Name a more classic dessert than a sweet and delicious cookie. Cookies remain one of the most popular desserts because of how easy they are to make. Plus, there is no shortage of ingredients you can use in cookies, either. Fruit, nuts, and chocolate are all popular staples, and you’ll find many of these ingredients in the tasty recipes we listed below.
Whether you’re preparing for your child’s birthday party or looking for something sweet to bring to your co-workers for the holiday season, here are 30 insanely good cookie ideas you need to try.
1. Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Do you love homemade cookies that feature traditional, fruity recipes? If so, you’ll love this one.
The secret ingredient is the almond extract, which is incredibly sweet (and tastes nothing like almonds!)
If you don’t have almond extract, you can swap it out for vanilla extract instead.
It will still be sweet, but you may have to add twice the amount to make it as powerful as the almond extract.
2. Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
If you grew up eating these at your grandma’s kitchen table after dinner, you’re not alone.
This traditional cookie is very sweet and very simple to make. Plus, they’re super soft in the center while retaining their crispness on the outside.
The secret ingredient is nutmeg, which has a rich, clove-like flavor.
Since this recipe already calls for cinnamon, you can swap the nutmeg out for ginger or allspice.
3. Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
Are you a peanut-butter-holic? If you can’t get enough peanut butter, here’s a delicious cookie recipe you should try. These cookies are chewy and simple to make.
The secret ingredient is the Hershey Kiss that’s plopped into the middle of the dough.
If you don’t have Hershey Kisses, you can swap them out for another type of candy. Or, if you want more peanut butter, try adding some miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the center.
4. Salted Brownie Cookies
This recipe features one of the most delicious cookie flavors on this list. Salt and chocolate go great together, so it’s no surprise that salt ranks as this recipe’s secret ingredient.
The salt makes this cookie recipe stand out. However, you can use a little bit of mint if you prefer.
Mint works in sweet and savory dishes, but remember to use it sparingly not to overpower the chocolate flavor.
5. Super Soft Sprinkle Pudding Cookies
If you type “how to make cookies” into Google, this recipe probably won’t come up, which is why we include it in this list.
This recipe is a little hidden gem and will be a big hit at your next party. Instant pudding is the secret ingredient.
This makes the cookies super soft in the middle. In most cases, instant vanilla pudding is used, but feel free to experiment with any flavor of your choosing.
6. Easy Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
This is one of the unique cookie recipes because it features a cake mix.
The secret ingredient is yellow cake mix, as this makes the cookie moist and dense.
You’re not limited to vanilla cake mix, though. Remember, this is peanut butter! Chocolate, strawberry, and Funfetti flavors will all taste great and are complimentary with the creamy peanut butter.
If you want, swap out the peanut butter for cookie butter!
7. Homemade Star Crunch Cookies (No Baking)
Cookies I don’t have to bake? I’m sold! Sometimes, you’re racing against the clock, and so a no-bake cookie is a perfect solution.
This is a copycat recipe of the Little Debbie version, so that the secret ingredient will be the Rice Krispies.
Like a lot of Rice Krispie recipes, you can swap it out for some Cheerios or cornflakes.
The taste will be a little different, but the crunch will be the same.
8. Pumpkin Cookies
As we creep into the Halloween season, these pumpkin cookies will be a frightfully good addition to your costume party.
The secret ingredient in this dish is the canned pumpkin, which gives these cookies their sweet, unique flavor.
This frosting is made with brown sugar, but you can swap it out for white sugar or molasses. Kids and ghouls alike will eagerly approve of these pumpkin cookies.
9. The Best Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe
If you’re looking for good cookie recipes, look no further than this traditional cookie.
Sugar cookies are great, but what makes them stand out is the vanilla extract. Vanilla extract can be swapped out for almond extract.
If so, be mindful of how much almond extract you’re using. Because it’s so flavorful, you want to use it sparingly. If you wish, you can sprinkle in some coconut flakes to create a new flavor profile.
10. Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
These cookies will have you saying ‘tis the season before your oven timer even goes off!
