50 Best Cookie Recipes on the Internet (Updated for 2024)

Looking for the best cookie recipes ever? You've come to the right place.

The 50 Best Cookie Recipes on the Internet was my most popular post for years and made the first page of Digg in 24 hours in 2007. It's been updated many times since then and is still the best resource for a variety of cookie recipes plus tips and storage ideas.

Table of Contents

• Old-fashioned cookies for the cookie jar
• Drop cookies
• Bars
• Rolled and shaped cookies
• Holiday favorites
• How to store cookies (baked & unbaked)
• 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment for making cookies
• Marye's Tip o' the day
• 💭 Insider tips: things to know
• 💬 Comments

50 different types of cookies to suit all tastes and celebrations! Who knew that y'all liked cookies so darn much?

In this new, updated version you'll notice that the cookies have been grouped in different categories to make it easy to find what you are looking for.

I've checked all the links and polished it up some ...adding some new links and removing dead ones...but The 50 Best Cookie Recipes on the Internet is classic Restless Chipotle goodness and continues to be the best.

Old-fashioned cookies for the cookie jar

1. Molasses crinkles
2. Ranger cookies
3. Moon pies
4. Peanut butter crinkle cookies
5. Crispy chewy peanut butter cookies
6. Bakery style sugar cookies
7. Old-fashioned snickerdoodles

Drop cookies

8. Buckeye brownie cookies
9. Chewy M & Ms cookies
10. Heath bar cookies 
11. Chai sugar cookies
12. Buckaroons
13. Malted milk cookies
14. Coconut chocolate chip cookies

Bars

15. Old-fashioned hoosier peanut bars
16. Raspberry lemonade bars
17. Espresso brownies with crystalized ginger
18. Peanut butter and fudge brownies with salted peanuts
19. Oh Henry bars
20. M & M brownies with peanut butter swirls
21. Latte cheesecake bars
22. Green tea cheesecake white chocolate brownie
23. White chocolate peppermint pistachio bars
24. Chewy brownies
25. Lemon crumb bars
26. Easy lemon bars
27. Cookie dough brownies

Rolled and shaped cookies

28. Windmills (or biscoffs)
29. Checkerboards
30. Cinnamon roll cookies
31. Earl Grey tea shortbread
32. Lavender shortbread
33. Pecan Pie Cookies
34. Brown eyed susans
35. Red velvet cutouts
36. Black and whites
37. Orange kiss me cookies 
38. Easy biscotti

Holiday favorites

39. Hershey's peanut butter blossoms
40. Peanut butter fudge cookies
41. Condensed milk cookies
42. Bourbon pumpkin pie biscotti
43. Hot chocolate cookie cups
44. Cake mix snickerdoodle cookies
45. Vanilla Christmas brownies
46. Christmas Hawaiian shortbread
47. Cranberry cookies
48. Cranberry white chocolate oatmeal
49. Spritz cookies
50. Santa's whiskers cookies

And there you have it. The 50 best cookie recipes on the Internet. Of course the list could be 100 or 300 or even 1000 long but ya gotta stop somewhere!

How to store cookies (baked & unbaked)

Cookies are easy to store!

Room temperature (up to 7 days, usually)

Place cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers. Keep at room temperature up to a week, unless the recipe states otherwise.

To freeze (up to 6 months, usually)

You can generally freeze the baked cookies or unbaked dough. Prepare the baked cookes as above and place in the freezer.

You can freeze the dough before or after shaping.

To freeze it before shaping just make it into a disc, flatten slightly and seal in a ziploc bag. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

To freeze after shaping, shape the dough as instructed, or in the case of drop cookies, drop the dough on a cookie sheet.

Flash freeze until frozen through.

Once frozen just put the shaped dough in a zip-top bag and freeze. To bake put the frozen, shaped dough on a cookie sheet and bake as instructed. You may need to bake an extra minute or two.

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment for making cookies

Not all of these items are 100% necessary but they sure do make the process easier!

