Whip up a DIY take on a Chinese dessert favorite with a quick and easy recipe for Homemade Fortune Cookies.
These simple, crispy cookies are a fun and easy way to jazz up any dinner party since you have total freedom when it comes to the wild and wacky messages you include inside. The more personal (read: embarrassing or weird), the better.
I’ve always been a big believer in taking to heart the fortunes I find wrapped inside these post-meal treats. And I may or may not even carry select fortunes around in my wallet for years at a time.
I’m still finding fortunes tucked inside my coat pockets and purses, with the tiny crinkled papers somehow withstanding months (and often years!) without fading.
Of course proper fortune cookie etiquette states that you should always take and eat the cookie pointing closest in your direction. Call me superstitious, but a destiny-defining dessert isn’t something I take lightly.
Read on for the recipe and complete your takeout-fakeout feast with a few more of my favorite Chinese-inspired dishes:
- Pork Potstickers with Citrus-Soy Dip
- Easy General Tso’s Chicken
- Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
- Baked Orange Chicken
- Chicken Egg Rolls with Ginger-Soy Dip
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Ingredients
- 2 egg whites from extra large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Handwritten fortunes (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- Sprinkles, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water, vanilla, cinnamon, flour and sugar. The batter will be very loose.
- Using a small spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto the lined cookie sheet. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the batter into a very thin circular layer. Repeat this process with additional batter to form two or three circles of batter on the cookie sheet. (See Kelly's Notes below.)
- Bake the cookies for 5 to 7 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, place the handwritten fortunes in the centers of the cookies, and then use a flat spatula to very carefully release the cookie from the sheet tray. Fold it in half, then pinch the edges inward (as shown above) to create the fortune cookie shape. Continue this process with the remaining cookies, which will harden within 30 seconds of being formed.
- As an optional garnish, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second intervals then dunk the hardened and cooled cookies into the chocolate. Immediately decorate the chocolate-dipped cookies with sprinkles and let harden.
Kelly's Notes:
- It may seem tedious to only portion out one or two cookies per batch, but I found that trying to bake three or more cookies and shape them all before the last one completely hardened was difficult to do. Baking the cookies in batches of one or two guarantees you'll have enough time to fold them into the perfect fortune cookies.
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Recipe adapted from Alisa Burke.
Love these!
can i use anything else than a silpat or parchment paper because i have niether of those, thank you!
Hi there, Catalina! You can spray your cookie sheet with cooking spray to prevent sticking, but parchment paper or a Silpat would be best.
Do you have any ideas on the packaging? So far I’ve seen a takeout box and a spiced up paper bag but is there a way you prefer?
Takeout boxes would be so cute!
How long will these cookies last after they are cooked??
Up to a week if you keep them in an airtight container!
I know everyone is telling you, but I loved this recipe! I had to use brown sugar instead of white because that is all I had on hand, but otherwise this was an awesome tutorial! I hope it’s alright I tagged this in my blog post about how my husband and I spent our Valentines day dinner! Thanks again!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Naomi!
I would make your homemade fortune cookies!! Wishing you more good fortune in the coming years!!
Thank you all for your notes on this recipe! I just re-tested it using extra large egg whites and had the same consistency as in the above picture. I’ve added a note to the recipe to specify the “extra large” size. In terms of forming the cookies, you really do have to bake them off one at a time to be able to shape them fast enough. Hope these notes help!
I just tried to make these and I don’t know what has gone wrong, but they batter is not loose or runny, it’s thicker like a paste. The cookies are not coming out thin and they don’t move to mold into fortune cookies without breaking. Any suggestions? I followed the exact recipe and I’m using parchment paper. My 2nd batch I greased the parchment paper and they came off much easier but still aren’t easy to form without breaking. Only one has turned out of the dozen. They still taste good, but don’t look as cute as your picture. Any suggestions? It’s like it needs more liquid.
Hi Kris, I’m not entirely sure why you ended up with more of a paste, but I’ve made this recipe several times and always had a very thin batter. Were you using smaller egg whites perhaps?
gee, mine was thinker too…i used large eggs
Thats what i used and it came out thicker i just used one- two more eggs because the recipe calls for extra large eggs
Wow! I wish I saw this a few days ago. My bf and roommates had a Chinese food night and I made homemade fortune cookies but out of tulipe dough. This looks so much better! I’m saving this until next time :) thanks!
Thanks for your comment, Kristina! Enjoy this recipe for your next Chinese food night :)
Love these! And I’ve been inspired to feature your fortune cookies in my Friday Food Fetish roundup and on Pinterest. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next and please let me know if you have any objections…
Thanks so much!
I have ALWAYS wondered how to make fortune cookies!! I had no idea it was so easy!
I was rather surprised myself! Thanks so much for checking out the recipe.
New to your blog–love it! Love the layout, design, your recipes, your photos, everything! Great job!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rachel! I am so happy to have found your blog :)
Super cute! Love this idea – don’t see many people fashioning their own handmade fortune cookies and yours are just so adorable. I’m a typography aficionado and so I just have to say: I love your handwriting! :-)
How fun! Especially with the personalized little fortunes. My 4yo thinks fortune cookies are fascinating – up there with the sun roof and vending machines. :-)
Haha I love this, Kathy! Hope all is well in San Diego!
They look fantastic! I have a yummy Chinese New Year Whole Fish recipe on my blog if you’re interested!
So happy to have found your blog, Katie!
These are awesome, Kelly! I had no idea that they might be so doable at home. They are my favorite part of eating a Chinese meal!
love these!! Can’t wait to see you in 2 months
Your fortune cookies are so fun! I love the sprinkles. As someone who also takes fortunes very seriously, it’s fun to learn about about fortune cookie etiquette too!
this is so awesome! as someone who celebrates chinese new year, i’m so happy you did a post like this! i have a chinese new year giveaway on my blog for a red envelope if you’d like to enter! i’ve always wanted to learn how to make homemade fortune cookies — thanks so much for posting this :)
Thanks so much, Julie! And I am heading over to your blog this minute!