Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (2024)

By Brandy 17 Comments

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Make your own fortune cookies at home. The best part is that you can customize the fortunes inside. Bonus: homemade fortune cookies taste better than store bought cookies! This post contains affiliate links.

Make a batch of our fortune cookies and serve with one of our homemade Chinese food recipes! We have recipes for chicken chow mein, egg rolls and more!

Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (1)

Watch our step by step video!

We first started making our own fortune cookies in 2010. I made about a dozen batches that year and gave them as gifts to the kids’ teachers, and we (of course) enjoyed a few batches for ourselves. We also made ice cream bowls out of the fortune cookie batter and they were SO good! The kids gobbled them right up. I love almond extract which is why I think I love this recipe so much. It has the perfect amount. These cookies are crispy, sweet, and have a wonderfully light texture.

Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (2)

Tips for Baking Fortune Cookies

  1. You can use baking sheets lined in silpat, parchment paper or non stick baking sheets. We’ve found the easiest method is to LIGHTLY spray non stick cooking spray onto a baking sheet. Don’t use too much spray or your cookies will lose their shape, but a light coating helps them come right off.
  2. Only bake 2-3 cookies at a time. You have to work while the cookies are hot, and they cool down pretty quickly. So only bake 2-3 cookies at a time. While you are forming them into shapes you can have another sheet of cookies baking in the oven.
  3. Check the cookies at 5 minutes. If the edges are golden, they are just about done. You can see the color you are looking for in my photos. Darker on the edges, lighter inside. If your cookies are too dark they will crumble instead of bending into the correct shape.
  4. Fortune cookies are crunchy on day 1, but might soften slightly on day 2. You can crisp them up again by heating in the oven at 200 degrees for a few minutes.
  5. Check out our video to help you learn how to fold a fortune cookie. It’s pretty simple!

We’ve made these about a dozen times over the years and they are always a hit. My favorite is when the kids write their own fortunes inside and give them as Valentine’s Day gifts to their teachers. Their cute handwriting really sets them apart. If you’d like to take these up a notch, try dipping them in white chocolate!

Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (3)

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (4)

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Make your own fortune cookies at home. The best part is that you can customize the fortunes inside. Bonus: homemade fortune cookies taste better than store bought cookies!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 cookies

Calories: 25kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

  • Set oven to 400F degrees.

  • Beat egg whites until frothy peaks form.

  • Add flour, sugar, and almond extract.

  • Whisk until completely incorporated.

  • Stir in water.

  • LIGHTLY spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

  • Pour a small amount (1T.) onto baking sheet. Spread into a 4" or 5" circle.

    Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (5)

  • Make 2 -3 circles per baking sheet. Baking in small batches helps ensure that you can shape the cookies before they harden and cool.

  • Bake for 5 minutes, or until edges start to brown.

    Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (6)

  • Working fast, quickly remove one cookie from the baking sheet and place a paper fortune across the center. Bring two sides of the cookie together (to form a semi circle) then bend the cookie (on the fold) over the edge of a cup to create the fortune cookie shape.

    Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (7)

  • I like using a small ramekin to form the cookie, then I place the cookie inside the ramekin while it cools.

  • Repeat for remaining cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal

Brandy

Website | + posts

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

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Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (9)

About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com without any additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (10)JHill says

    So cute! I am going to bookmark this one because we are going to do a yummy Chinese meal on V-day since it’s also Chinese New Year’s. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

  2. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (11)Jennifer says

    We did a Chinese New Year Family Home Evening last year with food and games and such and I tried fortune cookies but the paper ended up sticking to the cookie. I’m not sure if it was the recipe or perhaps I didn’t bake it quite long enough. I’ll definitely have to try this recipe and hopefully it works a little better. Thanks for the link!

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (12)Gwen says

      I ran into that too the first time I tried this recipe. But I tried reducing the temperature to 375F and baking for 8 minutes and it got more even bake all the way to the center and fixed the sticking issue for me!

      Reply

  3. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (13)Steph @ somewhatsimple says

    i have been wanting to make these forever now!

    Reply

  4. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (14)Angie@treasures for tots says

    Delicious!! Yummy!!

    Thank you for sharing at Thursday’s Treasures!

    Come share again this week!

    Reply

  5. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (15)Kalleen at Second Street says

    Thanks for linking up so many great ideas brandy!

    Reply

  6. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (16)Leslie Germain says

    Hello Brandy. Thand you for posting this fun idea. I found your blog through a pin for the fortune cookies. I made these for my son’s Ninjago party. Thank you. The party will be featured on my blog tomorrow with a link to your page. If you have a chance, stop by and check it out.
    Leslie
    http://www.thememorynest.blogspot.com

    Reply

  7. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (17)Kay says

    How long will these stay fresh?

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (18)Brandy says

      Because they are homemade, they will start to soften around day 3. Best eaten within a couple of days. If you’re looking for cookies that snap when you break them open they are best fresh.