Mixing Bowls

• Why: Essential for combining ingredients. You'll need different sizes for different steps in the recipe.
• Tip: Use a large bowl for mixing the dough and smaller bowls for preparing individual ingredients.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

• Why: Accurate measurements are crucial in baking to achieve the desired texture and flavor.
• Tip: Use dry measuring cups for flour and sugar, and liquid measuring cups for liquids like milk or water.

Electric Mixer

• Why: Makes it easier to cream butter and sugar, mix dough, and incorporate ingredients evenly.
• Tip: A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is ideal, but a hand mixer works well too.

Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula

• Why: Great for hand-mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are combined.
• Tip: Use a rubber spatula to scrape every bit of dough from the bowl.

Baking Sheets

• Why: Essential for placing cookie dough to bake.
• Tip: Choose heavy-duty, light-colored baking sheets to prevent cookies from burning.

Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats

• Why: Prevents cookies from sticking to the baking sheets and promotes even baking.
• Tip: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup.

Cookie Scoop

• Why: Ensures that cookies are uniform in size, which helps them bake evenly.
• Tip: Use a medium cookie scoop for standard-sized cookies.

Cooling Rack

• Why: Allows cookies to cool properly and prevents them from becoming soggy.
• Tip: Transfer cookies to a cooling rack a few minutes after they come out of the oven.

Rolling Pin

• Why: Necessary for rolling out dough for certain types of cookies like sugar cookies.
• Tip: Lightly flour the rolling pin to prevent sticking.

Spatula

• Why: Used for lifting cookies off the baking sheet and onto the cooling rack without breaking them.
• Tip: A thin, metal spatula works best for this task.

Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer

• Why: Helps to aerate flour and other dry ingredients, ensuring a smoother dough.
• Tip: Sift together dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, and salt before adding to the wet mixture.

Timer

• Why: Ensures cookies are baked for the correct amount of time.
• Tip: Always set a timer and start checking cookies a few minutes before the suggested bake time to prevent overbaking.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

By following these tips, you'll be on your way to baking perfect cookies every time! Yum!

Use Room Temperature Ingredients

• Why: Room temperature butter, eggs, and other ingredients blend more evenly, ensuring a smooth dough and consistent texture.
• Tip: Take your ingredients out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start baking.

Measure Ingredients Accurately

• Why: Baking is a science, and precise measurements are key to achieving the right texture and flavor.
• Tip: Use measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid measuring cups for wet ingredients. Level off dry ingredients with a flat edge for accuracy.

Chill the Dough

• Why: Chilling the dough helps prevent cookies from spreading too much and allows the flavors to develop.
• Tip: Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to an hour before baking.

Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats

• Why: These prevent cookies from sticking to the baking sheet and promote even baking.
• Tip: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for easy cleanup and perfect cookies.

Don't Overmix the Dough

• Why: Overmixing can lead to tough cookies because it develops the gluten in the flour.
• Tip: Mix the dough until just combined, especially after adding the dry ingredients.

Use a Cookie Scoop

• Why: A cookie scoop ensures that all cookies are the same size, which helps them bake evenly.
• Tip: Scoop dough with a cookie scoop and level it off to create uniform cookies.

Preheat Your Oven

• Why: Starting with a properly preheated oven ensures that cookies bake at the correct temperature, resulting in the right texture.
• Tip: Preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before baking to ensure it reaches the desired temperature.

Space Cookies Evenly

• Why: Proper spacing allows cookies to bake evenly and prevents them from merging into each other.
• Tip: Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake One Sheet at a Time

• Why: Baking one sheet at a time in the center of the oven ensures even heat distribution.
• Tip: If you need to bake multiple sheets, rotate them halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

Check for Doneness Early

• Why: Cookies can go from perfect to overbaked in a matter of minutes.
• Tip: Start checking your cookies a few minutes before the minimum baking time. Look for lightly golden edges and set centers.

Do you have any tips for perfect cookies? Leave a comment and let us know!

First published May 2007. Last updated July 7, 2024 to correct broken links and reorganize content as well as adding tips and storage information.