33 Vintage Cookies To Try Today

There is nothing better than a delicious cookie when you are in the mood for a sweet treat, and vintage cookies are the perfect way to change up your go-to cookie recipes if you are looking for something a little different.

Cookies have been a staple of baked goods for generations, so it is no surprise that there are so many vintage cookie recipes out there.

With this in mind, we are going to be looking at thirty-three amazing vintage cookie recipes that are not only an awesome blast from the past, but are also simple enough to make for yourself at home.

Let’s get started.

1. Butterscotch Cookies

Butterscotch cookies are an old-fashioned recipe that many people associate with their grandparents, as it is a flavor of cookie that used to be much more prominent, but isn’t seen anywhere near as often in our modern times.

For a cookie that is sure to bring you back to your childhood, butterscotch cookies are definitely the way to go.

To make your own butterscotch cookies, you will need eggs, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, rolled oats, vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butterscotch chips.

2. Old Fashioned Classic Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are a sweet and buttery kind of cookie that is similar to the sugar cookie in many ways.

However, the main difference between spritz cookies and sugar cookies is that spritz cookies are made with a cookie press and sugar cookies are made with cookie cutters.

Spritz cookies are very similar to shortbread cookies, though they usually contain eggs, which help the spritz cookies keep their shape when they are baked rather than crumble as shortbread cookies will do.

3. Soft Cornmeal Cookies

This soft, buttery style of cookie has a humble, rustic taste that is sure to take lots of people back to their childhood when they take a bite.

Despite the simplicity and homeliness of cornmeal cookies, they still make for a particularly delicious treat that is relatively easy to make.

Cornmeal cookies are also incredibly versatile, able to be paired with all sorts of other ingredients- such as fruits, cream, and ice cream- to create some yummy desserts.

Yellow cornmeal is the key ingredient of cornmeal cookies, but you will also need sugar, nonfat dry milk powder, all-purpose flour, cold butter, salt, cream cheese, baking powder, and milk.

You can also add in some chopped walnuts for a bit of a nutty crunch.

4. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal raisin cookies are still popular today, though there is a certain vintage nature to them due to how long the cookie has been around.

These kinds of cookies are usually chock-full of juicy raisins and crunchy oats, with a texture that is chewy and soft in the middle and crispy on the outside and the edges.

When making your own oatmeal raisin cookies, you can use any kind of oats, though the type that you use will lead to different textures, such as steel-cut oats, which take longer to cook but offers a particularly chewy texture.

5. Gingersnap Cookies

Gingersnaps are another kind of cookie that is often associated with grandma’s baking!

It is a cookie that has been around for over one hundred years, so it is no surprise that there are a wide range of recipes available when it comes to gingersnaps.

This particular recipe will lead to some delicious gingersnap cookies that are guaranteed to melt in your mouth.

The strong ginger taste of the cookies makes them well-suited for the festive season, but they are delicious enough to eat all year round!

6. Old Fashioned Coconut Washboard Cookies

Coconut washboard cookies are a traditional Christmas cookie that has been around for generations, and for good reason!

This is a particularly sweet kind of cookie that is similar to shortbread due to its texture and buttery flavor.

They also feature some subtle, warm spices thanks to including both nutmeg and cinnamon, which combine beautifully with the coconut flavor.

The coconut is also a great way to add in some extra sweetness and texture, making for a super tasty kind of vintage cookie.

Along with sweetened coconut flakes, you will also need baking powder, ground nutmeg, an egg, almond extract, brown sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, and all-purpose, unbleached flour to make these coconut washboard cookies.

7. Icebox Cookies

Also known as slice-and-bake cookies and refrigerator cookies, icebox cookies are relatively traditional and one that many people are sure to be familiar with.

The dough for icebox cookies is first formed into a log before it is chilled in the refrigerator, Once chilled, you then slice the log into cookie-shaped rounds before you bake them.

This makes for a cookie that is really easy to make as well as delicious and versatile enough to be paired with different ingredients, such as chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruits.

8. Pizzelle

If you come from an Italian family, you are likely to have fond memories of the pizzelle cookie!

This traditional Italian cookie needs to be made with a pizzelle maker to get that perfect flat and round shape with a waffle-like texture, but other than that you will only need six other ingredients.

Pizzelle are known for having differing textures, as they can be soft, chewy, hard, or crisp depending on how you prepare the cookies and what ingredients you use.

For this particular pizzelle recipe, you will need that aforementioned pizzelle maker along with some eggs, sugar, baking powder, butter, flour, and your choice of either anise or vanilla.

9. Shortbread Cookies

We have mentioned a few cookies in this list that are similar to shortbread, but have yet to mention the shortbread cookie itself!

This traditional cookie originated in Scotland, with its roots going as far back as the twelfth century.

However, the first printed version of the recipe emerged in 1736 and came from a Scottish woman known as Mrs. McLintock!

Shortbread is known for its buttery meltiness, and they are also well known for being served around the holiday season.

That being said, they are popular at all times of the year thanks to just how delicious they are.

