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National Cookie Day

Treat yourself to something sweet this National Cookie Day - indulge in delicious cookies and get creative with custom recipes!
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When it is?
December 4
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Country
United States
Introduction

Get ready to celebrate National Cookie Day on December 4 with a batch of delicious, homemade cookies! This special day has been around for centuries and is celebrated in many countries across the world. Cookies have become an integral part of many cultures, providing comfort and warmth during times of celebration or sorrow. Whether you prefer crunchy oatmeal raisin cookies or soft chocolate chip ones, there's something for everyone on this special day!

History of National Cookie Day

In America, a cookie is described as a thin, sweet, small cake. By definition, a cookie can be a variety of hand-held, flour-based sweet cakes, either crisp or soft. Each country has its own word for “cookie.” In England and Australia they’re referred to as biscuits, in Spain they’re galletas. Germans call them keks and in Italy they have several names to identify the various forms of cookie. In America, the Dutch word “koekje” was Anglicized to “cookie.” The sweet treat came to America through the Dutch in New Amsterdam in the late 1620s. The earliest reference to cookies in America is in 1703, when the Dutch in New York provided 800 cookies for a funeral.

Hard cookie-like wafers have existed for as long (and maybe even longer) as baking has been documented. However, they were not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern standards. They appear to have some origins in 7th century CE Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14 century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.

With travel becoming widespread at that time, cookies made a natural travel snack, a modernized equivalent of the travel cakes consumed throughout history. One of the most popular early cookies, which traveled especially well and became known on every continent by similar names, was the jumble: a relatively hard cookie made largely from nuts, sweetener, and water.

National Cookie Day Dates

National Cookie Day Timeline

<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>7th Century</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Cookie Origins</div><div class='timeline-text'>The earliest cookies are believed to have originated as test cakes in 7th Century Persia, one of the first countries to use sugar.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>14th Century</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Cookies Spread to Europe</div><div class='timeline-text'>By the 14th century, cookies were common across Europe and were enjoyed during festive times and special occasions.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>17th Century</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Cookies hit America</div><div class='timeline-text'>Cookies were brought to America by the Dutch in the early 17th Century. They remained a favorite treat among settlers.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1930s</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Choc Chip Cookie Invention</div><div class='timeline-text'>Ruth Graves Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie in the late 1930s at her Toll House Inn in Massachusetts.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1987</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>National Cookie Day Established</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Blue Chip Cookie Company established National Cookie Day in 1987 as a way to celebrate the popular baked good.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>Present Day</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Global Cookie Love</div><div class='timeline-text'>Today, cookies are loved worldwide and are a staple dessert in many cultures, enjoyed on National Cookie Day and every day!</div></div></div>

How to Celebrate National Cookie Day

<div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Bake your own cookies</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Making cookies is a fun and rewarding experience. There are so many types of cookies you can make, from sugar to chocolate chip, no bake to shortbread, the options are endless.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Go out for cookies</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Check out your local bakery or cafe and see what type of freshly baked cookies they have in store. It's a great way to celebrate National Cookie Day while supporting small businesses in your community.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Invite friends over for cookie decorating</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Gather up some friends and turn cookie decorating into a fun afternoon activity.  Pick up some pre-made sugar cookies, icing and sprinkles, then let the creativity flow.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Go on a cookie crawl</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Take a tour of your city's best bakeries and cafes, or even better, plan a road trip to take you to all the top spots for delicious cookies. Make sure to take lots of pictures along the way.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Throw a cookie swap party</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Organize a cookie swap with your friends and family where each person brings their favorite homemade cookie. Everyone gets to sample each other's creations, creating a fun and unique way to celebrate National Cookie Day.</p></div></div>

Why We Love National Cookie Day

<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Everyone's got a favorite</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Oatmeal? Chocolate chip? Sugar? They can't all be the best cookie, but any of them could certainly be someone's favorite. With the vast variety of cookie types across the globe, you're bound to get ten different answers if you ask ten different people.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>They're delicious</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Come on — does this one really need elaboration? We've all got fond memories, filled with nostalgia, of eating cookies as a youngster. For most of us, that love for cookies never left us.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>They make it easy to pace yourself</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>If you bake a massive cake, it's easy to eat too much. Think about it: even after cutting out a massive slice, there's still a ton of cake left and it barely looks like you've made a dent. With cookies, it's easier to stop at one (though no one ever does.)</p></div></div>

5 Yummy Facts about our Love of Cookies

<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Over 2 Billion Cookies are Eaten Per Year in the US</h3><p class='facts-content'>Americans love cookies, consuming an estimated 2 billion throughout the year, or nearly 300 cookies for each person in the US.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Chocolate Chip Cookie was Invented in 1937</h3><p class='facts-content'>The iconic chocolate chip cookie was first invented by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in 1937. She added broken pieces of semi-sweet chocolate to her batter, producing a crunchy and delicious treat.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Popular Cookie Varieties Around the World</h3><p class='facts-content'>Cookies come in various shapes and sizes around the world. Some of the most popular include French macarons, British biscuits, Italian biscotti, Dutch speculoos, and German lebkuchen.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Oatmeal Raisin is the Most Popular Cookie Flavor</h3><p class='facts-content'>According to polling data from Statista, oatmeal-raisin is the most popular cookie flavor in the US, closely followed by chocolate chip and peanut butter.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Cookie Cakes Are Popular for Celebrations</h3><p class='facts-content'>Cookie cakes are a popular dessert choice for birthdays, graduations, and other special occasions. They are made using a large cookie base with frosting, sprinkles and decorations on top.</p></div></div>

National Cookie Day FAQs

When is National Cookie Day?

National Cookie Day is celebrated on December 4 every year. In 2024 National Cookie Day will occur on a Wednesday.

Is today National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day?

Quick! Check your calendar? Is today August 4? If it is, then phew! You're in luck because it is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! If not, then darn! You can still eat a chocolate chip cookie though!

Is there a National Candy Day?

We hope your sweet tooth is cavity free, because National Candy Day is celebrated annually on November 4!

National Cookie Day Dates

Year
Date
Day

2023

Dec 4

Monday

2024

Dec 4

Wednesday

2025

Dec 4

Thursday

2026

Dec 4

Friday

2027

Dec 4

Saturday

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