This 150-Year-Old Cookie Recipe Uses Only 3 Ingredients

If you don’t consider yourself a “baker,” we hear you. Baking can seem intimidating, time-consuming, and sometimes, not worth the final product.

Well, thanks to Reddit, we’ve just found a recipe for (we like to think) all the non-bakers who have been tasked with a baking assignment over the past 150 years. Yep, this recipe has gone a century and a half without getting any bells and whistles, tweaks, or fussy additions. It’s a recipe for the ages—and it only takes three ingredients.

This vintage recipe was posted by Reddit user nolynskitchen with the caption, “An old cookies recipe that has been in the family for years. Time to share it with you!”

According to the author, the “family cookie recipe” is 150 years old (or 152, as it was posted two years ago) pinpointing its exact birth year to 1871. The recipe (which looks of English descent) only calls for three ingredients: self-rising flour, brown caster sugar (or light brown sugar), and salted butter.

Now, if you find yourself raising questions about the self-rising flour, keep in mind the 3-in-1 ingredient can be traced back to the mid-19th century after the first modern baking powder was patented in 1856. So, yes, the timeline checks out.

From the attached photo, the cookies looked crackly, crisp, and lightly golden—like a classic sugar cookie. Without using eggs to provide structure and rise, I didn’t expect the cookies to have much chew, and without vanilla, not much flavor either. But, then again, if these cookies have been around for 150 years, they must be doing something right. So, I had to find out for myself.

We Tried Reddit’s 150-Year-Old Cookie Recipe  

I can honestly say this was my first time mixing cookie dough with just two hands (definitely make sure to soften the butter!) and it instantly took me back to a simpler time—a time when life was less hurried and baked goods were reserved for special occasions. 

The recipe is measured in grams and makes 25 cookies in total, so the portions do end up being pretty tiny (less than a tablespoon a piece). As it turns out, you don’t actually have to press them down with a fork to flatten—with all that butter, they spread out just fine. But, I'll admit, the cross-stitch pattern does add to the charm. 

As I mentioned before, I went in expecting a crisp, crumbly, very sweet cookie that could serve as an ideal coffee dipper. But, what I tasted totally surprised me—they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The cookies didn’t brown or crisp in the oven, just became a pale golden color. They were so soft, they practically sunk in the center when I picked one up. Even the next day, they still had a nice toothy chew.

However, the most shocking part was the flavor. These cookies aren’t too sweet at all. Believe it or not, without even a drop of vanilla, the cookies had the most beautiful butterscotch flavor between the molasses-y brown sugar and the salty butter. In fact, the salt came through so much, they felt right on the verge of a salty-sweet snack.

After trying it for myself, it made sense why this cherished family recipe had been passed down through generations. The 150-year-old treat is full of nostalgia, even if it’s your first time tasting it. It’s a simply perfect sugar cookie, and it holds the remarkable ability to connect you with a time gone by.

How to Make Reddit’s 150-Year-Old Cookie Recipe

Courtesy of Nolyns Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 125 grams of salted butter (softened)
• 100 grams of brown caster sugar (light brown sugar)
• 150 grams of self-rising flour

Instructions:

1. Add salted butter, brown caster sugar, and self-rising flour to a large mixing bowl. Knead everything by hand until well mixed and you can form a ball of dough.
2. Let the dough chill for 20 minutes in the fridge (or a cold place).
3. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (or 305 degrees F). Make 25 small round balls and place them on a baking tray with parchment paper.
4. Gently press the pattern into the dough with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes.