Food and Recipes Desserts Cookies 40 Party Cookie Recipes For Every Occasion By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: 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. 01 of 40 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies 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. 02 of 40 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Jennifer Causey Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Crushed pecans add a crunchy texture to these extra rich chocolate chip cookies. 03 of 40 Homemade Pralines 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. 04 of 40 Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies 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. 05 of 40 Easy Peanut Butter Cookies 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. 06 of 40 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies Heavenly cheesecake was our inspiration for these buttery and creamy bite-sized treats. 07 of 40 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies A staple in Granny's kitchen, these Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies belong on your cookie short list. 08 of 40 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Made with two types of chocolate, these chocolate chip cookies are anything but ordinary. 09 of 40 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 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. 10 of 40 Coconut Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Coconut Cookies With ribbons of shredded coconut and flakes of sea salt, these crispy cookies fulfill our sweet tooth. 11 of 40 Lemon Thumbprint Cookies 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. 12 of 40 Brown Sugar Cookie Stars 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. 13 of 40 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. 14 of 40 Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies 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. 15 of 40 Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies 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. 16 of 40 No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies 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. 17 of 40 Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies Katie Strasberg Rousso Recipe: Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies No baking expertise necessary to whip up these cake-like chocolate cookies. 18 of 40 Pecan Tassies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Tassies Savory to the last bite. These pecan tassies are filled with buttery, nutty, and tangy flavors. 19 of 40 Toasted Oatmeal Cookies 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. 20 of 40 Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies 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. 21 of 40 Apple Pie Cookies 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. 22 of 40 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Made with two types of chocolate, these chocolate chip cookies are anything but ordinary. 23 of 40 Cranberry-Almond Cookies Ralph Anderson; Styling: Mary Lyn Hill Recipe: Cranberry-Almond Cookies Cranberry-adorned, these sensational cookies make a vibrant splash on the dessert table. 24 of 40 Pecan Snowball Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies Create a batch of these pecan-studded cookies for your next winter gathering. 25 of 40 Kitchen Sink Cookies Jennifer Causey Recipe: Kitchen Sink Cookies Everything we love from chocolate chips to potato chips piled into one jam-packed treat. 26 of 40 Spritz Cookies 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). 27 of 40 Cathedral Window Cookies 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. 28 of 40 Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies 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. 29 of 40 Pecan Sandies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Sandies Not your average shortbread cookie, these firm yet crumbly Pecan Sandies are loaded with pecans. 30 of 40 Peppermint Divinity 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. 31 of 40 Snowflake Sugar Cookies 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. 32 of 40 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines 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. 33 of 40 Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies Recipe: Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies These one-of-a-kind loaded cookies are First Lady approved. 34 of 40 Ambrosia Macaroons 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. 35 of 40 Molasses Crinkles Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Molasses Crinkles Loaded with a medley of heavenly spices, these cookies deserve an appearance at the holiday cookie swap. 36 of 40 Pumpkin Spice Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies Fall is calling and these delicious Pumpkin Spice Cookies are on the menu. 37 of 40 Belgian Spice Cookies 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. 38 of 40 Marble Snickerdoodles Recipe: Marble Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles are delicious as it is, but with the addition of cocoa powder these Marble Snickerdoodles have just become extraordinary. 39 of 40 Pecan Cranberry Shortbread Hector Sanchez Recipe: Pecan Cranberry Shortbread Dried cranberries add a complementary fruity taste to these treasured cookies. 40 of 40 Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit