4 Recipes That Are Absolutely Perfect for National Homemade Cookies Day

By Amelia Woolard

If you ask us, cookies are one of life’s simplest pleasures. Easy to make and even easier to love, cookies are acceptable for just about any occasion and can be enjoyed on both the best and worst of days. In fact, we’d venture to say that even most crummy days can be made a little brighter with the right sweet treat. Who wouldn’t rise to a challenge when a warm, freshly baked cookie is involved? 

Needless to say, we’re crazy for cookies, and when we learned about National Homemade Cookies Day on October 1st, we couldn’t resist compiling a short list of our absolute favorite cookie recipes. Ranging in taste from classic to gourmet, these cookies will inspire you to fire up the oven and channel your inner Betty Crocker for an afternoon.  

Best of all, each of these recipes are beginner-friendly – and only one requires any sort of make-ahead prep – but, trust us, it’s worth it! So, put on some tunes, tie on that apron, and try one of uCribs’ 4 delicious cookie recipes that are absolutely perfect for a belated National Homemade Cookies Day.  

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies 

You can’t beat an original, and when it comes to cookies, there’s nothing more classic than the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Imagine your perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, and you’ll likely envision an ooey, gooey cookie with perfectly melted, sweetened-to-perfection chocolate chips. You might also envision a large class of cold milk, perfect for enjoying with this basic – but nonetheless, delicious – cookie! So, why not turn your dreams into reality with this classic recipe, which calls for under ten ingredients and comes together in your oven in approximately the same amount of time.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup butter, softened 
• ¾ cup sugar 
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

Instructions: 

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside once complete. 
3. In large bowl, beat softened butter and both types of sugar with electric mixer on medium speed. You can also mix with a spoon about 1 minute or until fluffy, scraping side of bowl occasionally. 
4. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Dough will be stiff at this point. Softly stir in chocolate chips.  
5. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart. 
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. You’ll know the cookies are done when the centers are soft. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely – this will take about 30 minutes – before enjoying. 

Salted Caramel Cookies  

For those days when your taste buds crave something more gourmet than your typical chocolate chip cookie, try this delicious recipe for Salted Caramel Cookies. Believe it or not, this recipe is equally as simple to make! With creamy caramel squares and just a hint of coarse salt, these Salted Caramel Cookies are bound to become your new go-to baking recipe. Not to mention, these cookies are fancy enough to show off on Instagram, but still accessible to the amateur college chef, who might not have all the tools and skills required to whip up a complicated recipe. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 sticks butter 
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 10-12 oz salted caramel baking chips 
• 4.51 oz bag soft caramels  
• coarse sea salt or kosher salt 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Use a mixer to combine the butter and sugars, creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, continuing to mix well. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. 
4. Add the salted caramel baking chips to your cookie batter. If you’d like to top cookies with some, be sure to set aside a handful or two of chips. Mix gently until just combined, about 30 seconds. If you notice that your dough is too dry and crumbly, add one tablespoon of milk and mix gently until dough comes together. 
5. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. Scoop cookie dough balls and place onto prepared baking sheet about 2-inches apart. You should be able to fit 12 small cookies or 8 large cookies on one tray.  
6. Unwrap caramels and cut each caramel in half. Press half of a caramel into each cookie dough ball until it’s level with the cookie dough. If you’ve saved salted caramel baking chips, top the cookies with them now. 
7. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. You’ll know the cookies are done when their edges are barely starting to brown.  
8. Once done, sprinkle the top of the hot cookies with coarse salt. Allow to cool for 1 minute on tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool to the touch, enjoy!  

Snickerdoodle Cookies  

Whether you’re adverse to all things chocolate or love the nostalgia associated with a classic holiday treat, Snickerdoodle Cookies the preferred cookie of many, and their deliciousness is difficult to beat. Even better, the traditional recipe only calls for a handful of common kitchen essentials, so it’s affordable to make and even easier to enjoy. We can bet this comforting, quick, and easy recipe will become a baking staple in your kitchen for years to come. Mmm, we can almost taste the unforgettable combination of cinnamon and sugar now…and, it’s heavenly!  

Ingredients: 

For the cookie: 

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2 3/4 cup flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt 

For the cinnamon-sugar topping: 

• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl before adding the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1-2 minutes longer.  
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined.  
4. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon for topping.  
5. If you have enough time, wrap the dough and let refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to work with when rolling into cookies. 
6. Roll dough into small balls until round and smooth.  Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat well. Using a spoon, coat for a second time, ensuring the cookie balls are completely covered. 
7. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes.  Let cool for several minutes on baking sheet before removing from the pan.  

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Your favorite decadent cake takes on new life as these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies! In case you weren’t already aware, Red Velvet cake is made with chocolate and red food coloring, the latter of which gives the cake its memorable, deep red color. This makes a Red Velvet recipe perfect for choco-holics when the mood strikes. One thing to note about this recipe is that the cookie dough must chill for one hour before baking. However, the effort will be well worth the reward, once you taste just how amazing these cookies are!  

Ingredients: 

• 1 and 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (either light or dark) 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 large egg, at room temperature 
• 1 tablespoon milk or buttermilk 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus, a few extra to add after baking) 

Instructions: 

1. First, you’re going to make the dough. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. 
2. Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the creamed butter until combined, about 1 minute.  
3. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined.  
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Create the dough by mixing on low speed until a very soft dough is formed. Add more food coloring, if you’d like the dough to be brighter red.  
5. Gently beat in the chocolate chips. Note that the dough should be sticky at this point. 
6. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in your refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  
7. When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. 
8. Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Place 9 balls onto each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 11-12 minutes. Cookies are done when they have spread slightly. If desired, push a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies.  
9. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
    

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