Zoë Bakes Cookies: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars by Zoë François

    • Categories: Cookies, biscuits & crackers; Pet food; Vegetarian; Vegan
    • Ingredients: peanut butter; bananas; rolled oats; peanut flour; ground cinnamon; turmeric
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Notes about this book

  • marvymer on February 22, 2025

    See the errata webpage for errors in the cookbook's recipes: https://zoebakes.com/zoe-bakes-cookies-errata/

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Ultra-peanut butter cookies

    • anya_sf on June 04, 2025

      Delicious, soft-textured cookies, very peanutty as promised. My scoop was slightly smaller and I got 12 cookies from 1/2 recipe; baking time of 12 min was just right. They all fit on 1 sheet as the cookies did not spread much. I left out the optional chocolate.

    • KCKB on December 13, 2025

      These do have a softer texture than regular PB cookies, as anya_sf noted. Good, though! I also skipped the chocolate, as well as the sprinkling sugar, and I made the cookies a bit smaller. I got a yield of 30 using a 2-tbsp scoop, and a 10-minute bake was perfect.

  • Chocolate crinkle cookies

    • Jviney on June 12, 2025

      The flavor of these is fantastic. I included the optional espresso powder and bittersweet chocolate, and used Black Onyx cocoa powder. Aware of the warning not to overbake, I started with nine minutes on these and they were flat as pancakes after they cooled. The second batch I baked for 12 minutes and they were some better, but still not puffy as in the pic...also not crispy as she warned they could be. I got 19 cookies so perhaps too big...

  • Maple coconut bars

    • anya_sf on August 12, 2025

      Like a sightly fancier seven layer bar, these were good, if quite rich and super sweet (like the original). The maple wasn't noticeable but the spices were. My bars took 43 min to bake (could be my oven). Despite using both foil and parchment as directed, a bit of filling leaked in one corner and had to be pried out with a knife, so definitely line the pan well.

    • meggan on October 07, 2025

      Like Anya_SF I would say there was nothing particularly mapley about these bars. I also used unsweetened instead of sweetened coconut with no deleterious effects.

  • Soft oatmeal cookies

    • cookbookhabit on October 28, 2024

      Subbed almond flour for hazelnut flour because that's what I had on hand, but will try it with hazelnut flour next. A new favorite oatmeal cookie that disappeared quickly.

    • amanda_s4i4wx on August 17, 2025

      Used the high altitude adjustments and was perfect here in Colorado! Now a favorite postpartum gift

  • Rum raisin oatmeal cookies

    • anya_sf on October 15, 2024

      Using Mount Gay rum, the flavor was very subtle; would use a stronger tasting rum next time. Otherwise good, chewy oatmeal cookies packed with raisins. Using a smaller scoop, I got 16 cookies from 1/2 recipe. Baking time was 18 min. I baked the first batch after chilling 1 hour and the second after 24 hours - flavor was the same; the second batch initially baked up thicker, but flattened upon cooling, so both batches ended up fairly thin.

    • Aesale on April 13, 2026

      Great recipe! I make it all the time. I like storing the frozen disks in the freezer and baking them fresh!

  • Coconut oatmeal raisin cookies

    • NicoleBrown on December 08, 2024

      This recipe makes a lot of cookies! But I loved the reminder + steps of freezing dough balls. I put half away for a later cozy treat! These are absolutely delicious! I did accidentally over bake them. Normally I always have to add time to whatever the recipe says so I wasn’t watching my oven super closely. I subbed sweetened dried cranberries for raisins because that’s what I had on hand!

    • als102 on August 24, 2025

      These are outrageously good!! A to-to recipe.

    • Rinshin on January 20, 2026

      Awesome chewy oatmeal raisin coconut cookies of my dreams! Made exactly 21 cookies and they are very filling. Photo added.

    • anya_sf on April 28, 2026

      I made 1/2 recipe and got 16 cookies. Baking time was a couple minutes longer (but my oven is unpredictable). The cookies remained quite thick and didn't spread much. Next time I may flatten them slightly. Great flavor (coconut added sweetness without being prominent) and thick, chewy texture.

  • Aunt Melissa's granola

    • deborah_cna8rz on April 16, 2026

      This is the best recipe for granola.

  • 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies

    • Jviney on September 09, 2024

      These cookies were a nice surprise, so quick to throw together plus dairy- and gluten-free. I used turbinado sugar and loved the crunch.

  • Spelt sugar cookies

    • smartie101 on August 24, 2025

      Has anyone made this recipe? I followed the recipe exactly and it is a crumbly mess. No way to roll out - it just does not come together. Wondering if something is missing....milk, another egg??? I just have it sitting in my fridge. I did not see it on the errata sheet either.

  • Ginger snaps

    • anya_sf on December 14, 2024

      The dough was very soft going into the fridge, so the bottom flattened as it hardened; once chilled, it was very stiff, so the cookies were oval rather than round, and I couldn't slice them 1/8" thick - more like 3/16" - so I got around 40 cookies. Given the color, I had a hard time telling when they were done and baked them 15 minutes. Once cooled, they were quite crunchy, but pleasantly so. Flavor was quite sharp/spicy (I used Diaspora ginger) - too much for me, but my husband liked them.

    • NicoleBrown on December 14, 2024

      Not my favorite from this book, but still decent. Dough was pretty soft going into the fridge which made the bottom go flat. Thus once slicing my cookies were not round. Tried my best to slice them thinly, but I definitely did not get 60 cookies. Recipe says to bake until golden brown…but, uh, they’re already brown so I kind of guessed based on feel and baked them 12 minutes. They were snappy once cooled! The kind of cookie you’ll want with some milk or something. I ate a couple alongside a yogurt & raspberries in place of granola.

  • Soft molasses cookies

    • anya_sf on December 14, 2024

      Really good, soft cookies with pleasant, not overly sharp, molasses/spice flavor. I chilled the cookie balls overnight before baking and they did not spread much in the oven. Using a 1 Tbsp scoop, I got 28 cookies from 1/2 recipe. Baking time was 13 min.

    • NicoleBrown on December 16, 2024

      So delicious! These are the type of ginger cookies I love. Rolled in granulated sugar. Not sure what size my cookie scoop is, but I got quite a bit more than 24 cookies. Baked for 10 minutes and it was perfection. Froze the second half, but I will probably be baking that soon. Family loves them.

  • Chocolate brownie mint sandwiches

    • NicoleBrown on December 19, 2024

      Seemed like the perfect thing to make on a snow day. I probably should have chopped my chocolate a tad bit smaller than I did. I let my batter rest for 10 minutes as instructed, but if I were to make again I would let it go even longer to help set a little more. Batter was still pretty runny, but firmed further on the 2nd batch. 9 minutes was perfect bake time for me. Mint buttercream is good too, though took a bit to come together. Overall I enjoyed both making & eating these, but i probably wouldn’t bake again.

  • Poppy seed cookies (Mohn kichel)

    • selena__rhea on September 07, 2024

      Great recipe brought back all the feels. Omits instructions for chilling dough in main recipe but suggests that it is necessary in thumbprint version. I was able to wet hands to roll dough and press w/o chilling.

    • NicoleBrown on December 23, 2024

      Delightful little cookie. I made one batch with jam & one without. Recipe never mentions to chill dough, but thumbprint version talks about dough being chilled. I decided I was too lazy and went without chilling at all. Cookies turned out fine, but i could see how chilling might make them slightly easy to manage. Make sure to wet the bottom of your glass before pressing them down.

    • anya_sf on June 12, 2025

      Nice flavor, and so quick to make that I had to let the cookies sit for a bit while the oven finished preheating. Mine were slightly smaller (28 cookies from 2/3 recipe). The dough was soft enough that they spread and smoothed as they sat, no shaping/pressing needed. They were slightly dry but I may have baked them a minute too long.

  • Zoë's perfect chocolate chip cookies

    • anya_sf on October 15, 2024

      I used a smaller scoop and got 15 cookies from 1/2 recipe. Baking time was 14 min. I didn't have enough bittersweet chocolate and used half semisweet (and to me, the smaller amount of chocolate was good); the cookies were quite sweet so next time I'll only use bittersweet and be generous with the salt on top. They spread a lot and touched with only 7 on a sheet. Texture was soft and chewy. One batch baked after chilling 2 hours, the second after 24 hours; they seemed identical.

    • als102 on July 31, 2025

      I got 2-3 more cookies than the recipe predicted by measuring out 60g per cookie. These came out perfectly!!!! I love that she also describes in the book why she uses shortening in these (I used lard in this case and they turned out well; next time I want to try coconut oil). Perfectly crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle. I've been looking for a go-to recipe for years and I think this is it!

