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

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 process: According to the directions, just roll out the pie crust, top it with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, then tightly roll the pie crust into a log and slice it.

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 process: According to the directions, you mix sweetened condensed milk with unsweetened coconut flakes. Form the coconut mixture into little balls and put them in the freezer so they can harden. After about half an hour, the coconut should be firm enough to dip into melted dark chocolate without losing its shape.

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.