13 Summer Cookies Recipes

Summer is the perfect time to bake cookies that use fresh seasonal fruits and flavors that remind you of warm days and vacation treats. These 13 recipes take advantage of summer berries, tropical fruits, and nostalgic flavors like s’mores and watermelon. Most of these are simple to make but bring something special that regular chocolate chip cookies don’t have.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

These are bright and tangy cookies perfect for hot days. The lemon juice and zest in the dough gives them real lemon flavor, not fake stuff. They’re rolled in powdered sugar before baking which creates pretty crackles on top when they spread. The inside stays soft and chewy while the outside gets a little crisp. These are refreshing instead of heavy like most cookies. Great with iced tea on the porch when it’s too hot to move.

Fresh Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

These buttery cookies have chunks of real strawberries baked right in. Some recipes use freeze-dried strawberries which gives stronger flavor without making the dough too wet. The shortbread base is simple – just butter, sugar, and flour basically. These aren’t super sweet which lets the strawberry flavor shine. They look pretty with their pink speckles and some recipes add a strawberry glaze on top. Perfect for summer picnics or garden parties.

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

The combo of coconut and lime makes these taste tropical and summery. The lime zest and juice adds brightness that cuts through the sweetness. Some recipes roll the cookies in shredded coconut before baking which gets toasty in the oven. These are usually soft in the middle with slightly crisp edges. A lime glaze on top makes them extra special and bumps up the citrus flavor. These cookies make you feel like your on vacation even if your just in the backyard.

Peach Cobbler Cookies

These taste like peach cobbler but in handy cookie form. They have chunks of fresh peaches mixed into a cinnamon-spiced dough. Some recipes add oats or a streusel topping to mimic the cobbler crust. The peaches get jammy while baking which makes little pockets of fruit throughout. These are best during peach season when the fruit is super ripe and flavorful. They don’t keep as long as most cookies because of the fresh fruit but they usually disappear fast anyway.

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

The sweet white chocolate balances perfectly with the tart blueberries in these cookies. Fresh blueberries work but can make the dough purple, so many recipes use dried blueberries instead. The cookies are often made with brown sugar which gives them a deeper flavor that works well with the fruit. Some recipes add lemon zest which perks up the blueberry flavor even more. These are great for July 4th parties since they’re red, white, and blueish.

Watermelon Sugar Cookies

These are more about looks than actual watermelon flavor but they’re super fun for summer. The dough is usually divided and colored pink and green, then shaped to look like watermelon slices. Mini chocolate chips stand in for the seeds. Some recipes add watermelon flavoring but many just use vanilla dough with the watermelon appearance. These are adorable for kid’s summer parties or any watermelon-themed event. Not the fastest cookies to make but the wow factor is worth it.

Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

These buttery cookies have a depression in the center filled with blackberry jam that gets all bubbly and jammy during baking. You can use store-bought jam but homemade is even better if you have extra blackberries. The contrast between the sweet cookie and slightly tart jam is what makes these special. Some recipes add almond extract to the dough which works really good with the berries. These look fancy but aren’t actually hard to make.

Mango White Chocolate Chip Cookies

These use dried mango pieces chopped up in the dough along with white chocolate chips. The chewy sweet mango and creamy white chocolate is a perfect match. Some recipes add a bit of cardamom or ginger which complements the mango flavor. The dough is usually made with brown sugar which adds a caramel note that works well with the tropical fruit. Finding good dried mango that isn’t too sugary is key to making these work.

S’mores Stuffed Cookies

These cookies recreate campfire s’mores but in a more portable form. The chocolate chip cookie dough surrounds a filling of marshmallow and chocolate. As they bake, the marshmallow gets gooey just like over a campfire. Some recipes add crushed graham crackers to the dough to get all three s’mores elements. These are a bit messy to eat while the marshmallow is still warm but that’s part of the fun. Perfect for summer when you’re craving s’mores but don’t have a fire pit.

Raspberry Lemonade Cookies

These cookies capture the flavor of everyone’s favorite summer drink. The dough has lemon zest and juice while raspberry bits or jam add the berry part. Some recipes use freeze-dried raspberries crushed into powder and mixed into the dough or glaze which gives amazing color and flavor. The cookies are usually soft and cake-like with a tart lemon glaze on top. These are bright and refreshing – not too heavy for hot days. Great for summer baby showers or garden parties.

Key Lime Pie Cookies

These cookies taste like the famous pie but in a convenient handheld form. They usually have a graham cracker-flavored dough with lime zest and juice mixed in. Some recipes include cream cheese in the dough which makes them extra tangy like the pie filling. A white chocolate drizzle on top looks like the whipped cream that tops the pie. These are tart and sweet at the same time and perfect for when it’s too hot to bake a whole pie.

Pineapple Coconut Macadamia Cookies

These cookies are like a tropical vacation in every bite. The dried pineapple pieces give chewy sweet-tart bursts while the coconut and macadamia nuts add crunch and tropical flavor. The dough is usually vanilla with white chocolate chips. Some recipes toast the coconut first which adds amazing flavor. These are on the expensive side to make because of the macadamia nuts but worth it for something special. Great for pool parties or beach picnics.