts) and to not overbake. —Wendy Coalwell, Abbeville, Georgia
3/38
Torcetti
Total Time
45 min
Servings
6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Our Sicilian grandmother often had my sister and me roll out the dough for these tasty torcetti. These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good without being overly sweet. —Joy Quici, Upland, California
4/38
Baki’s Old-World Cookies
Total Time
45 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My uncles have always called these "cupcake cookies" because of the unique, pretty way they're baked. My maternal grandmother mixed many batches. —Marilyn Louise Riggenbach, Ravenna, Ohio
5/38
Dipped Chocolate Logs
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When my sister and I were little, we used to beg my mother and grandmother to make these buttery chocolate cookies during the holidays. Now, as moms ourselves, we get together every year to make Christmas cookies, and the chocolate logs are always on the top of our list. —Deanna Markkos, Western Springs, Illinois
6/38
Scottish Shortbread
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
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
7/38
Cardamom Spritz
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
As far back as I remember, I have loved cardamom. My grandmother often added the spice to her baked goods. I usually make these cookies with a spritz press—and camel disk—that I found at a thrift shop. It reminds me of a time when I rode a camel in the desert while deployed with the Navy. Of course, any design will do! —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
8/38
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When my two daughters were young, their great-grandma made them coconut cookies with oats. Thankfully, she shared the recipe. —Debra Dorn, Dunnellon, Florida
9/38
Date Pinwheel Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My granddaughter nicknamed my mother Cookie Grandma because she made wonderful cookie—including these crisp and chewy treats. —Donna Grace, Clancy, Montana
10/38
Strawberry Cookie Cups
Total Time
55 min
Servings
about 4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I learned to bake beside my mom and grandmother. When I was on break from college, I knew just how to entertain myself: I made cookies. Sharing this recipe with my mom and grandmother was a proud moment.—Andrea Zulauf, Livonia, New York
11/38
Blackberry Peekaboo Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother bakes this recipe every year for the holidays. She uses homemade blackberry jam that she makes fresh every summer. These cookies are so delicious! —Jacquie Franklin, Hot Springs, Montana
12/38
Kourambiethes
Total Time
55 min
Servings
5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My daughter-in-law gave me this recipe. Her grandmother was born in Greece and bakes these cookies for special occasions, including Christmas.—Carol Dale, Greenville, Texas
13/38
Sea Salt Mint White Mocha Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
26 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe came from my mom's Grandma Alice, who taught her how to bake. Grandma Alice always had a fresh plate of warm cookies on her counter. I learned some of her recipes by heart as a child, and I've been making these since high school. They taste like Christmas.—Kristin Bowers, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
14/38
Crisp Sugar Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
8 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother always had sugar cookies in her pantry, and we grandchildren would empty that big jar quickly because they were the best! I now regularly bake these wonderful cookies to share with friends. —Evelyn Poteet, Hancock, Maryland
15/38
Pizzelle Cookies
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These lovely, golden brown anise pizzelle cookies have a crisp texture and delicate anise flavor. I create them using a pizzelle iron. —Barbara Colucci, Rockledge, Florida
16/38
Gingersnap Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A classic New England cookie, gingersnaps are now universal. My grandma kept two cookie jars in her pantry. One always had these crisp and chewy gingersnaps in it. They’re still my favorite cookie. My daughter, Becky, won a blue ribbon for this recipe at a 4-H fair. —Deb Handy, Pomona, Kansas
17/38
Walnut Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
10 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Black walnuts, which have a more distinctive flavor than traditional English walnuts, have a short shelf life. It's best to store them in the freezer. —Doug Black, Conover, North Carolina
18/38
Grandma Brubaker’s Orange Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
At least two generations of my family have enjoyed the recipe for these light, delicate orange-flavored cookies. —Sheri DeBolt, Huntington, Indiana
19/38
Oat & Coconut Icebox Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen.
