Last summer, famed New York bakery Levain landed on Larchmont Boulevard with dense 6-ounce cookies embellished with coconut flakes, gooey chocolate and caramel. Lines are constant at James Beard-nominated Gusto Bread in Long Beach, with customers stocking up on sweet and savory pastries that draw from the owners’ Mexican and Argentine heritages.

On a corner in West Adams, one of L.A.’s newest bakeries, Fleurs et Sel, pulls inspiration from France with fat, chewy cookies that weave floral ingredients with nostalgic flavors. And then there are the reliable neighborhood bakeries that have long perfected their recipes for crumbly almond and comforting oatmeal cookies, crispy biscotti and more.

During the pandemic, many returned to the nostalgic practice of baking, using cookie and bread dropoffs as a way to briefly connect with friends, family, neighbors and other fans of fresh baked goods. For some, their talent proved so impressive that they decided to leave their previous careers and pursue opening bakeries and other sweet-centered shops.

Cookies are an accessible treat for whenever you need a little something sweet, available as an individual snack or in assorted boxes for special occasions. A cookie from one of L.A.’s star bakeries ranges from $3 to $5 — an easy impulse to pursue. From towering cookie sandwiches to jammy cookies that burst with the flavors of the season, here are 24 of our favorite cookies to seek out across L.A.