Sesame Street's Cookie Monster.
Dairy Queen's Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard.
On National Cookie Day, Corner Bakery has a $1 cookie deal.
Get a free Sweater Cookie on National Cookie Day (Dec. 4) at the Harry Potter Shops in New York (935 Broadway) and Chicago (676 N. Michigan Ave).
The Maman cafe and bakery chain is upgrading online orders of 8-cookie blue-and-white boxes to 12-cookie boxes for National Cookie Day.
Nestlé Toll House is giving away Cookie Taco kits online on Dec. 4.
Pepperidge Farm is giving away Holiday Cookie Courier cookie grams on Dec. 4 for National Cookie Day while supplies last.

Of course, Cookie Monster would have something to do with National Cookie Day, which is Thursday, Dec. 4.

“Sesame Street” added National Cookie Day to its calendar back in 1976, designating Nov. 26 as the unofficial holiday, according to the National Day Calendar, and Cookie Monster promoted the special day in the 1980 book “The Sesame Street Dictionary.”

Blue Chip Cookie Company co-founder Matt Nader opted to move National Cookie Day a few days later on the calendar in 1987 to a date during the holiday season “because that’s when people indulge,” the Los Angeles Times reported.”

That Dec. 4 date has stuck – and also been adopted by Cookie Monster, who has celebrated National Cookie Day on “Sesame Street” and on social media.

Many food spots and bakeries now celebrate the date. Here are some National Cookie Day specials and freebies that even Cookie Monster would appreciate.

Dairy Queen’s National Cookie Day deals

Through Dec. 7, if you prefer your cookies crumbled in an ice cream drink, you can get a free mini Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard (or any other mini Blizzard) on Dec. 4 with the purchase of a Signature Stackburger Combo or a 6-piece Chicken Strip Basket. Also through Dec. 7, members of the DQ Rewards loyalty program can get $3 off any small Blizzard.

National Cookie Day deals

  • 7-Eleven: Not a cookie per se, but members of the 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards loyalty programs can try the convenience store chain’s Vanilla Cookie Butter Cold Brew Latte and, when you purchase the drink (or any hot coffee through Jan. 6, get a breakfast sandwich for $2.
  • Corner Bakery: On National Cookie Day, you can get a cookie for $1. (Offer good for single bakery cookies only and does not apply to mini cookie packs; while supplies last.)

  • Crumbl: In a nod to the “6-7” slang trend, the cookie bakery chain is celebrating National Cookie Day on Thursday, Dec. 4, by giving customers who buy a 6-Pack in-store a free 7th item (while supplies last).
  • Dunkin’: Dunkin’ Rewards members get 3X points on all espresso beverages on National Cookie Day.
  • Gopuff: The delivery service is giving shoppers 25% off on Cravings by Chrissy Teigen The Perfect Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix on Dec. 4.
  • Harry Potter Shops: On National Cookie Day, the first 100 fans at Harry Potter Shops in New York (935 Broadway) and Chicago (676 N. Michigan Ave) will receive a free Sweater Cookie.

  • Insomnia Cookies: The first 100 members of the Insomnia Rewards loyalty program who visit any store on National Cookie Day get a free Snowball Classic cookie, a limited-time sugar cookie stuffed with buttercream and topped with powdered sugar and edible glitter. One cookie at each of the cookie chain’s 350 stores will reveal a prize – free cookies for a year – via its purple buttercream filling. (Before you make like Cookie Monster and eat your cookie, take a picture of it with your receipt, then scan the QR code provided in-store to upload the photo and complete the entry form.)
  • Jimmy John’s: JJ Rewards members can get a free Holiday Magic Cookie made with M&Ms on Dec. 4 with any mobile or app purchase of $5 or more.
  • Maman: The cafe and bakery chain is giving shoppers a National Cookie Day upgrade from an 8-cookie box to a 12-cookie box on all blue-and-white boxes purchased online (use code COOKIEDAYUP4).

  • Milk Bar: The dessert bakery will give away free McCormick x Milk Bar Eggnog English Toffee Cookies to the first 50-100 customers at its New York City flagship location and at three other locations – NYC West Village, Los Angeles (7150 Melrose Ave.), and Washington, D.C.-Logan Circle. The cookie is available for nationwide shipping through Dec. 31 on the Milk Bar website and you can get the recipe on the McCormick website.
  • My Better Batch: When you buy one Classic Sugar Cookie Mix online on Dec. 4 get a second one free on Dec. 4.
  • Panera Bread: Members of the MyPanera loyalty program can buy one cookie, get one free on Dec. 4.
  • Nestlé Toll House: The baking brand is giving away Cookie Taco kits online, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 4, on a first-come, first-served basis (while supplies last). The kits include a Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Roll, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels for extra toppings, a taco stand and $25 gift card to cover additional ingredients including eggs.

  • Pepperidge Farm: Starting at 9 a.m. ET on National Cookie Day, you can go online to send a free Pepperidge Farm Holiday Cookie Courier cookie gram – two full bags of Chessmen Holiday Nog and Milano Mint Chocolate cookies – with a personalized note to a friend or relative (offer good while supplies last.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National Cookie Day 2025 is Thursday. Here's some deals and freebies.

Reporting by Mike Snider, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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