17 Summer Cookie Recipes That Are Fun When It's Sunny

To every season, there is a cookie. And for these cookies, that season is decidedly summer. We've got cookies that will win the pool party, bring out the oohs and ahhs during fireworks, or taste just right eaten around a campfire — as well as some that take advantage of those special fruits that come around just once a year. There are only 16 weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, perhaps a sad truth, but at least we've got enough cookies here to try one per week and then some.

Let's be clear: These incredible (and easy!) cookies are a decorating project rather than a baking one, so go ahead and start with slice-and-bake dough as instructed (or use store-bought sugar cookies if you're looking for a no-bake option; we won't tell!). The icing waves that lap the shore, the graham cracker sand and marshmallow castles, and sea creatures fashioned from candy, are almost too cute to be eaten! But just like real sand castles, these were designed to be enjoyed before they get washed away (in this case, with a glass of milk).

These sandwich cookies bring all the hallmarks of traditional shortcake, but in a form that's a lot more portable and a lot less fussy to serve to a crowd. The very tender cookies are sandwiched together with strawberry jam, then rolled in a crunchy coating of freeze-dried strawberries and crumbled shortbread cookies, to also call to mind those classic ice cream on-a-stick confections. Some cream cheese frosting holds it all together and makes it into a nice rich snack.

You might make Chocolate Blossom cookies at Christmastime, but this is a summery version (with a twist). That twist is peanut butter, friend to both chocolate and s'mores, as anyone who makes their latter with a peanut butter cup can attest. Here, we've got peanut butter cookies with marshmallows broiled on top. Push chocolate kisses into the tops right out of the broiler, and they're ready to party.

These are ideal cookies for anyone who loves to decorate. They get some of their good looks from shaping the dough, and then the remaining cuteness from the 3-D decorations added after baking. If you have any leftovers, you just have to serve one poking out of a bowl of ice cream ... just saying.

The cookies that form the backbone of these sandwiches are like your basic chocolate chip cookie, but with a little more oomph. Some flax seed, millet and coffee powder in the dough gives them a little more complexity and more of an interesting texture. Fill them with ice cream and roll in candy of your choice. Easy, breezy.

On the other hand, sometimes you want a decorating project that's deceptively simple! These sugar cookies get their threatening fins courtesy of vivisected peppermint patties. The dappled seawater comes via a super simple decorating technique; just dip cookie tops into swirled-together icing.

It's called the pie plant, but that's no reason rhubarb can't be baked into a cookie. Here, its pucker is tamed by sweet white chocolate, and complemented with the crunch of walnuts. We love the texture of these, toothsome and tender at the same time.

There's something so fun about an interactive dessert, and these, from Ree Drummond, are even a little classy, dare we say. But they're as easygoing to prepare as they are to eat. Slice-and-bake your sugar cookies, then serve with a honey cream cheese frosting, some macerated berries (don't worry, just a fancy way of saying berries plus lemon juice), and fresh herbs and toasted coconut so everyone can make their own perfect bites. We could see these with some after-dinner prosecco or Aperol spritzes.

If you can make chocolate chip cookies, you've already got all the skills covered to make these hybrids with everyone's favorite campfire treat. You've got graham cracker crumbs mixed right into the dough, and then for the finishing touch, you take the cookies out of the oven when they're halfway baked and top with marshmallows. They go melty and toasty as the cookies finish up. They're so good, and they go with everything, whether you like them with a side of campfire singalongs or ghost stories.

Chocolate and peach? When peach season rolls around, the answer is absolutely, yes! Here, the white chocolate teams up with the fruit to carry its juicy flavors, and provide a nice contrast to the very dark cocoa-y cookies.

It's hard to stop at one of these ice cream sandwiches that call to mind sunshine itself. They start with very lemony cookies, that are then paired up with a disc of ice cream between them, and, yes, we buried the lede here, some homemade lemon curd. Vanilla ice cream has never had it so good.

These cookies are hilarious both for their simplicity and for their good looks. Don't have time to bake, or don't want to fire up the oven? No problem! Some strategic icing and decorative candies turn these into swimsuits and flip-flops. Try not to smile as you serve and eat them.

These sandwiches start as simple chocolate chip cookies that are studded with soft caramel cookies. Sandwich them together with vanilla ice cream, then roll in chopped pretzels. They're the perfect sweet-and-salty experience.

If you need a cookie decorating idea for a party, this might be a good one. It's definitely easier to build these little campfires than to build a real fire. Store-bought candies and pretzel rods, along with tiny marshmallows, add up to a little fire that looks like elves were having a s'more-making session.

These are such an eyeful, they might even draw attention away from the action in the sky! But creating them is so simple, and starts with store-bought dough. Just divide in three, color two of the doughs, stack together and roll. A final roll in sprinkles gives them that almost sparkly edge when you slice-and-bake.

We are so enamoured with this incredible dessert, which takes the turtle profile of chocolate, caramel and pecan, and not only summerizes it, but special-occasionifies it. It starts with superior homemade chocolate chip pecan cookies, which are then spread with fudge and caramel sauce (both store-bought). Finally, they're sandwiched with butter pecan ice cream and sprinkles. Freeze them for an ice cream-parlour-type experience of that firm and hold-together-type sandwich — but if we're honest we might like them right after they're made, when they're a little drippy and creamy and falling apart right as we eat them.