Homemade cookies make an easy gift when you want something personal without turning it into a huge project. These 17 recipes cover pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, lemon, apple, honey, Biscoff, cannoli, tiramisu, and vegan options, with batches ranging from 9 to 35 cookies. Some are quick enough for a weeknight, while others need chilling or setting time before they are ready to pack. Choose a few different textures and flavors, let everything cool completely, and build a box that feels generous without being complicated.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans
Soft centers with little bits of pecan make Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans a cozy 12-cookie batch in 30 minutes. Pumpkin puree, butter, brown and white sugars, vanilla, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and chopped pecans build the dough. The cookies bake quickly, so most of the work is mixing and portioning. Let them cool fully before stacking or boxing so the tender tops stay neat instead of sticking together.
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Vegan Amaretti Cookies
Crinkled powdered-sugar tops give Vegan Amaretti Cookies a bakery-style finish in a batch of 35. Almond flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, aquafaba, lemon zest, and amaretto create the chewy almond cookies without eggs or dairy. The full recipe takes 1 hour 10 minutes. Roll each piece in powdered sugar before baking, then cool completely so the delicate outer coating stays visible when the cookies are arranged in a gift box.
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No Bake Maple Pecan Cookies
Chewy oat clusters with maple and pecan make No Bake Maple Pecan Cookies useful when the oven is already busy. Old-fashioned oats, finely chopped pecans, maple syrup, and butter form a short ingredient list for 24 cookies. The recipe takes 2 hours 20 minutes because the cookies need time to set. Portion them evenly on the tray, then wait until they are firm before lifting or packing them so they keep their shape.
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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Chewy oats and dried cranberries give Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies plenty of texture in a 12-cookie batch. Pumpkin puree joins butter, brown and white sugars, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, flour, oats, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and baking soda. The recipe takes 51 minutes from start to finish. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet briefly after they come out of the oven, then transfer them to a rack before packing.
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Spiced Apple Cookies
Warm cinnamon and a soft apple center make Spiced Apple Cookies a nine-cookie batch with a little extra time built in. Butter, two sugars, egg, vanilla, flour, and cinnamon form the dough, while chopped apple cooks with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and water for the filling. The recipe takes 1 hour 35 minutes. Cool the finished cookies well before moving them so the filled centers have time to settle.
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Vegan Sugar Cookies
Sparkly sugar coating around soft centers makes Vegan Sugar Cookies a simple 12-cookie batch in 27 minutes. Vegan butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, almond milk, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder create the dough. Each portion is rolled in more sugar before baking, which gives the outside a slightly crisp finish. Let the cookies cool before stacking them, especially if they are going into a tin or box.
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Tiramisu Cookies
Espresso flavor and mascarpone frosting turn Tiramisu Cookies into a 14-cookie batch that feels a little more dressed up. The cookie dough uses butter, two sugars, vanilla, espresso powder, egg, flour, and baking soda, while mascarpone, powdered sugar, cream, and more espresso make the topping. The recipe takes 37 minutes. Wait until the cookies are completely cool before frosting so the mascarpone layer stays thick and defined.
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Butter Pecan Cookies
Toasted pecans and brown sugar give Butter Pecan Cookies a deep, nutty flavor in a 16-cookie batch. Pecans are cooked in butter before joining a dough made with flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs. The full recipe takes 4 hours 30 minutes because the dough needs a long chill. Plan these ahead, then bake and cool them fully before arranging them for gifting.
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Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Golden edges with plenty of chocolate make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies a 14-cookie batch in 30 minutes. Cream cheese takes the place of eggs in a dough made with butter, white and brown sugars, flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. The short ingredient list keeps the mixing straightforward. Give the cookies a few minutes on the baking sheet after they come out, then move them to a rack to finish cooling.
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Sweet Salted Honey Cookies
Glossy honey sweetness with a salty finish gives Sweet Salted Honey Cookies a distinctive twist in a 12-cookie batch. Butter, honey, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and flaky sea salt form the dough. The recipe takes 52 minutes, including the time needed before the cookies are ready to serve. Sprinkle the salt evenly so each cookie gets a little contrast, then cool them before stacking or wrapping.
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Carrot Cake Cookies
Shredded carrot, oats, and walnuts give Carrot Cake Cookies the texture of their namesake dessert in a 20-cookie batch. Butter, white and brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, flour, quick oats, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, carrots, and chopped walnuts build the dough. The recipe takes 30 minutes, which makes it manageable for a larger baking day. Space the portions apart on the tray, then cool completely before packing the cookies together.
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Earl Grey Lemon Cookies
Tea-speckled dough and bright citrus make Earl Grey Lemon Cookies a 20-cookie batch with a more delicate flavor. Butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks, Earl Grey tea, whipping cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, cake flour, and almond flour form the cookies, with extra lemon juice and powdered sugar for the finish. The recipe takes 30 minutes. Let the glaze set completely before layering the cookies in a box so the tops stay clean.
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Chewy oats and generous chocolate chips make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie a crowd-friendly batch of 25 in just 20 minutes. Butter, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and semisweet chocolate chips create a thick dough. The larger yield is useful when several gifts need filling. Cool the cookies before dividing them so the chocolate has time to firm up.
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Cannoli Cookies
Ricotta keeps Cannoli Cookies soft while chocolate and pistachios bring in the familiar cannoli flavors. The recipe makes 16 cookies in 30 minutes with flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, whole-milk ricotta, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Chocolate syrup or melted chocolate, chopped pistachios, and powdered sugar finish the tops. Let the cookies cool before decorating, then wait for the chocolate to set before stacking them in a container.
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Marry Me Cookies
Two kinds of chocolate tucked into an oat cookie make Marry Me Cookies a 12-cookie batch in 23 minutes. Butter, brown and granulated sugars, eggs, vanilla, flour, old-fashioned oats, cinnamon, white chocolate chips, and semisweet chocolate chips create a thick, textured dough. The quick baking time makes these easy to add to a mixed cookie box. Let them cool enough for the chocolate to set before moving or wrapping them.
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Biscoff Sandwich Cookies
Thick cookie-butter filling between two spiced rounds makes Biscoff Sandwich Cookies a 10-cookie batch in 30 minutes. Biscoff spread goes into both the cookie dough and the buttercream-style filling, along with butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and crushed Biscoff cookies. The sandwich shape gives each piece a finished look without extra decorating. Pair cookies of similar size, add the filling, then chill briefly if needed before packing.
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Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies
Deep cocoa cookies with a thick chocolate topping make Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies a 10-cookie batch in 25 minutes. Brown and white sugars, butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, espresso powder, and chocolate chips create the base. Butter, cream cheese, and more cocoa go into the frosting. Let the cookies cool completely before adding the topping, then keep them in a single layer until the frosting has set.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies