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Monster Cookies
This recipe combines several favorite flavors—peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate—in one big cookie. Before baking, I like to press a few extra M&M’s on top for added color. —Patricia Schroedl, Jefferson, Wisconsin(For tips about making all kinds of cookies, check out our cookie baking guide.)
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Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone has a favorite type of chocolate chip cookie—a little crispy, a little chewy—but they all have to begin with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the best place to start! —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, WisconsinLearn how to customize chocolate chip cookies to suit your tastes—whether you like chewy, crispy or soft.
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Shortbread Cookies
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 shortbread recipe on to me. I make a triple batch of it each year at Christmas, to enjoy and as gifts. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba 4 / 40
Cutout Cookies
Christmas cutouts signal the holiday season. For variety, sprinkle half of the cookies with colored sugar before baking and frost the remaining ones after they're cooled.—Dawn Fagerstrom, Warren, Minnesota 5 / 40
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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 6 / 40
Gingersnap Cookies
I discovered this recipe many years ago, and it's been a favorite among our family and friends since. Who doesn't like cookies during the holidays? —Francis Stoops, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania 7 / 40
Peanut Butter Cookies
It is amazing how much flavor these simple peanut butter cookies without brown sugar have. I make them very often because I always have the ingredients on hand. —Maggie Schimmel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 8 / 40
Whoopie Pies
I’ve saved this jam-filled whoopie pie recipe for years after cutting it out of a newspaper. It’s one of my grandson's personal favorites. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania 9 / 40
Sugar Cookies
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 10 / 40
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 11 / 40
Snickerdoodle Cookies
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 KitchenLove snickerdoodles? Learn how to make these heavenly caramel snickerdoodle bars.
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Chocolate Cookies
Who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies? Cocoa in the batter gives these treats a double dose of chocolate. They disappear fast from the cookie jar! —Diane Hixon, Niceville, FloridaCrispy, chewy and insanely delicious chocolate cookie recipes.
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Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Tinting flaky white coconut reminds me of snowflakes falling under holiday lights. The reds and greens add colorful Christmas wonder. — Lee Roberts, Racine, Wisconsin 14 / 40
Sandwich Cookies
These cookies freeze well, so it's easy to keep some on hand for last-minute munching. In summer, I often make them larger to use for ice cream sandwiches. —Mary Rempel, Altona, Manitoba 15 / 40
Spritz Cookies
This tender spritz cookie recipe is very eye-catching on my Christmas cookie tray. The dough is easy to work with, so it's fun to make these spritz cookies into a variety of festive shapes. This is hands down the best spritz cookie recipe ever. —Beverly Launius, Sandwich, Illinois 16 / 40
Biscotti
I've learned to bake a double batch of this crisp almond biscotti recipe, because one batch goes too fast! —H. Michaelson, St. Charles, Illinois 17 / 40
Butter Cookies
This great butter cookie recipe is a favorite of my nephews, who love the creamy frosting. —Ruth Griggs, South Hill, Virginia 18 / 40
Snowball Cookies
A juicy maraschino cherry is the secret center tucked inside these special cookies. My mom was inspired to create this by a recipe she clipped out of a newspaper more than 30 years ago. —Evy Adams, West Seneca, New York 19 / 40
Molasses Cookies
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 20 / 40
Drop Cookies
When we lived on the East Coast, a nearby fruit and vegetable stand had a bakery featuring these soft, cakelike cookies. We missed every bite when we moved away, so I developed this recipe. —Barbara Franklin, Tucson, Arizona 21 / 40
Pinwheel Cookies
This recipe evolved from several different recipes that I combined into one. I've never received so many compliments on my baking!—Denise Hufford, Midland, Michigan 22 / 40
Meringue Cookies
Eat these pretty treats as is or crush them into a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream. Readers of my blog, utry.it, went nuts when I posted that idea.—Amy Tong, Anaheim, California 23 / 40
Linzer Cookies
This specialty cookie takes a little extra effort, but the results are sweet! They really help to make the holidays feel special. —Jane Pearcy, Verona, Wisconsin 24 / 40
Gluten-Free Cookies
I need to avoid gluten and have tried transforming my favorite recipes to fit my diet. I came up with these cakelike cookies, and no one ever guesses that they’re gluten-free. 25 / 40
Wafer Cookies
These buttery cookies bake up chewy and crispy at the same time. Sprinkle these vanilla wafers with colored sugar or leave them as-is. Their simplicity is beauty enough! —Edith MacBeath, Gaines, Pennsylvania 26 / 40
Macaroons
These coconut macaroons are my husband's favorite and earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on without lots left over. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin 27 / 40
Macarons
These macarons are a winter/fall staple for me—inspired by the classic cinnamon roll, they are a delicious treat for a cold or snowy day. These pair well with a mug of tea, and can be eaten as a dessert or just a snack. Try custard, mousse, ganache, or any other buttercream as fillings, too. —Elizabeth Ding, El Cerrito, California 28 / 40
Thumbprint Cookies
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 29 / 40
Icebox Cookies
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 30 / 40
Waffle 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 31 / 40
Tea Cakes
I like to present my favorite holiday cookies in a special way. I pile these fresh-baked tea cakes on pretty plates that I buy throughout the year, then wrap them with colored cellophane to give friends. —Valerie Hudson, Mason City, Iowa 32 / 40
Cookie Cups
Our family wanted to share our love of ganache-filled cupcakes, so we made them into cookies. Even better: we bake the cookies in muffin cups, fill with ganache, and get the best of both worlds! —Adela Srinivasan, Parker, Colorado 33 / 40
No-Bake Cookies
When a co-worker’s husband came home from Iraq, we had a potluck for him. These cookies with coarse red sugar matched our patriotic theme. —Janet Whittington, Heath, OhioNo-bake cookies that keep you cool and your sweet tooth satisfied.
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Gingerbread Cookies
No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread man cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I'm happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland 35 / 40
Tassies
I make so many of these fancy tassies, I use up a 7-pound container of almond paste every year! They’re one of my family’s holiday favorites. —Donna Westhouse, Dorr, Michigan 36 / 40
Frosted Cookies
Before we five kids headed off to school each day, Mom took our requests for that day's dinner. I usually asked her to make these cookies for dessert, and she would rarely disappoint. I still enjoy them today. —Patricia Ramczyk, Appleton, Wisconsin 37 / 40
Lebkuchen Cookies
Having lived in Germany, I try to keep my German cooking as authentic as possible. This lovely lebkuchen recipe is a culinary Christmas custom. —Cathy Lemmon, Quinlan, Texas 38 / 40
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 39 / 40
Kolaczky
These sweet pastries have Polish and Czech roots and can also be spelled "kolaches." They are usually filled with poppy seeds, nuts, jam or a mashed fruit mixture. The ice cream is a unique twist on traditional kolachkes, and it's simplest to use a square cookie cutter to cut the dough. —Diane Turner, Brunswick, Ohio 40 / 40
Fortune Cookies
Our home is often filled with family and friends, so I'm always cooking up something. I created this recipe when I was looking for a treat to surprise my husband. —Susan Bettinger, Battle Creek, Michigan Originally Published: October 19, 2018