The best cookies in the world are in NYC, where there are no limits to flavor, size, and imagination. Here, you’ll find some of the most delicious cookies you’ve ever tasted. Whether you’re looking for a mid-afternoon snack during the winter, a dessert after lunch, or a midnight after-hours treat, a cookie is the solution.
A cookie is the ultimate dessert for those who love warm sweet things. Breaking a freshly baked cookie in half and sensing the smell of sugar is at the top of everybody’s pleasure list. Have a glass of milk or coffee on the side, and oh my! You’ve peaked.
Here we present you with a list of the 12 best cookies in NYC. Many of these bakeries are famous all over the country and are always packed with cookie lovers for good reason. Their creations are heavenly, so make sure to try at least one of them during your visit to New York!
Levain Bakery
Levain Bakery is synonymous with quality cookies. Every New Yorker has been there or at least has heard of it once in their life.
The cookies here are chunky, thick, and packed with flavor. Some of them even look like scones. Their Chocolate Chip Walnut and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookies are the two most famous options.
Levain locations are now found in many cities across the US. Still, the original Upper West Side unit is a classic and worth visiting.
Maman
Maman is a must-try cookie destination with units spread all over New York. The beauty of this bakery is that it only offers three flavors of cookies: Oatmeal Vanilla Raisin, Nutty Chocolate Chip, and Smores. Each of these recipes has been worked to perfection, and it saves you the pressure and anxiety of having to choose from too many options.
PS: If you still need convincing, note that Oprah has named the Nutty Chocolate Chip cookie from Maman one of her favorite treats in the world.
Chip City NYC
What if a PB&J sandwich came in the form of a cookie? At Chip City, this is a popular flavor where the salty and sweet mix drips from the inside of a cookie once you break it in half.
Thought that was interesting? Wait until you try the Everything Bagel flavor and the Red Velvet with hot chocolate pouring down its interior.
Chip City opened in 2017, and it already has units in Brooklyn, Queens, and Lower Manhattan. Their gooey cookies and creative flavors are becoming popular all over New York and maybe the entire country. They ship their cookie dough for you to bake at home as well!
Mah-Ze-Dahr
Mah-Ze-Dahr’s “Dark Chocolate Explosion” is what happens when a cookie and a brownie fall in love and have a baby. Chewy and soft, this sugar-coated treat has the right amount of sweetness to it.
With roots in the West Village, they became so famous they opened another unit in Midtown. Here, you can try many other desserts as well, but the cookies are a must. The Vanilla Choux flavor is unique, with vanilla cream inside a simple sugar cookie crust.
Jacques Torres Chocolate
Jacques Torres Chocolate is famous for its giant chocolate chip cookie, with plenty of chocolate chunks mixed with the batter. Although it looks dry and crackly from the outside (since it is flatter than the other cookies on this list), it is actually extraordinarily chewy and soft on the inside.
Since Jacques Torres specializes in chocolate, the texture and consistency of the chocolate chunks in this cookie make it one of the best in the city. The dough mixes cake and cookie batter, creating a unique consistency.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
Dominique Ansel innovated how we pair our cookies with milk, turning the treat into the cup itself. Here, the cookie shots are humble in flavor, covered with a chocolate layer on the inside to hold the milk and make sure it doesn’t break apart as you eat it.
Previously famous for their cronuts (a marriage between a croissant and a donut), the lines to enter the bakery can sometimes go around the block.
Culture Espresso
Culture Espresso is a coffee shop that serves one of the best chocolate chip cookies in the city. The magic here is to work creatively with such a simple treat. Crispy on the outside, chewy and buttery on the inside, and with not too many chocolate chips, this cookie recipe has reached perfection.
These cookies are baked every day and melt in your mouth. They’re especially perfect when paired with some freshly brewed coffee.
Insider’s Tip: Looking for even more sweets? Check out our list of the best donuts in NYC!
The Good Batch
The Good Batch is known for its Tahini Chocolate Chunk cookie, which perfectly balances saltiness and sweetness in a single treat. Aside from cookies, they also offer breakfast, sandwiches, and ice cream.
The Peanut Butter Fully Loaded (you can imagine what it will taste like just from its name) and Ginger Molasses flavors are also worth a try. There are also plenty of vegan and gluten-free options to pick from.
Like Levain, the cookies here are thick, unevenly shaped, and packed with flavors from their other ingredients.
Gooey On The Inside
Gooey On The Inside is where those cookies you might be seeing all over Instagram come from.
Aside from being perfectly baked and flavorful, the cookies have incredibly creative names. The “Cuppa Joe Exotic” is a famous option, as well as the Bueno Bueno, a hazelnut and Kinder Bueno-flavored cookie that pleases everybody who orders it. And a shoutout to the Smore’s flavored cookie bites for those who don’t feel like ordering a big and chunky delicacy.
As if that weren’t enough, there are molten cookie jars to take home, filled with soft-baked cookie dough!
Milk Bar
Milk Bar has units all over New York, from Soho and the Financial District to Midtown, Uptown, and Brooklyn. They are famous for their cakes, both truffle size and large ones. However, they also produce creative and unique cookies, with flavors like Peppermint Pretzel Snap and Fruity Marshmallow for the holiday season.
City Cakes
City Cakes is famous for its half-pound cookies, thickly baked to perfection with a gooey inside and crispy exterior. Their Red Velvet flavor has a thick layer of gooey cream cheese on the inside. They offer dozens of flavors that will please any cookie lover out there—from Almond Matcha to Salted Double Chocolate Chip, there’s a cookie for everybody.
They have large cookie pies in four different flavors, and vegan or gluten-free options are also available.
Ovenly’s
Ovenly’s most famous cookie is the Salted Peanut Butter flavor, which manages to be both dairy and gluten-free and still delicious. This says a lot about a bakery’s knowledge of flavor balance and creativity. Here, the cookies are cakey and creamy, with the right amount of sweetness and sprinkles on top.
Explore New York’s rich cultural heritage and history through iconic family-run eateries and their foods on our Lower East Side Historical Food Tour. Sample a range of different local staples, from those with roots in the 19th century to modern and international treats popular today. You’ll try Fujian peanut butter noodles, a modern interpretation of a classic New York-style bagel, sweet treats, and more.
