Easy Cookie Recipes: 20 Foolproof Cookies Anyone Can Bake
The easiest cookie recipes are drop cookies and shortbread — you mix, scoop or press, and bake, with no fancy technique. Cookies are the most beginner-friendly bake there is: short ingredient lists, a single bowl, and quick baking times. Here are 20 foolproof cookie recipes, from classic chocolate chip to no-chill sugar cookies, plus the four mistakes that flatten cookies — and how to dodge them.
The Quick Version
- Easiest of all: 4-ingredient shortbread — no eggs, no mixer, no chilling.
- Softened, not melted, butter is the secret to cookies that don’t spread flat.
- Spoon your flour into the cup — scooping packs in too much and makes cookies dry.
- Pull them when the centers still look soft — they firm up as they cool.
Classic cookies everyone loves
- Soft chocolate chip cookies — thick, chewy and never flat.
- No-chill sugar cookies — soft and ready to decorate, no waiting.
- Chewy oatmeal cookies — with or without raisins.
- 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies — flourless and foolproof.
Cookies for every diet & pantry
- Cookies without eggs — same chewy result, no eggs.
- Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies — no one will know.
- Cookies without brown sugar — when the pantry runs out.
- 2-ingredient cookies — for when you have almost nothing.
Foolproof recipe: 4-Ingredient Shortbread
If you’ve never baked a cookie, start here. Four ingredients, no eggs, no mixer required.
- Heat oven to 325°F (165°C). Beat 1 cup softened butter with ½ cup powdered sugar until creamy.
- Stir in 2 cups flour and ¼ tsp salt until a soft dough forms.
- Press into a lined 8×8 pan and prick all over with a fork.
- Bake 18–22 minutes until the edges are barely golden. Cut into squares while warm, cool in the pan.
Foolproof tip: shortbread should be pale, not browned — pull it as soon as the edges take on the faintest color.
The 4 mistakes that ruin cookies
- Melted butter. It makes cookies spread into thin puddles. Use softened butter that still holds a slight dent.
- Too much flour. Scooping packs in up to 25% extra. Spoon it into the cup and level off.
- A hot pan. Dough spreads on warm baking sheets — always use a cool one.
- Overbaking. Cookies keep cooking on the sheet, so pull them when the centers still look underdone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest cookie to make?
Shortbread — butter, sugar, flour and salt, no eggs, no mixer, no chilling. Drop cookies like peanut butter and no-chill sugar cookies are close behind.
Why are my cookies flat?
Usually melted butter or too little flour. Use softened butter, spoon your flour, use a cool pan, and chill the dough if your kitchen is warm.
Do I have to chill cookie dough?
Not always. Shortbread, drop sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies bake fine without it. Chill if the dough is greasy or the kitchen is hot.
Easy 4-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F (165C). Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms – it will be crumbly at first, then come together.
- Press into a lined 8×8 pan (or roll and cut), and prick all over with a fork.
- Bake 18-22 minutes until the edges are just barely golden. Cut into squares while warm, then cool completely in the pan.
Keep baking
Browse all our beginner baking recipes, or for hot days try no-bake summer desserts. New to baking? Start with easy recipes for beginners.
