I Tested A Bunch Of Miracle Cookie Recipes, And Here's What Worked (2024)

I'm obsessed with Girl Scout Thin Mints, so when I discovered I could make a copycat version at home with just three ingredients, I was pretty excited.

What you'll need: Oreo cookies, peppermint extract, and semisweet melting chocolate.

Since I'm a lazy baker, store-bought pie crusts are a good friend of mine (especially around Thanksgiving time). But I've never used them to make cookies before.

What you'll need: Store-bought pie crust, cinnamon, and granulated sugar.

The result: I wouldn't make these again. While easy to make, these cookies tasted pretty bland. And despite using a lot of sugar, they weren't very sweet.The pie crust quickly got hard and stale-tasting in the oven and the whole thing lacked flavor. If you're intent on trying them, I would add some vanilla icing or cream cheese frosting for more sweetness. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

OK, so if you want to get technical, these probably don't qualify as cookies. But when I was younger, my aunt always used to make these cute, festive pretzel bites at family gatherings. So when I stumbled upon them on Pinterest, I got hit with serious nostalgia.

What you'll need: Square pretzels, Hershey's hugs (or kisses), and M&Ms.

The result: These are especially great if you're hosting a crowd. They're easy to make in bulk (just double or triple or even quadruple the ingredients), they're very shareable, and you can make them ahead of time. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪🍪🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Coconut and chocolate is usually a crowd-pleasing combination. And while I always assumed any chocolate-dipped dessert is pretty time intensive, these supposedly require zero baking skills.

What you'll need: Unsweetened coconut flakes, sweetened condensed milk, and dark melting chocolate.

The result: These tasted better than they looked. The dark chocolate got a little bit clumpy once melted, and the coconut balls quickly lost their shape (even after sitting in the freezer). In the future, I would use a better quality melting chocolate and let the coconut balls freeze for even longer before dipping them. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪🍪🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Like the vast majority of mankind, I'm a peanut butter lover, so anything made with a jar of PB sounds like a win in my book.

What you'll need: Creamy peanut butter, one egg, and brown sugar.

The result: These were pretty addictive and SO low-effort. While you might expect them to taste dense, these cookies are super light and airy. If you like peanut butter, you'll love these. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪🍪🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

When baking for the holidays, it's always a good idea to have a great chocolate dessert in your arsenal. But could such a simple chocolate hazelnut cookie actually taste great?

What you'll need: Eggs, chocolate hazelnut spread, and flour.

The result: Next time, I'll stick with brownies. I was expecting these cookies to taste rich and dense, but they were actually pretty light. I personally prefer the dense, fudgy flavor of brownies. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Who knew that classic, buttery shortbread cookies require just three ingredients that are probably already sitting in your pantry?

What you'll need: Salted butter, brown sugar, and flour.

The result: Super buttery and rich cookies perfect for a holiday party. You could make these much prettier with colorful sprinkles, a bit of icing, or a melted chocolate drizzle. Get the recipe.

Final grade: 🍪🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

I've eaten palmiers, a popular French pastry before, but I had no idea they were so simple to make. I always assumed they'd require some veteran baking skills.

What you'll need: Thawed puff pasty sheets, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.