    • deborah_cna8rz on March 24, 2026

      Amazing.

  • Smash cookies

    • anya_sf on April 29, 2025

      Delicious, extra large cookies. Chilled 6 hours, baking time of 14 min (convection) was, I believe, just right - underbaked in the centers such that it almost seemed like raw cookie dough was one of the mix-ins.

    • als102 on August 03, 2025

      I made the browned butter blondies version of this for some new neighbors - really freaking good! Super easy. Can't wait to make the supersized cookie version.

  • Chocolate hazelnut cookies

    • Breannetuttle on November 16, 2024

      Excellent cookies. My coworkers raved about them. Note that the first edition of the cookbook has some errors (found them by googling the book name + errata). The headnote mentions nutella, but it doesn't appear in the recipe. The errata mentions that 3 TBSP of nutella should be added like the tahini is added in the variations. I thought it was annoying to buy hazelnut flour for this recipe (vs chopped hazelnuts), but it's actually used several times in the book, so buy once and make all the hazelnut recipes!

    • anya_sf on September 05, 2025

      Delicious. My scoop was slightly smaller and I got 15 cookies from 1/2 recipe. Baking time was still 15-16 minutes. Thanks to Breannetuttle for the nutella instructions (I used the Bonne Maman version). Sprinkled the 1st batch with salt, but not the 2nd batch as the cookies weren't that sweet due to the bittersweet chocolate I used. Next time might use semisweet.

    • Jviney on January 23, 2026

      Top notch, really delicious. Thanks Breannetuttle for the Nutella note - I added the three tablespoons at the end and kind of swirled it all in to the batter. Used a combination of bittersweet and milk chocolate chips. Excellent cookie.

  • Triple chocolate chunk cookies

    • Breannetuttle on September 30, 2025

      Made these over the weekend - very easy recipe. Cookies are very rich in a good way. :)

  • Crisp chocolate chip cookies

    • justus_hkpri8 on June 02, 2026

      Not my favorite they were too crispy. I guess I prefer them a little thicker and gooier. I didn’t have the exact chocolate she used. It was also hard to make this without a stand mixer and my arms were getting tired. I would probably do it with either less or none of the flaky salt

  • Rye white-chocolate macadamia nut cookies

    • anya_sf on May 20, 2025

      The large amount of mix-ins were difficult to incorporate into the stiff, crumbly dough, and I only had 65 g macadamias; I ended up using my hands. While I appreciated that the rye and salt helped balance the super sweet white chocolate, there was too much white chocolate for my taste. I liked them, but didn't love them.

  • Zoë Bakes "anything goes" brownies

    • Jviney on February 09, 2026

      This was a fun idea, loved how they looked with different toppings, and the brownies are excellent. She suggests pulling them at 30 minutes if you want a fudgy brownie, and at 35 minutes if you want a medium brownie. At 37, I pulled them and they were still raw. Test for yourself!

  • Cocoa Nutella brownies

    • coates.eve on November 16, 2024

      I had to bake it for waaaay longer- it was completely goop at 20 minutes. But by the time it was cooked, the nutella spread on top was kind of overcooked and crusty. Maybe it was just me!

    • anya_sf on December 14, 2024

      Super fudgy and chocolatey. Nutella flavor wasn't very noticeable. Doneness instructions were not helpful. Like coates.eve, my brownies were not remotely done after 20 minutes, although the outside appeared set. I used the standard toothpick test for brownies (toothpick inserted off-center comes out with a few moist crumbs) and the brownies ended up taking 30 minutes.

  • Bourbon Biscoff brownies

    • Breannetuttle on September 16, 2024

      These are definitely boozy brownies! Next time would skip the bourbon brushed onto the cooked brownies, I think that took it too over the top for me. But the brownie was delicious.

    • mtnbaker5280 on April 19, 2025

      Agreed that these are boozy. They take a little time to make but the payoff is worth it. I used Woodford reserve, King Arthur double dark cocoa powder, and Trader Joe's pound plus bars for the chocolate. My husband hid a few for himself and took the rest to his office. They disappeared quickly. I'd make these again, likely around the holidays.

  • Snickerdoodles

    • NicoleBrown on December 13, 2024

      My family devoured these. Made 28 cookies in the evening and by morning there were 5 1/2(who left a half?!) left. I’ve made plenty of snickerdoodles, but dipping the tops in heavy cream was new to me! I have a feeling these might get requested again.

