Cranberries get a lot of Thanksgiving buzz and then I don’t see them NEARLY enough after that! 🥲

Sure, we’ve got them in cocktails and desserts here and there, but I’m certain you’ve never seen a soft & chewy cookie filled with FRESH cranberries before! 🤩

Sweet, tart, creamy, chewy… The flavor and texture gang is all here 🙌🏼

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my frosted cranberry cookies cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/fresh-cranberry-cookies-white-chocolate-frosting/

#cranberries #cookies #christmascookie ...

Everyone knows plump raisins make the best oatmeal raisin cookies. Duh 😒

And since I am an oatmeal raisin cookie lover™️, I feel uniquely qualified to say: soak the raisins or don’t make them at all.

I don’t make the rules. I just bake by them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my oatmeal raisin cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/

#oatmealraisin #oatmealraisincookies #raisin ...

Hi! 👋 I’m Lynn, and if you’ve ever said “this is the year I learn yeast bread” while quietly being terrified of it… Welcome. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be 🤩

I used to be afraid of yeast bread, too. Then in 2011, my mom showed me how to make it and I remember thinking “wait… THAT’S IT???” 😱

No magic. No chef secrets. Just understanding what’s actually happening. And the rest is history.

Every year, I run a monthly baking series where we build out one category at a time. This year was cinnamon rolls. In 2026, we’re going all in on yeast bread— the kind that builds confidence, not anxiety 😅

Think:
🥪 sandwich bread
🍞 cinnamon swirl raisin bread
🥖 breadsticks
 🥨 soft pretzels
🍞 challah
🍞 brioche

All breads that teach you something and build on your skills as you go 💁‍♀️

And if you’re tired of yeast feeling intimidating, or you just want 2026 to be the year bread finally clicks, consider me your no-judgment, step-by-step bread friend 🥰

Still not sure I’m your person? Here’s what other bakers have said:

⭐️ “I have not had good luck with yeast recipes in the past but this was exactly as the title describes… EASY!” — Robyn

⭐️ “I admit to being super intimidated to make these, but they really are a great recipe for beginners.” — Barbra

⭐️ “Normally, I think yeast bread is super scary… but these yeast rolls are not scary!” — Jessie

⭐️ “Delicious, super easy, and they look bakery-made!” — Jayne

So! Follow along @freshaprilflours for monthly yeast bread recipes, clear instructions, and the confidence to say “yeah, I bake bread now” 😎

Want to brush up on yeast baking skills before we start? Comment the word “GUIDE” below and I’ll send the link to my guide to baking with yeast directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/how-to-bake-with-yeast/

#bread #yeastbread #breadmaking ...

Life’s good when you’re making cookies 🍪

And lucky for you, I have over 250 cookie recipes on my website 😮 From the classics to the creatives, from the simple to the sandwich, the gang is all here for your cookie baking needs 🧑‍🍳

Want to find your new favorite cookie recipe? I’ve got you, friend 😉 Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send you the link to my cookie category page where you’ll find my top 10 reader favs and cookie categories broken down for your tastes! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/cookies/

#cookies #cookierecipe #christmascookies ...

Do you think chocolate chip cookies are boring? 🥱

I used to be there, too. I grew up eating my frugal grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies, which was the Nestle Tollhouse recipe with HALF OF THE CHIPS.

Blasphemy 🫨

This tried-and-true, loved-by-many, crispy-edged and soft-centered cookie is modeled after the one I discovered in my high school cafeteria (true story) which completely changed the way I felt about chocolate chip cookies 💕

With two kinds and size of chips and plenty of chew to go around, I have a feeling if you’re still searching for your favorite recipe, this one might be the ticket 🥹🍪

IN FACT!! Reader Brooke had THIS to say ⬇️

“This is an unpopular opinion, but chocolate chip cookies are 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚… WOW! The reason I’ve never been that excited about chocolate chip cookies is because 𝙄’𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚! They are perfectly crispy and chewy and full of chips! 5 stars! Totally recommend! Will certainly be doing this again!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Give ‘em a try! 🙌

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my beloved chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocchipcookies #chocolatechipcookies #cookies ...

Want to dive into candy this year but want nothing to do with a thermometer? I GET IT 😅

Sometimes it’s really as simple as it sounds, and these candied almonds really are so stupidly simple!

Don’t overcomplicate this, friend. Just follow along with me this week as I share my favorite ways to get candy in the holiday spread WITHOUT the stress 😮‍💨

Save this reel as your reminder to come back and make these soon! 🍭

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these candied almonds directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/candied-almonds/

#christmascandy #homemadecandy #candiednuts #cinnamonsugar ...

