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  5. 40 Party Cookie Recipes For Every Occasion

40 Party Cookie Recipes For Every Occasion

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated April 04, 2022
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Pralines
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

There are lots of fan-favorite cookie recipes out there—some are chocolaty; others are nutty. Although everyone might have a different opinion on what makes a truly decadent cookie, it often includes rich nodes, unique textures, and unexpected flavor combinations. We gathered our highly-prized cookie recipes that will fit any and every occasion. Holiday cookie swap? Bring Cheesecake Cookies. School bake sale? Whip up a batch of Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. Trying to impress your in-laws? Bake some Homemade Pralines (and maybe serve a bottle of their favorite wine). With this paramount list of our best party cookies, there's a recipe for everyone to love.

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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

Short on flour and short on time? These decadent chocolate flourless cookies will be your next dessert fix.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crushed pecans add a crunchy texture to these extra rich chocolate chip cookies.

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Homemade Pralines

Pralines
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Homemade Pralines

Every Southerner needs a trusty praline recipe and ours is simply award worthy.

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Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies

Cream Cheese Christmas Cookie
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies

Outlined in red and green sprinkles and filled with crushed pecans, these Southern cookies are as festive as they come.

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Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

If you're in a time crunch, this 4-ingredient cookie recipe is here to save the day.

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Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies

Heavenly cheesecake was our inspiration for these buttery and creamy bite-sized treats.

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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

A staple in Granny's kitchen, these Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies belong on your cookie short list.

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Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

Red-Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

Made with two types of chocolate, these chocolate chip cookies are anything but ordinary.

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Cookie-crazed or brownie-lover? Why not get the best of both worlds with these hybrid crinkle cookies.

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Coconut Cookies

Coconut Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Coconut Cookies

With ribbons of shredded coconut and flakes of sea salt, these crispy cookies fulfill our sweet tooth.

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Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Filled with lemon and raspberry jam, these cookies are a light and refreshing treat against the crowded dessert spread.

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Brown Sugar Cookie Stars

Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Brown Sugar Cookie Stars

We're not saying we reinvented the sugar cookie, but we did make it richer with the addition of brown sugar and a nectarous frosting.

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Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Going to a cookie swap this holiday season? Bake these festive and cheerful Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies.

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Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies

Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies

We elevated the traditional butter cookie by adding in bits of dried cranberries and orange zest.

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Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies

Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies

This recipe calls for double the chocolate in the batter, making it our most indulgent cookie yet.

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No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Credit: Zoe Denenberg; Prop Stylist: Rachel Mulcahy

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies

One bite of these crumbly, chocolate cookies and you'll be hooked. We'd even go as far as to say that the old-fashioned oats make them verifiably healthy.

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Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies

Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies
Credit: Katie Strasberg Rousso

Recipe: Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies

No baking expertise necessary to whip up these cake-like chocolate cookies.

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Pecan Tassies

Pecan Tassies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pecan Tassies

Savory to the last bite. These pecan tassies are filled with buttery, nutty, and tangy flavors.

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Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
Credit: Linda Pugliese

Recipe: Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

The simple act of toasting the pecans and oats before adding them to the batter, transforms this cookie into an all-star treat.

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Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

No one can resist the buttery flavor that shortbread cookies provide and to top it off, these treats are packed with delicious toasted pecans.

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Apple Pie Cookies

Apple Pie Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Apple Pie Cookies

With a sweet cinnamon sugar icing these apple pie cookies have shed new light on the classic apple pie.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Made with two types of chocolate, these chocolate chip cookies are anything but ordinary.

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Cranberry-Almond Cookies

Cranberry-Almond Cookies
Credit: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Mary Lyn Hill

Recipe: Cranberry-Almond Cookies

Cranberry-adorned, these sensational cookies make a vibrant splash on the dessert table.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies

Create a batch of these pecan-studded cookies for your next winter gathering.

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Kitchen Sink Cookies

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Kitchen Sink Cookies

Everything we love from chocolate chips to potato chips piled into one jam-packed treat.

