Fortune Cookie Recipe (2024)

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Homemade Fortune Cookies are sure to bring good luck. They’re the perfect way to celebrate the Chinese New Year or eat as a treat with your Asian dinner!

We love to end our meal with a fortune cookie, and having your own fresh cookies with thought-out fortunes is even more fun! Baked Cream Cheese Rangoons, Fried Egg Rolls, and Chicken Lettuce Wraps make great accompanying appetizers.

Fortune Cookie Recipe (1)

New Year Traditions

Our family lovesAsian food, but sometimes eating out isn’t always practical, especially when you have a family of 8!!

That’s why I’ve created lots of homemade versions of our favorite Asian dishes, like Orange Chicken, Broccoli Beef, and Fried Rice.

This year, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, we made some of our favorite homemade Chinese food, learned about Chinese New Year, and we even made our own fortune cookies!

My family agrees, these are a fun and flavorful way to enjoy Asian food at home. I suggest giving these a try—I think you’re going to like them 🙂

Fortune Cookie Recipe (2)

How to make fortune cookies

PREP. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat; have fortune strips ready.

BATTER. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and water, and mix until incorporated. Stir in the flour and cornstarch, and mix just until combined.

SPREAD. Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheet or silpat-lined baking sheet. Using a spatula or the back of tablespoon, spread and smooth batter into a 3-inch circle (the 3 inch diameter is the perfect size). Only do two per batch.

BAKE. Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove them from the oven and quickly flip over. Fold the cookie in half, into a semicircle. Slip the note into the cookie. Place the semicircle onto the edge of a cup and quickly fold the ends down (see pictures below).

COOL & REPEAT. Place the cookie in a muffin tin to let it cool and hold its shape. Repeat the process with the rest of the cookies.

Fortune Cookie Recipe (3)

Tips for shaping fortune cookies

Getting that perfect fortune cookie shape may seem to be a little tricky and could take a couple of tries before you get it down. But don’t let that intimidate you, it is actually really easy! To help with a smooth process, here are some tips to consider.

  • Spreading them evenly will take some practice but essentially when spreading the batter on the parchment paper you want it to look evenly spread with an equal color throughout.
  • Only bake 2 cookies at a time. This will give you enough time to get both of them done without the cookies sitting too long to shape. Once you feel comfortable with 2 you can always try for 3.
  • Be sure to have all your tools and supplies within reaching distance before you get started. You will need a spatula for flipping the cookies, your fortunes to put inside of them, a cup/glass for shaping and a muffin tray to place them in for cooling.
  • Keep a close eye on them while they are baking. It only takes about 7-8 minutes or until edges are brown. If they over bake they will break when shaping them.
Fortune Cookie Recipe (4)

Variations + Recipe Tips

Additional add-ins:

  • Add a few drops of food coloring to the batter to make them the color you want.
  • To customize your homemade fortune cookies, you can dip the ends in melted chocolate or drizzle some on top! Maybe pour on some sprinkles before the chocolate dries all the way.

This recipe will take some trial and error to get the perfect baking time for your personal oven. Don’t worry about not baking them long enough because they will be sitting out and should harden up some. Avoid overbaking them because then they will be too hard to shape correctly.

Separate eggs by cracking them in your hands, using the suction of the water bottle, or a pre-made egg separator kitchen tool.

Fortune Cookie Recipe (5)

FAQ

How to store fortune cookies? Store the homemade fortune cookies in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months. They can last longer but heat and humidity may cause the shelf life to shorten. So store them in a cool, dry place.

Can you freeze? I have never tried FREEZING homemade fortunecookies but since they do last a long time if stored correctly on the shelf, I don’t think freezing them is necessary. Also, because they can go bad from humidity I would think that they would get soggy when they thaw out.

If you want to store them for a long time, your best option is to store them airtight in a cool, dry place.

These homemade Fortune Cookies taste like they came straight from your favorite Chinese restaurant, and we know you’ll love them!

Fortune Cookie Recipe (6)

More Delicious Asian Dishes to try:

  • Honey Chicken
  • Chinese Lemon Chicken
  • Chinese Pasta Salad
  • Asian Noodle Salad
  • Kung Pao Chicken

Fortune Cookie Recipe (7)

Fortune Cookie Recipe (8)

5 from 17 votes

Fortune Cookie Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

Homemade Fortune Cookies are sure to bring good luck. They're the perfect way to celebrate the Chinese New Year or eat as a treat with your Asian dinner!