    • als102 on July 31, 2025

      Dipping the tops in heavy cream and again in the cinnamon sugar mixture leaves the tops delightfully crunchy. These are absolutely perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.

  • Miso caramel chocolate bars

    • PickyPalateMom on April 01, 2026

      2026 03 - Compare / contrast with Millionaire’s Shortbread (ATK - The Perfect Cookies; ATK app). 3 stars / 5. Undoutedly my fault. The can of sweetened condensed milk on the shelf had rust on it and turned out to be 12 years old according to date, so it went in the bin. I then used ChatGPT to figure out how to turn a (new) normal can of evaporated milk into a sweetened condensed milk equivalent (1 cup condensed milk: 3/4 cup sugar, boil til dissolved, and cook a little more to extract the extra liquid). The flavour was grand but the texture was too soft and chewy. My husband really liked it and keeps sneaking slices. He asked me to make this recipe; loved the ATK Millionaire’s shortbread. Taste was fine, dandy even but the texture was too soft and chewy. Worth trying again doing it the way she wrote it.

  • "Big game day" bars

    • coates.eve on December 31, 2024

      I believe there is a mistake in this one. She says to add the marshmallows before putting it in the oven, but in the photo she has sprinkled the marshmallows on top at the end. The marshmallows burned for me, so beware. Otherwise, it's a fun tasty recipe!

  • Caramelita bars

    • njpoirier on September 22, 2024

      These came out fantastic! This had layers of crunchy, crumbly, nutty, chocolatey, and gooey goodness all in one delicious bite. Not having to bust out the stand mixer was an added bonus too!

  • Sour cherry blondies

    • mooo42 on April 28, 2026

      Added almond extract and sliced almonds to the crumble. Would make again, but add more cherries to balance sweetness.

  • Traditional blondies

    • Charlotte_vandenberg on December 24, 2024

      Easy and delicious. Used a pan that was slightly too big, 20x30cm, so the blondies were a little too flat to my liking. Pro-tip from a friend: microwave for 10-15 sec just before eating!

  • Strawberry rice crispy bars

    • meggan on October 05, 2025

      Fun!

  • Blueberry gooey butter bars

    • meggan on October 07, 2025

      These tasted amazing but didn't really harden up so they were a mess to eat. That said, I was using frozen blueberries so they probably added too much moisture.

  • Basque-style cheesecake berry bars

    • anya_sf on March 29, 2025

      I was surprised the crust didn't bake at a lower temperature, and it started to smell burnt after 8 minutes, so I removed it at that point. It ended up overly crunchy, so next time I would bake that at a lower temp. Zoe does not provide any clues to know when the cheesecake is done other than color, so I referred to Cook's Illustrated, which specifies an internal temp of 155 F, which my cake took 10 min longer to reach. My parchment only lined 2 sides and the other sides stuck, so definitely line all 4 sides. Despite the crust, the bars were really delicious. The crust and cheesecake layers were very thick (completely filled the pan) so I might use a 9"x9" pan next time, increasing the berries.

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  • ISBN 10 1984860801
  • ISBN 13 9781984860804
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Sep 03 2024
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 256
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Ten Speed Press

Publishers Text

The expert baker and bestselling author behind Zoë Bakes Cakes and Zoë Bakes on the Magnolia Network takes us through her life with 75 cookies and bars from her Vermont roots and Midwestern living. There are countless ways to make a cookie. Whether it's thin and crispy or soft and cakey, everyone has a different version they crave. In Zoë Bakes Cookies, Zoë François shares the classic cookie recipes every home baker wants to master and adds in some personal favorites from different eras in her life.

She takes you through recipes from her hippie days in Vermont, with Ultra-Peanut Butter Cookies and Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. You get a chance to step into Bubbe and Granny's kitchens, where Zoë has adapted their recipes like Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Caramel Matzo. You'll find old favorites from her college cookie cart days, with recipes like Zoë's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies and Smash Cookies. She has you covered beyond cookies as well, with Blueberry Gooey Butter Bars and Cocoa Nutella Brownies--you'll have plenty to bring to your next potluck or holiday cookie swap.

With her easy-to-follow recipes, Zoë shows you how to make delicious cookies that touch on nostalgia while also helping you alter them to fit your ideal cookie needs today.

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