Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe (2024)

by Jillian Leslie on

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Have you ever wondered how to make homemade fortune cookies? It’s not actually as complicated as you might think. And they come out tasting delicious!

Fortune cookies are such a cute addition to a bridal shower or baby shower, and the idea of customizing your own little “statements” takes this to the next level.

Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe (1)

Picture disclosing a baby’s gender at a gender reveal baby shower with a fortune, or sending your guests home with a cute Thank You fortune, or as a creative way to celebrate a birthday girl or boy.

Decorate with this gorgeous Floral Bunting and this Floral Boho Chic Birthday Girl Invite and Decor Bundle, and you’ll have yourself a memorable occasion.

Reasons To Love This Fortune Cookie Recipe

  • The apparent reason is that these are customizable, which makes them a super cute and unique addition to your party.
  • You can make these ahead of time: just ensure you store them in an airtight container.
  • Memorable and unique: your guests will feel you went the extra mile with this treat.
  • You can change up the flavors every time you make them. This recipe will never get old!

Ingredients and Substitutes

You can make these with ingredients you likely already have at home. Easy as pie.

  • Sugar. White, granulated sugar will do the trick.
  • Vanilla extract. The combination of vanilla, sugar, and butter is what makes this melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
  • Flour. All-purpose flour is all you need. Try these with gluten-free flour for a gluten-free variation.
  • Vegetable oil. Use a neutral oil like avocado if possible.
  • Water. Just two tablespoons.
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How To Make These Fortune Cookies

Here are the steps to making your own batch.

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, vegetable oil, and water until smooth.

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Step 2: Bake the cookies

Drop tablespoons of the batter onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter into thin, even circles about 3 inches in diameter.

Only bake 3-4 at a time; otherwise, they will harden before you shape them. (You can see I initially baked 6, which was too many.)

Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately place a fortune strip in the center of each cookie.

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Step 3: Shape and cool the cookie

Use a spatula to lift the cookie off the baking sheet. Fold the cookie in half, pinching the edges together to create the signature fortune cookie shape. Place the folded cookie onto the rim of a cup or mug to hold its shape until it cools and sets.

Repeat with the remaining batter, and work quickly before the cookies cool and become too brittle.

Once the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container.

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And here are somecute printable fortune cookie fortune strips you can download and print out to put in your cookies.

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Tips and Substitutions

  • Work as quickly as you can as the cookies start to set once they come out of the oven, don’t dilly-dally when it’s time to fold them.
  • Use a Silpat mat or parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick to the cookie sheet.
  • Play around with flavors like lemon, almond extract, sprinkles, and chili to make the cookies your own.
  • Only make 3-4 at time so they don’t harden before you can shape them.

FAQs

Do homemade cookies last as long as ones from a restaurant?

If your cookies are stored correctly, they will last a long time but not necessarily as long as ones from a restaurant, depending on the preservatives used in making the restaurant-based cookies.

Can you freeze homemade fortune cookies?

Yes, you can freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

Yes, you can freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

Fortune cookies are said to have originated in the United States, specifically in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the early 1900s, and most likely via Chinese immigrants.

How can I decorate fortune cookies?

Dip them in melted white, milk, or dark chocolate, then dip them in the sprinkles of your choice.

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Other Cookie Recipes You Might Like

  • Coconut Nutella Oatmeal Cookies
  • Cornflake Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Cake Batter Confetti Cookie Recipe
  • Halloween Cookie Dough Mummies
  • Linzer Cookie Recipe

The homemade fortune cookies are a fun and thoughtful way to let your guests know you went the extra mile.

And don’t worry if the edges crack. They should look rustic and homemade.

Also, if the cookies aren’t as crisp as you like, put them in the oven for

Be sure to check out our birthday party themes for more ideas on how to throw a fabulous party.

Don’t forget to grab a set of free downloadables to go with your theme.

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Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe

These cute, crispy, and delicious homemade fortune cookies will put the wow factor in your party. Remember to work quickly and make them your own!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American, Chinese, Dessert

Servings: 10 Cookies

Calories: 55kcal

Author: Jillian Tohber Leslie

Cost: $5

Ingredients

  • 2 each Egg whites
  • ½ cup All-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup Vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp Water

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

    In a medium bowl,whisk togetherthe egg whites, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, vegetable oil, and water until smooth.

  • Drop tablespoons of the batteronto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter into thin, even circles about 3 inches in diameter.

    Bake the cookiesfor 7-9 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately place a fortune strip in the center of each cookie.

  • Use a spatula tolift the cookie off the baking sheet.Fold the cookie in half, pinching the edges together to create the signature fortune cookie shape.