10. Amish Sugar Cookies

When it comes to simple yet delectable vintage cookies, then these Amish sugar cookies are a perfect choice.

The great thing about Amish recipes is that they tend to use ingredients that are common pantry ingredients, and this recipe is no exception!

All you will need to make the base sugar cookies are vanilla, softened butter, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, two eggs, canola or vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and all-purpose flour.

If you want to decorate your sugar cookies, grab some of your favorite glaze or icing to make them a little more exciting.

11. Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies and gingerbread cookies are both popular cookies in their own right, but this vintage recipe brings them together in one delicious flavourful recipe.

You will need baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, baking powder, all purpose flour, ground ginger, and some Biscoff creamy cookie spread to bake these treats.

12. Triple Chocolate Cookies

Ever since chocolate became a staple ingredient around the world, people have been making chocolate cookies, such as these triple chocolate cookies.

This recipe uses a good old-fashioned cookie mix that is aimed specifically at chocoholics, thanks to just how chocolatey they are.

There is something very homely about the rich chocolate cookies that you can make with this recipe, which is sure to be appealing to those who love to indulge in it.

13. Butter Cookies

These Danish-style butter cookies are another vintage choice that is sure to bring back memories for those who might have Danish roots or whose parents or grandparents were partial to baking them.

As the name suggests, these cookies have a soft and buttery taste and texture, but they also feature hints of almond and vanilla.

The simple nature of the cookies also makes them a versatile choice, with one popular way to change them up being to dip them in melted chocolate and cover the chocolate with sprinkles to create a festive style of cookie.

14. Peanut Butter Cookies

Another cookie that is still popular today, peanut butter cookies are a classic that tons of adults are sure to have been given when they were kids, especially if they come from a family of enthusiastic bakers!

Peanut butter cookies are a great example of simplicity being key when it comes to the best kinds of vintage cookies, having a standard yet effective recipe that will forever be timeless.

As well as peanut butter, you will need softened butter, white and brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda, flour, an egg, and salt to make your peanut butter cookies.

15. Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

You don’t tend to see molasses cookies around much anymore, though you could argue that gingerbread cookies are a close recreation of this traditional treat.

Much like gingerbread, these cookies offer a rich and warm sensation when you bite into them thanks to the molasses as well as the use of spices such as ginger and cinnamon.

Ground cloves are also included in the recipe, making for a cookie that offers a strong and delectable flavor with every bite.

16. Lemon Snowdrop Cookies

Lemon cookies might remind you of your grandma, and there is a reason that they were such a popular cookie choice back in the day!

These lemon snowdrop cookies are the perfect choice if you have fond memories of lemon cookies, or if you are just a fan of lemon in general.

These buttery sandwich cookies are filled with a soft and zesty lemon filling, making for the perfect sweet treat for those who enjoy a citrus flavor with their cookies.

As well as lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest to make these cookies, you will also need softened butter, salt, confectioners sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, butter, and an egg.

17. Glazed Candied Fruit Cookies

These cookies are the embodiment of what you can imagine your grandma baking for you as a child!

Festive and topped with a sweet, caramel glaze, these cookies are studded with both pecans and candied fruit for a combination of nutty and fruity flavors.

18. Old Fashioned Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are a cross between a cake and a cookie, featuring two cookies that sandwich a creamy filling.

The earliest records of whoopie pies go back as far as the 1830s, with the cookies originating in New England.

This All-American cookie is sure to be a treat that brings back memories for plenty of people.

This particular recipe will lead to some delicious chocolate whoopie pies with a fluffy and creamy filling.

The ingredients that you will need to include all-purpose flour, two eggs, shortening, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, powdered sugar, white sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract, hot water, and salt.

19. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Another recipe that is sure to be a treat for chocoholics, chocolate crinkle cookies have a comforting taste to the crinkled, sweet, and crispy outside and the chewy and soft chocolate inside.

These cookies are another kind of cookie that is popular around the holiday season, but can easily make for a great treat to snack on at any time.

If you are looking for chocolate cookies with a vintage twist, this definitely the recipe for you.

20. Macadamia Nut Cookies

Much like some of the other cookies that we have talked about on this list, macadamia nut cookies have been around for a long time and are still a well-known kind of cookie to this day.

Nut cookies are a popular choice when it comes to searching for the right vintage cookie thanks to just how many variations there are, such as almond cookies, pistachio cookies, and the aforementioned peanut cookies.

Macadamia nut cookies are a particularly popular and well-known choice, though, thanks to the distinctive crunch of the macadamia nuts with the soft cookie dough.

To make this classic macadamia nut cookie recipe, you will need two eggs, sugar, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, macadamia nuts, white baking chips, and chocolate chips.

21. Linzer Kekse Cookies

Austrian families are sure to know these next cookies, which originated in Linz, Austria.

These cookies are popular around Christmastime and are known for using an almond-based dough.

They have a unique and eye-catching design too thanks to the use of preserves that go into the center of the cookie, which are often cut into cute shapes such as hearts and stars.

