The Most Popular Types of Cookies

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 drop cookie recipe. This is the best place to start! —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Learn how to customize chocolate chip cookies to suit your tastes—whether you like chewy, crispy or soft.

Shortbread Cookies

This three-ingredient traditional Scottish shortbread recipe makes beautifully buttery, crumbly biscuits to elevate tea time.

Get our favorite shortbread recipes.

These are our favorite cutout cookies to make all year.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Here’s proof that peanut butter and chocolate just belong together. These peanut butter drop cookies are an easy family favorite and never fail to make my children smile. —Tammie Merrill, Wake Forest, North Carolina

Get Our Recipe for Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Crinkle Cookies

When I baked this moist, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe for the first time, my three preschool children went wild over them! But I like them because they’re lower in fat and easy to mix and bake. —Maria Groff, Ephrata, Pennsylvania

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into this drop cookie recipe. These soft oatmeal cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington

Cookie Bars

My chocolate chip cookie bars are often requested at church dinners. They’re tasty and easy to serve. —Barbara Witte, Irving, Texas

Gingersnap Cookies

I discovered this recipe many years ago, and it's been a favorite among our family and friends ever since. Gingersnaps are timeless—a classic holiday cookie that's welcome year-round. —Francis Stoops, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania

Peanut Butter Cookies

Yes, you really can make amazing peanut butter cookies with just three ingredients; just follow this three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe to find out how.

Whoopie Pies

I’ve saved this jam-filled sandwich cookie recipe for years after cutting it out of a newspaper. It’s one of my grandson’s personal favorites. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania

Sugar Cookies

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

Check out more of our favorite sugar cookie recipes.

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

Snickerdoodle Cookies

This snickerdoodle recipe bakes up a batch of soft, tender cinnamon-sugar cookies. Don't forget the cream of tartar!

Crispy, chewy and insanely delicious chocolate cookie recipes.

Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Tinting flaky white coconut reminds me of snowflakes falling under holiday lights. The reds and greens of this icebox cookie add Christmas wonder. — Lee Roberts, Racine, Wisconsin

See more of our favorite slice-and-bake cookies.

Sandwich Cookies

These sandwich 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

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 pressed cookies into a variety of festive shapes. This is hands down the best spritz cookie recipe ever. —Beverly Launius, Sandwich, Illinois

These are our favorite spritz cookie recipes.

Biscotti

Take a break and have some coffee or tea with one of these tasty biscotti. It's sweet but not overly so, and it's a crunchy, satisfying snack that's fantastic for when you want to relax and have something simple to eat.

Try more scrumptious biscotti recipes.

Butter Cookies

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

Find even more melt-in-your-mouth butter cookie recipes!

Snowball Cookies

A juicy maraschino cherry is the secret center tucked inside these filled 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

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

Drop Cookies

The night before I make these drop cookies, I measure out the pretzels, peanuts, raisins and chocolate. Assembly goes quickly the next day. —Kelly Ward-Hartman, Cape Coral, Florida

Get Our Recipe for Chunky Drop Cookies

Pinwheel Cookies

This icebox cookie 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

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

Linzer Cookies

Classic Linzer cookies will always stand out on a holiday cookie plate because of their stained glass appearance and delicate dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Gluten-Free Cookies

I can’t consume gluten, so I’ve transformed my favorite recipes to fit my diet. I came up with these cakelike cookies, and no one ever guesses they’re gluten free. —Becki DiMercurio, Martinez, California

GF eaters, rejoice! We have plenty more gluten-free cookie recipes to whip up.

Wafer Cookies

This easy recipe for vanilla wafers creates buttery cookies that are equally chewy and crispy. Our seven-ingredient recipe yields more than three dozen cookies in only 35 minutes.

Macaroons

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 where his batch is! I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

Macarons

These macarons are a fall and winter 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. Other fillings would work well with this—including custard, mousse, ganache or other buttercream. —Elizabeth Ding, El Cerrito, California

Learn how to make macarons these step by step.

Thumbprint Cookies

These buttery filled cookies 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

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

As a competitive figure skater, I need high-energy snacks to keep me going. These vegan cookies are loaded with nuts, chips and fabulous flavor. Coaches at my skating rink are always sneaking two or three when I bring them in! —Cassandra Brzycki, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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

We’ve got even more icebox cookie recipes you’ve got to try!

Waffle Cookies

Waffles cookies are not just for breakfast! These mini "waffles" are adorable on a dessert spread and perfect to dress up for any occasion.

Tea Cakes

Tender, nutty Russian tea cakes, also known as snowballs, are a classic holiday cookie.

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

No-Bake Cookies

These chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies bring back fond memories of my mom. They were her favorite, and she always made a batch when she knew company was coming. —Jacquie McTaggart, Independence, Iowa

Get Our Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread cutout cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I’m happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland

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

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

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

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

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

Fortune Cookies

With our fortune cookie recipe, it's easy to make these takeout treats at home. Customize the fortunes hidden inside to make them even more fun!