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These deliciously easy cookie recipes will satisfy your sweet tooth without hours in the kitchen! Some you don’t even have to bake.
In the mood for cookies? Aren’t we all! Here at A Couple Cooks, we’re all about keeping things pretty simple in the kitchen. (We even wrote a book about it.) Cookie recipes that make you get crafty with fancy icing, lots of steps, or doing things the night before: all out of the question for us! We’re here for the pure and simple recipes, the ones you can put together without too much effort or know how.
Here we’ve put together a list of all our favorite easy cookie recipes! Some of them don’t even require baking, like our now “famous” bliss bites. Every single one of them is easy to make and tastes incredible. And we cover lots of diets, from vegan to gluten-free. Ready to bake? Let’s get started.
Our top easy cookie recipes!
Here's the ultimate easy cookie recipe…3 ingredient peanut butter cookies! Sometimes baking takes lots of ingredients, time, and mess…but not here! This genius combination of three ingredients makes for the most peanut butter-y, chewy, sweet and salty flourless cookies you’ll have. Really. It seems unbelievable, but it makes this recipe perfect for whipping up on moments notice.
This No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies recipe is a step above the rest! These are rich and chocolaty, full of dark chocolate peanut butter flavor and sweetened just enough with sugar and maple syrup. They’re beautifully glossy in texture, and the flavor? Let us tell you: when we served them at a party, they went fast.
Hello and welcome to our new favorite cookie recipe…iced Applesauce Cookies! These are so moist and irresistible, you’ll forget about everything else and you savory each chewy bite. The applesauce makes them ultra moist, and they’ve got a little oatmeal to balance the sweet. They’re like a lighter version of an oatmeal cream pie: which is AOK in our book.
Next up in our easy cookies...the BEST oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! This isn't a normal cookie. These are full of texture and flavor. They’re gooey and chewy, loaded with dark chocolate and topped with sea salt. They’re just sweet enough, and filled with just the right amount of oats. The best part? They’re flavored with a hint of molasses, which makes them utterly irresistible.
Imagine: a cookie that’s made of all good-for-you ingredients, but still tastes like a treat. Yes, it’s possible with these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies! The dough for these cookies has no butter, no refined sugar, and no flour. But they taste deliciously satisfying for kids and adults. The magic? Medjool dates bring sweetness, nut butter adds richness, and toasted coconut and mini chocolate chips add nuance and flavor.
This easy cookie recipe makes in deliciously chewy, salty sweet cookies that everyone will love! They're made using almond flour, a flour made of finely ground almonds. Not only does this make them an irresistible texture, they're also gluten free! A mix of coconut oil and almond butter holds the cookie together, for a hearty and nutrient-dense dessert that tastes decadent! They’re a bit on the smaller side, which is perfect since small-ish sweet treats keep the serving size moderate.
What’s your ultimate easy cookie? These vegan peanut butter cookies are where it’s at for us! They’re soft but perfectly crumbly, and salty sweet. Decorated with the classic criss-cross pattern, they’ve got a sparkle of sugar. And a chocolate icing drizzle makes them look even more fun.
These easy pumpkin oatmeal cookies taste basically like oatmeal cream pies! They’re made with nutrient dense rolled oats and the traditional pumpkin spices: cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The icing on the cake: they're topped 1-minute powdered sugar icing for a lacy look. See if you can resist and eat just one!
These tahini no bake cookies are an even easier version of our bliss bites and oh so delicious! They feature tahini, a sesame seed paste that gives a rich, nutty flavor. Combine that with dark cocoa powder, maple syrup, and sea salt, they’re a salty sweet combination that you’ll go crazy over. We’ve served them at parties and they disappear in a flash!
Pro tip: both no bake cookies recipes require the cookies to stay cool, so they’re best right out of the refrigerator. You can also freeze them for instant dessert bites throughout the week.
Here's a truly easy cookie recipe: our “famous” skillet cookie! This one has been made and loved by many. This one also uses almond flour, which makes the cookie turn out chewy, caramely, and dense like a blondie. (It also makes it gluten-free.) The recipe couldn't be simpler: mix all ingredients in a bowl, dump it in a skillet, and bake until golden brown. You can’t get much easier than that! If you can't wait to dig in, eat it right out of the skillet: or, let it cool and cut it into strips or squares that will save for days!
Last but not least in our easy cookie recipes: Russian tea cakes! And they're spiced with cozy chai spices! The cardamom is the star of the show here; it’s what gives chai spice its familiar zing. These cookies are naturally gluten-free, but you wouldn't know it: they have the perfect crumbly, melt in your mouth texture!
A few tips for baking great cookies
Here are a few tips we’ve learned over the years that you can add to your baking arsenal:
- Use a cookie scoop! If a recipe calls for it, a cookie scoop is very helpful for evenly portioning cookie dough, which results in uniform cookies. Here’s the cookie scoop we use: Size 40 cookie scoop.
- Rotate the pans during baking. Most recipes state to rotate pans, but if not, it’s still a good practice! Rotating the pans (direction and oven racks) helps for an even bake.
- Know your oven and watch. Every oven is different, and bake times in recipes are approximate. Make sure to keep an eye on your cookies and pull them out when they’re just set!
Easy Cookie Recipes: Peanut Butter Cookies & More!
These genius 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are magic! Just a handful of ingredients make one dreamy easy cookie recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 13 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter*
- 1 cup light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- Optional: flaky sea salt for topping, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (add with the sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg, then whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar until a smooth dough forms. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Make 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls (using a size 40 cookie scoop, if you have it) and place them onto the 2 baking sheets, 5 cookies per sheet and evenly spaced about 2-inches apart. Roll the balls between your hands to make them as spherical as possible: if the dough is very sticky, lightly oil your hands to make it easier to roll*.
- Use a lightly oiled fork to flatten the balls and make a criss-cross pattern (it’s helpful to dip the fork into a small bowl of water before each one to prevent sticking).
- Top the cookies with a small sprinkle of flaky salt if desired (oops, 4th ingredient!).
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom but still soft. Cool completely before eating. Store at room temperature in a cookie tin for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*The consistency of the dough will vary based on the peanut butter brand. A thinner, creamier peanut butter will yield a stickier dough.
More tasty cookies from around the web
Here are a few more easy cookie recipes from sources we love:
