10 Old-Fashioned Amish Cookie Recipes That Stay Soft for Days
The short answer
Classic Amish cookies are soft, thick and baked in big batches: Amish sugar cookies, soft molasses cookies, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, oatmeal whoopie pies, sour cream cookies, monster cookies, peanut butter cookies, snickerdoodles and pumpkin cookies. Their famous softness comes from three habits: a tender dough, pulling them from the oven while the centers still look underdone, and storing them airtight with a slice of bread. Full recipes for all ten are below.
On this page
- The 3 secrets of soft Amish cookies
- 1. Soft Amish sugar cookies
- 2. Soft molasses cookies
- 3. Oatmeal raisin cookies
- 4. Big, soft chocolate chip cookies
- 5. Oatmeal whoopie pies
- 6. Sour cream cookies with brown butter frosting
- 7. Monster cookies
- 8. Peanut butter cookies
- 9. Snickerdoodles
- 10. Pumpkin cookies with brown butter glaze
- How long Amish cookies keep
- Baking cookies the Amish way
- Common questions
- Keep reading
- Sources
Here’s something you notice the first time you buy cookies at an Amish bake stand: they’re still soft three days later. Not “soft for a store cookie.” Actually soft, the kind that bends before it breaks.
That isn’t luck, and it isn’t a secret ingredient. It’s a handful of habits that come from baking for big families, school lunch pails and the Sunday visitors who always seem to arrive right after the jar was filled.
Below are the ten cookies you’re most likely to find in an Amish cookie jar, each with a full recipe, the one tip that makes it turn out right, and how long it keeps.
Save this for later. Pin it to your cookie or holiday baking board now, so all ten recipes are in one place when baking season comes.
The 3 secrets of soft Amish cookies
Learn these three habits first. They work on almost any drop cookie you already make.
- A tender dough. Many Amish cookie recipes use sour cream, buttermilk, brown sugar or a mix of butter and oil. The extra moisture keeps the crumb soft long after baking.
- Underbake, then wait. Pull the pan when the edges are set but the centers still look a little pale and puffy. Leave the cookies on the hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes. They finish baking there without drying out.
- Store them with bread. Put cooled cookies in an airtight tin with a slice of plain bread. The cookies draw moisture from the bread, and the bread goes stale instead of the cookies. Swap the slice every couple of days.
1. Soft Amish sugar cookies
The queen of the Amish cookie jar: thick, pale, pillowy and only lightly sweet, made with both butter and oil.
At a glance: Makes about 4 dozen · Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for pressing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Beat the butter, oil and both sugars until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Roll into 1½-inch balls and set 2 inches apart. Press each lightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look pale. Cool 3 minutes on the pan.
Tip: Don’t flatten them much. A gentle press keeps the middles soft and thick.
2. Soft molasses cookies
Deep brown, spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, rolled in sugar and baked until the tops crackle. They taste like a warm kitchen in December.
At a glance: Makes about 2½ dozen · Chill 1 hour · Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup light (unsulphured) molasses
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
Method
- Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices and salt, and stir them in. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1¼-inch balls and roll each in sugar.
- Bake 2 inches apart for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops crackle but the centers look soft. Cool 5 minutes on the pan.
Tip: The chill is what gives you thick cookies with deep crackles. Don’t skip it.
3. Oatmeal raisin cookies
The everyday, any-day cookie of many Amish homes, packed into lunch pails all school year.
At a glance: Makes about 3 dozen · Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Method
- Cover the raisins with hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then the oats and raisins.
- Drop rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden at the edges.
Tip: Soaked raisins stay plump and don’t pull moisture out of the cookie.
4. Big, soft chocolate chip cookies
Amish chocolate chip cookies are usually baked big and soft rather than thin and crisp.
At a glance: Makes about 2 dozen large cookies · Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter, both sugars and molasses until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt, then the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 3-tablespoon mounds 3 inches apart.
- Bake 11 to 13 minutes, until golden at the edges and still soft in the middle. Cool 5 minutes on the pan.
Tip: The spoonful of molasses is the Amish-kitchen touch. It deepens the flavor and keeps the cookies chewy for days.
5. Oatmeal whoopie pies
Two soft oatmeal cookies sandwiched around a fluffy marshmallow filling. They’re a cousin of the famous chocolate whoopie pie and just as popular at bake stands.
At a glance: Makes about 16 whoopie pies · Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water
For the filling:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar, then the eggs. Stir in the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, then the baking soda water.
- Drop rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until set. Cool completely.
- For the filling, beat the butter and powdered sugar, then beat in the marshmallow creme and vanilla until fluffy.
- Spread filling on the flat side of half the cookies and top with the rest.
Tip: Fill only after the cookies are completely cool, or the filling melts and slides out. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, bake-stand style.
6. Sour cream cookies with brown butter frosting
Soft, cake-like rounds that are almost more little cake than cookie, topped with a thin layer of nutty brown butter frosting.
At a glance: Makes about 3 dozen · Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar, then the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. The dough will be soft, like thick cake batter.
- Drop rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool completely.