The 12th and FINAL day of our 12 Days of Cookies is, in my opinion, the most FUN of the whole bunch! 🤩 #faf12daysofcookies

Ok, hear me out: Rice Krispies treats made small batch style, chopped into tiny cubes, blended into a soft and chewy cookie base, and THENNNNN another chunk of Rice Krispies treats stuck to the top of the cookie.

YES. YES YES YES.

And yes, this works with any flavor of Rice Krispie treat you want to make, so if you want to go rogue… I’m here for it! 🙌

These cookies are chewy, gooey, and full of crispy bits in every bite. They were one of the favorites of the whole dozen among taste testers! 😮

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these Rice Krispies treat cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/rice-krispie-cookies/

#rkt #ricekrispies #ricekrispietreats ...

Eggnog >>>>>>

It is the superior holiday drink and you can’t tell me otherwise 🙂‍↔️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my eggnog cinnamon rolls directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/eggnog-cinnamon-rolls/

#eggnog #cinnamonrolls #cinnamonroll ...

It’s day 11 of our 12 Days of Cookies, and this one is one you may have seen this summer if you were around these parts then! 🍪 #faf12daysofcookies

This cookie was part of my “baking for fun” during my time off of content creation, and the recipe actually comes from my friend Molly at @what_mollymade 🫶

Her original recipe is mostly intact, but I did scale the recipe down to make a smaller batch, adjusted some of the ingredients to accommodate what is most available to average home bakers, and tweaked the instructions to match the way I typically guide my bakers through a recipe 🧑‍🍳

My friends, these cookies are stupid good 🤪 And while they take a little more elbow grease than most cookies on my site, they are well worth it! The process itself is really easy, and I have all the photos and a video to help you succeed ✅

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these frosted brown sugar Pop Tart cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/frosted-brown-sugar-pop-tart-cookies/

#poptart #poptarts #stuffedcookie ...

Turns out mini m&m’s = more chocolate opportunities per bite. It’s the smarter choice 🧠

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my soft & chewy m&m sugar cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/mm-cookies/

#mandms #cookies #cookie ...

And on the 10th day of cookies, the sandwich cookie graced us all with its irresistible presence 😇 #12daysofcookies

After last year’s gingerbread sandwich cookie went absolutely viral, I decided every 12 Days of Cookies henceforth will have a sandwich cookie in the lineup. And I’m not mad about it, because OMG. Why are sandwich cookies so gosh darn good?? 🤤

This sandwich cookie features two soft and chewy Biscoff-infused cookies held together by a butterscotch marshmallow frosting you will want to put on EV-E-RY-THING from now on.

I won’t lie, these cookies are sweet. But they’re also ridiculously delicious and you MUSTTTT make them this year. You won’t regret it!! 🧡🤎

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these Biscoff butterscotch sandwich cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/biscoff-butterscotch-marshmallow-sandwich-cookies/

#biscoff #butterscotch #sandwichcookies ...

White chocolate is not normally my pick of chocolate for much of anything, but there’s something about that ultra-sweet chocolate that I love so much against bright and zippy peppermint 🤍❤️🤍❤️

These cookies are:
🍪 no chill
🍪 really simple to make
🍪 sure to be a hit in your festive cookie spread

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/peppermint-white-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#whitechocolate #peppermint #mintchocolate #candycane ...

Day 9 of 12 Days of Cookies brings us to a cookie that was born from excess of another holiday treat— graham cracker toffee! 🍪 #12daysofcookies

You’ve certainly made graham cracker (or saltine!) toffee at the holidays. In fact, we made mine last month with our no-thermometer candy series 🍭

These cookies start with my favorite basic no chill base and are filled with chopped graham cracker toffee. You can either use some of what you’ve already made OR make a small batch of the toffee, which is included in the recipe.

A sprinkle of flaky sea salt and more pieces of toffee smashed into the tops of the hot cookies turn them into a sweet and salty texture adventure in every bite. These are a MUST this holiday baking season! 🧑‍🍳

And of course, yes— you can use saltine toffee if you prefer!

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these graham cracker toffee cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/graham-cracker-toffee-cookies/

#christmascookies #christmasbaking ...

Don’t get me wrong, you can make a really great brownie using cocoa powder. But the BEST to way to insure ultra fudginess in a brownie is to limit the amount of dry ingredients.

