21 Savory Cookies That Will Put A Spin On Your Party Menu

Whether you're planning a backyard barbecue party, a holiday soirée, or just a casual get-together with friends or family, you may find that your options are a little boring at best if cookies are on the menu. Sure, everyone loves a classic chocolate chip cookie or a sugar cookie. However, after you've eaten these cookies at one too many bake sales or birthday parties, you might find yourself wishing for just a little something more.

Enter savory cookies. No, these are not crackers. These cookies have the texture and consistency of a cookie but some of the flavors you might otherwise imagine when you think gourmet crackers. They're surprising and unexpected, and they make a great snack, appetizer, or anytime treat for those who find their taste buds lean more savory than sugary. So, what type of savory cookie should you make for your next party menu? Here are some of our favorites.

Hey, savory oatmeal is a thing, so why can't savory oatmeal cookies be a thing too? The idea is to swap your traditional bowl of oatmeal laden with brown sugar or maple syrup with a bowl of whatever savory goodness you prefer. Eggs, veggies, cheese, herbs — they all make suitable toppings for your breakfast oatmeal. Savory oatmeal cookies are the same.

Toss aside your raisins and chocolate chips. To make a savory oatmeal cookie, reach for the different spices and cheese. You'll make an oatmeal cookie like normal, albeit with less sugar, and then add in your choice of savory ingredients. Think rosemary and Parmesan, caraway seeds, or a combination of oregano, paprika, curry powder, mozzarella or gouda. If you don't like the thought of an oatmeal cookie without the chewy texture of raisins, add in some sun-dried tomatoes. Whatever combination of ingredients you use, these savory oatmeal cookies will work great as an appetizer, on a cheese board, or with sweeter accompaniments like fruit or jam.

There are cookie recipes out there that incorporate crushed potato chips, combining the salty flavor with the sweetness of chocolate chips, candy, and other more traditional ingredients. However, what if you skipped all that sweetness and focused on just the potato chips? Well, then you'd have a savory potato chip cookie.

A little old-fashioned and maybe not the coolest up-and-coming cookie trend, savory potato chip cookies are still worth a try if you're not a fan of overly sweet cookies. These bites put the potato chip flavor forward by keeping the overall cookie recipe simple (think just flour, butter, and sugar) and then loading on the potato chips. You'll need a fair amount of crushed potato chips, so some bakers recommend that you hold on to those potato chip crumbs left over in every bag until your next baking sess. If you make potato chip cookies and love them, but miss the iconic crunch of potato chips, you can add other, crunchy ingredients — like chopped nuts — to this recipe without straying to the sweet side.

If you primarily use the cumin in your cabinet for chili or tacos, it's time to discover a new use for this staple spice: cookies. Cumin cookies boast roots in India, where these cookies are known as jeera or zeera biscuits.

They feature a pretty standard base of flour, sugar, butter, salt, and sometimes milk, but also, of course, cumin. Do note that for traditional cumin cookies, you'll want to use roasted cumin seeds, not ground cumin. The cookies are easy to make and, after assembling and chilling the dough, all you do is roll it, cut it, and bake. Once finished, the cookies are a favorite alongside a nice cup of tea. No time for baking in the near future but still want to try these buttery, crispy cookies? This is one of the few savory cookies that you can buy, either at your favorite international foods store or online.

Lemon and basil (no, not the stand-alone herb that is "lemon basil" — we're talking two separate ingredients) are inarguably a good combo. The citrusy zing of the lemon paired with the pungent, earthy flavor of the basil make for a delicious addition to many dishes, both sweet and savory.

If you want to specifically make lemon basil cookies, you have lots of options. These flavors work in just about any type of cookie and are easy to add into most basic doughs. Go with a sugar cookie base, drop cookie base, or a shortbread base, or make vegan or gluten-free lemon basil cookies. Want to amp up the flavors even more? Throw in a little lime zest alongside your lemon zest. Or, think about the other flavors that often appear alongside the classic lemon and basil duo. Cheeses, nuts, and herbs such as oregano can add even more savory fun to your cookie.

Light, fluffy, and delicate, madeleines are an impressive, eye-catching addition to any cookie spread with their defined ridges on the one side and smooth mounds on the other. Often, madeleines are lightly flavored, to match their light texture, with citrus flavors. However, you can easily turn your madeleines savory with the addition of herbs and cheeses. Consider adding herbes de provence (a blend of herbs that includes marjoram, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, oregano, tarragon, and savory), sage, horseradish, Parmesan, gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, or any other flavor combo that catches your eye.

