18 Timeless Cookie Recipes Everyone Should Master

Cookies are the perfect treat for any occasion, and mastering a few timeless recipes will elevate your baking game. Whether you’re hosting a party, gifting homemade goodies, or simply indulging at home, these classic cookie recipes are must-haves. From chewy chocolate chip to soft sugar cookies, these treats are not only delicious but easy to bake with everyday ingredients.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make classic chocolate chip cookies, you’ll need 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 cup of unsalted butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In one bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. In another bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, then gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

For oatmeal raisin cookies, gather 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 cup of raisins. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking sheet. Cream the butter and sugars together until smooth, then beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, mix the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the wet, then fold in the raisins. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Peanut Butter Cookies

To make delicious peanut butter cookies, you will need 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until the dough forms. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on the sheet. Press each ball down with a fork to create a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden but the centers remain soft. Let cool before serving.

Snickerdoodles

To bake snickerdoodles, gather 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp of cream of tartar, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of sugar for coating. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a baking sheet. Mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Shape the dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffy.

Sugar Cookies

For soft and simple sugar cookies, you will need 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and slowly blend in the dry ingredients. Roll the dough into balls, place them on the sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are golden. Decorate as desired after cooling.

Double Chocolate Cookies

For double chocolate cookies, you will need 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and slowly incorporate the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set.

Shortbread Cookies

To make buttery shortbread cookies, you will need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 cup of unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms. Roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place the cookies on the sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden.

Gingerbread Cookies

For gingerbread cookies, gather 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of molasses, 1 egg, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tbsp of ground ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and spices. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add the molasses and egg. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Roll out the dough and cut into shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool before decorating.

Macarons

To make French macarons, you’ll need 1 cup of powdered sugar, 3/4 cup of almond flour, 2 large egg whites, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and food coloring. Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly add the granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the almond mixture and food coloring. Pipe small rounds of the batter onto the sheet and let sit for 30 minutes. Bake for 15-18 minutes until firm, then cool before filling.

Molasses Cookies

To bake chewy molasses cookies, gather 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ground cloves, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of molasses, and 1 egg. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in one bowl. In another, cream the butter and sugar, then add the molasses and egg. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until combined. Roll the dough into balls, place them on the sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Bars

For lemon bars, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of lemon zest. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish. Mix the flour, powdered sugar, and butter to form a crumbly dough. Press into the dish and bake for 20 minutes. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Pour over the baked crust and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool before slicing into bars.

Thumbprint Cookies

To make thumbprint cookies, you’ll need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1/2 cup of jam (any flavor). Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the egg yolk. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until a dough forms. Roll the dough into small balls, press your thumb into each ball to make a small indentation, and fill with jam. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

Almond Biscotti

For almond biscotti, you will need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp of almond extract, and 1 cup of sliced almonds. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and almond extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir in the almonds. Shape the dough into a log, place it on the sheet, and bake for 25 minutes. Slice the log and bake the slices for another 10-12 minutes until crisp.

Coconut Macaroons

To make coconut macaroons, gather 2 1/2 cups of shredded coconut, 2/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until combined. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the sheet and shape into small mounds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Whoopie Pies

For whoopie pies, you’ll need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 cup of buttermilk, and 1 cup of marshmallow fluff. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Once cooled, sandwich two cookies with marshmallow fluff.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

For Mexican wedding cookies, gather 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of finely chopped pecans, and extra powdered sugar for coating. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour and pecans until a dough forms. Roll the dough into balls and place them on the sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

For chocolate crinkle cookies, you’ll need 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and powdered sugar for rolling. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In another, beat the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in powdered sugar, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Linzer Cookies

For Linzer cookies, you will need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of raspberry jam, and powdered sugar for dusting. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Roll out the dough, cut into rounds, and cut a smaller shape in half of the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, spread jam on the whole cookies, and top with the cut-out cookies.

This article originally appeared on RetailShout.

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