Peach Cookies

There’s a cookie for every occasion, whether you want something classic and chewy or a beautiful addition to a dessert spread. These impressive peach cookies, a winner from our 2025 Cookie Exchange, stand out on any dessert table.

Shaped and decorated to look like little ripe peaches, recipe contributor Nancy Pappas from Evans City, Pennsylvania, leans on peach schnapps for the cookie dough, filling and decoration. The buttery cookie with a peach preserve filling practically melts in your mouth and gives serious stone fruit vibes, thanks to a blush of color and small leaf.

The best part: You don’t have to serve peach cookies only in the summer, although they do make any picnic, bridal shower or holiday table sweeter. Brighten any gloomy day or the heart of winter with these fruit-filled sunshiny cookies.

Ingredients for Peach Cookies

• Butter: Soften the butter at room temperature before starting the cookie dough. Softened butter creamed with sugar creates a fluffy texture.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar sweetens the cookies and contributes to the tender but sturdy structure.
• Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs to make them easier to incorporate into the dough.
• Lemon zest: Zest a lemon for the vibrant flavor in the cookie dough.
• Vanilla extract: Use the best vanilla extract you can buy for baking. It really makes a difference.
• Peach schnapps: This peach-flavored liqueur adds flavor to the dough, the filling and the exterior color. Don’t worry if you have extra; use it for cocktails, like this porch swing margarita.
• Sour cream: Sour cream adds extra moisture to cookies, cakes, muffins and more.
• All-purpose flour: Use all-purpose flour to create structure for these peach cookies.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent for these cookies.
• Salt: Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness in the peach cookie dough.
• Filling: Use your favorite peach preserves and peach schnapps for the filling.
• Food coloring: A touch of red and yellow food coloring makes for a bold peach color on the exterior of the cookies.
• Decoration: To give the peach cookies that peachy glow, brush with peach schnapps enhanced with red and yellow food coloring, then roll in granulated sugar. Add a leaf to each peach cookie to finish the decoration. Use green candy, plastic leaves, or mint or lemon balm leaves. You could even make a little green-colored buttercream or royal icing for the leaves.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Add the sour cream and peach schnapps.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

Step 2: Shape the cookies

With lightly greased hands, roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place each ball 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly.

Step 3: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks.

Step 4: Make the filling

While the cookies are warm, use a sharp knife and small spoon to cut and scoop out about 1/2 teaspoon of crumbs from the bottom of each cookie. Set the crumbs (about 1-1/2 cups) aside for filling. Cool the cookies completely. In a small bowl, combine the peach preserves and 1 tablespoon of peach schnapps, and stir in the reserved crumbs.

Step 5: Assemble with filling

Spoon the filling into two cookies. Spread a thin layer of filling on the cookie bottoms and press them together to form a peach. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.

Step 6: Decorate the cookies

To decorate, divide 2/3 cup of peach schnapps into two small bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and yellow food coloring to the other. Place sugar into a third dish. Dip half of each cookie sandwich into the yellow mixture, then dip the other half into the red mixture. Immediately roll in sugar. Decorate with a green leaf. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Peach Cookie Variations

• Add a touch of spice: As with many peach desserts, a hint of nutmeg or cinnamon will enhance the fruit’s flavor. Add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients while making the cookie dough.
• Pair with cherry preserves: Peach and cherry are a wonderful flavor match. Instead of peach preserves, try cherry preserves for a bold pairing.
• Make bigger peach cookies: This recipe makes over three dozen little peach cookies. For a larger version, make 1-1/2-inch balls when rolling the dough.

How to Store Peach Cookies

Store peach cookies in an airtight container, arranged in single layers with parchment between each layer to prevent sticking and to maintain their appearance.

How long will peach cookies last?

Keep peach cookies at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated for up to five days. Overall, it’s best to keep them chilled in the refrigerator to maintain their texture. Take the cookies out of the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

Can you make these peach cookies ahead of time?

To make these cookies ahead of time, bake the cookies and scoop out the centers, then freeze them in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to two months. To finish them, allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature. Make the filling, build the peach cookies and decorate.

Peach Cookie Tips

Why didn’t my cookie halves stick together?

The peach preserves serve as the glue to hold the cookie halves together. If the cookie halves aren’t sticking, try adding a bit more peach preserves or brushing each side with peach schnapps.

Can I make peach cookies without peach schnapps?

The dough, filling and decoration steps in this recipe all call for peach schnapps. Not only does it provide flavor, but it also provides moisture to help assemble the cookie shapes. For an alcohol-free version, you could drain a can of peaches and use the reserved syrup in its place.

Do I have to use food coloring for peach cookies?

You use food coloring only for decoration here, but you can skip it.