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe was passed down through my family from Grandma Irene and is a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis. It's a true cookie lover's cookie: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly dunkable. —Lori Rowe, Tigerton, Wisconsin
20/38
Mexican Chocolate Sugar Crisps
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My 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
21/38
Frosted Spice Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
5-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe has been handed down through many generations of my husband's family. The cookies were always in his grandmother's cookie jar when he'd visit. Today, he enjoys them more than ever—and so do I. —Debbie Hurlbert, Howard, Ohio
22/38
Honey-Lime Almond Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Decades 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
23/38
Grandma's Raspberry Rugelach
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I remember sitting on my great-grandmother's couch with a pad and pen in hand as she told me each ingredient and measurement for her special rugelach. Her recipe stands apart because it's a fun twist from typical versions. —Dalya Rubin, Boca Raton, Florida
24/38
Coconut Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
9 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This simple yet satisfying coconut cookie recipe has been around for generations. Pressing a fork into the top gives the look of an old-fashioned washboard. —Tommie Sue Shaw, McAlester, Oklahoma
25/38
Grossmutter's Peppernuts
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 30 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Before Christmas, my grandmother would bake peppernuts and store them until the big day. When we came home from school, the whole house would smell like anise and we knew the holiday season was about to begin. —Marilyn Kutzli, Clinton, Iowa
26/38
Grandma's Polish Cookies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
20 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
This traditional khruchiki recipe has been handed down through my mother's side from my great-grandmother. As a child, it was my job to loop the end of each cookie through its hole. —Sherine Elise Gilmour, Brooklyn, New York
28/38
Icebox Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
7 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This cookie recipe from my 91-year-old grandmother was my grandfather's favorite. She still makes them and sends us home with the dough so that we can make more whenever we want, I love to make a fresh batch when company drops in. —Chris Paulsen, Glendale, Arizona
29/38
Grandma's Star Cookies
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
about 7 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband's grandma would make these butter cutouts only with a star cookie cutter. I use various shapes for celebrations throughout the year. —Jenny Brown, West Lafayette, Indiana
30/38
Italian Horn Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My family has been making these delicate, fruit-filled Italian horn cookies for generations. They’re light and flaky, with the look of an elegant old-world pastry. —Gloria Siddiqui, Houston, Texas
31/38
Apricot Pinwheel Cookies
Total Time
55 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother always made these cookies for the holidays. The recipe has been passed down through generations to me, and now from me to you. — Robert Logan, Clayton, California
32/38
Mint Chocolate Wafers
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
10 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother gave me a cookbook stuffed with recipes. This is a slight twist on one of the first—and best—recipes I made from the book. It's best to store these in the refrigerator. —Mary Murphy, Evansville, Indiana
33/38
Triple Ginger Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My dad loved ginger cookies. I tinkered with the recipe my grandma handed down by using fresh, ground and crystallized ginger for more pizazz. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
34/38
Sea Salt Mint White Mocha Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
26 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe came from my mom's Grandma Alice, who taught her how to bake. Grandma Alice always had a fresh plate of warm cookies on her counter. I learned some of her recipes by heart as a child, and I've been making these since high school. They taste like Christmas.—Kristin Bowers, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
35/38
Italian Wedding Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 7 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Of all the Italian cookie recipes I make, this is my favorite. These sprinkle cookies take some time, but, believe me, they are well worth it! My husband and I used to operate an Italian American restaurant, and this recipe goes back generations. —Gloria Cracchiolo, Newburgh, New York
36/38
Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These soft cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington
37/38
Grandma's Sugar Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
6 dozen 2-1/2-inch cookies or 1-1/2 dozen 4-1/4-inch cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
We bake these cookies for holidays and other special occasions. The recipe is one of my great-grandmother's that I received years ago from one of my great-aunts. —Kristy Deloach, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
38/38
Orange Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I usually make these bite-sized orange cookies at Christmastime, when Florida citrus is plentiful, but they're delicious any time of year. Every time I sniff their wonderful aroma, I remember my grandmother, who shared the recipe. —Lori DiPietro, New Port Richey, Florida