Gingerbread is known for having a little kick to it, and that’s all thanks to the ground cinnamon and molasses, which are the two secret ingredients you’ll find in this recipe.
If you don’t have molasses, you can use some maple syrup instead. The flavor won’t be as rich, but it still gets the job done.
11. Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
There’s nothing quite like a delicious warm chocolate chip cookie.
The secret ingredient in this cookie recipe is the kind of chocolate you use.
While semi-sweet chocolate chips are commonly used, you can swap them out for various chip flavors.
My personal favorites are butterscotch and dark chocolate chips. You can even top them with whipped cream or frosting.
Whatever you use, you’re guaranteed to get a rich and flavorful cookie every time.
12. Best Ever Blueberry Cookies
Are you looking for one of the best cookie recipes? If so, try swapping out traditional chocolate chips for sweet blueberries.
This recipe is like biting into a blueberry muffin, only in cookie form. Blueberries are the secret ingredient.
However, you can swap these out for a different type of fruit if you prefer. Strawberries, mango, and peaches taste great, especially if you sprinkle in some white chocolate chips. Yum!
13. Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
You don’t have to drive to the mall to get the taste of a cinnamon roll.
These cookies are cute, too, as they’re rolled up like a traditional cinnamon roll. The secret ingredient is cinnamon.
If you don’t have cinnamon, you can swap it out for some ginger. The recipe will taste a little different but still good.
14. Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe
Lemon bars are tangy and sweet, aka a perfect combo. The secret ingredient in this unique cookie recipe is lemon juice.
If you want, you can swap it out for some lemon extract or lemon zest instead.
You can also swap it out for lime juice, as it’s the most similar profile to lemon. These cookies are best served chilled with a nice glass of white wine after dinner.
15. Luscious Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Are you on the hunt for the best cookie ideas for you to bake this holiday season?
If so, you’ve got to try these luscious lemon ricotta cookies. The secret ingredient in this cookie recipe is ricotta cheese, which adds a creamy, mild flavor.
You can swap out ricotta cheese for plain greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Cottage cheese also has fewer calories if you’re looking to make this recipe a bit healthier.
16. Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Talk about creativity and differences! This recipe will wow any guest you serve. Plus, they’re easy to make (and tasty to eat)!
Cherries and chocolate pair great together, so it’s no surprise that cherries are the secret ingredient.
If you don’t have cherries, you can swap them out for some fresh apricots or plums.
The flavor profile will be a little different, but each one will be extremely unique. Plus, all these fruits are commonly used as substitutes for one another.
17. Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Who doesn’t love red velvet cake? Throw in a mix of white chocolate chips, and you have a sweet cookie that tastes velvety smooth.
The secret ingredient for this one is the previously mentioned white chocolate chips that create a new take on the chocolate chip cookie and give an added sweetness to the tasty red velvet cookie.
If you’re looking to change things up, try changing out the white chocolate chips for something else like regular chocolate chips or almonds.
18. White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Looking for something new to make this holiday season? These cookies are a great take on the traditional chocolate cookie.
The secret ingredient here is the peppermint bits which give the cookie its peppermint flavor, making them incredible treats for the holidays.
If you need a substitution, you can try swapping out the white chocolate for dark chocolate for a different flavor of chocolate. They’re an easy cookie recipe everyone will enjoy this holiday season.
19. Grandma’s Lace Cookies
These are a thinner cookie that is perfect for serving up over the holidays.
The secret ingredient here will be the quick-cooking oats that give flavor to these cookies and provide the overall texture.
If you need to substitute anything, try swapping out white sugar for brown sugar for a similar sweetness.
Next time you’re going over for a family get-together, try this recipe on for size. It’s guaranteed to be a big hit.
20. Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cookies
This sweet treat brings the flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar together in a way that will satisfy just about any sweet tooth.
If you’re looking for an ingredient to swap out, you can swap butter for margarine for a somewhat healthier take on the recipe.
The secret ingredient here is the cinnamon that complements the flavor of the brown sugar for an added sweetness. Try serving this one as a dessert at your next dinner party.
21. Easy No-Bake Cookies
Ever wanted to make cookies but don’t want to wait around and do the whole baking thing?