    Place the folded cookie onto therim of a cup or mugto hold its shape until it cools and sets.

    Repeat with the remaining batter, and work quickly before the cookies cool and become too brittle.

    Once the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container.

Notes

Work as quickly as you can as the cookies start to set once they come out of the oven, don’t dilly-dally when it’s time to fold them.

Use a Silpat mat or parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick to the cookie sheet.

Only make 3-4 at a time so they don’t harden before you’ve shaped them.

You can easily double the recipe if you want to make more than 10.

And don’t worry if the edges crack. They should look rustic and homemade.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliates.

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Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How are traditional fortune cookies made? ›

The ingredients (typically made with a base of flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil) are mixed in a large tank and squirted onto fast moving trays. These function like a conveyor belt and are heated to cook the dough. Cookies are compressed with round hot plates to shape and cook them.

What are the rules of fortune cookies? ›

THE instructions on the red wrapper are very explicit: (1) Open the packaging. (2) Use both hands to break open the fortune cookie. (3) Retrieve and read the fortune. (4) Eat the cookie.

What gives fortune cookies their taste? ›

There's a unique flavor in fortune cookies, and it's from a combination of vanilla and sesame oil. You know how when you take cookies out of the oven they're still soft? Same with fortune cookies. They start their life as simple round cookies, then they're folded around the fortune.

How long can you keep homemade fortune cookies? ›

These cookies will get soggy if they aren't stored properly. Make sure you store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last 2-3 days stored like this. If you want them to last even longer you can bake the shaped cookies in the oven at 120C/250F for 6-7 minutes.

How long do fortune cookies stay fresh? ›

They do keep well for a few days in an airtight container (if it's humid, slip in a piece of bread to keep them crisp), so they can be made ahead. Write out, or print, fortunes on pieces of paper that are about 3/8 inch (1 cm) wide.

What do fortune cookies symbolize? ›

In China fortune cookies are referred to in many terms such as “good luck cookie”, “cookie with fortune words” and “good luck biscuit etc. Fortune cookies are a bit different than regular confectionery because they are not just meant for eating but also have significance. They often symbolize luck, fate and wisdom.

Can you make custom fortune cookies? ›

We offer up to 5 custom messages for orders of 100 cookies or more. Additional fortune messages can be added at extra cost by clicking on this link. For multiple fortunes: Add each fortune message as a separate set of cookies.

Are fortune cookies only Chinese? ›

While many Americans associate these fortune cookies with Chinese restaurants—and by extension, Chinese culture—they are actually more readily traceable to 19th-century Japan and 20th-century America.

What does it mean if fortune cookie is empty? ›

What does it mean when there is no fortune in a fortune cookie? If there is no fortune in a fortune cookie it means you are being invited to script your life as you'd LIKE it to unfold. There is a clean slate allowing you to CREATE your life starting now.

What is the superstition about an empty fortune cookie? ›

It is an invitation to take control of your own destiny and make things happen. Something Good is Coming: Another belief is that an empty fortune cookie indicates that something good is about to happen to you [2].

How do they put the paper in fortune cookies? ›

Answer. The cookies are baked as flat circles. After they are removed from the oven, slips of paper are folded inside while the cookies are still warm and flexible. As the fortune cookies cool, they harden into shape.

Are you supposed to eat the whole fortune cookie before reading the fortune? ›

There are many superstitions when it comes to eating fortune cookies. Some people claim that you must eat the whole cookie in order for the fortune to come true or, if the fortune is ill fated, that you cannot eat any of the cookie or the bad fortune will come true.

Do you eat the fortune cookie first or last? ›

After reading the fortune, you must not tell anyone your fortune, and then eat your fortune cookie and put paper on fire for it to come true.

Are fortune cookies unhealthy? ›

The edible portion of a fortune cookie contains approximately 20 calories in an 8-ounce serving, according to Panda Express. Although the calorie count is not huge, you also forgo consuming a healthy food — fortune cookies offer little to no nutritional value.

Do fortune cookies have dairy or eggs? ›

Fortune cookies are usually dairy free by ingredients, but they're often loaded with colors, flavors, and other additives. These naturally dairy-free homemade fortune cookies are a fun treat to make, and use everyday pantry supplies.

Do fortune cookies have MSG? ›

No MSG added except for that naturally occurring in certain ingredients.

Does fortune cookies have nuts in them? ›

No one can resist the FUN in opening a fortune cookie! They are certified PEANUT-FREE!

Can I eat my fortune cookie? ›

There are many superstitions when it comes to eating fortune cookies. Some people claim that you must eat the whole cookie in order for the fortune to come true or, if the fortune is ill fated, that you cannot eat any of the cookie or the bad fortune will come true.

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