18 Favorite Cookie Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make

They're classics for a reason.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published August 19, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Close-up: monster cookies on a cooling rack with a bowl of M&M's, and on the counter next to the rack, a monster cookie, a bowl of chocolate chips, some rogue M&M's on the counter, and a baby blue kitchen towel

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

While I don't have the photo in my possession, I can picture it easily: my 5-year-old self standing on a kitchen chair, flour on the table, a wooden spoon grasped tightly in both my hands, and my grandma next to me, urging me along as we make my very first batch of chocolate chip cookies. It's a nostalgic memory that many of us likely share. For me, it's especially strong when accompanied by a whiff of freshly baked cookies.

Whether you're an avid home baker or haven't baked a batch since childhood, these recipes are more than worth revisiting. From Grandma's oatmeal cookies to chewy chocolate chip cookies, the best peanut butter cookies and gooey 7-layer bars, there's something sweet for everyone to enjoy.

  • Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

    Side view of a stack of grandma's cookies.

    Simply Recipes / Eliezer Martinez

    "My grandma always used shortening (Crisco), not butter, in her cookies which makes a more tender, chewier cookie."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Old-Fashioned Hermit Cookies

    Old-fashioned hermit cookies on a cooling rack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Hermit cookies are a classic Maine recipe, dating back to the late 1800s and handed down by families and in church and community cookbooks. They’re both chewy and cakey, dotted with dried fruit and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves."—Mark Beahm, Recipe Developer

  • 5-Ingredient Pudding Mix Cookies

    Plate of 5-Ingredient Pudding Mix Cookies (With 4 Variations)

    Simply Recipes / Sara Bir

    "Initially I figured that chocolate or vanilla pudding with chocolate chips mixed in would yield the best cookies, but it turned out those ones were nothing special. The clear winners were the butterscotch and lemon, which are the most bursting with artificial flavor, a quality that totally works in these super simple cookies."—Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Simply Recipes / Emma Christensen

    "I highly recommend giving the batter at least a 30-minute chill, or up to overnight, in the fridge before scooping the cookies and baking them. This lets the dough have time to hydrate and firm up."—Emma Christensen, Former General Manager

    Continue to 5 of 18 below

  • Oatmeal Lace Cookies

    A plate of oatmeal lace cookies

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

    "I use thick-cut rolled oats because I think they give more "bite" and substance to the cookies. Look for thick-cut oats in both the cereal section and the baking section—I like Bob's Red Mill oats, personally. It's fine to substitute regular rolled oats if you have trouble finding the thick-cut, though instant or quick-cooking oats might make the cookies too fragile."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

    White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The cookie already has macadamia nuts and vanilla, both tropical ingredients. A little coffee flavor added to the mix, coffee also being a tropical ingredient, gives this cookie a splash of pizazz."—Elise

  • 7-Layer Magic Bars

    a close-up of 7-layer magic cookie bars

    simply recipes / Irvin Lin

    "These bars go by a few different names, like 7-Layer Bars or Hello Dollies, but I’ve always known them as Magic Bars. They are a pure Midwestern treat for me, often brought to potlucks to round out a shared meal. All the names for the same dessert might seem confusing, but luckily, there’s nothing confusing about making them."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Sand Tarts

    Overhead view of a beige platter of sand tart cookies topped with a pecan halves resting on a green napkin

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Believe it or not, sand tarts are not tarts. They’re crisp, buttery cookies halfway between shortbread and a sugar cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a pecan half (though Fannie Farmer calls for almonds)."—Mark Beahm, Recipe Developer

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  • Date Skillet Cookie

    Date skillet cookies on a baking pan

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Chopped dates and sweetened shredded coconut were power players in 1950s and 1960s dessert recipes. You’ll notice them called for in all kinds of cookies, cake fillings, and quick breads. Date skillet cookies are an unusual treat from this period that capitalizes on this ingredient duo."—Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

    Pile of Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies on a Baking Sheet

    Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

    "The best peanut butter for these cookies is regular smooth peanut butter, not the all-natural kind. All-natural peanut butter will cause the cookies to spread too much, resulting in a flat, crunchy cookie. It may also become crumbly. Any brand of smooth peanut butter will do, as long as it’s not labeled as all-natural."—Wanda Abraham, Senior Visual Editor

  • 3-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

    Reddit 3-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

    Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

    "It is easy to see why this cookie recipe was passed down through generations. The ingredient list is short, easy to memorize, and hard to mess up. The cookies can be baked in any oven, including a dorm toaster oven. Plus, they are delicious enough to be worth becoming a family tradition."—Meghan Splawn, Recipe Developer

  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The real variable in this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe is the shredded coconut. It's just there for texture. If you add a cup of sweetened shredded coconut to the mix, the cookies will be chewier. You can easily leave it out, or you can also add dried cranberries, raisins, or swap the pecans for walnuts."—Elise

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  • The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

    A plate of Peanut Butter Cookies.

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "These peanut butter cookies are super easy to make, with no fancy ingredients, just peanut butter, flour, butter, sugar, egg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder."—Elise

  • Retro Butterscotch Squares

    Butterscotch bars on the counter

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "The key to achieving the gooey, chewy texture of these butterscotch squares is to avoid overbaking them. The original recipe notes baking the bars for 15 to 20 minutes. I found 18 minutes to be the sweet spot to avoid overbaking and producing the best texture."—Molly Allen, Recipe Developer

  • The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

    Overhead view of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies cooling on a rack.

    Elise Bauer / Ciara Kehoe

    "My grandmother used shortening, not butter, when making her cookies (see her original oatmeal cookie recipe). These days I almost always use butter. Either will do; the shortening cookies I think tend to be a bit chewier."—Elise

  • Giant Ginger Cookies

    A plate of freshly baked ginger cookies stacked together
    Elise Bauer

    "For ease, you can substitute the ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice."—Elise

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  • Simple Soft Sugar Cookies

    Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
    Irvin Lin

    "Sugar cookies come in all sorts of textures and sizes, but my favorite is the kind that is soft and chewy. This is the type of cookie that you roll into balls between your hands and then press flat with a glass before baking."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Monster Cookies

    Close-up: monster cookies on a cooling rack with a bowl of M&M's, and on the counter next to the rack, a monster cookie, a bowl of chocolate chips, some rogue M&M's on the counter, and a baby blue kitchen towel

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "It’s not a monster cookie without M&Ms and chocolate chips, but you can always put your own twist on it! There are countless flavors of M&Ms to try, plus other candies like Reese's Pieces, Heath Bar bits, and more."—Kalisa Marie Levette, Recipe Developer

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