Fortune Cookies Recipe
Mom and I thought it would be fun to make a Homemade Fortune Cookies recipe for our family New Year’s Eve celebration this year. While the cookies themselves are delicious, it’s the fun message inside that makes this such a great party food. Making our own cookies gave us the chance to personalize the fortunes, and include fun messages like “Justin Bieber will soon call you girlfriend” for my teenage nieces. We are sure to hear some giggles when that one is opened up. Mostly we stuck to motivational phrases to encourage the kids, such as: “Believe it can be done!” and “You are talented in many ways!”.
To make create the slips of paper with fortunes, I simply used Google Docs and created a 2 column table. This made them easy to print and cut out.
We were very happy with how this Fortune Cookie recipe turned out, and they were very easy to make. The small amount of almond extract gives them the same taste as the ones we get from our favorite Chinese restaurant.
Be sure to also check out these New Year’s Eve favorites:
Paper Fortune Cookies Activity for Kids
DIY New Year’s Eve Noise Makers
Fortune Cookie Ingredients:
3 egg whites
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons water
How to Make Fortune Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Have fortunes ready to go on small strips of paper. The strips of paper used should be 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and no more than 1/2-inch wide.
In a large bowl, whip egg whites and sugar on high speed of an electric mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and stir in melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, water and flour one at a time, mixing well after each. Consistency should resemble a thick pancake batter. Spoon the batter into 3 inch circles on the prepared baking sheets. Leave room between for spreading. Carefully, tilt the baking sheet in all directions to spread the batter or use the back of a spoon. We found that tilting the pan works best, since the batter tends to stick to the spoon.
Important Note: Prepare to work quickly. You’ll want to work in small batches. There is approximately a 15 second window to add the paper slips, fold the cookies in half and then shape them into the standard fortune cookie shape, before the cookie hardens.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown. The middle part of cookie should remain quite light in color. Quickly remove one at a time with a thin spatula, place a message in the center, and fold in half. Fold the ends of the half together into a horse shoe shape. If they spring open, place them in a muffin tin to cool until set. (We had to place all of ours in a muffin tin.)
Recipe yields approximately 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy and Happy New Year!
We adapted a recipe found at allrecipes.com.

Fortune Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Have fortunes ready to go on small strips of paper. The strips of paper used should be 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and no more than 1/2-inch wide.
- In a large bowl, whip egg whites and sugar on high speed of an electric mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and stir in melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, water and flour one at a time, mixing well after each. Consistency should resemble a thick pancake batter. Spoon the batter into 3 inch circles on the prepared baking sheets. Leave room between for spreading. Carefully, tilt the baking sheet in all directions to spread the batter or use the back of a spoon. We found that tilting the pan works best, since the batter tends to stick to the spoon.
- Important Note: Prepare to work quickly. You'll want to work in small batches. There is approximately a 15 second window to add the paper slips, fold the cookies in half and then shape them into the standard fortune cookie shape, before the cookie hardens.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown. The middle part of cookie should remain quite light in color. Quickly remove one at a time with a thin spatula, place a message in the center, and fold in half. Fold the ends of the half together into a horse shoe shape. If they spring open, place them in a muffin tin to cool until set. (We had to place all of ours in a muffin tin.)
What kind of paper should I use for the paper notes that go inside the fortune cookie?
We just cut strips from printer paper. Would love to hear how they turn out! 🙂
Pinned this , will be trying them out. My son will love helping me make these.
This is a great idea. I never thought about making my own fortune cookies , and I love this recipe: delicious and easy.
wow, those look way better than the ones that come with my takeout, lol.
b
Since you do have to work fast to form the hot cookies, you might think about a pair of gloves to use so you don’t burn your fingers.
This looks amazing! Keep posting stuff like this, it always looks incredible! I am making this ASAP! Thanks!
When we were newlyweds, I made fun fortune cookies with fortunes that foretold great trips, nice home, fabulous parties….For some reason my partner remembers them as “off-color”. Oh, well. Fortune cookies make any party fun!
This is a really awesome idea. I would love to try this. Thank you for the recipe.