Forget passports. The only stamp you need is the one pressed into your shortbread. We’re taking you on a bite-sized journey through 20 types of cookies that represent the sweet spirit of nations near and far. This is not just a list; it’s a flavour festival, where every crumb carries culture!
There’s a variety of cookies out there more diverse than a global buffet, and whether you’re into butter, spice, chocolate-stuffed bliss or everything nice, this journey delivers something delicious for everyone! From the familiar to the fabulously obscure, these are the different types of cookies worth a spot in your belly (and on your baking list).
1. Nankhatai (India)
A shortbread with a desi twist, this ghee-kissed crumbly delight is basically India’s answer to the British biscuit. Cardamom, chickpea flour, and love make it a melt-in-your-mouth magnificent treat. Namaste to that!
2. Alfajores (Argentina)
One of the most beloved types of cookies in South America, these soft, sandy rounds feature a thick layer of dulce de leche sandwiched between them. Basically, the Latin American love child of a Twix and a cloud.
3. Speculoos (Belgium)
Like a warm hug from Santa Claus. These spiced biscuits are crunchy, cinnamon-y, and pair perfectly with coffee and existential crises.
4. Melomakarona (Greece)
Honey-drenched and walnut-dusted, these little bites taste like a Mediterranean holiday in cookie form. Break one open and let the syrupy chaos begin.
5. Pizzelle (Italy)
Waffle-thin and patterned like grandma’s finest lace doilies. These crisp cookies come with a whisper of anise or vanilla – molto bene!
6. Anzac Biscuits (Australia/New Zealand)
Oats, coconut, golden syrup and a hint of history. These cookies survived wars and now conquer snack attacks.
7. Ma’amoul (Middle East)
Date, nut, or fig-stuffed and dusted with icing sugar. Like tiny edible treasure chests, if treasure were buttery and divinely spiced.
8. Polvorones (Spain/Mexico)
Part of the crumbly categories of cookies that melt on your tongue. Also known as “Mexican wedding cookies,” they’re sugar-dusted proof that love is real. So crumbly that they practically cling to your mouth.
9. Pepparkakor (Sweden)
Thin, snappy, and spiced like they’re made by cinnamon sorcerers. If IKEA made feelings, they’d taste like these cookies.
10. Mooncakes (China)
Okay, stretching the cookie definition here, but these sweet, dense pastries filled with lotus seed or red bean paste are Mid-Autumn MVPs. Lunar legends in every bite.
11. Kleicha (Iraq)
Often flavoured with dates, cardamom and rose water, Kleicha are the pride of Iraqi celebrations. A cookie with poetic soul and a touch of floral drama.
12. Coconut Macaroons (France)
Sticky, chewy, golden-topped snowballs of coconut joy. Not to be confused with macarons – they’re the rugged cousin with a tropical tan.
13. Biscochitos (New Mexico, USA)
A unique entry in the different varieties of cookies, these spiced, anise-flavoured bites are the official state cookie. Anise, cinnamon, and lard (yes, glorious lard) make this the state cookie of New Mexico. Flaky, spicy, and unapologetically festive.
14. Russian Tea Cakes (Russia/USA)
Also known as snowballs or Mexican wedding cookies (yes, again), these buttery, nut-studded orbs are like edible Christmas baubles.
15. Stroopwafel (Netherlands)
Two thin waffles, hugging gooey caramel as if it owes them money. Best warmed over a hot cup of tea or sheer excitement.
16. Kourabiedes (Greece)
Almondy, powdery, and so delicate they crumble at a stern glance. Greece really said, “Let them eat sugar clouds.”
17. Rugelach (Jewish/Eastern European)
Crescent-shaped spirals of flaky pastry, rolled around nuts, cinnamon, or jam. Basically, pastry cookies are having a full identity crisis and thriving.
18. Oreos (USA)
Yes, you know them. But did you know there are more than 85 kinds of Oreo cookies? From Birthday Cake to Wasabi (not kidding), this cookie’s global domination is creamy, crunchy, and totally out of control. A modern favourite among all cookie types.
19. Amaretti (Italy)
Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and made with almond flour. These Italian cookies will amaret-to your heart.
20. Berliner Brot (Germany)
A hidden gem in the world of type of cookies to bake, these spiced cookie bars are nutty, chocolatey, and basically taste like the holidays got promoted. Not quite bread, not quite brownie.
Lesser-Known Cookie Facts That’ll Bake Your Brain!
Think you know cookies? Here are some off-the-beaten-tray facts that even seasoned snackers might not know:
- The world’s most expensive cookie was a single Oreo that was sent into space and auctioned for charity. Price tag? Nearly $1,000.
- Cookie Monster’s cookies on Sesame Street are actually painted rice cakes – real cookies crumbled too fast on camera!
- In Scotland, traditional shortbread was once considered a luxury reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and holidays.
- The first chocolate chip cookie was an accident. Ruth Wakefield of the Toll House Inn attempted to melt chocolate into dough, but instead created the iconic treat we love today.
- Germany’s ‘Pfeffernüsse’ cookies include black pepper – yep, a spicy twist in your sweet treat!
- The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word “koekje,” meaning “little cake.”
- NASA astronauts baked the first cookies in space aboard the ISS in 2019. It took two hours to bake one.
Clearly, there’s so much more to cookies than just sugar and spice. From ancient rituals to interstellar ovens, the cookie story stretches across time, space, and every craving in between. And with over 100 different types of cookies baked, devoured, and loved around the globe, there’s still a whole cookie universe left to explore.
Final Dunk
Whether you’re baking your way across borders or just taste-testing from your local market, these international bakes show that the world shares one language: Cookie. There are so many various types of cookies out there just waiting to crumble in your mouth and steal your heart.
So which one will you try first? Or are you on a quest to taste all the types of cookies out there? If so, consider this your permission slip to explore the cookie cosmos, one country at a time.
Borders crumble when crumbs unite and cookies conquer all!
