136 soft cookie recipes

Grandma's soft molasses cookies, an old-fashioned drop cookie with dark molasses, warm ginger and cinnamon, and a splash of cold coffee for tender old-school spice cookie flavor.

Roll-out molasses cookies with eggs and cream of tartar that chill overnight before baking into soft, pillowy rounds. The baking soda foams in the molasses for extra lift and tender texture.

Pillowy soft almond cookies made with almond filling for intense flavor, topped with sliced blanched almonds. Lightly golden, tender, and fragrant. Makes 2-3 dozen.

Soft molasses cookies spiced with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. A classic LA Times recipe that bakes up thick, cakey, and deeply spiced.

Soft gingerbread cookies with separated eggs folded in for airy texture, spiced with ginger and cloves, ready in just 10 minutes of baking.

Alice's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. Soft, spice-warmed cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers.

Orange and ginger cookies: soft-centered molasses cookies with fresh orange zest and ground ginger, rolled in citrus-sugar before baking. Holiday classic with bright modern twist.

Gingerbread men cookies with deep molasses, warm ginger and cinnamon, and currant eyes. The classic Christmas cutout cookie with a soft chewy center perfect for kids' decorating projects.

Sailors' favorite chocolate chip cookies blend peanut butter into a classic chocolate chip dough for soft, peanut-buttery cookies loaded with chocolate. A pantry-friendly bake-sale staple.

Old-fashioned sugar cookies made with sour milk, nutmeg, and shortening. A versatile dough that can be dropped soft or rolled and cut into shapes for Valentine's, Christmas, or birthday cookies.

Apple butter cookies are soft, spiced drop cookies sweetened with brown sugar and apple butter, studded with raisins and chopped nuts. Freezer-friendly for months and ready in under an hour.

Healthier oatmeal raisin cookies made with prune paste instead of butter for lower fat, soft-baked treats in 30 minutes

Egg-free, dairy-free cocoa cookies made with silken tofu, soy milk, and applesauce. Soft, fudgy, and dusted with powdered sugar. A vegan chocolate cookie that nobody will guess is plant-based. Makes 3 dozen.

Classic peanut butter cookies with crackly criss-cross tops, crisp edges and a soft chewy middle. A chilled dough builds deeper flavor and prevents spread.

Soft, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies made with molasses, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Roll and cut into festive shapes for Christmas decorating with simple icing.

Star sugar cookies with butter, both granulated and powdered sugar, plus cream of tartar for that signature soft chew. Roll, cut, and decorate or bake as flattened balls.