From Ancient Ovens to Your Cookie Jar: The Sweet, Surprising History of the Cookie

Whether it’s a warm chocolate chip fresh from the oven or a delicate shortbread at afternoon tea, cookies are the comfort food we never outgrow

 They’re portable, shareable, and endlessly customizable—which might explain why nearly every culture in the world has its own take on the humble cookie.

But where did cookies actually come from? Who baked the first one? And how did this bite-sized treat evolve into the dessert aisle staple and holiday tradition we know today?

Let’s take a delicious walk through cookie history—and uncover how these small sweets became a global obsession.

What Is a Cookie, Technically Speaking?

A cookie is essentially a small, sweet baked good, usually made with flour, sugar, and some type of fat (like butter or oil). But it wasn’t always a dessert—cookies began their culinary life as practical, even accidental test bakes, according to The Oxford Companion to Food.

In fact, the word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word “koekje”, meaning “little cake.” Dutch settlers brought the word—and the treat—to America in the 1600s, and the name stuck, especially in the U.S. (Merriam-Webster).

In the UK and much of the world, they’re called biscuits. In Italy? Biscotti. In France, it’s petit gâteau or sablé, depending on the style. But whatever you call them, cookies have been around a long, long time.

Cookies Began as Oven Testers in Ancient Persia

According to What's Cooking America, cookies trace their roots back to 7th-century Persia (modern-day Iran)—one of the first cultures to cultivate sugar. Bakers would drop a small amount of cake batter into the oven to test the temperature before baking the whole cake.

These tiny test pieces, called “koekje” by the Dutch, became a snack in their own right. They were easy to carry, didn’t spoil quickly, and required minimal utensils to eat—which made them especially popular among travelers and soldiers.

By the Middle Ages, cookies had spread across Europe via trade routes and conquest, eventually becoming a household staple in royal and peasant kitchens alike.

Cookies Cross the Ocean: Colonial America and Beyond

When European colonists came to the New World, they brought cookie recipes with them. Dutch and English settlers in the 13 colonies favored spice cookies, shortbreads, and tea cakes.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, with more widespread access to sugar and molasses, American cookie-making flourished. Recipes began appearing in early American cookbooks like Amelia Simmons’ "American Cookery" (1796), which included recipes for jumbles, gingerbread, and sugar cookies (Library of Congress).

Cookies were often made in large batches and stored in tins for weeks—ideal for farm families and early settlers without refrigeration.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Revolution

Of all the cookies in all the world, none is more famous—or more American—than the chocolate chip cookie. And yes, it has an inventor: Ruth Wakefield.

In the 1930s, Wakefield ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, and was known for her baking. According to Nestlé USA, one day she added chopped pieces of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar to her butter cookie dough, expecting them to melt into the dough like cocoa.

Instead, the chocolate stayed in soft, rich chunks—and the chocolate chip cookie was born.

Nestlé later struck a deal with Wakefield to print her recipe on its chocolate bar packaging, in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate. The Toll House Cookie became a national sensation, and by the 1950s, nearly every American kitchen had a version.

Cookies Around the World: More Than Just Chocolate Chips

While the chocolate chip cookie is king in the U.S., cookies come in a staggering variety of flavors, forms, and cultural traditions around the world:

• Italy is home to biscotti, pizzelle, and amaretti.

• France offers buttery sablés, chewy macarons, and delicate langues de chat.

• Germany is known for lebkuchen, a spiced Christmas cookie, and springerle, molded anise-flavored cookies.

• Mexico gives us polvorones (often called Mexican wedding cookies).

• China has long enjoyed sesame and almond cookies, especially during Lunar New Year.

• India’s cookies, like nankhatai, are crumbly shortbread-style treats flavored with cardamom or saffron.

No matter where you go, cookies reflect local ingredients, traditions, and holidays—which is part of what makes them so beloved.

Store-Bought Cookies and the Rise of the Cookie Industry

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of commercial cookie production, as factory-made baked goods became affordable and accessible. Brands like Nabisco and Keebler began producing packaged cookies for mass distribution.

Nabisco launched the Oreo in 1912, which quickly became a best-seller and remains one of the most popular cookies in the world today. According to Mondelez International, over 34 billion Oreos are sold each year in more than 100 countries.

By the mid-20th century, cookies were a standard part of American lunchboxes, holiday baking traditions, and after-school snacks.

Fun Cookie Facts to Munch On

• The world’s largest cookie weighed over 40,000 pounds and was baked in North Carolina in 2003, according to the Guinness World Records.

• December 4th is celebrated as National Cookie Day in the United States.

• Girl Scout cookies started in 1917, when scouts began baking cookies at home to raise funds. Today, Girl Scouts sell over 200 million boxes annually (Girl Scouts USA).

Why We Still Love Cookies Today

There’s something timeless and comforting about cookies. They’re quick to make, easy to personalize, and universally loved. From bake sales to bridal showers, from after-dinner coffee to classroom treats, cookies never go out of style.

Maybe it’s their variety. Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Or maybe it’s just that every bite feels like a little celebration.

So the next time you dunk a cookie in milk or sneak one from the jar, remember: you’re enjoying a treat with thousands of years of history—and absolutely no signs of going out of fashion.