38 Easter cookie recipes to sweeten your holiday table
Christmas and Valentine’s Day may get most of the spotlight when it comes to holiday treats, but true sweet-toothed people know that Easter is the one to beat on the sheer volume and variety of sugary confections. Be it Easter cakes or cupcakes, there’s truly no shortage of ways to end the spring holiday on a sweet note.
Of course, no celebration would be complete without a big plate of cookies on the dessert table. Make Sunday brunch or dinner extra special with a homemade batch of Easter cookies to dunk into milk, coffee or tea. Recipes with sunny, bright flavors like lemon and raspberry nod to the impending arrival of warmer weather, while amped-up classics like brown butter chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free oatmeal cookies are guaranteed to be crowd-pleasers. Some of these cookies require a little bit of decoration (nothing fancy!) to achieve their adorable presentation, while others can just be thrown together last-minute.
No matter which style you go with, precision is key in baking. Make sure to follow the recipe instructions and tips as closely as possible to get the very best cookies, whether that’s to chill the dough before baking for optimal texture or to gradually add dry ingredients to wet ones (trust us — your kitchen countertops will thank you for your patience).
Found the perfect dessert recipe and want to complete the feast? Here’s some inspiration for savory stuff, too. Just make sure you leave yourself room for these cookies — they will be worth it.
Lemon, Lime and Earl Grey Sablés by Samantha Seneviratne
Featuring Earl Grey tea and a duo of lime and lemon zests, this recipe yields buttery, crumbly cookies that are unique enough for a celebration, but easy to prep ahead so you can focus on the rest of Easter dinner. Remember to use high-quality ingredients — sablés rely on good eggs, butter and sugar for the best flavor and texture.
Martha's Easter Chick Cookies by Martha Stewart
Leave it to Martha to come up with a playful cookie that can pull double duty as a chicken or an egg. A fun baking activity with kids, these oval shortbreads can be decorated with yellow lemon icing, sanding sugar and small candies to resemble an adorable little chick or chic Easter egg.
Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Frosting by Alejandra Ramos
If baking a whole carrot cake seems like a monumental task (especially given all there is to do for your holiday meal), opt for these cookie sandwiches instead. The soft, tender treats are packed with the same great flavor and texture as the cake thanks to spices, coconut and pecans, plus a tangy cream cheese frosting.
Saffron-Chocolate Biscotti by Samantha Seneviratne
Anyone who loves biscotti will obsess over this recipe for crunchy Italian biscuits. Laced with fragrant saffron and rich with bittersweet chocolate, this cookie is truly something special when dipped in a cup of hot coffee, or just enjoyed all by itself.
Matcha Shortbread Cookies by Angel Wong
While matcha might not be the first flavor you associate with Easter, the color alone makes it a worthwhile contender. The matcha adds an earthy flavor to the shortbread, while infusing it with a springy green color. We love dipping them in chocolate for a festive appearance.
No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Crunch Cookies by Carrie Parente
No preheated oven needed! These five-ingredient no-bake cookies come together by combining melted butter and semisweet chocolate with corn flakes and raisins or marshmallows. Make ahead, freeze and slice to serve on Easter — or any day when you need an easy, sweet pick-me-up.
Joy Bauer's Snowball Coconut Macaroons by Joy Bauer
Light and fluffy, these gluten-free treats are a mashup of buttery snowballs and coconut macaroons. They’re sweetened with honey and applesauce and can be dipped in dark chocolate or rolled in shredded coconut to take the decadence level up a notch.
Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Gaby Dalkin
Lemon is a classic flavor featured in many Easter desserts, including these citrusy delights. Instead of fresh zest or juice, the recipe uses lemon extract to dial up the flavor of the chewy white chocolate-studded sugar cookies.
Ina Garten's Shortbread Hearts by Ina Garten
Ina’s all-time favorite shortbread recipe is as versatile as it is delicious. The dough can be mixed and cut a week in advance, then baked on the day of your celebration. Go beyond hearts and break out your Easter cookie cutters to make a variety of festive shapes like flowers, eggs and bunnies.
Crew's Cookies by Joanna Gaines
They may look deceptively simple, but the classic combination of a buttery base with a sweet glaze makes these cookies absolutely irresistible. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and pop the cookies into the fridge for a quick chill before baking — that’s the trick to perfectly-shaped cookies that won’t spread too much.
Siri's Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies by Siri Daly
Sugar cookies are great for holidays throughout the year, including Easter. This recipe calls for sour cream to help keep the dough tender, plus vanilla bean paste for a more intense, concentrated flavor. Roll in pastel sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking for a touch of springtime flair.
Martha Stewart's Linzer Flower Cookies by Martha Stewart
Think of these beautiful cookies as mini blooming versions of the classic linzer tart. They boast the same mouthwatering combination of buttery hazelnuts and fruity jam, just in a smaller, spring-like package.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Maya and Aria Christian
Nutty brown butter adds an extra layer of complexity to classic chocolate chip cookies. A finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes this cookie special-occasion worthy.
Christina Tosi's Strawberry Shortcake Caramel Snaps by Christina Tosi
Christina Tosi’s multilayer “snaps” are well worth the effort. Featuring a crisp cookie base, chewy homemade caramel, white chocolate coating and crushed freeze-dried strawberries, they’re delightfully crunchy and decadent.
Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by Sarita Gelner
Recreate Missouri’s famous gooey butter cake in cookie form using this indulgent recipe. Salted butter helps balance out the sugary richness to form the perfect chewy bite.
Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN
Two classic cookies come together to form these thumbprints, which are made with whole wheat flour for a healthier option. Roll each piece of dough in snickerdoodle’s signature cinnamon-sugar coating, then press down and fill the centers with your favorite jam.
