25 Vintage Cookie Recipes Just Like Grandma Made

There’s something about vintage cookies that feels like a warm hug from the past. I can still picture my grandma’s kitchen: flour dusted across the counter, the sound of her old hand mixer, and the smell of cinnamon, butter, and sugar wafting through the house. Back then, cookies weren’t just desserts—they were little traditions wrapped in wax paper, carried to church socials, tucked into lunchboxes, and served with a cold glass of milk after school.

This collection of 25 vintage cookie recipes will take you right back to those cozy moments. Some were Depression-era “make-do” cookies, others were passed down from immigrant families, and many became holiday classics that still show up on Christmas cookie platters today.

1

Grandma’s Molasses Cookie Recipe

Chewy and warmly spiced with molasses, ginger, and cloves. These cookies date back to colonial America and were especially common during the Depression when ingredients had to stretch.

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2

Easy, Softy & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe | Rose Bakes

Soft sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar with a tangy kick from cream of tartar. German in origin, they became a beloved American household favorite by the 1940s.

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3

Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery shortbread filled with jam or preserves. Inspired by Scandinavian baking, they became a Christmas platter favorite in the 1950s–60s.

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4

brown sugar cookies

Simple and soft, with a rich caramel-like sweetness. Common in early 1900s farmhouses when brown sugar was often cheaper than white.

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5

The Best 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies - A Holiday Favorite

Buttery, crisp, and often cut into fun shapes or decorated. Dating back to colonial times, sugar cookies have remained a holiday and everyday staple for centuries.

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6

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Nutty, buttery cookies rolled in powdered sugar until snowy white. Popular for weddings, Christmas, and tea parties, especially during the 1950s.

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7

Classic Spritz Cookies

Buttery cookies pressed into shapes with a cookie press. A German and Scandinavian holiday tradition brought to the U.S. in the early 1900s.

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8

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Soft peanut butter cookies topped with Hershey’s Kisses. Invented during the 1950s Bake-Off era, they became an instant holiday tradition.

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9

Sand Tarts

Crisp sugar cookies sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. A Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas classic baked in many American homes well into the 20th century.

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10

Oatmeal Cookies Like Your Mom Made

This is the recipe for some of the best cookies around! These chewy Oatmeal Cookies are made using quick oats and they are perfect for a tasty snack or dessert!

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11

Authentic German Springerle Cookies

Delicate anise-flavored cookies pressed with carved molds for ornate designs. Brought by German immigrants, these cookies were treasured at Christmastime.

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12

Peppernut Cookies (Pfeffernusse or Pepernoten)

Spiced cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Another German classic, baked at Christmas by immigrant families across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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13

Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe - Tastes Better from Scratch

Spiced ginger cookies shaped into festive figures and decorated. With European roots, these cookies became a beloved American holiday tradition by the early 1900s.

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14

gingersnaps - the palatable life

Crisp and spicy with a bold bite of ginger and molasses. These cookies became a Christmastime staple in American kitchens by the early 20th century.

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15

Date Pinwheel Cookies

Sugar-cookie dough swirled with a sticky date filling. A 1930s–40s favorite, they used dried fruit as a thrifty but festive ingredient.

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16

Icebox Cookies

Logs of dough sliced and baked into crisp rounds. Popular in the 1920s–40s when refrigerators (“iceboxes”) became more common in homes.

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17

Easy Spicy Hermit Cookies Recipe (Soft for DAYS!)

Spiced drop cookies with raisins, currants, or nuts. Dating back to the late 1800s, they were valued for their ability to keep fresh in tins for weeks.

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18

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Simple Sweet Treats

Buttery cookies studded with chocolate chips. Invented by Ruth Wakefield in the 1930s, they quickly became America’s most famous cookie.

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19

Lace Oatmeal Cookies

Thin, crisp cookies made with butter, sugar, and oats or nuts. A mid-century favorite, often served at luncheons and socials.

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20

How to Make Chocolate Whoopie Pie Cookies Recipe

Cake-like chocolate cookies filled with creamy frosting. Originating in Amish and New England kitchens, they gained national popularity in the 1930s–40s.

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21

Butter Cookies

Crisp and buttery, often piped or shaped with cutters. A holiday staple since the 1800s, especially in Scandinavian-American homes.

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22

Magnificent Coconut Macaroons

Chewy mounds of shredded coconut, sometimes dipped in chocolate. Became popular mid-century when packaged coconut made its way into grocery stores.

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23

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar, forming crackled tops as they bake. A holiday cookbook and cookie exchange favorite in the 1960s.

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24

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Hearty oats and sweet raisins make these chewy, comforting cookies. Quaker Oats popularized them in the early 1900s, printing recipes right on the box.

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25

Butter Pecan Cookies (Crispy Edges, Soft Inside)

These butter pecan cookies are crisp on the edges, soft in the center, and full of nutty, buttery flavor. No chilling is needed—just mix, bake, and enjoy!

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Wrap-Up

From spice-scented hermits to powdered-sugar-dusted snowballs, these vintage cookies carry generations of stories, flavors, and love. They’re the kinds of recipes that remind me of potluck dessert tables, cookie tins at Christmastime, and sneaking a warm cookie from grandma’s cooling rack. If you grew up with one of these cookies, I’d love to hear which one takes you back the most!

FAQs About Vintage Cookies

What makes a cookie “vintage”?

Vintage cookies are recipes that were popular decades ago, often tied to regional traditions, mid-century cookbooks, or Depression-era kitchens.

Which vintage cookies are best for holidays?

Spritz cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Pfeffernüsse, and gingerbread men are classics for Christmas platters.

What’s the difference between hermit cookies and spice cookies?

Hermit cookies usually include raisins or currants, while spice cookies are simpler and focus on warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Can I make these recipes with modern ingredients?

Absolutely—most adapt perfectly. Use butter instead of shortening, or swap fresh fruit preserves in thumbprint cookies for an updated touch.

Which vintage cookie is the most iconic?

The Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie—born in the 1930s, it’s arguably America’s most beloved homemade cookie.