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Spritz Cookies

Spritz Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Spritz Cookies

In order to bake these festive holiday treats, you must be a rule-breaker baker. Ditch the parchment paper and place dough on an ungreased baking pan (an important note for the Spritz Cookies to take their shape).

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Cathedral Window Cookies

Cathedral Window Cookies
Credit: Zoe Denenberg, Styling: Rachel Mulcahy

Recipe: Cathedral Window Cookies

These bright, no-bake cookies are adored by all and famously make their appearance at church potlucks.

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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Credit: Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Rachel Mulcahy

Recipe: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

An irresistible mixture of peanut butter and chocolate makes its pairing debut as indulgent Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pecan Sandies

Not your average shortbread cookie, these firm yet crumbly Pecan Sandies are loaded with pecans.

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Peppermint Divinity

Peppermint Divinity
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Peppermint Divinity

I'm dreaming of a Peppermint Divinity Christmas. Make these peppermint-adorned snowball look-alikes this holiday season.

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Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Snowflake Sugar Cookies
Credit: Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Rachel Mulcahy

Recipe: Snowflake Sugar Cookies

These classic sugar cookies are intricate by design, but easy enough to make for first-time cookie decorators.

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Buttermilk is the secret ingredient that makes these pralines ultra-rich.

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Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies

Recipe: Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies

These one-of-a-kind loaded cookies are First Lady approved.

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Ambrosia Macaroons

Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Ambrosia Macaroons

We transformed Grandma's famous ambrosia into bite-sized treats.

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Molasses Crinkles

Molasses Crinkles Recipe
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Molasses Crinkles

Loaded with a medley of heavenly spices, these cookies deserve an appearance at the holiday cookie swap.

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Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Fall is calling and these delicious Pumpkin Spice Cookies are on the menu.

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Belgian Spice Cookies

Belgian Spice Cookies
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Belgian Spice Cookies

Bite into these spice-filled and sugary cookies. Decorate these treats for the holidays with a snowflake stencil and powdered sugar.

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Marble Snickerdoodles

474428695_2835535067001_marble-snickerdoodles.jpg

Recipe: Marble Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are delicious as it is, but with the addition of cocoa powder these Marble Snickerdoodles have just become extraordinary.

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Pecan Cranberry Shortbread

Red Velvet Thumbprints
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Pecan Cranberry Shortbread

Dried cranberries add a complementary fruity taste to these treasured cookies.

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Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Crispy on the exterior and ooey gooey on the interior can only mean one thing—a skillet was used to create this cookie masterpiece.

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    1 of 40 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
    2 of 40 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    3 of 40 Homemade Pralines
    4 of 40 Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies
    5 of 40 Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
    6 of 40 Cheesecake Cookies
    7 of 40 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
    8 of 40 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
    9 of 40 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
    10 of 40 Coconut Cookies
    11 of 40 Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
    12 of 40 Brown Sugar Cookie Stars
    13 of 40 Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
    14 of 40 Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
    15 of 40 Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
    16 of 40 No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies
    17 of 40 Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies
    18 of 40 Pecan Tassies
    19 of 40 Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
    20 of 40 Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
    21 of 40 Apple Pie Cookies
    22 of 40 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
    23 of 40 Cranberry-Almond Cookies
    24 of 40 Pecan Snowball Cookies
    25 of 40 Kitchen Sink Cookies
    26 of 40 Spritz Cookies
    27 of 40 Cathedral Window Cookies
    28 of 40 Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
    29 of 40 Pecan Sandies
    30 of 40 Peppermint Divinity
    31 of 40 Snowflake Sugar Cookies
    32 of 40 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
    33 of 40 Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
    34 of 40 Ambrosia Macaroons
    35 of 40 Molasses Crinkles
    36 of 40 Pumpkin Spice Cookies
    37 of 40 Belgian Spice Cookies
    38 of 40 Marble Snickerdoodles
    39 of 40 Pecan Cranberry Shortbread
    40 of 40 Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

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    40 Party Cookie Recipes For Every Occasion
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