Chocolate chip cookies were a hit from the moment Ruth Wakefield first served them at the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts in the 1930s.

She didn’t call them chocolate chip cookies, though—since chocolate chips hadn’t been invented yet. She named them chocolate crunch cookies, and the recipe called for a chopped up chocolate bar. (Just a few years later, in 1940, Nestle introduced their semi-sweet chocolate morsels—just so making the wildly popular cookie would be easier!)

30 Jun 1940, Sun The Minneapolis Star (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.com

With a cookie as beloved as the chocolate chip, it’s no surprise that we all seem to have our own favorite recipe. Many of those recipes have been shared in newspapers over the decades, so we searched Newspapers.com™ to find some of the most intriguing!

Check out our list of vintage chocolate chip cookie recipes that spans 50 years!

Note: We’ve transcribed the newspaper recipes below, but you can view the originals by clicking on the recipe images.

1930s

Chocolate Cookies

What makes this recipe different? This is the oldest chocolate chip cookie recipe we could find on Newspapers.com™ (as of January 2024). There may be earlier newspaper versions, but this is the oldest one our search turned up!

Chocolate Cookies 07 Aug 1937, Sat The True Republican (Sycamore, Illinois) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup butter (½ substitute)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 Tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 lb semi-sweet chocolate cut in small chunks

1. Drop on a greased cookie sheet from a teaspoon.
2. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees. Makes about 100 cookies.

Chocolate Surprises

What makes this recipe different? German’s Sweet Chocolate & dates.

Chocolate Surprises 24 Apr 1938, Sun The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten into mixture one at a time
• 1 large cake of German sweet chocolate, each small square cut in 4 pieces
• ½ cup nut meats, cut up
• ½ cup dates, cut up
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups flour 

1. Drop from teaspoon. (Makes 5 dozen cookies.)

1940s

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Oats.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 06 Feb 1942, Fri The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho) Newspapers.com

• ¾ cup butter or other shortening
• ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup and 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup nut meats, chopped (optional)
• 3 cups Quaker or Mother’s oats (quick or regular, uncooked)
• 1 seven-ounce bar of semi-sweet chocolate, cut in pieces

1. Cream shortening and sugars thoroughly. Then beat in eggs, one at a time.
2. Sift flour once before measuring, then add baking powder and salt and sift together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Add the nuts, then the Quaker or Mother’s Oats, and lastly, the semi-sweet chocolate which has been cut in pieces the size of a pea.
5. Drop from teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake in hot oven (375 degrees) for approximately 12 minutes.

Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Honey.

Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies 10 May 1945, Thu The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pieces of semisweet chocolate
• ½ cup chopped nuts

1. Cream shortening and honey. Add slightly beaten eggs, vanilla.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt together. Add to creamed mixture.
3. Fold in chocolate chips, nuts.
4. Drop from a spoon onto a greased cookie sheet; bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes.
5. If desired, the dough may be kept in refrigerator for several days and cookies baked as needed. Makes about four dozen.

1950s

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Peanut butter & Bisquick.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 07 Mar 1951, Wed Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar or 1 cup brown sugar (packed in cup)
• ½ cup boiling water
• about 1 cup or a 6-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• 2 cups Bisquick

1. Mix together peanut butter, sugar, and boiling water. Blend with rotary beater or spoon until smooth.
2. Add chocolate pieces.
3. Stir in Bisquick.
4. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten by pressing with floured fingers.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in mod. hot oven (400°). Makes 8 dozen.

New Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Graham cracker crumbs & sweetened condensed milk.

New Chocolate Chip Cookies 04 May 1954, Tue The Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Montana) Newspapers.com

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ package of chocolate chips [about 3 oz.]
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Crush graham crackers fine. Then add the rest of ingredients.
2. Put in baking pan lined with waxed paper. Bake 30 minutes at 350 F.
3. Cool, cut in squares and roll in granulated sugar.

1960s

Chocolate Chip Cream Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Sour cream.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cookies 14 Feb 1960, Sun Battle Creek Enquirer (Battle Creek, Michigan) Newspapers.com

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup butter
• 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup Sullivan’s sour cream
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 6-oz. packages semi-sweet chocolate bits

1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour cream.
4. Add chopped nuts and chocolate and blend.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cooky sheet and bake in a 375 oven for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from cooky sheet at once and cool on cake racks. Yield: 7-8 doz. cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Maple flavoring, cream of tartar & oats.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 14 Mar 1965, Sun Sioux City Journal (Sioux City, Iowa) Newspapers.com

• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg—beaten
• 1 Tbsp water
• ½ tsp maple flavoring
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup quick oatmeal
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped nutmeats

1. Cream shortening and sugar. Add beaten egg, water, and flavoring.
2. Mix salt, soda, cream of tartar, and flour, then stir into above ingredients.
3. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips, and nutmeats.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

1970s

Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Molasses, oats, coconut.

Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies 27 Aug 1974, Tue Manitowoc Herald-Times (Manitowoc, Wisconsin) Newspapers.com

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• ½ cup coconut
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup nut meats

1. Blend shortening with the white and brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Blend well.
2. Sift flour, soda, and salt together. Add to the mixture and beat.
3. Stir in molasses, oatmeal, coconut, chocolate pieces, and nuts. Blend well.
4. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Molasses chocolate chip cookies have a better appearance if they are allowed to stand a few minutes to cool before they are removed from the baking sheet.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Chocolate-flavored liqueur & rum.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 09 Aug 1977, Tue The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington) Newspapers.com

• 1 ½ cups (375 milliliters) sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon (2 milliliters) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon (2 milliliters) salt
• ¼ cup (65 milliliters) sugar
• ½ cup (125 milliliters) brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg, unbeaten
• 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) chocolate-flavored liqueur (optional)
• 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) dark rum (optional)
• ½ cup (125 milliliters) softened butter
• ½ cup (125 milliliters) coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup (250 milliliters) semisweet chocolate morsels

1. Sift flour, soda, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl.
2. Add brown sugar, egg, liqueur, and rum (if desired) and shortening.
3. Stir with wooden spoon until blended but not overmixed, about 1 minute.
4. Fold in pecans and chocolate morsels.
5. Drop by small spoonfuls about 2 inches (5.3 centimeters) apart on ungreased baking sheets.
6. Bake in moderately hot (375 degrees F., 190 degrees C.) oven until cookies are crisp and browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.
7. Remove to cool on cake racks. Makes about 4 dozen.

1980s

Bavarian Mint Chippers

What makes this recipe different? Instant coffee, mint extract & almonds.

Bavarian Mint Chippers 15 Jan 1981, Thu Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup softened butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• ¾ teaspoon mint extract
• 2 ½ cups unsifted white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped almonds

• Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.
• Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs, beating well. Add mint extract and dissolved coffee.
• Add flour mixture and mix well.
• Stir in chips and nutmeats.
• Drop by spoonsful onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

What makes this recipe different? Cocoa & ice cream.

Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies 07 Dec 1988, Wed The Naples Daily News (Naples, Florida) Newspapers.com

• 1 ¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup chocolate ice cream, softened
• 6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In large bowl, combine margarine, sugars, cocoa, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add egg and ice cream; beat well.
3. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Drop by well-rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets, placing cookies about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes, until set. Do not overbake. Makes about 4 dozen.

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Does your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe have any unique ingredients? Let us know in the comments!

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