My recipe only includes 3/4 cup of flour, and ALL of the chocolate flavor comes completely from melted semi-sweet chocolate. No cocoa powder whatsoever! 🙌

Reader Lisa recently said:
“Just made these tonight and they are 10/10! I haven’t found a brownie recipe I’ve liked until now! I’m trying out several for my niece’s wedding cookie/dessert table, but I think I can stop with these!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Want to see for yourself how delicious they are? 😏

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my fudgy homemade brownies right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/homemade-fudgy-brownies/

#brownies #browniesofinstagram #browniesofinsta ...

It’s day 8 in our cookie party, and these cookie bars are modeled after one of my most popular frosted cookies from my frosted cookie series in 2023 🍪 #faf12daysofcookies

With these easy cookie barks, you can sink your teeth into a soft and chewy chocolate chunk cookie bar that’s topped with chunky white chocolate peppermint frosting 🤤

It’s everything you love about peppermint bark in a gourmet cookie bar 🤍❤️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these peppermint bark cookie bars directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/peppermint-bark-cookie-bars/

#cookiebars #peppermint #peppermintbark ...

Listen, I have no problem giving credit where credit is due. Toll House set us up with a solid foundation. Truly! 🥲

But the Fresh April Flours version that I’ve perfected over the last decade+ has gotten reviews like these ones that just came in over the last month:

🍪 “No joke… these are the BEST. I have faithfully stuck to a different variation of the tollhouse recipe up until now, but I will only be using this recipe going forward. Followed all of the steps to a tee and these are genuinely the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in my life!!”

🍪 “Hands down. These are truly the best chocolate chip cookies!!! Absolutely delicious every time.”

🍪 “I’ve baked a lot of chocolate chip cookies and love trying new recipes. Made these last night and they are the best chocolate chip cookie I think I’ve made.”

🍪 “The BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve found. I’ve been looking for years for a recipe that turns out like these – they are SO good. The recipe is easy and consistent, they turn out delicious every single time.”

What’s different, you ask? Melted butter instead of softened, one less egg white, more brown sugar, a little cornstarch, and my signature combo of milk + semi-sweet chocolate chips make for a cookie that will win you over in a heartbeat, I guarantee it! 🙌

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my famous chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies

#chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookie #cookies ...

Day 7 of my 12 Days of Cookies brings us to a revamped, better-than-ever classic cookie— the white chocolate macadamia variety! 🤍 #faf12daysofcookies

This recipe was originally published on my site nearly a decade ago, and over the years, reviewers have given “meh” reviews. That changes this year! 🙌

This cookie is soft, chewy, buttery, and melts in your mouth without being greasy. It’s also sweet and salty and every bite reminds you why these cookies are such a classic! 🥰

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/white-chocolate-chunk-macadamia-nut-cookies/

#cookies #cookiestagram #macadamianuts ...

#HTH 🤗 ...

It’s day 6 of my 11th annual 12 Days of Cookies, and these little cuties are going to steal your heart with one bake, I mean bite! 🥰 #faf12daysofcookies

But first, a confession 🤫

I actually published these cookies last year, but it was juuuuuust before Christmas, not a part of my 12 Days of Cookies, and honestly, it just didn’t get enough time in the limelight. I took these cookies to a cookie exchange and they were a HUGE hit!

These soft and chewy bite-size chocolate chip sprinkle cookies are made with only 9 simple ingredients and require no chilling. They come together quickly so they’re the perfect cookie for last-minute baking!

The best part? This recipe includes instructions for making 8 standard size cookies or 32 mini cookies 🙌

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these Christmas chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/christmas-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#easycookies #sprinkles #christmascookies ...

For this installment of my 12 Days of Cookies, I wanted to share something special— the first time I’ve made and tasted my dad’s cookie since he taught it to me ten years ago 💕

This recipe is a thread between four generations, one that my great grandmother brought with her from Italy 🇮🇹 My dad was the one who put the Italian in her head onto paper in English so it was repeatable for generations to come 🫶🏼

This video is… A lot. It’s stalling, deep breaths, and letting the grief and joy sit in the same room 😮‍💨

It’s incredibly vulnerable, mostly quiet, and was 2 minutes long without edits.

But the moment they tasted exactly like his? I swear I could feel him. My dad would’ve been so proud 🥹

No recipe prompt with this one. I just want to share and invite YOU to share below a memory of a lost loved one, if you feel so inclined 😇

(You can find the recipe by checking out the reel right before this one— honey walnut cookie sticks/sfratti) 🤎 #grief #heirloom #familyrecipe #griefislove ...

It’s day 5 of my 12 Days of Cookies, and this one is a tough one for me 💔 #faf12daysofcookies

A decade ago, my dad taught me how to make his family’s famous cookie recipe: one that was brought here by his grandmother from Italy, taught to his mom, and then he taught it to me 🥰

The weekend he taught me, I was (unknowingly) pregnant with our first son and his lungs were growing the Big C 😞

Gratefully, he made it through that and lived another decade, albeit a little slower than the before times, with us.

