The Ultimate Guide to Different Types of 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 Kitchen

Everyone has a favorite type of chocolate chip cookie—a little crispy, a little chewy—but they all have to begin with a basic recipe. This is the best place to start! —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

I've been making these cookies for nearly 30 years. The flavor is delicious and they are always well appreciated. This is an all-time favorite with my family. —Nancy Horton, Greenbrier, Tennessee

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

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

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

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

This sugar cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis, shared the recipe with me and she came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. These are my favorite cookies and I hope they'll become yours as well. —Helen Wallis, Vancouver, Washington

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

Baking peanut butter kiss cookies to share doesn't get much easier than this. Stir together four ingredients. Bake. Top with a kiss. Done! Your family will love this Hershey's peanut butter blossom cookie recipe. —Dee Davis, Sun City, Arizona

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

Who can resist gigantic monster cookies chock-full of goodies like chocolate chips, M&M's and peanut butter? If your appetite isn't quite monster-size, make them by heaping tablespoonfuls. This is the world's best monster cookies recipe. —Judy Fredenberg, Missoula, Montana

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

My neighbors look forward to getting my gifts of these chocolate-covered cookies. I love that this chocolate biscotti recipe is such a cinch to make. —Ginger Chatfield, Muscatine, Iowa

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

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

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

These pretty pinwheel cookies have tempting swirly layers of orange and chocolate. I really mess up my kitchen whenever I bake a batch, but the smiles on the faces of family and friends enjoying them make it all worthwhile. — Paulette Morgan, Moorhead, Minnesota

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

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

These coconut macaroon cookies earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. They remain my husband's favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always asks me for some, too! I especially like that this macaroon recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

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

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, 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

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

The recipe for these cookies is the easiest to find in my book because it's a beautiful mess. It's 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

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

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, Ohio

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

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

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

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

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

Julia Child had a love of life and French cooking, as she and and Alex Prud'homme described in the book My Life in France. The woman who introduced Americans to the delights of French cuisine would find these crisp, chewy French-style macarons cookies a delight, too! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen