50 Fall Cookie And Cookie Bar Recipes To Warm Up Your Kitchen
Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
As soon as the temperature dips even the slightest bit below 70, you better believe we're ready for fall baking. While apple pies and spice cakes will always be seasonal staples, there's nothing like a warm cookie to welcome fall. Whether you're baking a batch for a football party or your church's Thanksgiving potluck, warm cookies full of pumpkin, apple, caramel, peanut butter, or pecan flavor are sure to win over your crowd. Add some cinnamon and brown sugar to the mix, and you've got an autumn hand-held dessert that your family and friends won't be able to get enough of. From recipes that play on your favorite flavor combinations, like our Caramel-Apple Cookies or our Cranberry-Almond Cookies, to sweets that fuse two classic treats together, like our Apple Pie Cookies or our Pecan Pie Cookies, our best fall cookie recipes have everything you're looking for this autumn season. The hardest part just might be picking which of our best fall dessert recipes you should make.
Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Add an extra crunch to this slice-and-bake shortbread by coating both dough logs with turbinado sugar before slicing them into rounds. The result is a cookie that's the perfect balance of salty and sweet and goes down easy. Good thing this recipe makes more than 3 dozen cookies.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
The secret to turning a standard chocolate cookie into a smash hit is in the butter. It all comes down to the first (very important) step of browning the butter before you start baking. Add toasted pecans if you like crunch in your cookie.
Apple Pie Cookies
Apple pie gets a makeover in this bite-sized cookie. The pillowy, personal-sized treats are like miniature hand pies, with a pocket of apple pie filling sure to make you think of your favorite Thanksgiving slice. After baking and cooling, top the cookies with a simple cinnamon icing to enhance the flavor and sweetness.
Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
A delectable, flourless treat, this rich dessert is essentially a cookie brownie filled with toasted chopped pecans and gooey pockets of melted chocolate. Whipped egg whites are the trick to fudge cookies that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Even better, they are practically foolproof to make and come together in a single bowl.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Pumpkin spice and actual pumpkin collide in these delicious seasonal cookies. A twist on the snickerdoodle, these cookies turn out soft and velvety. Nothing screams fall more than scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Cookies that pair well with a cup of hot chocolate... or a pumpkin spice latte from your favorite coffee shop.
Cappuccino Swirl Bars
Good to look at, but even better to eat, these bars have three delicious layers. The cream cheese filling flavored with cocoa and instant espresso is swirled just like a curl of milk in your coffee. Store-bought wafer cookies make the crust simple as pie.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
This blast from the past is just as delicious and simple to make as you remember. A no-fuss treat, the recipe comes from our February 1986 issue. We brought it back to delight your taste buds all fall and winter long.
Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cakey cookies are a cross between a pumpkin muffin and a chocolate chip cookie, making them the ultimate treat for chocolate lovers in the fall. The pumpkin puree in the cookie dough lends significant moisture, while mini semisweet chocolate chips stay in a semi-liquid state in the moist cookie dough. What more could you ask for in an autumn treat?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Crisp on the outside and exceptionally gooey on the inside, it may be impossible to only eat one of these crinkle cookies. If you can't decide whether to bake brownies or cookies, this is a fudgy compromise that will satisfy both sweet cravings. You can use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour if need be, but the cake flour helps to make the cookie extra tender.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Sweet meets salty in this family-favorite recipe. It incorporates chopped almonds, chocolate chunks, oats, and crushed corn chips that have just the right amount of saltiness. This hearty cookie recipe can come together in a pinch on a busy fall day.
Pecan Pie Cookies
Not all occasions call for a full-on pie. With a shortbread crust and a pecan pie filling, these bite-sized pecan pie treats pack in all the best elements of your favorite fall pie. These cookies are freezer ready too; make extra batches and have them last until the holidays.
Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
These presidential family-approved cookies are stuffed with chewy, gooey ingredients and a bit of cinnamon spice. Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with oats, coconut, and pecans are so good, they'll have you hollering "Yeehaw!" And as with most things in Texas, Bush's Cowboy Cookies are enormous.
Spiced Pecan Pie Bars
You can't go through the fall season without making these cinnamon pecan bars. Ground cinnamon and ginger spice up traditional pecan pie filling for a delicious effect. This recipe has a healthy helping of nuts for those who like plenty of crunch.
Butterscotch-Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
Butterscotch chips perfectly complement these oatmeal cookies. In a pinch or on a whim, substitute butterscotch for chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or raisins. This dependable recipe will have tasty, seasonal flare no matter how you choose your adventure.
