48 Spring Cookies to Celebrate Warmer Days

Crisp Sugar Cookies

My grandmother always had sugar cookies in her pantry, and we grandchildren would empty that big jar quickly because they were the best! I now regularly bake these wonderful cookies to share with friends. —Evelyn Poteet, Hancock, Maryland

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Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

These beautiful shortbread sandwich cookies are always a welcome addition to our annual ladies holiday tea luncheon. The distinctive rosemary flavor, paired so well with the tangy lemon curd, has made them a favorite in our group for years! —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

Berry-Cream Cookie Snaps

My mom and I made up this recipe by combining two others. These cute cookies are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy inside. You could also bake the cookies flat and serve the filling as a cookie dip if you like. —Crystal Briddick, Colfax, Illinois

Rhubarb-Filled Cookies

I won a blue ribbon at our local fair for these tender cookies. They’re so pretty with the ruby-red filling peeking through the dough. Try making these special cookies and watch the smiles appear. —Pauline Bondy, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Cream Cheese Dainties

Cream cheese makes these tender treats melt in your mouth. —Lynne Stewart, Julian, Pennsylvania

White Velvet Cutouts

We make and decorate these cutouts for different holidays and give lots of them as gifts. Last year, we baked a batch a week before Christmas to be sure we’d have plenty to give and plenty for ourselves, too. These rich cookies melt in your mouth. —Kim Hinkle, Wauseon, Ohio

Pistachio Cookies

This wonderful pistachio cookie recipe is fun to make and everyone will be impressed with how pretty the green coloring is. They’re one of my favorite holiday cookies. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas

Carrot Cake Shortbread

I really love carrot cake and wanted to make a cookie that had the same flavors. These comforting cookies are just the ticket! Cinnamon, maple and vanilla make them perfect for the holidays. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Thick Sugar Cookies

A bit thicker than the norm, this sugar cookie is just like one you might find at a good bakery. My children often request these sweet treats for their birthdays and are always happy to help me decorate. —Heather Biedler, Martinsburg, West Virginia

Raspberry Coconut Balls

My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois

Cherry Icebox Cookies

As a home economics teacher, I often supplied treats for school functions. These delectable cookies were always popular.

Lavender Cookies

I am a wedding and event planner and one of my brides served these unusual cookies at her reception, so I had to have this lavender butter cookies recipe. You can guess what her wedding color was! —Glenna Tooman, Boise, Idaho

Mimosa Butter Cookies

You can add many different flavors to butter cookies to make them your own. Try an alternate type of citrus zest, or add an alternate liquid to change things up. —Sara Lark, Raton, New Mexico

Cherry Cookies

With a tall glass of ice-cold milk, a couple of these cherry cookies really hit the spot for dessert or a snack. The coconut and bits of cherries provide a fun look and texture. —Judy Clark, Elkhart, Indiana

Lavender and Lemon Biscochitos

Biscochitos are the state cookie for our home state of New Mexico. They are traditionally made with anise seeds, but I substituted lavender and lemon in this biscochitos recipe. The result is intriguing and delicious! I have also made these with lemon and dried thyme and they were scrumptious. —Marla Clark, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Lemon Tea Cookies

These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan

Key Lime Pie Balls

The classic creamy filling, graham cracker crust and burst of lime are all mixed together in every bite of these rolled cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

First-Place Coconut Macaroons

These coconut macaroon cookies earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. They remain my husband's favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always asks me where his batch is! I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

Raspberry Almond Strips

Get ready to pour yourself a cup of tea, because you won’t be able to resist sampling one of these cookies. Almonds add taste and texture to the simple strips that are dressed up with raspberry pie filling. —Taste of HomeTest Kitchen

Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot cake cookies combine the classic flavors of carrot cake in a hand-held spiced treat. Shredded carrots, crushed pineapple and a tangy cream cheese frosting are the not-so-secret ingredients.

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

These whoopie pies are soft, cakey cookies studded with tart, juicy blueberries and filled with tangy cream cheese frosting. I take them to family and school events and they are always the first thing gone! Be sure to continually scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula while making the batter and frosting. —Kathy Martino, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Coconut Clouds

Coconut lovers will have extra reason to celebrate when they taste these cakelike drop cookies. The generous frosting and coconut topping make them a hit at holiday cookie swaps. —Donna Scofield, Yakima, Washington

Grandma Brubaker's Orange Cookies

At least two generations of my family have enjoyed the recipe for these light, delicate orange-flavored cookies. —Sheri DeBolt, Huntington, Indiana

Shamrock Cookies

A handy cookie cutter shapes these sensational sweets. With a hint of mint flavor, these shamrock cookies are especially yummy with cocoa or chocolate milk. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

These lemon meltaway cookies are soft, chewy and thanks to confectioners' sugar and a few other key ingredients, they'll melt in your mouth. Better yet, they're easy to make and relatively quick even with the required chill time. Serve alone or with your favorite ice cream.