Servings: 8 Cookies

Prep: 8 minutes mins

Cook: 7 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 3 egg whites room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted or unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat; have fortune strips ready.

  • In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and water, mix until incorporated. Add the flour and cornstarch, mix just until combined.

  • Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula or the back of tablespoon, spread the batter into a 3-inch circle. Only do two at a time!

  • Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove them from the oven and quickly flip over. Fold the cookie in half, into a semicircle. Slip the note into the cookie. Place the semicircle onto the edge of a cup and quickly fold the ends down (see pictures below).

  • Place the cookie in a muffin tin to let it cool and hold its shape.

  • Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Notes

*If your cookies are still soft in the center, you can place the muffin tin full of cookies back into the oven for a few minutes to harden them up.

Recipe & method adapted from allrecipes.com

Nutrition

Serving: 8g, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 20mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Making this recipe? Tag us!

Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Categorized as: Asian Recipes, Cookies, Cuisines, Desserts, Holidays, New Years, Recipes

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Fortune Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How are traditional fortune cookies made? ›

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.

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.

Are there rules to fortune cookies? ›

You cannot look at all the fortunes first, then claim the best one as your own – or give the worst one to someone else. 6.) 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 Chinese or Japanese? ›

The latest history of the fortune cookie is that it originated in Japan. A wood block image from 1878 shows what seems to be a Japanese street vendor grilling, fortune cookies. They can still be found in certain districts of Kyoto Japan, but are larger and darker than the fortune cookie we are familiar with.

Is fortune cookie healthy or unhealthy? ›

The majority of fortune cookie calories come from sugar, which is why the number of carbohydrates is quite high for such a little cookie. However, one fortune cookie does provide trace amounts of some nutrients per the USDA, which include 0.4 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of lipid fats and 0.2 grams of fiber.

How do they get paper inside fortune cookies? ›

The cookie is malleable since it's still hot. Once it cools down, it'll be hard and crunchy. So you gotta do this part fast. And that's how the paper gets into the fortune cookie.

Are fortune cookies an American thing? ›

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.

How long do fortune cookies stay fresh? ›

Shelf life is 9 months. However the quicker they are consumed the fresher they will taste! Can we mix the colours of the fortune cookie wrap?

What is the most expensive fortune cookie? ›

The most money anyone has paid for a fortune cookie is £10,000 ($17,473) at an auction at the Chinese New Year Gala Dinner in aid of Kids at the Banqueting House, Whitehall, London, United Kingdom, on 8 February 2006.

Why are my fortune cookies soft? ›

Why are my cookies soft? If you spread the cookie batter too thick the cookies will take longer to bake, and the edges will brown quicker. The centre of the cookie will be soft, while the edges are crunchy. The solution is to spread the batter thinner!

Why did I get an empty fortune cookie? ›

The reasoning behind this is that you are now owed a fortune and it will be repaid to you with a good event. The second is that your fortune is a blank slate. You are in control of your own future and are able to take the reins and make what you want to happen, happen.

Do Chinese eat fortune cookies? ›

While Chinese restaurants all over the world serve fortune cookies, the ones in China don't. In fact, the concept is so foreign, says TIME, that when Wonton Food Inc., one of the biggest purveyors of fortune cookies, tried to do business in China in the 1990s, diners kept eating the fortunes by mistake.

Can my dog have fortune cookies? ›

Technically, yes, dogs can eat fortune cookies. Fortune cookies are basic foods with few ingredients, and it is safe to give them to your dog in most circ*mstances. However, fortune cookies are not necessarily good for dogs. Dogs do not need to eat processed foods and sugars.

Who invented the fortune cookie? ›

The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century. They most likely originated from cookies made by Japanese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Do fortune cookies have dairy or eggs? ›

Homemade Fortune Cookies: You're in Luck, they're Naturally Dairy Free! 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 fat in them? ›

Fortune cookies, store bought (4 each) contains 26.9g total carbs, 26.4g net carbs, 0.8g fat, 1.7g protein, and 121 calories.

Are fortune cookies high in fat? ›

2 cookies of fortune cookies (Milk Chocolate Covered, Love - Emily's) contains 150 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 60% carbs, 35% fat, and 5% protein. This has a relatively high calorie density, with 455 Calories per 100g.

Are fortune cookies vegan panda? ›

Desserts. 🛑 Are Fortune Cookies vegan? No, Panda Express' Fortune Cookies are not vegan because they contain eggs, and milk. You cannot customize this to be vegan.

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