The 12 best cookies in NYC

Umber Ahmad’s treat is almost more of a brownie: It’s perfectly chewy and soft. Prepared with confectioners’ sugar, the crackling powder coat resembles fresh snow, and the whole thing is not overpoweringly sweet.

Stuffed with pineapple jam and topped with shredded lime, this subtle-yet-commanding dessert is an ideal pairing with the Taiwanese teas that are the specialty of this intimate shop.

This coffee shop’s chocolate-chip cookies, which are freshly baked throughout the day, are a case study: crisp outside and buttery inside, with just the right amount of chocolate.

Stuffed with macadamias, almonds, walnuts, French chocolate and sea salt, this cookie has the ideal ratio of crunchy to craggly, oozing bites. No wonder Oprah once named it one of her favorite things. 

The long-standing debate amongst chocolate chip cookie connoisseurs boils down to a simple argument – chewy versus crispy. Brooklyn favorite Saraghina has figured out how to represent both sides and come out on top: the edges are crunchy and the middle is soft. Even better, the ratio of batter to chips is exquisitely balanced.

Although most revered for their standard chocolate chip cookie, the real star at Levain is the version that includes walnuts. The original Upper West Side location still commands lines for its decadent, shareable confections that could almost be mistaken for scones—except the six-ounce cookies are fluffier and richer.

Despite its name, this cookie can be eaten at any time of day. It’s a play on morning-glory muffins, masquerading as an earthy dessert that’s topped with shredded carrots for some colorful pizzaz. Eat your veggies and delight your sweet tooth at the same time!

This holiday special hits all the right notes for the season: it’s red, warm and gooey. Like all of Chip City’s selections, it’s also utterly decadent and big enough to share (but no judgment if you don’t – the holidays are all about indulgence, baby!).

Somehow this cookie is both gluten- and dairy-free, and still fully delicious. It’s a perfect blend of cakey and creamy and the good folks at Ovenly have figured out the perfect volume of sea salt flakes to sprinkle on top.

The competition is fierce within Cindy Lou’s cookie catalogue – which includes over two dozen cookies – but the PB&J is a clear stand out in the crowd. It’s a refined twist on the childhood favorite, nutty, creamy, sweet and tart all at the same time.

This chocolate chip cookie has a nutty and slightly salty undertone that’s impossible to get enough of and there’s a surprising savory note from the tahini that will linger in your daydreams for days after your last bite.

More often than not, a bite into a gluten-free cookie leaves us wanting more. The texture sometimes feels like cardboard and other times it's as dense as a pile of bricks. The Bangin' Chocolate Chip Cookies from Elisa's Love Bites changed our minds. In fact, it'll have you thinking: Are these really gluten free? The texture was perfect and as comforting as many other versions with flour. We won't ask questions because we can't stop eating these sweet treats.