Sadly, we lost my dad this summer, but these cookies were always part of the plan for this year’s tradition. It only seemed right to keep them on the content calendar 🗓️

I know we food bloggers get a lot of flack for “telling our life story” in our blog posts, something we don’t actually do a whole lot of anymore, but I’ll be honest— this post has a significant amount of that.

Even if you don’t want to make these cookies, I would be honored if you read about my dad and the tradition of these cookies. I also kept some of the original photos in the post that have his hands in them 😇

Now, as far as WHAT these cookies entail— buttery, flaky pie crust surrounds a rich, spiced honey walnut filling in these traditional Italian cookies. We’ve always called them “sfratti,” and if you want to make them and enjoy them like my dad did, a hot cup of black coffee is the way to go ☕️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these honey walnut cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/honey-walnut-cookie-sticks-sfratti/

#familyrecipe #familyrecipes ...

And if it isn’t there, it might be on the inside of the handle 👀

Also, sometimes it’s not there at all. I’m just the messenger! Don’t @ me all mad in the comments— k??? 😘

In every.single.cookie.recipe on my site, I specify what scoop size to use:

🍪 use size 50 (about 1.5 Tablespoons) for standard cookies
🍪 use size 110 (about 1 teaspoon) for mini cookies
🍪 use size 16 (or an ice cream scoop with a trigger, about 1/4 cup) for large/bakery size cookies

Using a scoop makes for uniform cookie sizes, uniform baking, and when a recipe tells you exactly what size to use, you get perfect results every time! 🤩

Comment “scoops” below and I’ll send the link to my Amazon store (affiliate link) directly to your DMs so you can get the same scoops you see here! 💌 https://urlgeni.us/amzn/cookietools

#cookiebaking #cookies #cookiestagram ...

If you only make ONE recipe from my 12 Days of Cookies lineup, make it this one! 🍋 #faf12daysofcookies

This recipe has lived on my site since 2017, and honestly, it has never once gotten the attention it deserves. That changes this year!

This recipe actually came from a reader. She mentioned a lemon pepper cookie on another cookie recipe post and I had to know more! 😮

Sweet, tart, lightly spiced, and perfectly crunchy, these lemon cookies hit all the nontraditional cookie notes. A drizzle of white chocolate adds just the right touch of extra sweetness for an unexpected and delightfully off-beat cookie 🍪

BONUS: they’re a slice & bake cookie, so no scooping— just slicing! 🔪

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these lemon pepper slice & bake cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/lemon-pepper-slice-cookies/

#sliceandbake #cookies #lemoncookies ...

The key to a uniform thickness which is the key to an even bake which is the key to perfect cut-out cookies is making sure your rolling pin doesn’t smash down the cookie dough 🔑

Two ¼ inch dowels taped onto your rolling surface is a GAME CHANGER in the cut-out cookie world 😱

ALSO (!!!!), I always get comments that they make rolling pins with rings on them for this purpose. Yes. Yes they do. But my personal experience is that I roll over the dough with the rings anyway 🤪 DOWELS are also a container 👏🏼

I have SO many cut-out cookie recipes on my site including but not limited to:
🍪 traditional sugar
🍪 chocolate sugar
🍪 peppermint sugar
🍪 pumpkin spice sugar
🍪 funfetti sugar
🍪 gingerbread

Head to my profile @freshaprilflours for all of your Christmas and holiday baking this year! 🎄

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to the ENTIRE COLLECTION of my cut-out cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/cut-out-cookies/

#cutoutcookies #cookiecutter #cookiecutters ...

It’s day 3 of my 11th annual 12 Days of Cookies, and this classic always makes it onto my holiday spread 🍪 #faf12daysofcookies

This recipe is not even close to brand new to my site, but it is worth mentioning again this year AND it got all new photos and a video so you can see just how easy they are to make.

These snowballs (sometimes called Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies) are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies filled with nuts and double-rolled in powdered sugar. Put them on your list ASAP! 🗒️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these snowballs directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/russian-tea-cakes-snowballs/

#snowballcookies #snowballs #cookies ...

If you want to jazz up your chocolate chip cookies, make sure your next batch gets a little cinnamon-sugar bath before you bake them! 😮

These particular cookies are PUDDING chocolate chip cookies, which makes them ultra chewy, packed with flavor, and a new way for you to change up your usual 🍪

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these cookies right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/snickerdoodle-chocolate-chip-pudding-cookies/

#cookies #cookierecipe #cookiegram ...