These homemade fortune cookies are adorable, and the best thing about them is that they can be personalized with whatever message you want.

Homemade fortune cookies? Seriously. Who in their right mind is ambitious enough to make these? You are, that’s who!

White container full of fortune cookies, with a half-dipped and sprinkled fortune cookie laying in front of the container.

And don’t worry, I’ve made it even easier for you. I delved into a morning of fortune cookie making and tried every baking method known to man (these sticky cookies can be a bit temperamental) and said all the bad words necessary to alleviate frustration over the baking methods that do.not.work.

Basically, I’ve generally diffused all the challenge out of this project. All this I did for you.

So, see? You have no excuse not to make them. Plus, I’ve included step-by-step photos to help you along.

*Click HERE for a PDF of the below step-by-step photos.*

Step-by-step pictures of how to make homemade fortune cookies.

I, personally, think they are the most adorable little treats and the best thing about them is that they can be personalized with whatever your little heart deems necessary to put on the fortune.

Two fortune cookies half dipped in Valentine's sprinkles in front of a white container.

I typed up a bunch of Valentine’s Day jokes I found online because my boys love them a good slapstick joke but you can customize and create fortunes to your heart’s content. Here are the jokes I used, just in case anyone else is interested.

I stuffed one cookie with the fortune “You’ll lose all your baby weight in a matter of seconds!” and then made the mistake of forgetting to grab it for myself so I was left with a 4-year old who was thoroughly confused by his fortune and I had to act happy about “What do squirrels give for Valentine’s Day? Forget-me-nuts.” Better luck next time.

A white paper container full of cooked homemade fortune cookies.

FAQs for Homemade Fortune Cookies

What kind of frosting did you use to dip the cookies in?

I used melting wafers (like almond bark but with colors)

How long can these be stored?

Probably 1-2 days at room temperature, well covered.

What is the best way to store them?

The best way is probably to store them in a single layer in an airtight container. You’ll just want to be careful with the edges of the cookies – because the batter is such a simple concoction of ingredients and there is no butter/fat, they can break easily if knocked around.

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Homemade Fortune Cookies

5 stars (2 ratings)

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (106 g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large egg whites

Extras:

  • Fortunes for stuffing, I used Valentine’s Day jokes and printed them out at 10pt font with red text
  • Candy melts for dipping, optional
  • Sprinkles, optional

Instructions 

  • Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a liquid measure or other container (or keep in the blender) and refrigerate for an hour.
  • When ready to start baking cookies, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet (I used an 11X17-inch size) with cooking spray and rub with a paper towel to even out the droplets of cooking spray. If possible, try and use a light, aluminum, non-coated sheet pan (not a dark, nonstick pan).
  • Spoon out four dollops of teaspoon-sized amounts of cookie batter in four quadrants of the baking sheet. Using an offset spatula or other spreading tool (the back of a spoon, flat knife, etc.) spread the batter into thin circles, measuring about 3-inches in diameter. Just eyeball them. They don’t need to be perfect.
  • Bake the cookies for 4-5 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t overbrown. They should be golden around the edges with maybe a few patches of browner spots throughout the cookie but still fairly pale in color throughout. While the cookies are baking, make sure your fortunes are ready to be stuffed inside the cookies. Also, prepare a mug or bowl next to where you’ll put the hot cookies to help shape the fortune cookies after folding.
  • Remove the sheet pan from the oven and wait for 5-10 seconds (seriously, not long at all, but if you try too early the cookies may fold up while flipping) before using a flat, metal spatula to quickly flip the cookies upside down. Immediately put a fortune in the middle of the cookie and fold the cookie in half over the fortune so the edges meet, pressing the very top edges together lightly. Gently pull the ends of the cookie over the rim of the bowl/mug you have prepared and let the cookies set until cool (it only takes a few minutes). Repeat this process until all the cookies have been baked and formed. If the cookies become too stiff to fold, return the pan to the oven for a few second (5-10) to soften them up.

Notes

Baking: I tried many different methods for baking these little babies (parchment paper, silpat) and hands-down the most successful method for me was a lightly greased baking sheet.
Dipped Cookies: the plain fortune cookies are great on their own but you can also dip a corner or two in candy melts and sprinkles for an even more festive touch.
Serving: 1 Cookie, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 5mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g

Recipe Source: idea and recipe from Cooking Light (experimented with my own method)