- For the frosting, cook the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat until golden-brown and nutty, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then beat in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread thinly on the cookies.
Tip: Use full-fat sour cream. Light sour cream makes a drier, flatter cookie.
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7. Monster cookies
A Midwestern favorite you’ll often see at Amish bake stands and benefit auctions: peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolates, with no flour at all. Naturally made in enormous batches.
At a glance: Makes about 3 dozen · Rest 20 minutes · Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 4½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
Method
- Beat the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.
- Stir in the baking soda and oats, then the chocolate chips and candies. Let the dough rest 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Scoop ¼-cup mounds 3 inches apart and flatten slightly.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light golden and the centers look soft. Cool 5 minutes on the pan.
Tip: The 20-minute rest lets the oats soak up moisture, so the cookies don’t spread. Use certified gluten-free oats if you’re baking for someone gluten-free.
8. Peanut butter cookies
The classic cookie pressed with a fork in a crisscross, just like grandma made.
At a glance: Makes about 2½ dozen · Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for pressing
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the butter, peanut butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and set 2 inches apart. Press a crisscross with a fork dipped in sugar.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn golden.
Tip: Take them out a minute early. Peanut butter cookies go from soft to crumbly fast, and they firm up as they cool.
9. Snickerdoodles
Soft, puffy cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with crinkled tops and a gentle tang.
At a glance: Makes about 4 dozen · Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For rolling:
- 3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs.
- Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Roll into 1¼-inch balls, roll in cinnamon sugar and set 2 inches apart.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set but still soft in the center.
Tip: Don’t skip the cream of tartar. It gives snickerdoodles their tang and their soft, chewy texture.
10. Pumpkin cookies with brown butter glaze
A fall favorite, soft and cakey, often made with home-canned pumpkin.
At a glance: Makes about 3 dozen · Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling), blotted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and brown sugar, then the egg, pumpkin and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spice and salt.
- Drop rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool completely.
- Brown the butter in a small pan until nutty, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, and drizzle over the cookies.
Tip: Blot the pumpkin between paper towels before measuring. Extra moisture is what makes pumpkin cookies puffy and bland.
How long Amish cookies keep
| Cookie | Best season | Keeps | Freezes? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar cookies | All year | 5 days in a tin | Yes, 3 months |
| Molasses cookies | Fall and winter | 1 week | Yes, 3 months |
| Oatmeal raisin | All year | 5 days | Yes, 3 months |
| Chocolate chip | All year | 5 days | Yes, 3 months |
| Oatmeal whoopie pies | All year | 3 days, refrigerated | Yes, wrapped individually |
| Sour cream cookies | All year | 3 days, refrigerated once frosted | Yes, unfrosted |
| Monster cookies | All year | 1 week | Yes, 3 months |
| Peanut butter | All year | 5 days | Yes, 3 months |
| Snickerdoodles | All year | 5 days | Yes, 3 months |
| Pumpkin cookies | Fall | 3 days, refrigerated once glazed | Yes, unglazed |
Baking cookies the Amish way
Amish baking is built for big families, and these habits are worth borrowing even if you’re baking for two:
- Bake big, freeze half. Bake some of a batch and freeze the rest as dough balls on a tray. Once they’re frozen solid, bag them. When company comes, bake a few straight from the freezer and add a minute or two.
- One big bowl. Large batches are often mixed in an extra-large bowl, or even a dishpan.
- Know your oven. Gas and wood-fired ovens, common in Amish homes, have hot spots. Any oven does. Turn the pan halfway through baking.
- Plan a cookie day. Mix three doughs in the morning, bake all afternoon, and fill the freezer for the holidays. Sugar cookies, molasses cookies and snickerdoodles make a pretty trio on a gift plate.
Common questions
What is the most popular Amish cookie?
Soft Amish sugar cookies are probably the best known, with molasses cookies and oatmeal whoopie pies close behind.
Why are Amish cookies so soft?
A tender dough, a short baking time and airtight storage with a slice of bread.
Can I freeze Amish cookie dough?
Yes. Freeze dough balls on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two.
Can I make these cookies without cream of tartar?
For sugar cookies and snickerdoodles, it matters for texture and tang. In a pinch, replace the baking soda and cream of tartar with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, though the cookies will taste a little different.
Which cookies are best for mailing or gifts?
Molasses cookies, oatmeal raisin, monster cookies and snickerdoodles travel best. Skip frosted and filled cookies for mailing.
Where can I buy real Amish cookies?
At Amish bake stands, bakeries and farmers markets in places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Holmes County, Ohio; and northern Indiana. Many stands close on Sundays.
Keep reading
- 10 Classic Amish Recipes Every Home Cook Should Know
- Funeral Pie: The Raisin Pie With a Solemn Name
- Amish Bakeries and Soft Pretzels
- What’s Served at an Amish Wedding
Join the conversation
Which cookie is always in your cookie jar? Share your favorite tip in the comments, and pin this page so all ten recipes are waiting when baking season comes around.
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Sources
- Donald B. Kraybill, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner and Steven M. Nolt, The Amish (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013).
- Penn State Extension, guidance on baking and storing home-baked goods.
