Poor man’s cookies are similar to chewy oatmeal cookies but are made without eggs, butter or milk. This vintage cookie recipe relies on a handful of pantry staples, proving you don’t need fancy ingredients to make delicious baked goods.
In the mood to bake cookies but you’re fresh out of eggs and butter? No problem! This vintage cookie recipe will satisfy a craving for freshly baked cookies without requiring you to visit the grocery store.
Poor man’s cookies are made entirely with shelf-stable pantry ingredients, including shortening, sugar, all-purpose flour and rolled oats. The result? Golden oatmeal cookies with crisp edges, a chewy center and a rich, nutty caramelized flavor. Since these cookies contain no eggs or dairy, they’re considered a budget-friendly treat. They’re also vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
What are poor man’s cookies?
Poor man cookies are essentially oatmeal cookies made without eggs, butter, milk or nuts. The recipe hails from the Great Depression era when certain ingredients like dairy and eggs were scarce due to shortages or too expensive for the average household.
Instead of perishable ingredients, these cookies are made with simple pantry ingredients, including shortening, sugar, flour, baking soda and rolled oats. It turns out that’s all you need to bake a batch of melt-in-your-mouth cookies!
Ingredients for Poor Man’s Cookies
Shortening: Shortening provides structure and tenderness to the cookies without the need for butter. Look for shortening without hydrogenated oils (it’s a healthier choice!), and if you prefer a buttery-tasting cookie, try butter-flavored shortening.
Sugar: Poor man cookies are sweetened with granulated white and brown sugars. The molasses in brown sugar helps give these cookies a soft, chewy texture. It also delivers a toasty caramel flavor. You can use light or dark brown sugar interchangeably here.
Water: Since this is an eggless cookie recipe, we’re using some water for extra moisture to help bring the cookie dough together.
Vanilla: No cookie recipe would be complete without vanilla extract’s warm, sweet notes.
Flour: You’ll need 1 cup all-purpose flour for this recipe. Measuring flour the right way prevents dry, dense cookies. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then use the flat edge of a knife to level it.
Baking soda: Baking soda is the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise. Not sure if your box of baking soda is still fresh? Do a baking soda test to see if it’s usable or needs replacing.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the other flavors and helps balance the sweetness.
Rolled oats: Oats give poor man’s cookies their signature chewy texture. Use rolled or old-fashioned oats—they retain their texture better than quick oats in baked goods.
Directions
Step 1: Cream the shortening and sugars
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Then, beat in the water and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.
Editor’s Tip: Properly creaming sugar and fat can take five minutes of constant beating, so you’ll want to use a hand-held or stand mixer for this job.
Step 2: Mix the dry and wet ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
Fold in the oats.
Editor’s Tip: If you add mix-ins, like chocolate chips or chopped nuts, fold them into the cookie dough with the oats.
Step 3: Bake the cookies
Scoop tablespoons of cookie dough and drop them onto greased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to stand for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Editor’s Tip: Grease your baking sheets with shortening, butter or cooking spray. For fewer dishes, skip the oil and line the baking sheets with parchment.
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