This is one of the more fun cookie recipes on the last, and it’s easy to make.
The secret recipe here is peanut butter, which will provide a lot of flavor to these recipes.
If you need a substitute for anything, try swapping our cocoa powder for chocolate chips for a similar chocolate flavor.
22. Soft Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
These lemon flavor treats have a soft texture that makes them stand out from many other recipes on this list.
Be sure when you’re making this to add the secret ingredient, which is the cream cheese.
The cream cheese provides that soft texture that makes this recipe irresistible.
If you’re in a pinch and need to swap anything out, try using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar to ensure your cookie has the sweetness it needs.
23. Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon
The following cookie is perfect for autumn. If you’re a fan of anything pumpkin spice, this is the recipe for you.
We recommend adding some walnuts or pecans if you’re looking for a little extra texture to your cookie.
The secret recipe for this one is cinnamon. This cinnamon is what you expect from pumpkin spice, and it’s what brings this recipe together.
Try this one out for your next fall party. It’s one of our favorite cookie ideas for autumn!
24. Cookies & Cream Cookies
This is an interesting recipe since you are essentially making a cookie that is the flavor of a completely different cookie.
You’re making an Oreo-flavored cookie out of Oreos. If you need to change things in this recipe, you can swap out the butter for margarine.
The secret ingredient in this one is the Oreo cookies and cream-flavored pudding mix that makes up the delicious flavor of this cookie.
25. Baltimore’s Famous Berger Cookies
This recipe is great if you’re looking to replicate one of Baltimore, Maryland’s dessert delicacies.
When you make these, you’ll think you had them shipped from the Old Line State. Your secret ingredient is that ooey-gooey glop of icing on top.
That sweet chocolatey icing is what made the cookie famous, to begin with.
If you need to change things up or you’re in a pinch, try swapping out the vanilla extract for maple syrup to give you that same level of sweetness.
26. Italian Lemon Cookies
An Italian take on a classic! These cookies taste like they’re from the streets of Venice.
The secret ingredient for these has to be the lemon glaze that goes on top.
While you’ll also be making this from scratch, this lemon glaze adds an extra touch of deliciousness to this already delicious recipe.
If you have to substitute anything, try replacing the butter with margarine for something a little healthier.
27. Lemon Crinkle Cookies
These delicious lemon cookies bring a bit of a citrus zing to a sweet cookie.
The secret ingredient for this cookie is lemon zest. While a few components in this recipe make it lemony fresh, the lemon zest takes the lemon flavor and puts it over the top.
If you want to change the recipe, try adding a bit of yellow food coloring to make your cookies look as lemony as they taste.
28. 5-Ingredient Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
Raspberry? Cheesecake? Those things are wrapped into a cookie that is not only easy to make but only requires five ingredients to make!
The secret ingredient for this tasty treat is the cream cheese used to make the cheesecake portion of this unique cookie.
If you need to swap out anything, substitute your white sugar for brown sugar. It will keep things sweet but may add a little bit of a different flavor to your cookie.
29. Chewy Oatmeal Apple Cookies
These oatmeal cookies bring a taste of apple to these chewy treats that you wouldn’t usually find in oatmeal cookies.
These are a great sweet autumn snack without being too complicated to make.
The secret ingredient for this one is the brown sugar that brings an added sweetness.
If you’re looking to change things up, try different apples like Fuji or Empire to add different flavors to the mix.
30. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie
This delicious take on a classic treat is guaranteed to be a big hit at your next party or get-together.
If you want to change things up, swap out those tasty Reese’s Pieces with regular chocolate chips for a classic chocolate chip peanut butter cookie.
The secret ingredient for this one may not be so secret as the peanut butter ties together all of the flavors of this sweet treat.
30 Best Cookie Recipes Ideas
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cups of white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of quick-cooking oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add sugar. Slowly add a beaten egg and mix well. Add in oats, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, and flour.
- Use a teaspoon to add dough onto the baking sheet.
- Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake until golden brown (about 8 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Once cooled, remove cookies from the aluminum foil.
- Serve and enjoy!