Toasted Fluffernutter Cookies by Jennifer Carroll
One bite of these toasted fluffernutter sandwich cookies will bring you back to childhood. The cookies are meant to be soft and tender, so make sure not to overbake them — they’ll firm up on the cooling rack so you can easily dollop on the marshmallow spread filling.
Flourless Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies by Kevin Curry
Need a flourless option for gluten-free guests? These nutty PB and banana cookies come together without any flour and are guaranteed to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooths.
Crispy Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies by Dr. Jessica B. Harris
Oatmeal cookies are a time-honored favorite for good reason. Dr. Jessica Harris riffs on her mom’s favorite recipe by swapping some oats out for dried coconut and almonds and adding a dash of lemon extract for brightness. The resulting cookie may become your new family tradition.
Double Cruncher Cookies by Jaki Soper
As its name suggests, these cookies pack plenty of crunch, thanks to a combination of rolled oats, cornflakes and shredded coconut. Cool completely, then spread a layer of the chocolate-cream cheese filling to form little sandwiches that your Easter guests won’t be able to resist.
2-Ingredient Palmiers Cookies by François Payard
Along with the holiday rack of lamb, eggs and spring vegetables, add a box of puff pastry to your shopping cart. The versatile dough is the key to this chef-approved recipe for easy French palmiers. Simply sprinkle on sugar, fold and roll into the cookies’ signature scroll shape. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could also make the puff pastry from scratch.
Chocolate-Pretzel Bird Nests by Checka Ciammaichelli
Turn pretzels and Easter candy into adorable edible centerpieces. Coat broken sticks in a chocolate-peanut butter mixture, then drop small piles onto a lined baking sheet to form individual bird nests. Refrigerate until firm and fill with colorful chocolate eggs and jelly beans before wow-ing guests with this Pinterest-worthy display.
Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam by François Payard
These French Marguerites are a lovely addition to your spread of Easter treats. Named after its daisy-like (marguerite in French) shape, these pretty jam-filled thumbprints can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature so you can make a batch ahead of time.
Candied Hazelnut-Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Michelle Lopez
If you’re on team nuts when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, then this recipe is for you. Not only does the dough get a heaping cup of high-quality dark chocolate, it’s also packed with candied hazelnuts for a nice nutty crunch and additional sweetness.
Sweet Corn Cookies with Blueberry Pie Swirl by Skyler Bouchard
The arrival of spring has us dreaming of summer days featuring the two main ingredients in these jammy cookies: corn and blueberries. Masa harina adds a distinct corn aroma, while blueberry pie filling oozes out of each cookie as a sweet surprise.
Peanut Butter Cookies by Nancy Silverton
This is the ultimate peanut butter lover's cookie. They have a pretty crackle top and perfectly rounded edges, but most importantly, they really taste like peanut butter. Put a spoonful of peanut butter in the center and nestle a pile of salty, roasted Spanish peanuts on top to make them as peanutty as a peanut butter cookie can be.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Kelly Vaughan
These are the ultimate oatmeal raisin cookies for a few reasons: You toast the rolled oats in the oven to bring out their nutty qualities and make for a more complex cookie, and you add cardamom for an additional warming spice, as well as molasses, which helps to keep the cookies tender and chewy.
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Super Crunch Cookies by Christina Tosi
This cookie is like eating a salty pretzel and a chocolate chip cookie at the same time. For those with both a sweet and salty tooth, it's the best of both worlds.
Bolinhas Coconut Cookies by Nik Sharma
Coconut fans, this cookie is for you. I like these with a cup of hot, sweetened, milky black tea. Bolinhas, as they are called in Goa, India, are crunchy and crisp, sweet and full of coconut goodness.
Sour Cream Rhubarb Cookies by Maggie Shi
Bright pink bits of rhubarb peek out from these pretty cookies, which are tangy, tart, and lightly sweet all at once. The sour cream adds a smoothness that makes each bite a pleasure. With their soft, light-as-air texture, they practically melt in your mouth.
Cookie Bars
Siri's Lemon Bars by Siri Daly
Tart, creamy lemon bars are always a crowd pleaser. Not only does the filling get wonderful flaor from freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest, but the crust is infused with lemon zest, too.
Peanut Butter Bars by Jessica Seinfeld
These peanut butter bars are completely vegan, but they’re so rich and luscious, we bet no one can tell. The secret? The graham cracker crust comes together with the help of melted coconut oil and the PB filling is made with coconut cream.
Milk Bar's Gooey Sugar Cookie Bars by Christina Tosi
If a cookie and a cake had a baby, this recipe would be it. It’s got a fabulous balance of crisp to tender — plus it’s a delicious blank canvas for holiday sprinkles.
Siri's Magic Bars by Siri Daly
These bars have been a favorite of Siri's since she was a kid. They're so easy to make because the topping ideas are endless … and they are always a crowd-pleaser!
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars by Carrie Parente
Chicken and waffles. Macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter and chocolate. Some food duos are just meant to be together. These layered no-bake cookie bars taste just like a peanut butter cup, but are so much easier to make. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to chill each layer.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Amber St. Peter
If you’re in a crunch and don’t have time to scoop or roll out individual cookies, try this recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookie bars. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes and gets a nice lift from baking powder, plus a light nuttiness from peanut butter and almond milk.
Rosemary-Lemon Pecan Bars by Gail Simmons
We guarantee that the unexpected addition of rosemary to these lemon-pecan bars will keep everyone’s taste buds intrigued. Don’t forget to dust with powdered sugar before serving for a pretty effect.
Beach Blondie Bars by Matt Abdoo
Do blondies have more fun than brownies? Either way, there’s no denying that a pan of chewy, soft blondies are great for parties. Keep them plain or jazz things up by mixing in butterscotch chips, pastel sprinkles or other fun and festive ingredients.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
