41 Cookie Recipes You Need in Your Collection

We make and decorate these cutouts for different holidays and give lots of them as gifts. Last year, we baked a batch a week before Christmas to be sure we’d have plenty to give and plenty for ourselves, too. These rich cookies melt in your mouth. —Kim Hinkle, Wauseon, Ohio

Here’s a snack for serious chocolate lovers. These enticing cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, somewhat bittersweet and very chocolaty. I usually make them to share at get-togethers. Otherwise, I’d eat them all myself! I’m always asked for the recipe. —Delaine Fortenberry, McComb, Mississippi

These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don’t care for crunchy gingersnaps. —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho

Scottish settlers first came to this area over 150 years ago. My mother herself was Scottish, and—as with most of my favorite recipes—she passed this on to me. I make a triple batch of it each year at Christmas, to enjoy and as gifts. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba

Each Christmas, I make about 600 cookies to share with family and friends. The holidays wouldn’t be the same without several batches of these colorful goodies. —Sybil Brown, Highland, California

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

“Hey, these are good!” is the surprised remark I hear when I bake these for the family. As simple as it may seem, all I do is follow directions. This works exceptionally well when it comes to making cookies. —Ian Badeer, Hickman, Nebraska

This cookie recipe—a favorite of our four children—has been in my collection for years. Sometimes I’ll substitute mint-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate ones. Either way, the chocolate cookies disappear quickly.

White baking chips and macadamia nuts are a fantastic duo in these buttery cookies. They are a nice change from the classic chocolate chip ones. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee

Crazy about chocolate chips? This chewy, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie has plenty, not to mention lots of heart-healthy oatmeal. The gang’ll come back for seconds so this big batch recipe is perfect.—Diane Neth, Menno, South Dakota

The history of this whimsically named treat is widely disputed, but the popularity of this classic cinnamon-sugar-coated cookie is undeniable! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Capture the taste of campfire s’mores in your kitchen. Graham cracker crumbs added to chocolate chip cookie dough bring out the flavor of the fireside favorite. Melting the cookies’ marshmallow centers in the microwave makes them simple to assemble. —Abby Metzger, Larchwood, Iowa

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

This is the cookie recipe I created for the Las Vegas World Food Championships 2013. It’s similar to a shortbread thumbprint cookie, but with lots more personality. —Amy Freeze, Avon Park, Florida

These buttery little rounds add beautiful color to a platter of treats. Fill the thumbprint in the center with any fruit preserves you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

These crispy classics are loaded with crunchy chopped toffee and almonds, so there’s no doubt as to why they’re my husband’s favorite cookie. I used to bake them in large batches when our four sons still lived at home. Now I whip them up for the grandchildren! —Alice Kahnk, Kennard, Nebraska

I usually make these bite-size cookies at Christmastime, when oranges in Florida are 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

These spiced balls are a yummy twist on a traditional favorite. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips to the dough and, after baking, dip the cooled cookies in melted almond bark. —Joanne Valkema, Freeport, Illinois

I’ve relied on this mix for these light sugar cookies for years, even selling it at bazaars. I package it in a plastic bag tied with pretty ribbon and attach a cookie cutter and copy of the recipe. —Eneatha Attig Secrest, Mattoon, Illinois

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

These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan

This recipe is one of my family’s favorites, and I make these treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have 3 children and 8 grandchildren, and every one of them loves those “peanut butter thingies,” as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma

During college, my student job was in the bakery. These Red Velvet Cookies take me back to that special place and time. —Christina Petri, Alexandria, Minnesota

You’ll need just four items to whip up these delightful cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas

I won a baking contest with these chunky glazed cookies that are so easy, even novice bakers can pull them off. What makes them special? Fresh cranberries. —Laurie Cornett, Charlevoix, Michigan

Over the years, I’ve adapted my most-requested biscotti recipe to add some of my favorite ingredients: cranberries, white chocolate and pistachios. This biscotti keeps and freezes well.—Susan Nelson, Newbury Park, California

These treats are my family’s favorite, and it seems no matter how many I make, they always disappear too soon. —D. Weaver, Ephrata, Pennsylvania

I get tremendous satisfaction making and giving time-tested yuletide treats like these soft, chewy cookies. Dipping them in white chocolate makes much-loved gingersnaps even more special. —Laura Kimball, West Jordan, Utah

These spiced-just-right whoopie pies combine two popular flavors in one fun treat. The moist cookies are rolled in sugar before baking for a bit of crunch. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

Covered in chopped nuts and drizzled with chocolate, these cookies are delicious and pretty, too. Everybody looks forward to munching on them during the holidays. —Elizabeth Marino, San Juan Capistrano, California

This butter cookie recipe is a favorite of my nephews, who love the creamy frosting. —Ruth Griggs, South Hill, Virginia

I took these lime and coconut macaroons to our annual cookie exchange, where we name a queen. I won the crown! —Milissa Kirkpatrick, Angel Fire, New Mexico

Chocolate lovers will get a double dose when they bite into this cake-like cookie. The cookies are especially popular served alongside a big scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream! —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota

Dotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas

Guests will stand in line to kiss the cook when these treats are served! For a change of pace, try them with chunky peanut butter, too. —Canada60, Tasteofhome.com Community

These soft banana cookies have a cakelike texture and lots of flavor that everyone seem to love. It’s one of the best banana cookie recipes I’ve found. —Vicki Raatz, Waterloo, Wisconsin

These almond spritz cookies can be left plain or decorated with colored sugar and frosting. In our house, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without some cookie press recipes.—Tanya Hart, Muncie, Indiana

My family always requests these soft molasses cookies. These chewy molasses cookies are also great for shipping as holiday gifts or to troops overseas. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

Coconut lovers will have extra reason to celebrate when they taste these cakelike drop cookies. The generous frosting and coconut topping make them a hit at holiday cookie swaps. —Donna Scofield, Yakima, Washington

I’m a busy mother of two young children. I work in our school office and help my husband on our hog and cattle farm. When I find time to bake a treat, I like it to be special. The creamy filling gives traditional peanut butter cookies a new twist. —Debbie Kokes, Tabor, South Dakota

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