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27 Fun Cookie Recipes That Are Just as Enjoyable to Make as They Are to Eat

For whenever a craving strikes

fun cookie recipes: strawberry half-moon cookies, oatmeal cream sandwich cookies, tri-color sugar cookies
Katherine Gillen/Erin McDowell

When the urge to bake hits, my first instinct isn’t to make a massive sheet cake or complicated crème brûlée. In my kitchen, this rare occasion calls for cookies. They serve a crowd, they’re often easy enough for beginners to tackle on the first try and, most importantly, they satisfy my craving for something sweet. The next time you want to whip up a batch, might I suggest one of these 27 fun cookie recipes instead of your go-to chocolate chipper?

They range from glazed and frosted confections (like cookies-and-cream shortbread) to marshmallow-topped masterpieces (like s’mores cookies) to treats with a surprise inside (like cheesecake-stuffed chocolate crinkle cookies). No matter what you fancy, these ideas are foolproof yet cute enough to serve to company—and a joy to prepare.

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1. Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
  • Serves: 24

The marbled design is a breeze, even for newbies. “More mixing will have a softer, more marbled effect; less mixing will yield bright streaks of color,” former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains. Start with store-bought sugar cookie dough to save time—I won’t tell.

2. S’mores Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 12

“This isn’t your typical flour-and-sugar cookie,” Gillen asserts. “Instead, it relies on graham cracker crumbs as the main dry ingredient. The result is somewhere between a regular graham cracker and one of those chewy oatmeal sandwich cookies you used to eat in grade school.” Sign me up.

3. Strawberry Half-Moon Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 12

“They’re a fruity take on a classic chocolate and vanilla treat (also known as a black and white or half-and-half cookie), and they get their dreamy blush color from powdered freeze-dried [strawberries] instead of dye,” Gillen reveals. That means you can swap in blueberries or raspberries if you’d prefer.

4. Cinnamon-Roll Cookies with Cream Cheese Glaze

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 36

These breakfast-inspired cookies have a secret that makes them extra fragrant and gourmet-tasting: vanilla paste. As for their swirly design, don’t stress. “Making the signature spiral in these cookies looks intimidating, but the dough is very forgiving. Use a piece of parchment paper to help roll everything into a tidy package, and you’ll be good to go,” Gillen assures.

5. Chewy Tri-Color Sugar Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 24

Loosely inspired by Italian rainbow cookies, these crackly gems are as delicious as they are easy on the eyes. “They’re flavored with matcha, freeze-dried raspberries and almond extract…but you could customize your batch with any combination of ingredients, like cocoa powder, sesame paste or another freeze-dried fruit,” Gillen says.

6. Tiny Coconut Cookies with Hibiscus Glaze

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 36

ICYMI, hibiscus is a flowering plant that’s famous for its vibrant color and tart flavor. “The glaze contains no food dye—the hot pink hue comes naturally from the hibiscus concentrate that flavors it,” Gillen states. Spring for dried petals online or simply brew a batch of strong, loose-leaf hibiscus tea.

7. Pumpkin Black and White Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 12

Is it a cake? Is it a cookie? That’s not for me to decide, but either way, it’s certainly delicious. “Make sure you’re using plain canned pumpkin purée and not pie filling,” Gillen reminds us. “The latter contains added sugar and spices, and you’ll be adding your own. I opted for a blend of traditional pumpkin pie spices, but you can totally shortcut by replacing them with 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.”

8. Berries and Cream Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 24

As you can tell from its appearance, this fun cookie recipe tastes truly special. “Instead of food coloring, the cookies get their half-and-half hue (and flavor) from freeze-dried berries, which you can find online and in stores like Trader Joe’s or Target,” Gillen says. “I used a mix of strawberry and raspberry, but you can use any kind you like.”

9. Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 24

These chocolatey handhelds have a tangy surprise inside. “It’s the contrast this ultra-rich cookie needs to keep it from tasting too sweet,” PureWow VP of editorial Candace Davison says. “Freezing the dough balls before baking prevents them from spreading too much, though I recommend holding off on rolling them in confectioners’ sugar until just before baking to prevent the sugar from melting and forming more of a glazed crust than a powdered finish.”

10. Glazed Doughnut Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 24

How cute are these Homer Simpson doughnut lookalikes? IMO, they’re basically edible emojis. Swap in whatever color food dye you’d like if you aren’t feeling pink glaze—the cinnamon-sugary cookie base will be devourable no matter what.

11. Cookies-and-Cream Shortbread Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
  • Serves: 24

Do you always wish Oreos had more cream? This snappy, chocolatey twist on the classic delivers the ratio you crave. “You make the dough in the food processor in moments, and the baked shortbread cookies are finished with a really creamy glaze that drives the whole cookies-and-cream flavor home,” recipe developer Erin McDowell raves.

12. Easy Geode Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 18

A shimmery, crunchy trinity of confections give this fun cookie recipe its signature look: gold sanding sugar, white rock candy and colored rock candy. I won’t tell if you start with store-bought sugar cookie dough, promise.

13. Heart Thumbprint Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 24

These have big Valentine’s Day cookie energy, if you ask me. “It’s best to use a seedless jam or jelly, so the cookies are easy to fill and the hearts don’t look gloppy,” McDowell recommends. “I also find that stirring the jelly before filling the cookies helps loosen the texture.”

14. Vanilla-Chocolate Swirl Icebox Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes (includes chilling time)
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 36

“The beauty of an icebox cookie is that you can make the dough ahead of time and bake whenever,” McDowell says. “Even though there are two doughs to make, the hardest part of the process is waiting for [them to chill]. For the most striking cookies, seek out dark cocoa powder, which is intensely chocolaty and almost black in color.”

15. Botanical Shortbread Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 18

Fun cookie recipe or work of art? I say both are valid titles. The garden is your oyster when it comes to garnishing the simple shortbread; think violets, pansies, lavender and roses, for starters. “Use egg wash to glue the flowers to the slice-and-bake cookies and they’ll flatten in the oven,” McDowell advises.

16. Lemon Meringue Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 20

Lemon meringue pie, meet sugar cookie. Every crumb of these treats is tart, sweet and gorgeous. “They have a ton of lemon flavor,” McDowell claims. “You rub the lemon zest into the sugar before you start, which releases more of the natural oils and makes the cookies taste even more citrusy.”

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 12

The nostalgia is seriously strong with this lunchbox-destined creation. “For the ultimate chewy texture, be careful not to overbake the cookies—when the edges are just golden, they’re ready,” McDowell reminds us. “The silky vanilla cream can be piped with a piping bag (if you’re fancy), but an offset spatula does the job just fine.”

18. Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies with Marshmallow Topping

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 15

Sweet potato casserole—in dessert form. “When the structure is set but the cookie’s not quite done, you put the marshmallow on top and it melts over the whole thing in the oven,” McDowell writes. “Because it’s a jumbo marshmallow, it stays chewy, so you get this nice pull effect when you break one in half.”

19. Rocky Road Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 24

Crunchy, chewy and chocolatey, this fun cookie recipe is an easy win. “If you can plan ahead, it’s ideal to lay the marshmallows on a baking sheet to dry out for 24 hours before you bake the cookies,” McDowell suggests. “Dry marshmallows keep their shape better during baking.” The more you know.

20. Matcha-Cranberry Linzer Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours (includes chilling time)
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 24

Not sure what to bring to the holiday cookie swap? These green-and-red masterpieces are just the ticket. “Matcha powder gives the cookies a gorgeous green hue and adds a delicious, toasty edge that’s perfectly complemented by the cranberry jam filling,” McDowell writes. “Use a small, star-shaped cutter to punch out the middle of each cookie and up the festive ante.”

21. Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 24

Good news: It *is* possible to satisfy a cheesecake craving without fussing with a water bath. You’ll have two dozen of these treats ready to devour in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Love Is Blind, trust.

22. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 12

My inner child sings just at the sight of these goodies. The filling is nothing but store-bought jam, so the options are endless. (However, I’m partial to sweet strawberry, tart raspberry or seeded blueberry.) The rest is peanut butter and pantry staples you already have on hand.

23. Brown Sugar Cookies with Dulce de Leche

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling)
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 24

Rise up, caramel hive. This just might become your favorite cookie of all time at first bite. “Instead of the extra step of making icing, you use dulce de leche,” McDowell says. “You can make your own, but even I use store-bought, which is so smooth and easy to spread into a thin layer.”

24. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 24

For when you’re craving pie (or cheesecake) but only have the energy for a fraction of the work. “The soft pumpkin cookie on the outside and creamy filling on the inside is completely irresistible,” McDowell claims. “Take a bite, and the cookie will practically melt in your mouth.”

25. Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 24

Classic chocolate chip may feel boring after the millionth time. Fill them with a layer of molten caramel though, and suddenly you have a fun cookie recipe on your hands. “Eat them on their own, dunk them into an ice-cold glass of milk or use them to make ice cream sandwiches,” McDowell urges.

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: one 9-inch pie

Your kids won’t want birthday cake for their next party once they catch wind of this triple-threat’s existence. It’s split into three tasty varieties: chocolate chip, chocolate s’mores and snickerdoodle. Way more impressive than a traditional batch of cookies, no?

27. Little Jam Flower Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
  • Serves: 30 to 40

These are modeled off a type of cookie that’s popular in Sardinia. “They’re lovely to look at, quick to make and popular with everyone,” cookbook author and recipe creator Letitia Clark writes. “They’re also the perfect thing to make with children; filling them with Nutella rather than jam seems to be the most popular option, unsurprisingly.”



taryn pire

Food Editor

  • Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
  • Manages PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College