The 14 best cookies in NYC (2024)

The 14 best cookies in NYC (1)

We followed the cookie crumbs to find a dozen of the most unique and delicious takes on the classic treat.

Photograph: Courtesy of Orwashers

Written by Victoria Marin & Time Out contributors

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Cookies and milk aren’t just for kids—and the best cookies in NYC are proof. Freshly baked at the city’s best coffee shops and bakeries, NYC’s most beloved cookiesinclude elegant crinkle wafers, old-school black-and-white roundsand homey, familiar chocolate chips. These aren’t just some of New York’s finest cookies—they are some of the very best desserts in NYC.

RECOMMENDED: See all of the best restaurants in NYC

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The 14 best cookies in NYC (3)

Clinton St. Baking Company - Time Out Market
  • American
  • DUMBO

Order absolutely delicious chocolate chunk cookies from Clinton St. Baking Company.

Best cookies in NYC

  • Bakeries
  • Upper West Side
  • price 1 of 4

Photograph: Courtesy of Orwashers

Is there a more iconic NYC cookie than the classic black-and-white? Orwashers’ take looks just like any other version–a perfectly round cookie-cake frosted with equal parts black and white icing–but the balance of rich frosting and citrusy-buttery cake here makes theirs stand head and shoulders above the rest.

2.Brown Butter Salty at The Good Batch
  • Clinton Hill
  • price 1 of 4

Photograph: Courtesy of The Good Batch

If you don’t love chocolate but you do have an affinity for the rich and buttery dough that usually lives in between the chocolate chips, this sweet-and-salty offering from famed Brooklyn outpost The Good Batch will surely become a fast favorite.

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3.Dark Chocolate Explosion at Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery
Photograph: Time Out/ Ali Garber

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.

The 14 best cookies in NYC (10)
The 14 best cookies in NYC (11)

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.

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The 14 best cookies in NYC (12)
The 14 best cookies in NYC (13)

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.

6.Nutty Chocolate Chip at Maman
Photograph: Time Out / Ali Garber

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.

7.Chocolate Chip at Saraghina Bakery
  • Bakeries
  • Bedford-Stuyvesant
  • price 1 of 4

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.

8.Chocolate Chip Walnut at Levain Bakery
Photograph: Time Out/ Ali Garber

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.

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9.Morning Gloria at Ciao, Gloria
Photograph: Time Out / Ali Garber

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!

10.Red Velvet Hot Chocolate at Chip City
  • Bakeries
  • West Village
Photograph: Courtesy Chip City

This specialis warm and gooey. Like all of Chip City’s selections, it’s also utterly decadent and big enough to share.

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11.Salted Peanut Butter Cookie at Ovenly
Photograph: Time Out / Ali Garber

Gluten- and dairy-free,this cookie isa perfect blend of cakey and creamy. Ovenly has also figured out the perfect volume of sea salt flakes to sprinkle on top.

12.Quesito at Cindy Lou’s Cookies
  • Bakeries
  • Midtown West

The competition is fierce within Cindy Lou’s cookie catalog – which includesadozen cheeky options like Cap’n Crunch and Funfetti – but the Quesito is a clear stand out in the crowd. Based on the classic combo of guava jam and cream cheese made famous in Miami, it’s unlike any other cookie found in NYC: it’s an incredibly decadent combo of sweet, tart, fruity, creamy, gooey and crunchy all at the same time

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13.Tahini Chocolate Chunk at The Good Batch
Photograph: Time Out / Ali Garber

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

Have a chocolate craving?

Check out the best chocolate shops in NYC
Photograph: Courtesy Jacqueline Clair

From bonbons to truffles and ganaches, find the best chocolate shop in NYC to indulge your sweet tooth

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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    The 14 best cookies in NYC (2024)

    FAQs

    The 14 best cookies in NYC? ›

    In 1995, they whipped up a batch of big chocolate chip walnut cookies, and their neighborhood shop became so much more. “The cookie” earned a spot in the hearts of locals and visitors alike, taking on a life of its own as a New York City icon.

    Why is Levain Bakery so famous? ›

    In 1995, they whipped up a batch of big chocolate chip walnut cookies, and their neighborhood shop became so much more. “The cookie” earned a spot in the hearts of locals and visitors alike, taking on a life of its own as a New York City icon.

    What is the number one cookie in the world? ›

    Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

    How to get a La Mercerie cookie? ›

    You can order the La Mercerie cookie (if they're not sold out) as a post-meal dessert at the restaurant—or, if you're anything like me, just get there when they open and snag some cookie takeout.

