Our 25 Best Cookie Recipes of All Time

Updated October 21, 2020

When you need a healthy dessert, cookies are always a great option. Not only are they delicious and fun to make, but cookies stay fresh for days after you bake them when stored properly. We’ve pulled together our best cookie recipes of all time featuring classic add-ins like peanut butter, chocolate chips and oatmeal. Whether you make Flourless Chocolate Cookies, Caramel Apple Cookies or Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, they’re sure to be a real treat.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Kids and adults alike will love this easy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, which--unlike most cookie recipes--doesn't call for flour. These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They're also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap.

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Flourless Chocolate Cookies

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These flourless cookies get their volume from whipped egg whites (like a meringue) instead of grains, making them gluten-free and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A chocolate chip in each bite adds to the rich chocolate flavor.

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This makeover recipe was one of the favorites chosen for our 30th anniversary issue. Tahini gives this cookie a subtle sesame flavor.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

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Indulge your PSL obsession with these pumpkin spice cookies. Instant espresso powder gives these soft, cakey cookies a subtle yet recognizable coffee flavor. Spread with cream cheese frosting (with more pumpkin pie spice flavors) and sprinkle with cinnamon to finish. And, go ahead, drink a pumpkin spice latte while you eat them for the full PSL experience. After all, it's only fall for so long (though we'd eat these cookies year-round). To make these cookies kid-friendly, simply omit the espresso powder.

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No-Sugar-Added Oatmeal Cookies

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Classic oatmeal cookies without all the sugar, these better-for-you gluten-free treats get their sweetness from ripe bananas and chopped dates.

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Dark Chocolate Chip-Zucchini Cookies

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If you like zucchini bread, you'll love these moist zucchini cookies with melted chunks of dark chocolate. We love the pieces of chocolate you get by chopping your own, but chocolate chips will work well too.

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Caramel Apple Cookies

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Kids and adults alike will love these fall caramel apple cookies. They are crisp on the bottom and chewy in the center with bits of apple and just a hint of spice. The caramel glaze takes them over the top!

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

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Creamy natural peanut butter and chocolate team up in these easy cookies--no baking required! Whip up a batch for after-school snacks, dessert or anytime your sweet tooth comes calling.

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Cranberry-Orange-Nut Cookies

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Crisp, moist and chewy, this cookie created by Georgene Egri of Walnut Creek, California, has the essential ingredients for the holidays: citrus, nuts and cranberries. These cookies travel well for gift-giving and lunchboxes.

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Vegan No-Bake Cookies

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Almond butter and coconut oil melt together to bind these stovetop cookies without using any eggs. To take the flavor to the next level, try subbing in your favorite nut butter.

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Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

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This recipe takes oatmeal cookies up a notch with its cinnamony, buttery, delicious take on a much-loved classic dessert.

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One-Bowl Monster Cookies

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If you thought it wasn't possible to make healthier monster cookies, think again. These peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip and M&M cookies have less butter and sugar than traditional recipes, but they have just as much flavor and tenderness, thanks to more peanut butter. Even better, they're made in one bowl for easy cleanup.

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Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Soft and satisfying, this chocolate chip cookie recipe incorporates toasted whole-grain oats and low-fat yogurt.

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Spritz Cookies

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It's time to break out your spritz cookie press for these festive Christmas spritz cookies! These easy Christmas cookies can be decorated with sprinkles or flavored with citrus, spices or sweet sugar glaze. And if you're looking for healthy cookies, these fit the bill thanks to whole-wheat pastry flour that keeps their texture soft while giving them a boost of fiber. For ideas on how to dress up these spritz cookies even more with different flavorings or a glaze, see Tips below.

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No-Sugar-Added Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

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Soft, chewy and no added sugar! Sweeten these classic oatmeal cookies with ripe bananas and raisins or dates. Plus, a touch of nut butter adds lots of flavor and holds the cookies together while keeping them vegan and gluten-free.

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4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie

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This irresistible diabetic-friendly peanut butter cookie recipe contains no flour. For Christmas or special occasions, imprint them with cookie cutters to fit the season instead of the star-shaped cutter.

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Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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EatingWell reader Beverley Sharpe of Santa Barbara, California, contributed this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. She gave chocolate chip cookies a healthy update by cutting back on sugar and incorporating whole grains. To increase protein, Sharpe replaces the rolled oats with 1 cup almond meal.

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Italian Hazelnut Cookies

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These crispy cookies are made with Piedmontese staples--hazelnuts and eggs--and called Brutti Ma Buoni: literally, “Ugly But Good.” But they are really more plain-looking than “ugly,” and pack a powerful, sweet, nutty burst of flavor, making them welcome at any table.

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Soft Sugar Cookies

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These easy and classic cookies incorporate mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour for extra fiber and nutrients.

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Healthy Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Here's your new cookie jar staple. This recipe for classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies gets a healthy boost with whole-wheat flour and uses less sugar and butter than traditional recipes. Don't hesitate to make a double batch--they're so satisfying they'll be gone fast.

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Brownie Cookies

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Cocoa powder and brown sugar make this easy drop cookie recipe taste like rich brownies.

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Button Shortbread Cookies

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This healthy shortbread cookie recipe uses white whole-wheat flour instead of white flour. The light-colored flour is mild in flavor, adding nutrients without overpowering the classic shortbread taste. These cookies are easy to make, so they're perfect for a holiday cookie swap or afternoon tea. These cookies are also wonderful to bake with small kids because they'll love poking the buttonholes in the shortbread dough.

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Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies with Dates

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Cookie recipes usually require you to combine the liquid ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another, but for this gluten-free cookie recipe the dry ingredients are sprinkled right on top of the liquids so there's just one bowl to clean. Don't skip the step of refrigerating the dough. The oat flour needs time to hydrate or the cookies will be too dry and crumbly. Regular rolled oats work if you're not gluten-sensitive.

 

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Crisp Spice Cookies

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This crisp, paper-thin cookie recipe of northern European descent makes a wonderful low calorie dessert. Just 50 calories for two cookies.

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Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

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These airy coconut cookies get an upgrade with a simple dark chocolate drizzle in this healthy dessert recipe.

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