      Reply

  8. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (19)Lora says

    Thinking of making these for a wedding as seating cards. We would need a lot of them. Can they be frozen once cooked and shaped? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (20)Brandy says

      Hi Lora! How exciting! Honestly, I’m not sure I’d use homemade fortune cookies for a giant crowd. They are fun to make, but time consuming, and after a day, begin to soften a little. I’m just not sure they’d stay crispy after being frozen.

      Reply

  9. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (21)Jenni says

    Just made these this morning. Yum! And fun! I found that using silicon baking sheets was easiest for getting them off the pan and making them round. For some reason when I sprayed the pan, the shape was weird and they were still hard to get off.

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (22)Brandy says

      Yay! They can be a little tricky so I’m glad you found a system that worked best!

      Reply

  10. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (23)Kelly says

    Hi Brandy,
    I would love to make these but I don’t know how much 1/2 cup is. Could you tell me how much that is in grams? As I am from The Netherlands 🤗
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (24)Brandy says

      65 grams flour
      108 grams sugar

      Reply

  11. Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (25)Nikki says

    Hello!
    I made these for the first time and can’t seem to get the temperature and timing right for my oven. I have tried the 400 degrees for 5 minutes and the 375 degrees for 8 minutes. I have also played around with the timing on both. The issue I am having, is the center part of the cookie is soft and not crunchy like the rest of the cookie. The outside edges are a nice golden brown color and almost to the point of not wanting to cook it longer or it will burn. They look like the cookies in the picture where it shows you what they should look like when you take them out of the oven. Any thoughts? Also, I am spreading the batter very thin so I don’t think that is the issue. Please help!

    Reply

    • Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (26)Brandy says

      Hi Nikki! It’s frustrating how things can vary from kitchen to kitchen. What works for mine won’t necessarily work for yours since the cookies are so thin! You might try baking them on parchment paper instead of directly on the pan to see if that extra layer helps them cook more evenly!

      Reply

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Homemade Fortune Cookies Recipe (Video) (2024)

FAQs

What if my fortune cookie has no fortune? ›

What does it mean when there is no fortune in a fortune cookie? If there is no fortune in a fortune cookie it means you are being invited to script your life as you'd LIKE it to unfold. There is a clean slate allowing you to CREATE your life starting now.

What are the rules for eating fortune cookies? ›

THE instructions on the red wrapper are very explicit: (1) Open the packaging. (2) Use both hands to break open the fortune cookie. (3) Retrieve and read the fortune. (4) Eat the cookie.

How do you make fortune cookies come true? ›

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. 7.) If there is no fortune in a fortune cookie, it is a sign that something good will happen to you soon. (Because fortune-cookie-fairy owes you one fortune.)

How rare is an empty fortune cookie? ›

Therefore, in my experience, the probability is less than 1 in 8640 of a cookie with no fortune.

What does a empty fortune cookie mean? ›

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. You have everything you need to move forward and bring in good energy. Although it may be a little less fun, no fortune is nothing to worry about.

Are you supposed to eat the whole fortune cookie before reading the fortune? ›

“Some people read the fortune and then eat the cookie, but I have to eat the whole cookie before I can read the fortune,” Luman said. “It”s just a family superstition. The fortune won”t work unless you do it that way.”

What are the numbers on fortune cookies? ›

Marketing. The message inside may include a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers; since relatively few distinct messages are printed, in the recorded case where winning numbers happened to be printed, the lottery had an unexpectedly high number of winners sharing a prize.

How long can you store homemade fortune cookies? ›

Take care, as the cookies must be shaped when hot. Never ask what's for dinner again. Get one quick recipe in your inbox Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals. Recipe note: The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks or frozen for several months.

Are fortune cookies true answers? ›

As for predicting the future, no, fortune cookies don't have special powers of foresight. The fortune cookie you open at a Chinese restaurant came into your hands randomly. If it happens to contain a fortune that comes true, it's just coincidence. Besides, many fortunes don't even predict the future.

What does it mean when your fortune cookie has no future? ›

Clean Slate or Blank Canvas: One interpretation is that an empty fortune cookie represents a clean slate or a blank canvas [1]. It signifies that you have the power and potential to create your own future and script your life as you desire. It is an invitation to take control of your own destiny and make things happen.

How many fortune cookie fortunes are there? ›

7. There is a limited number of unique fortunes. Wonton Food Inc. has about 15,000 fortunes in a database it uses for all its cookies. Donald Lau, former vice president and chief financial officer Wonton Food, wrote most of those fortunes as part of his job when he first started with the company.

Are fortune cookies real? ›

As for predicting the future, no, fortune cookies don't have special powers of foresight. The fortune cookie you open at a Chinese restaurant came into your hands randomly. If it happens to contain a fortune that comes true, it's just coincidence. Besides, many fortunes don't even predict the future.

What are fortune cookies made of? ›

The batter for fortune cookies is usually composed of sugar, flour, water and eggs. When warm, the dough is flexible and can be molded into many shapes. When the baked dough cools though, the sugar hardens into a crispy, shiny cookie.

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