Cranberry-Almond Cookies
This quick and easy dessert is a fruit lover's treat of choice. You'll have decadent cookies with dried cranberries and toasted almond slices in just 20 minutes. They're great any time in fall, but also around Christmas because the cranberries add a festive splash of red.
Lemon-Almond Bars
These bars are easy peasy lemon squeezy and mighty tasty too. Lemon and almond are a killer flavor combination for comforting hand-held treats. Crystallized ginger and lemon zest give them plenty of zing.
Seven-Layer Cookies
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss
This impressive, flavor-packed treat couldn't be easier—or more delicious. This is the first ever bar cookie recipe that we ever published and it has withstood the test of time for a reason. Seven-Layer Cookies are quick to make, easy enough for an amateur baker, and extra ooey, gooey, chewy, and delicious.
Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living
This four-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe is a must-have for novice cookie enthusiasts and seasoned bakers alike. These treats are easy as can be and come together in just over half an hour with sweet, nutty flavor. Peanut butter cookies are delicious as is, but we also have instructions for adding in chocolate morsels, toffee, or chopped peanuts.
Molasses Crinkles
Classic autumn flavors are perfectly balanced in this cookie with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves galore. They're straightforward and simple, yet oh-so-good with wholesome, warming spices. Press each cookie into sparkling sugar for an extra-sweet crunch.
Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Molasses Cookies
As you were reading the name of this recipe, you probably thought it couldn't get any better... and then it just kept getting better. Dark chocolate and ginger, plus molasses, are an all-star trio that add up to rich, deep seasonal flavor. Fall baking enthusiasts and chocolate connoisseurs alike will love these.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
The tiny, iced cookies will melt in your mouth. They're soft as cake, warmly spiced, and absolutely bursting with pumpkin flavor. Each cookie is complemented by a bourbon glaze with just a hint of maple and toasted pecans.
Spider Web Cookies
These treats are the ideal combination of classy and on-theme. Halloween cookies as tasty and appealing as these ones will fly off the platter. All it takes to make is two icing colors and a toothpick to create the webbed effect.
Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
We can't get enough of chocolate and peanut butter together. Along with that unbeatable flavor duo, these no-bake bars pack a punch with chewy texture and an extra layer of melted chocolate with sprinkled peanuts. Your dinner crowd will never believe these cookie bars came homemade from the microwave.
Halloween Spider Cookies
Spider cookies are a simple, classic Halloween-time spooky treat. Bring your kids into the kitchen for decoration and make memories over slightly salty, creepy crawly cookies. Use chocolate truffles and mini candy eyeballs for easy decorating.
Soft Ginger-Molasses Cookies
No offense, but classic molasses-ginger cookies don't stand a chance against our upgraded version. Recipients at the cookie swap will beg for your recipe for gooey treats with two types of ginger. Finely chopped crystallized ginger and lemony icing really takes these over the top.
No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars
No need to worry about burning these delightful cookie bars with too much time in heat—they don't need to even touch the oven. These gooey, nutty bars are great for beginners and master bakers alike. Chill well before serving so the scrumptious layers can firm up.
Carrot Cake Cookies
These over-the-top cookies shove all the big flavors of carrot cake into hand-held sweet treats. Shredded carrots and toasted walnuts are flavored with cinnamon and vanilla to make a cookie dough that's perfectly thick and decadent. Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, these cookies are drizzled with a sweet vanilla icing.
Bourbon-Caramel Cookies
One of our favorite fall pairings is sweet brown sugar and flakey sea salt. Along with the classic combination of bourbon and caramel, these cookies pack powerful flavors. Soft caramel candies are used for an easy topping.
No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ready in just 25 minutes without heating the oven, these cookies are great to whip up in a pinch. Chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal flavors are so tasty though, they just might become your dessert of choice even when you have all the time in the world. And they're packed with healthy ingredients, too.
Toffee Cookies
The secret to a deliciously addictive chocolate chip cookie? Toffee. This recipe for delightfully salty-sweet cookies calls for nutty flavors from toffee bits, dark brown sugar, and butterscotch pudding mix.
Hello Dolly Bars
A sweet graham cracker crust melds with chocolate, pecans, and coconut thanks to a gooey layer of condensed milk. The salty-sweet combination will make this dessert a hit no matter the occasion. Hello Dolly has stayed a classic for a reason.
Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
Texas Sheet Cake is one of our favorite desserts of all time. Now, we've outdone ourselves with a cookie version. This cookie recipe takes all of our favorite notes from the classic cake, even using cake mix in the cookie dough, but has a few additional surprises to one-up its inspiration.
Magic Cookie Bars
With one bite, you'll taste why we think these cookie bars are so magical. Our Test Kitchen calls them "chocolate-coconut heaven" for a reason. This recipe is much like Hello Dolly, but with butterscotch chips and a sprinkle of sea salt on top like fairy dust to seal the deal.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
We've spent years tirelessly curating the perfect Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. These cookies make the most out of that classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter to make stunning treats that are delightful in their simplicity. And the recipe makes five dozen, enough to cover your hungry family and that upcoming potluck.
No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies
If you're anything like us, seeing "No-Bake" in a recipe means automatically dog-earing the page for safekeeping. These one-of-a-kind cookies require less than 10 minutes of hands-on time. Using only straightforward ingredients including sugar, butter, chocolate, and oats, we dare say that these cookies can give pecan pralines a run for their money.
Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars
Chocolate and peanut butter are a classic dessert combination that we'll never quit. These fudgy treats are fail-proof at potlucks, parties, and bake sales. Plus they require just an hour of refrigeration before serving.
Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies
Personalize these cookies to suit your dessert craving or rejoice in their old-fashioned charm as is. Try substituting mint chocolate chips over this recipe's semi-sweet if you please, but no matter which path you take, don't cheat yourself of a hefty dollop of chocolate icing on each soft cookie.
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Sugar cookie fans won't be able to get enough of these warm cinnamon-sugar cookies. They stand apart from the pack thanks to browned butter that contributes deep, nutty flavor. Make extra dough and freeze until you're craving the next batch.
Almond Thumbprints With Fig Jam
While gooey, fudgy cookies have their charm, there's something about a crumbly cookie as the weather gets cooler. Cookies made from almond flour with a dollop of sweet, seasonal fig jam in the center is just the sweet treat you need. The gluten-free recipe results in a nice sandy texture.
Mini Taco Cookies
Perfect for any tailgate party, these cookies are all about festivity and fun. Be sure to get the kids involved with creating this treat. Fill the cookie base with crumbled Oreos and taco toppings (we'll let you guess which candies are standing in). Melted chocolate holds it all together.
Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
Traditional butter cookies are made even better with dried cranberries and orange. This versatile recipe can also be made with dried cherries and lemon zest. Butter cookies are supremely satisfying with your morning coffee and also great for guests.
Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
All oatmeal cookies make us feel warm inside, but these are even cozier due to the extra step of pre-toasting the oats with the pecans. The toasted oats add a subtle richness and depth of flavor, while the raisins and cinnamon are comforting and familiar. Best of all, the recipe makes five dozen cookies—plenty for the kids (and you) to grab a handful after each busy day.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Dried cranberries are complemented by the delicate, creamy sweetness of white chocolate in this recipe. Chopped chunks of white chocolate hold their gooey shape best, but you can also use morsels. Allow these light-colored cookies to cool on a baking sheet, which allows them to finish cooking without getting too brown in the oven.
Cherry-Walnut Rugelach
We've switched up the traditional filling with a sweet and nutty blend of cherry preserves, chocolate, and chopped walnuts. Assembly is easier than it sounds—put a heaping spoonful of filling on wedges of dough and roll up. An egg wash and a dusting of sparkling sugar before baking really make the rugelach shine.
Brownie Cookies
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist Shell Royster
Whipping up these cookies is as easy as opening up a box of brownie mix. We've supplemented it with chocolate chunks and toasted walnuts, which provide a hint of warm fall flavor. Sticking the dough in the freezer for a few minutes keeps the cookies from spreading too much while they bake.
Salted Popcorn Caramel Bars
Sweet and salty caramel popcorn is the ultimate autumn snack. These bars take that flavor and transform it into something much like Rice Krispies treats. We offer three delicious variations, including Flavors of Fall, which adds dried apple chips and apple pie spice.
Chewy Molasses Cookies
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This unadulterated cookie will allow you to indulge in your love of molasses without any spices to distract you. We recommend using dark molasses, which has more flavor than light but is less bitter than blackstrap. Make your dough balls equal in size so they all crackle and have a perfectly chewy center.
Turtle Cookies
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
These cakey cookies will delight kids and adults alike. The kids will have loads of fun decorating the turtles, while a touch of coffee in the chocolate frosting deepens the flavor for adult palates. Use parchment paper so your carefully crafted cookies don't stick to the pan.
Caramel-Apple Cookies
Enjoy the flavor of your favorite state fair treat in cookie form. Use Granny Smith apples, tart enough to balance the sweetness and firm enough for baking. Bake these cookies and eat them in the same day for the best bites of soft caramel and fresh apple.
Persimmon Cookies
Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
We wait all year for persimmons to arrive on trees and in farmers' markets. As soon as they do (and as soon as they're ripe), we make these persimmon cookies. Pumpkin spice and a glaze topped with pecans pack in the fall flavor.
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