Easter Sugar Cookies

Cream cheese contributes to the rich taste of these melt-in-your-mouth Easter sugar cookies. They have such nice flavor, you can skip the frosting and sprinkle them with colored sugar for a change. —Julie Brunette, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Lemon & Rosemary Butter Cookies

Cooling lemon and aromatic rosemary make these butter cookies stand out at the holidays. I use them to punch up the cookie trays for potlucks or as gifts.—Elizabeth Hokanson, Arborg, Manitoba

Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

I layer a creamy, coffee-flavored filling between buttery shortbread, then dip the sandwiches in chocolate. Guests always love them.—Bertha Seyer, Oak Ridge, Missouri

Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies

Carrot cake is a family favorite, and these delicious cookies taste just like it with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and cloves. And they’re topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Who could resist? Each cookie is like eating a piece of carrot cake, but with no fork needed! —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Lemon Thyme Icebox Cookies

I found this recipe at my grandmother's house, and I made it as soon as I got home. The lovely melt-in-your-mouth butter cookie is very unique. It's almost savory because of the thyme, which pairs well with the lemon. —Catherine Adams, Westwego, Louisiana

Jammy Dodgers

On my first trip to Great Britain, I stumbled upon these cookies (or biscuits, as they’re known in the U.K.). These iconic treats, sold as Jammie Dodgers, can be found everywhere over there. Since I couldn’t find them in the States, I had to make my own version. —James Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor, Culinary

Easter Egg Cookies

My mother started baking these cookies with me and my eight brothers and sisters when I was a child, and I carried on the tradition with our four youngsters when they were little. Now, my children are grown and can make these cookies with their own tots. —Barbara Neuweg, West Point, Iowa

Orange Spritz Cookies

Brown sugar gives these spritz cookies a lovely light caramel tint. This variation has a rich buttery shortbread taste and texture with a hint of orange flavor. They are a delightful addition to my holiday cookie tray. -Sean Fleming, St. Charles, Illinois

Jeweled Coconut Drops

Red raspberry preserves add a festive flair to these tender coconut drops. Perfect for potlucks and cookie exchanges, the shaped cookies never last long when I make them for my husband and two sons. —Ellen Marie Byler, Munfordville, Kentucky

Palmier Cookies

It takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lavender Shortbread

Lavender flowers can be used fresh or dried in cooking. The flowers have an intense flavor, so they are best used sparingly.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

Lime & Gin Coconut Macaroons

I took these lime and coconut macaroons to our annual cookie exchange, where we name a queen. I won the crown! —Milissa Kirkpatrick, Angel Fire, New Mexico

Tender Italian Sugar Cookies

These traditional Italian cookies are moist and tender. —Weda Mosellie, Phillipsburg, New Jersey

Lemon & Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

Lemon and rosemary make these luscious treats a sweet surprise for a few friends. —Malorie Harris, Wildomar, California

Cherry Kiss Cookies

Topped with a chocolate kiss, these cherry-flavored cookies look super cute on a dessert tray. Share them with family and friends. —Joy Yurk, Grafton, Wisconsin

Crisp Lemon Shortbread

Fresh juice and zest pair up to give my buttery cookies a lemony pop. Sprinkle sugar on top for extra sparkle. —Marcia Whitney, Gainesville, Florida

Lemon Butter Cookies

These tender cutout cookies have a slight lemon flavor that makes them stand out from the rest. They're very easy to roll out compared to other sugar cookies I've worked with. I know you'll enjoy them as much as we do. —Judy McCreight, Springfield, Illinois

Lemony Coconut Macaroons

These chewy gems have refreshing lemon flavor. They freeze well and thaw easily in the fridge, so you can cure a craving anytime. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana

Nutty Pie-Crust Cookies

I like Italian cream cake, so I used it as inspiration for this cookie recipe. The splash of orange liqueur in the filling is my special touch. —Sonji McCarty-Onezine, Beaumont, Texas

Coconut Lemon Crisps

We had these cookies at our wedding reception, where they brought smiles and compliments. They've become one of our anniversary dinner trademarks. —Segarie Moodley, Longwood, Florida

Cream Wafers

My sons used to help me make these cookies, and now my oldest granddaughter helps. When the smaller grandchildren are home, they help, too. The cute little sandwich cookies are tender, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth good! —Linda Clinkenbeard, Vincennes, Indiana

Lemon Pudding Cookies

These lemon slice cookies are a refreshing variation of my grandmother's sugar cookies. Lemon pudding mix and icing add a subtle tartness that tingles your taste buds. —Melissa Turkington, Camano Island, Washington