Everyone loves cookies. Whether they’re crunchy or chewy, this delicious baked good offers up just the right amount of sweetness. The word “cookie” generally refers to any handheld, flour-based sweet cake. Cookies have been around since the 7th century when they were invented in Persia (now Iran). The world only has been made better by them. Cookies come in a wide range of flavors, from classic favorites to more exotic fare. Everyone has a favorite cookie. If you’re not sure, you’ve just got to do a little taste tasting. Read on for the top ten cookie flavors to help you get started.
Different Cookie Flavors: How They’re Made
You can create hundreds of different flavors of cookies by changing the different add-ins to a basic cookie recipe. Take for example, a chocolate chip cookie. Add in pineapple chunks and dark chocolate and you’ve got a brand new flavor. Or, add some lemon extract to a basic sugar cookie recipe to create a delectable lemon cookie. Alternatively, you can add some jam to a shortbread cookie before baking to create a thumbprint cookie. Really, there is no end to the types of cookie flavors. You’re limited only by your imagination.
Additionally, you can change the flavors of cookies by playing with the texture. A crunchy molasses cookie tastes very different than a chewy and fudgy one, even though they’re technically both the same flavor. Generally, you can use ingredients that allow the cookie to spread during baking to create a thin, crunchy cookie. Use butter and white sugar, and leave out the eggs for a crispy cookie. Instead, if you want a chewy cookie, add in eggs, brown sugar, and shortening, which has a high melting point. These ingredients will keep the cookie from spreading while baking.
Top 10 Cookie Flavors
If you’re looking for the best cookie flavors, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the top ten cookie flavors for you to enjoy:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are the quintessential cookie. It’s a buttery cookie with caramelized sugar and vanilla and rich chocolate chips that provide the perfect texture and blend of flavors.
2. Snickerdoodle
Made with flour, butter or oil, sugar, and salt, Snickerdoodles are rolled in cinnamon sugar. They feature a cracked surface and can be crispy or chewy, depending on the ingredients used.
Soft, chewy, and perfectly sweetened, you can whip up sugar cookies with everyday, basic ingredients. You can also top them with colored sugar, royal icing, or frosting to make them even more appealing.
For lovers of peanut butter, there’s nothing better than a slightly chewy, slightly crispy peanut butter cookie. Most recipes call for just three easy ingredients, making them quick and easy to whip up in just minutes.
5. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies couldn’t be more delicious. They feature buttery, crunchy macadamia nuts and creamy white chocolate, all melding perfectly with a soft, chewy cookie.
Oatmeal raisin cookies can be soft and chewy or thin and crispy, depending on the ingredients used. You can load both varieties with oats and raisins, providing a burst of flavor in each bite.
Most often enjoyed around Christmas time, gingerbread features a robust ginger taste that’s reminiscent of the holiday season. Often made with cutouts in the shape of gingerbread men and women, stars, and candy canes, you can decorate gingerbread with royal icing for even more festivities.
Black and white cookies feature a soft vanilla cookie topped with white frosting on one half and black frosting on the other. Originating in New York, they’re popular in bakeries on the East coast.
Molasses cookies contain the perfect blend of spices from ginger and cinnamon along with the rich flavor of molasses. They can be crispy and thin or have thick and fudgy middles, depending on the ingredients used.
10. Macarons
Hailing from France, macarons contain almond flour, egg whites, and confectioners’ sugar to create the pillowy cookie. A layer of flavored ganache holds the two layers of cookie together.
Cookies are a delicious dessert that truly never gets old. From classic chocolate chip cookies to light and airy macarons, you can find hundreds of different cookie flavors. Which variety is your favorite?
More Info About Cookies
If you are interested in cookies (and who isn’t), you may have more questions about the best types of cookie flavors. For more, some common questions that arise in the world of cookie lovers.
What cookie flavor is the best?
The best cookie flavor is different for everyone. Some people love traditional classics like chocolate chip, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin cookie flavors, while others prefer double chocolate, macadamia nut, molasses, pumpkin, butter, or shortbread cookies.
What are all the cookie flavors?
It’s impossible to list all the cookie flavors. There are hundreds, and bakers are always experimenting with new ingredient combinations and flavors, so the total number of flavors continues to grow. Some of the most popular cookie flavors include:
- Chocolate chip
- Peanut butter
- Peanut butter blossoms
- Double chocolate chip
- Snickerdoodle
- Sugar
- Shortbread
- Pumpkin
- Macarons
- Oatmeal raisin
- Macadamia nut
- Cutout cookies with icing
What is America’s favorite cookie flavor?
While Americans enjoy an incredible variety of cookies, chocolate chip is the most popular. It’s a fairly versatile cookie — just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate chips, but not too much — that’s pretty much universally liked. Chocolate chip cookies are almost always a safe bet if you’re buying cookies for a crowd. That said, there are plenty of other popular cookie flavors, such as snickerdoodle, sugar, peanut butter, macadamia nut, and many others. A party platter filled with an assortment of popular cookie flavors is the best way to please a crowd.
What cookies are associated with Christmas?
Cookies are a popular treat around the holidays, and they come in endless flavors. While you can enjoy any cookie flavors around the holidays and anytime of the year, people associate a few cookies with Christmas, including:
- Rolled sugar cookies with frosting
- Peanut butter blossoms
- Gingerbread cookies
- Red velvet cookies
- Gingersnaps
- Linzer cookies
- Pecan snowball cookies
You can tailor other types of cookies for the holiday season. You can use green and red sprinkles on sugar cookies, or use green and red candy-coated chocolates instead of chocolate chips. Any cookie can be a Christmas cookie!