Raspberry and blackcurrant preserves are the most common preserves used in Linzer Kekse cookies, which combine beautifully with the buttery and nutty cookie base.

As well as almonds, and raspberry jam, you will need all-purpose flour, salt, lemon zest, powdered sugar, unsalted butter, salt, ground cinnamon, two eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar to make these Austrian cookies.

22. Anzac Cookies

Another international treat, Anzac cookies are a traditional cookie from New Zealand and Australia that are unique in that they are associated with a public holiday in these countries- ANZAC Day- which commemorates the Gallipoli landings that occurred during World War I.

If you have family from Australia and New Zealand, you are sure to have heard of these cookies.

They may even bring back memories for you, if so, making for a vintage cookie with a unique backstory.

Typically made with coconut and oats, these are cookies that are sure to please those who love a nutty taste to their cookie treats.

23. Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon sugar cookies are the absolute definition of home comfort, and this traditional recipe is sure to be a winner whether you have fond memories of snacking on them when you were little or if you are just a fan of the sweet, cinnamon crunchiness.

These cookies are perfect for during the winter months when the weather is cold, as they pair up fantastically with coffee or hot chocolate.

24. Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy cookies are pretty much just regular chocolate chip cookies that have been beefed up to make them particularly indulgent!

If you have memories of chocolate chip cookies, then the chances are that you have memories of cowboy cookies too, depending on how they were made.

Tender, crisp, chewy, soft, and chock-full of chocolate chips, these cookies are the ultimate guilty pleasure to enjoy all year round.

25. Persimmon Cookies

These cookies are a well-known, old-fashioned style of cookie, filled with cranberries and nuts and baked to perfection with spices for a warming and delicious treat.

This persimmon cookie recipe blends spice with sweetness thanks to the use of allspice and the flavor of the persimmon, which is a bright orange fruit with a sweet and juicy nature.

26. Vintage Rock Cookies

Rock cookies are known for their old-fashioned nature- with the original recipe dating back to the 1930s- and it is easy to see why they are so popular, as they are quick and easy to make.

These cookies are known for their crispiness as well as their inclusion of walnuts, which are the “rocks” baked into the cookies.

As well as those walnuts, you will also need baking powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, brown sugar, raisins, salt, ground cinnamon, softened butter, and eggs to make these classical cookies.

27. Soft Ginger Puffs

Originating in the early 1900s, these spiced cookies are another recipe that features walnuts and raisins along with ginger and molasses (which seems to be a running theme for these vintage cookies!).

The puffy nature of the cookies gives them a slightly different texture from what you would normally associate with cookies, making for a unique and exceptionally delicious vintage cookie.

28. Old Fashioned Self-Glazing Anise Cookies

These light and small cookies are beautifully flavorful and have a vintage feel to them thanks to the thickness of the batter and the anise taste.

Despite the simplicity of the cookies- only needing six ingredients-, it is quite a tricky recipe to get right, due to the self-glazing nature of the cookies, so it might take some trial and error to get the recipe perfect.

29. Pecan Sandies

Also known as Mexican wedding cookies, pecan sandies are known to be a delicious vintage cookie that is a popular Southern treat.

This recipe features buttery and soft shortbread with pecans that have been finely minced sprinkled throughout.

As well as those pecans and butter, you will need white sugar, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water to make some good old-fashioned pecan sandies.

30. Black And White Cookies

A popular cookie to be found in the city of New York, these cookies are large and cake like with a sweet vanilla flavor and topped off with thick and tasty chocolate and vanilla icing.

If you hail from New York, you are sure to have plenty of fond memories of these cookies!

31. Ginger Cream Cookies

Taken from a recipe dating way back to 1924, these ginger cream cookies are another spiced cookie option that mixes the best of both sweetness and spice.

These cookies feature various spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger powder as well as a creamy icing that juxtaposes the spices, made from either milk or cream as well as salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

32. Thumbprint Cookies

Another type of cookie that is often used as a traditional Christmas cookie in many households, thumbprint cookies, are a simple kind of sugar cookie that is indented and then filled with a jam of your choice.

This versatility in terms of what kind of flavors you can have with the cookie- depending on the jam or alternate filling that you choose- is extensive, making for a cookie that is sure to please a variety of palettes.

33. Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Last but not least, this vintage-style recipe replicates the kind of sugar cookies that grandmas are known to bake!

Though similar to snickerdoodles, sugar cookies are their own kind of cookie due to being more versatile, often covered with frosting or sprinkles rather than being made with cinnamon sugar like snickerdoodles.

Get creative with these sugar cookies by using all sorts of colors of icing sugar!

Final Thoughts

So there you have thirty yummy vintage cookie recipes that are sure to be a delicious treat!

These recipes make for cookies that are perfect for a range of occasions, as well as for a tasty treat when you feel like snacking on something sweet.

No matter what kind of cookies you like the most, you are sure to find something that suits your personal tastes with our extensive list of vintage cookies!

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