    Why are black and white cookies famous in NYC? ›

    Why Are Black and White Cookies Famous? Black & white cookies are famous because they're such a quintessential New York dessert. It's believed that the cookie was invented at a Manhattan bakery called Glaser's, which was founded on the Upper East Side by Bavarian immigrants in 1902 and closed in 2018.

    What makes Levain cookies special? ›

    Levain Bakery has achieved cult-status fame for what they call “New York's most famous cookie.” Their oversized cookies are almost scone-like with irresistibly craggy edges and underbaked centers.

    Are Levain Bakery cookies good? ›

    Top Notch! Yes, only 8 cookies but it's a pound of cookies! Quality ingredients, chunks of walnuts and chocolate, and 1 cookie will do the trick -- they are like mini scones. I appreciate Levain made their very famous and expensive cookies available to the general public with a more affordable grocery store option.

    What are the top 5 cookies? ›

    Some of the most popular cookie flavors include:
    • Chocolate chip.
    • Peanut butter.
    • Peanut butter blossoms.
    • Double chocolate chip.
    • Snickerdoodle.
    • Sugar.
    • Shortbread.
    • Pumpkin.

    What is the 2nd most popular cookie? ›

    Nabisco Oreo was the second ranked cookie brand of the United States with about 674.2 million U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2017.

    What is the 1 cookie in the US? ›

    Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world. How much do youknow about chocolate chip cookies?

    What are the best cookies in Manhattan? ›

    Best cookies in NYC
    1. Black and White at Orwashers. Bakeries. ...
    2. Brown Butter Salty at The Good Batch. ...
    3. Dark Chocolate Explosion at Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery. ...
    4. Pineapple Linzer at Té Company. ...
    5. Chocolate Chip at Culture Espresso. ...
    6. Nutty Chocolate Chip at Maman. ...
    7. Chocolate Chip at Saraghina Bakery. ...
    8. Chocolate Chip Walnut at Levain Bakery.
    Feb 29, 2024

    How much are the cookies at La Mercerie NYC? ›

    It's only $6 so a total steal 💖 We talked to La Mercerie, the French restaurant in Soho, and they said they used to only make 24 cookies per day. After someone shared about it on TikTok it exploded. Now they're making 66 per day, since that's all their mixer can hold 😂

    Who owns La Mercerie NYC? ›

    View our privacy policy. LA MERCERIE RESTAURANT LIVES INSIDE OF ROMAN AND WILLIAMS GUILD IN SOHO, BOTH CREATED AND OWNED BY STEPHEN ALESCH & ROBIN STANDEFER, WITH CUISINE BY CHEF MARIE-AUDE ROSE THAT CELEBRATES THE DELIGHTS OF EVERYDAY FRENCH COOKING.

    What cake is New York famous for? ›

    Besides Cheesecake, many other sweet treats were invented in New York City, such as Jell-O, Blackout Cake, Chocolate Fondue, and even Key Lime Pie!

    What is the national cookie of America? ›

    What is the national cookie of the US? While there is no official national cookie of the US, the classic chocolate chip cookie is king. That's according to many polls conducted over the years with the most recent being from Crumbl Cookies by One Poll.

    Are Rainbow Cookies a NY thing? ›

    Yes, rainbow cookies, also known as tri-color cookies or Italian flag cookies, have a strong association with New York, particularly within Italian-American communities. Originally from Italy, these colorful cookies were embraced and popularized in New York City's Italian bakeries.

    Why is levain important? ›

    Levain is an important ingredient when it comes to baking bread and other dough-based goods. In order to make dough rise, you need active yeast cultures to aid in fermentation. That is where levain comes in.

    What's the difference between sourdough and levain? ›

    A levain, also called a leaven or levain starter, is an off-shoot of your sourdough starter, and it's a mixture of fresh flour, water, and some ripe starter. This mixture will be used entirely in a batch of dough and has the same fate as the bread dough you're mixing: you will bake it in the oven.

    What percentage of levain is in bread? ›

    Target Bread

    Typically ranges from 65% to 100%; higher means more airy crumb but more difficult to handle. % salt to flour ratio; typically ranges from 1.5% to 3%. % levain to flour ratio. Typically 10% to 30%, depending on how long you want the dough to ferment.

    Who is the owner of Levain Bakery? ›

    Levain Bakery
    Front of New York City store
    Founded1995 in Manhattan, New York City
    FoundersConstance McDonald and Pamela Weekes
    OwnersConstance McDonald and Pamela Weekes

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