Our Quickest Cookie Recipes of All-Time

Updated: Feb. 15, 2024

When cookie cravings hit, you have to act fast! Luckily these quick cookie recipes can be enjoyed in 20 minutes or less.

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Amish Sugar Cookies

These easy-to-make, old-fashioned sugar cookies simply melt in your mouth! I’ve passed the recipe around to many friends. After I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won the best of show prize! —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri

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Also check out this 3-ingredient sugar cookie recipe that is impossible to forget.

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Peanut Butter Cookie In A Mug

This peanut butter cookie in a mug is perfect for when you have a sweet tooth but don't want to make an entire batch of cookies. So quick and easy! —Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Butterscotch No-Bake Cookies

More like a candy than a cookie, these little butterscotch no-bake cookies are delightful. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin
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Be-Mine Sandwich Cookies

This quick cookie recipe is the first thing to disappear from dessert tables. They’re cute, colorful and extremely fast to make.
—Darcie Cross, Novi, Michigan
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Mint Sandwich Cookies

Canned frosting, peppermint extract and chocolate candy coating quickly turn crackers into these wonderful little no-bake cookies. My children and I like to assemble them for parties and holidays. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do. -Melissa Thompson, Anderson, Ohio
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Chocolate Caramel Wafers

To keep my holiday cooking quick, I’ve come to rely on this quick cookie recipe. The crunchy-chewy tidbits are our youngster’s favorite.
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Easy Peanut Butter Balls

"These simple saucepan cookies are a snap to make," assures Marg Mitro of Grafton, Ontario. "In fact, I can whip them up in 10 minutes for school lunches. The little treats are a big hit with any crowd—young or old," she adds.
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Flourless Peanut Butter Thumbprints

I had been searching for a dessert to make for my brother's girlfriend (who is gluten intolerant), and I came across a naturally gluten-free dessert—a flourless peanut butter cookie. After tweaking the recipe a bit and adding Nutella and a sprinkling of sea salt, I finally found the perfect cookie for her. —Dana Hinck, Pensacola, Florida
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Fruity No-Bake Cookies

Keep your kitchen cool with these freezer cookies made with fruity cereal. They're extra sweet and even more fun for kids to help make.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Toffee Chip Thins

In an attempt to create the "ultimate" cookie, I took the best features from my favorite recipes to create this sweet, crisp cookie. My family can't get enough of them. —Lynae Lang, Wolf Point, Montana
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Pizzelle

This recipe was adapted from one that my Italian-born mother and grandmother followed. They used old irons on a gas stove, but now we have the convenience of electric pizzelle irons. These delectable cookies are still a traditional treat in our family. —Elizabeth Schwartz, Trevorton, Pennsylvania
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm one of the cooking project leaders for my daughter's 4-H club, where these soft, delicious cookies were a huge hit with the kids. —Marietta Slater, Augusta, Kansas
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Orange Dreams

A fellow teacher shared this quick cookie recipe with me. We have several great cooks on our teaching staff, and each of us takes turns bringing special treats to the lounge. These moist, chewy cookies with a pleasant orange flavor are a favorite.—Susan Warren, North Manchester, Indiana
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Waffle-Iron Cookies

The recipe for these cookies is the easiest to find in my book because the page is a beautiful mess covered with fingerprints, flour smudges and memories of more than 30 Christmases! I made these with my daughters, and now I make them with my granddaughters. —Judy Taylor, Quarryville, Pennsylvania
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Butterscotch Toffee Cookies

With its big butterscotch and chocolate flavor, my cookie stands out. I like to enjoy it with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. It’s my fallback recipe when I’m short on time and need something delicious fast. —Allie Blinder, Norcross, Georgia
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Butterscotch-Rum Raisin Treats

I love making rum raisin rice pudding around the holidays. Those flavors inspired this recipe. Crispy rice cereal adds crunch, but nuts, toasted coconut or candied pineapple could do the job, too. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

My secret to these rich no-bake bites? Pretzels in the crust. They add a salty crunch to the classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing. —Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia
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Molasses Cookie Mix

These spicy, old-fashioned treats are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. For holiday gift giving, I put a batch of this cookie mix in an attractive basket along with the recipe and a festive tea towel. —Barbara Stewart, Portland, Connecticut
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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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Holiday Cornflake Cookies

I can't seem to make enough of these cornflake wreaths around the holidays. The cookies firm up quickly, so you'll need to place the Red Hots right away. —Kathleen Hedger, Fairview Heights, Illinois
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Angel Macaroons

These chewy coconut cookies start with a boxed angel food cake mix. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota
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Nutty Rice Krispie Cookies

My mom and I used to prepare these Rice Krispie cookies for Christmas every year. Making them with just the microwave means they're super easy and fun to mix with the kids. —Savanna Chapdelaine, Orlando, Florida
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Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Pizzelle

I've experimented with different varieties of pizzelle recipes, but this is definitely a favorite. My dad likes to help make them so that we don't run out!—Aimee McCullen, Youngwood, Pennsylvania