Of course, if you've never made madeleines before, you'll want to take a few precautions to give yourself the best chance at achieving that classic shape. Make sure to butter and flour your madeleine pan, or use a non-stick version; pour the batter evenly into each indentation; keep an eye on the time so they don't overcook; and immediately remove the cookies from the tray for cooling.

Miso, a umami-forward ingredient made from fermented soybeans, is gaining traction in the world of baking. The savory flavor complements sweet desserts and is often used in salty-sweet combinations. However, just because you're using miso in your next cookie baking project doesn't mean you have to pair it with lots of sweet ingredients, like chocolate. You can go the mostly savory route by adding miso to your peanut butter cookies, or by making a miso-sesame or a miso-tahini hybrid cookie. In general, miso pairs well with nutty, earthy, and warm flavors.

However you make your miso cookies, though, be sure not to use too much miso in the mix, or you'll overpower the rest of your cookie. King Arthur Baking recommends measuring out your miso at a ratio of 2 tablespoons per every cup of flour. If you want more, you can always add more, but you can't remove it once it's in the dough. King Arthur Baking also recommends toning down the salt in your cookie recipe whenever you use miso since it is plenty salty.

It's not uncommon to add chopped up jalapeños to biscuits or cornbread for a spicy kick to your favorite carbs. However, you can also add these chili peppers to many types of cookies for a spicy, savory treat.

While some may just add jalapeños to sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies for a spicy-sweet combo, you can go more savory than sweet by opting to mixing them into shortbread, along with some cheese. Shortbread's plainer, less-sweet recipe makes it a great canvas on which to paint your savory cookie dreams. Pick a sharp, flavorful cheese to accompany your jalapeño, such as pepper jack or cheddar. You can also add in other, complementary ingredients, such as lime, dry mustard, chili powder, or even bacon. Basically, think of the jalapeño-centric foods you already like to eat (maybe jalapeño poppers?) and then don't be afraid to add the same or similar flavors to your shortbread cookies. Drizzle with a peppery glaze for even more over-the-top flavor. 

Rice Krispies treats have been made the same way for decades from the same three ingredients — Rice Krispies cereal, marshmallows, and butter. You mix it all together on the stove, let it cool in a pan, cut your squares, and you have a family-favorite sweet treat that's practically a part of American culture. So what if you flipped the whole thing on its head and made savory Rice Krispies treats?

While you'll need a few more ingredients than what's included in a classic Rice Krispies treat, making cheesy Rice Krispies cookies is still fairly simple. In addition to your Rice Krispies cereal, you also need flour and cheese as well as butter and whatever other spices or flavor-boosting ingredients you plan on using. Options might include paprika, cayenne pepper, nuts, or Worcestershire sauce. You mix it all together, roll the dough into balls, and bake the cookies. The result is a crispy, crunchy, cheesy cookie.

Smoking your own food at home is easier than ever. And, no, you don't need to spring for a giant, expensive meat smoker for the backyard. Smoking individual ingredients or cocktails is simple thanks to affordable smoking guns and cloches you can buy from a range of retailers. But while smoked cocktails have trended in recent years, smoked cookies are another matter — but nonetheless they are worth trying if you'd like to expand your savory cookie options.

When it comes to smoking cookies, you can start with any kind. If you think a cookie could use a hit of savory, smoky flavor, you can smoke it. The one thing you do need to be sure to do, though, is choose the right smoking pellets for the job. Whether you choose maple, oak, apple, or cherry, each wood type lends a distinct flavor to whatever you're cooking; choose one that will complement the flavor of your cookie.

Thumbprint cookies are known as the fun-to-make holiday treats that typically are dolloped with a bright and cheerful serving of jam. However, if you want to take your thumbprint cookies over to the savory side, you have options. Beyond swapping fruit-based jams out for savory jams, you can also ditch the jam altogether and make ham and cheese thumbprints.

This cookie is a little more difficult to make than your average thumbprint. Some recipes require that you start off making your dough like you would a choux pastry — on the stovetop. After blending your cooked liquid ingredients and adding your savory ingredients like ham and cheese, you pipe the dough onto your baking tray before making the requisite indentions. However, unlike when making traditional thumbprints, you don't immediately bake the filling into the center with these cookies. Instead, you half-bake the cookies, chill them until you're ready to use them, then add the cheese into each center, and bake the cookies again to melt the cheese.