Think you can resist the seasonal temptation of forbidden fall cookies? Good luck with that. We’ve gathered 35 decadent recipes that are pretty much the cookie equivalent of a “Do Not Enter” sign you can’t help but walk past.
Dulce de Leche Cookies
These cookies feature the creamy, caramel-like texture of dulce de leche sandwiched between shortbread layers. They offer a rich indulgence that’s hard to resist.
Get the Recipe: Dulce de Leche Cookies
Ginger Snaps
Spiced with ginger and molasses, these cookies are a step above your typical sugar cookie. Their crisp exterior hides a flavorful kick that adds a little excitement to the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Ginger Snaps
Chocolate Rugelach
This Jewish pastry takes a sinful turn with a rich chocolate filling. Rolled and baked to perfection, Chocolate Rugelach is both culturally enriching and a forbidden treat due to its buttery dough and decadent filling.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Rugelach
Kolacky
This Eastern European pastry features a dollop of fruit preserves nestled in a tender dough. The butter and sugar make them delicious but forbidden treats, especially if you can’t stop at just one.
Get the Recipe: Kolacky
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Using an Air Fryer for these Peanut Butter Cookies cuts down on oil but not on taste. They’re slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, offering a healthier but still forbidden way to indulge.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Rhubarb Cookies
Rhubarb may not be everyone’s go-to fruit, but in these cookies, it provides a tart counterpoint to the sweet dough. Paired with a sugar glaze, these Rhubarb Cookies are deceptively tempting.
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Cookies
Air Fryer Hot Cocoa Cookies
Hot cocoa in cookie form is a temptation that most would find hard to resist. These Air Fryer Hot Cocoa Cookies bring the warmth of the drink into a sinful, hand-held treat.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Hot Cocoa Cookies
Black Sesame Cookies
These cookies offer a nutty, slightly bitter flavor profile from black sesame seeds. They break the cookie mold with their unique taste, but their high sugar and fat content make them a forbidden delight.
Get the Recipe: Black Sesame Cookies
Lemon Coconut Macaroons
Lemon zest and coconut combine for a zingy and tropical experience. These macaroons are a forbidden treat due to the combination of sweetness and high-calorie coconut.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Coconut Macaroons
Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
These actually might be your grandma’s oatmeal cookies. Filled with chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon, they offer a familiar but elevated experience that puts them squarely on the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Without flour, these cookies rely on cocoa powder and egg whites for their structure. They provide a gluten-free but still incredibly indulgent option for the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Salted Toffee Cookie Bars
Sweet and salty, these bars feature a layer of toffee sandwiched between cookie dough and a sprinkle of sea salt. The rich flavors make this a treat that’s tough to enjoy in moderation.
Get the Recipe: Salted Toffee Cookie Bars
Autumnal Nutella Delights
These cookies incorporate Nutella, providing a hazelnut twist that complements the fall season. They’re as rich as they sound, making them a forbidden but irresistible addition to your cookie repertoire.
Get the Recipe: Autumnal Nutella Delights
Fall Cake Mix Cookies
These cookies make use of seasonal cake mix for a shortcut to decadence. The flavors capture autumn in a convenient, yet indulgent way that’s difficult to pass up.
Get the Recipe: Fall Cake Mix Cookies
Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Cranberries and walnuts bring a festive flair to these cookies. The contrast between tart and nutty makes them a complicated pleasure, one that’s too good to limit to a single season.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Candy Corn Cookies
Infused with candy corn, these cookies are a visual and sugary spectacle. They’ll attract both your eyes and taste buds, demanding a spot on the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Candy Corn Cookies
Chewy Molasses Cookies
The depth of molasses makes these cookies rich and complex. Their chewy texture and dark sugar profile make them a must-try forbidden treat.
Get the Recipe: Chewy Molasses Cookies
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
The white chocolate chips bring a sweetness that elevates these from standard cookies. They’re addictively delicious, putting them squarely in the forbidden category.
Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Easy Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Apple and oatmeal combine for a texture that’s both chewy and slightly crisp. Despite their seemingly wholesome ingredients, the sugar content lands them on the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Easy Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Nutty Fall Peanut Butter Gems
Peanut butter and seasonal spices merge for a nutty and warm cookie experience. The density and richness warrant their forbidden status.
Get the Recipe: Nutty Fall Peanut Butter Gems
Fall Sugar Cookie Bars
These sugar cookie bars are a one-pan wonder that captures autumnal colors and flavors. Their simplicity belies their sinfulness, making them a forbidden treat.
Get the Recipe: Fall Sugar Cookie Bars
Cardamom Cookies
The aromatic quality of cardamom infuses these cookies with a unique flavor. Their unexpected but compelling taste will make you question why they’re not a year-round staple.
Get the Recipe: Cardamom Cookies
Matcha Sugar Cookies
Matcha gives these sugar cookies an earthy undertone. The unique color and rich flavor profile make them a forbidden, but memorable, cookie choice.
Get the Recipe: Matcha Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hidden Zucchini
Zucchini is the secret ingredient here, providing moisture without affecting flavor. It’s a deceptive way to include veggies in a cookie, making them a surprising but still forbidden treat.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hidden Zucchini
Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies
These cookies take the shape and colors of fall leaves, making them seasonally thematic. While they might look innocent, their sugar content earns them a forbidden label.
Get the Recipe: Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin and chocolate chips make a surprising but delicious pair in these oatmeal cookies. Their multi-layered taste profile lands them squarely in the forbidden, yet craveable, category.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Half Moon Cookies
These cookies feature contrasting dark and light frosting. The dual flavors make it difficult to have just one, putting them on the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Half Moon Cookies
Heath Bar Cookies
Heath Bar pieces add a toffee crunch that’s hard to resist. This combination makes these cookies an indulgence that’s impossible to ignore.
Get the Recipe: Heath Bar Cookies
Sweet Potato Cookies
Sweet potato gives these cookies a naturally sweet and creamy texture. They’re a fall staple that’s delicious but dense in calories, making them forbidden yet irresistible.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Cookies
Ruby Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ruby chocolate chips offer a berry-like tang to the classic cookie. The unique chocolate type adds a level of decadence that makes these cookies forbidden territory.
Get the Recipe: Ruby Chocolate Chip Cookies
Halloween Pinwheel Cookies
These cookies combine colors and flavors fit for Halloween. Despite their festive appearance, their sugar content makes them a forbidden treat.
Get the Recipe: Halloween Pinwheel Cookies
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
The zest of orange and tart cranberries elevate this shortbread cookie. It’s a seasonally appropriate, but sinfully rich, option for your forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Apple Cider Shortbread
Apple cider gives these shortbread cookies a seasonal kick. The concentrated flavor of cider makes them a once-a-year forbidden treat.
Get the Recipe: Apple Cider Shortbread
Dirty Chai Earthquake Cookies
These cookies feature the spiced flavors of chai with a caffeine hit. Their crinkled, sugary tops add visual appeal to their forbidden status.
Get the Recipe: Dirty Chai Earthquake Cookies
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin adds a seasonal spin to these cinnamon-sugar classics. Their soft texture and warming spices solidify their spot on the forbidden list.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chips and pumpkin join forces for a fall cookie that’s hard to beat. Their irresistible blend of flavors makes them a quintessentially forbidden autumn treat.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies