Who doesn't love a cookie that's crisp on the outside and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle? Whether it's classic chocolate chip or something more adventurous like lavender shortbread, the USA is filled with the most incredible sweet creations. Read on to see the best cookie to try in every US state.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
With locations in Homewood, Cahaba Heights and Huntsville, Cookie Fix is every cookie lover's dream. Fresh batches of soft, chewy, gooey cookies are baked daily, with over 60 flavors on their rotating menu. The only cookie available every day of the week is the unbeatable chocolate chip, and with good reason. Customers consistently say it's one of the best chocolate chip cookies they've ever had.
Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop's two locations offer up everything from bread and scones to croissants, cakes and, of course, cookies. Highly praised by customers, the peanut butter cookie tops the charts. Baked fresh every day, it's irresistibly chewy and has that unmistakable sweet but salty flavor. Customers also love the decadent sandwich version with two peanut butter cookies and a layer of peanut butter cream in the middle (pictured front left).
Phoenix's Churn has a real knack for nostalgia-infused confectionery, and their rotating selection of cookies are baked fresh daily. The shop is an ode to the past, decorated top to bottom with retro toys, nostalgic candy, and classic treats including fantastic ice cream cookie sandwiches. The Snickerdoodle is a must-try; buttery, gooey in the middle but crispy at the edges, and coated in a warm cinnamon topping. What’s not to love?
You might think you've tasted a perfect chocolate chip cookie before – but wait until you've tried The Root Cafe's offering. Customers wax lyrical about it, saying it's equally crispy and chewy with a perfectly crunchy edge. The café is also known for its excellent farm-to-table lunches and dinners, so coming here for a full meal is a real treat too.
Not only do the cookies from Milk Jar look extremely good, they also taste phenomenal. Baked fresh from scratch every day in small batches, flavors include banana split, mint chocolate, and salted butterscotch. Customers really love the white chocolate raspberry, which combines white chocolate chunks and tart fresh raspberries for a perfectly balanced taste sensation.
With lip-smacking flavors like Snickerdoodle and ginger molasses on the menu, you might think picking one cookie at Paradise Bakery is impossible – but customers disagree. Although all the cookies are delicious, it's the chocolate chip that's loved the most. People say there are plenty of chocolate chunks and an excellent amount of chewiness. The gluten-free version also gets top marks.
If you love peanut butter, then you'll be a huge fan of Sift Bake Shop's peanut butter sandwich cookie. It's an irresistible creation that sees a layer of peanut butter cream squashed between two crunchy yet soft peanut butter cookies. Customers love its sheer decadence and how well-balanced the flavors are. Top tip: always buy more than one – you're guaranteed to want another later.
Made with just four ingredients – peanut butter, sugar, egg whites, and chocolate – Frank & Louie's peanut butter cookies are not only incredibly tasty but also gluten-free. They've won many a customer's heart thanks to the soft, chewy texture and incredible flavor, and are dipped in dark chocolate for extra decadence. You'll find lots of other goodies at this Italian deli too, including traditional cannoli and a variety of top-notch sandwiches.
According to customers, the pistachio toffee chocolate cookie at Gideon's Bakehouse is not just a cookie – it's an experience. A mix of sweet and salty flavors, it combines chocolate chips, crunchy toffee bites, and lightly salted pistachios. The cookies here come with a pretty serious price tag, but customers say it's worth it, and they sell out almost every day.
Delicate and beautifully flavored, the lavender shortbread cookies at Back in the Day Bakery are loved thanks to their subtle floral notes and a soft, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Customers will also find a selection of bread and sandwiches, as well as brownies, cupcakes and biscuits, and they also offer baking classes.
The name of this dessert shop in Honolulu hints at its appeal. Customers are invited to enjoy edible cookie dough that's safe to consume, and if you can't finish it the leftovers are baked into actual cookies. One standout combination is the matcha Oreo, which combines the distinct matcha flavor with chocolatey Oreo cookie crumb (pictured on the right). Customers adore how large, soft and gooey these cookies are.
With a constantly rotating menu of monthly specials, Chip's offers one cookie that never loses its popularity, the award-winning and aptly named OG. A traditional chocolate chip at heart, it's a huge cookie with a crispy outside and gooey inside, made with Guittard chocolate chips. The cookie can also be ordered for nationwide or local delivery and, according to customers, the latter often arrives still warm from the oven.
All the sweet treats from Sweet Mandy B's are amazing, but their iced sugar cookie is a real standout. A long-standing customer favorite, the cookie is soft and buttery with just the right amount of chewiness. It's topped with icing in a variety of colors and finished with a touch of confetti sprinkles. Get it from one of two locations in Chicago.
This is not a chocolate chip cookie as you know it; Amelia's version is soft in the middle, crunchy on the outside and is finished with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt to perfectly balance the flavors. What's more, it's made with browned butter, which adds another layer of flavor and a beautiful dark color. Don't miss the bakery's excellent bread selection while you're there.
If you're in Des Moines, you won't regret a stop at bakery Scenic Rock for one of their big chocolate chip cookies. Customers describe them as divine, saying they have a lovely crisp on the outside, while the melted chocolate chips make the inside all soft and gooey. The bakery also has a small menu of sandwiches and salads, so you're all set for a tasty meal.
Big, slightly crumbly, and fluffy in the middle, the chocolate chip cookies at Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee have been a hit with customers for quite some time. The staple often gets limited-time upgrades too, like a rainbow buttercream swirl sandwich for Pride Month. The 100% plant-based bakery always has new sweet and savory treats on the menu that are worth checking out, too.
Trendy Southern-style bakery Please & Thank You promises the best chocolate chip cookies in Louisville. According to customers they deliver, offering the perfect balance of chewy and crunchy, and sweet chunks of chocolate with a touch of salt. Some reviewers suggest you arm yourself with napkins to wipe the gooey chocolate from your fingers and face. You can even buy the dough to make your own at home.
The chocolate chip cookie experience is taken to a whole other level at New Orleans' Willa Jean restaurant. Warm cookies are served as part of a dessert with a glass of vanilla milk and a hand mixer blade full of unbaked cookie dough. Many customers say that this sweet plate was the best part of their meal, and they especially love the homemade feel the sea-salt-dusted cookies have.
The cookies at Portland's Standard Baking Co are made with organic, locally grown ingredients. The family-owned bakery dishes out fresh batches every day and offers lots of tempting flavors, but be sure to check out the sea salt chocolate pecan, which they describe as their 'ultimate' cookie. Fans say it's rich, satisfying, and the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
With over a dozen original ice cream and cookie flavors, it might be difficult to choose the components of your perfect ice cream sandwich at The Baked Bear, and that's before you've even got to the toppings. Whatever your combo, make sure you're hungry, as customers say they're huge. If you'd prefer, you can also just get a cookie on its own.
A hip Boston café with a good lunch offering, Blunch is also known for incredible triple chocolate chip cookies. The thick cookies are loaded with massive chocolate chunks, perfect for those with a serious sweet tooth. Customers say they're great if you like your cookies with a gooey center.
Founded more than 20 years ago, Ann Arbor's Avalon International Breads is known for its perfect loaves made from 100% organic flour – but it's the sea salt chocolate chip cookies that keep customers coming back. Some have even called them 'life-changing'. Customers praise the brilliantly balanced sweet and salty flavors and all agree they're baked to perfection.
You might find it a touch unusual that the best cookies in Minnesota come from a pizzeria – but one taste of Pizzeria Lola's delicious treat and you'll be convinced. Lola's dessert features three tasty cookies and a shot of milk and is the perfect ending to any meal here, so be sure to leave room after your pizza.
Everyone in the Corinth area knows Abe's Grill and Abe himself (pictured left). They also know he's been serving first-class food – including superb chocolate chip cookies – on Highway 72 since 1974. The bakes are served straight from the pan, meaning each cookie is still hot and all gooey inside. Some rate these chocolate chip cookies as the best they've ever had.
We promise you won't regret indulging in the exquisite chocolate chunk cookie from The Russell. It's loved for its superb texture and incredible flavor. The secret lies in the fact it's made with olive oil instead of butter, imparting an especially rich and nutty flavor, while the dark chocolate chunks add a certain bitterness that balances out the sweetness of the dough.
A small, family-run café, MineShaft Pasty's primary focus is delicious pasties, but you'll also find myriad sweet treats. Best of all are the chocolate chip cookies: they call them 'world famous', while customers say they're heavenly, and commend how they're equal parts chewy and crunchy. Get more than one because you're bound to want a second.
Although there are several really delicious cookies on offer at Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop, from classic chocolate chip to peanut butter and lemon, nothing beats this malted milk version of a chocolate Oreo cookie. Customers are big fans of this creative combination and love how deep and rich the flavors are. The cookies are also big, which means perfectly crisp edges and a soft, chewy center.
Las Vegas's Zenaida's Cafe is a top spot for a tasty breakfast or brunch, but the best part of the meal comes right at the end. The melt-in-your-mouth cookies are complimentary and customers say they hit the table warm and deliciously gooey. Served with cinnamon and a light drizzle of white chocolate sauce, they're a fantastic way to finish a meal.
A cute bakery in the heart of Portsmouth, Elephantine dishes up breakfast and lunch plates and a whole host of baked goods. The chocolate chip cookie is a customer favorite; perfectly crispy around the edges and soft and crumbly in the middle. Some reviewers say they taste even better than homemade.
There are many things that brunch spot The Corner does exceptionally well: tasty avocado toast, pancakes, and top-notch coffee. But the chocolate chip cookie is in a league of its own. It's something of a local legend, and has been known to sell out early in the morning, leaving many disappointed. These days, the cookies are available for on-demand ordering throughout the day and customers can buy the raw dough to bake themselves.
The fantastic Rude Boy Cookies, which has two Albuquerque locations, has plenty of tasty treats on offer. If you find it difficult to pick your poison, just go for the dozen assorted cookies, which features everything from chocolate chip to Snickerdoodle. The peanut butter (pictured third from top) is a customer favorite, though. Crumbly, nutty, and delicious, it'll satisfy any sweet cravings.
Chances are you've heard of Levain Bakery, or at least seen the incredible cookie creations on social media. This place is famous for underbaking its massive cookies to get the perfect gooey texture, and the signature chocolate chip and walnut cookie is a clear customer favorite. It's even dubbed 'iconic' by some. There are several NYC locations to get your fix at.
A unique spot in the heart of Raleigh, Bittersweet is a dessert bar serving drinks, cocktails, and some seriously imaginative sweet (and a few savory) dishes. The menu changes often, but customers will find their much-loved sea salt chocolate chip cookie featured in some fashion. It's currently taking the form of a vanilla ice cream sandwich rolled in bourbon caramel corn.
The exquisite pastries at Nichole's Fine Pastry & Café are almost too pretty to eat – but they taste even better than they look. Alongside cakes, cupcakes, tarts, and confectionery, Nichole's has a range of cookies available and none beat the chocolate chip. With a crispy shell, the cookie is soft on the inside, and has a lovely hint of saltiness that customers absolutely love.
The worker-owned Pattycake Bakery is the place to go if you're after cookies baked with a lot of love, no animal products, and with as many organic ingredients as possible. The classic tollhouse cookie is a customer favorite thanks to its crumbly texture, chocolate chips, and chunks of walnut. Sucanat (natural sugarcane sugar with unremoved molasses) is used instead of brown sugar, for a more balanced sweetness and lovely golden color.
Barbee Cookies in Tulsa is the go-to place for incredible bakes, including the original cinnamon roll cookie. Made daily, the cookies have a delicious swirl of punchy cinnamon and a generous spread of buttery-sweet vanilla icing on top, offering a creative twist on the popular pastry. Customers say they're the real deal.
Baked fresh every day, the chocolate chip cookies at Courier Coffee taste better than homemade, according to customers. They're perfectly balanced in terms of sweetness, have a light sprinkling of sea salt across the top, and offer just the right crispy-to-chewy ratio. The café also has an excellent selection of hot drinks to pair with your tasty cookie.
Nancy B's Bakery are the self-proclaimed bakers of the 'best chocolate chip cookie' in the world, and it's hard to argue with them. The famous cookies are thick, have a heavenly texture, and are loaded with chips. Customers reckon they're 'epic'. Come early in the morning and you might catch a batch straight from the oven.
Wildflour's vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookie is easily among the best you'll taste. Customers love how big the cookies are and particularly praise the pleasant crunch and the amazing flavor from the dark chocolate chips. If that's still not enough chocolate for you, they also do an olive oil double chocolate cookie.
A small-batch bakery, Sugar Bakeshop uses fresh and local ingredients to make a selection of regular items, plus a rotating menu of seasonal treats. Their gingerbread molasses cookie (pictured bottom right) has garnered quite a bit of local attention. Some reviewers say it's the best cookie they've ever had and they love its buttery, spicy ginger molasses center.
Evoking memories of sitting around the fire on a camping trip, the inventive s'mores cookies at Mary's Mountain Cookies are simply incredible. They start with a chocolate chip cookie and then add graham crackers, a Hershey bar and marshmallows, before drizzling the whole thing in more chocolate. It's the ultimate treat. Cookie fans will be in heaven at Mary's, which also sells edible cookie dough and cookie ice-cream sandwiches.
There are two Kooky Canuck locations in Tennessee, in Memphis and Cordova, where the ultimate cookie experience is on offer. The huge chocolate chip cookie is baked in its own skillet and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Customers rave about it, saying it's the best dessert in town and totally addictive.
There might be a variety of sweet treats on offer at this walk-up bakery and ice cream shop, which has three Houston locations and one in Austin, but the chocolate chip cookie can't be beaten. They're usually served warm and fresh from the oven, and are dotted with gooey, melted chocolate chips. Tiny's also sells the raw cookie dough frozen, so you can bake a batch at home yourself.
Plant-based sandwich shop Buds has been serving tasty vegan sandwiches since 2012 but loyal customers know not to leave without one of their signature chocolate chip cookies. These vegan cookies, described as a 'must-try', hide a surprising secret: they're made with zucchini. The cookie is soft and chewy, with big chunks of chocolate and a hint of warming spice. You won't even know it's looked at a vegetable.
Whether it's frozen cookie dough you can bake at home or warm, gooey cookies fresh out the oven, Vermont Cookie Love's sweet offerings keep customers pouring through the door. The romantically named First Love chocolate chip cookie is a top choice for customers thanks to its homemade feel and perfect balance of flavors. The bakery prides itself on all-natural and GMO-free cookie dough with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Chocolate chip cookie–lovers, rejoice: Arlington's Bakeshop has several imaginative takes on the classic cookie. There's a brown butter version with chocolate chunks and a brookie – a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie – as well as versions with Oreos or Reese's. Customers particualry love the comforting taste of the oaty chocolate chunk.
It's hard to keep track of all the awards Hello Robin has received over the years, but one thing is a constant – their classic and traditional chocolate chip cookies. The top-selling and customer-favorite cookies are perfectly gooey in the middle with crunchy edges. If you like a little bit of spice in your life, try their orange habanero chocolate chip cookies as well. They're sweet, citrusy, and slightly spicy all at once.
An old-fashioned bakery, Apple Annie's delivers batch after batch of tasty, homemade cookies (as well as cream pies, muffins, cheesecakes, and more) every day. Their famous chocolate chip cookie has helped them build a loyal customer following. These enormous cookies sprawl across the plate, have a crunchy exterior and a moist, almost cake-like interior.
Graze is a forward-thinking gastropub that sources most of its ingredients from small farms within the region, and its incredible cookies and milk dessert is built on that ethos. The chocolate chip cookies are baked to order, so always come warm and gooey with a crispy edge, and are served with a glass of local Sassy Cow milk for dunking. Many customers say this dessert was the best part of their meal.
A cute, French-style bakery in Jackson, Persephone is highly rated for its coffee, breakfasts, pastries and, of course, cookies. The chocolate chip walnut cookie is a favorite. It's made with semi-sweet chocolate chunks and toasted walnuts – a decadent and classic combination. Customers also love the light sprinkling of sea salt across the top: one reviewer even says the cookie is 'life reaffirming'.