This is my grandmother's exact recipe for Potato Chip Cookies, pulled directly from her original handwritten recipe card. Back before we had endless aisles of gourmet sweet and savory snacks, home bakers figured out that the best way to cut the sweetness of a holiday cookie was by raiding the pantry.
This old-fashioned recipe relies on simple ingredients like Crisco, a mix of brown and white sugar, and a massive three cups of slightly crushed, crunchy potato chips. We omit the original one cup of nuts entirely in this version to let the potato chips take center stage. The result is an incredibly chewy, sweet dough studded with a shattering, salty crunch. It's an authentic, unfussy vintage recipe that captures the real spirit of the holiday season.
If you're looking for other vintage cookie hits from the archive, try my:
The Crisco Strategy
Using shortening (Crisco) instead of butter is the defining characteristic of this vintage cookie dough. Shortening is 100% fat and contains no water, unlike butter which is roughly 20% water. Furthermore, Crisco has a significantly higher melting point. This means the cookies will not spread rapidly in the oven. They bake up thick and chewy, providing the necessary structural integrity to hold three whole cups of crushed potato chips without falling apart. There is no baking powder in this recipe, so the lift comes entirely from the interaction between the baking soda and the brown sugar.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The Ultimate Sweet and Salty Combo: The deep salty flavors of the chips perfectly balance the heavy sweetness of the dough.
- Thick and Chewy Texture: Thanks to the Crisco and brown sugar, these cookies stay soft in the center while crisping on the edges.
- Massive Yield: This recipe yields about 6 dozen cookies, making it perfect for filling holiday tins or bringing to large family gatherings.
- Pantry Staples: Made with simple ingredients, you likely have every single component sitting in your baking cabinet right now.
What makes Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies special?
What sets this specific vintage recipe apart is the 1:1 ratio of white sugar to brown sugar combined with the baking soda. The brown sugar provides molasses, which reacts with the baking soda to give the cookie a slight lift and a deeply chewy interior. Exactly one cup sugar (white) encourages the exterior to caramelize and crisp, while the other cup sugar (brown) keeps it tender. When you bite into it, you get the chew of a classic chocolate chip cookie dough, but instead of chocolate, you are hit with the intense, savory crunch of a salty potato chip.
Key Equipment Focus
Digital Kitchen Scale: When measuring three cups of crushed chips, volume can be incredibly inaccurate depending on how finely you crush them. Weighing your core baking ingredients ensures the dough has the right hydration level to hold the chips.
Cookie Scoop Set: This recipe yields 72 cookies. Using a mechanical scoop is the only efficient way to drop uniform spoonfuls of dough onto the ungreased baking sheet quickly and accurately.
Ingredient Deep Dive & Strategy
Crisco (Vegetable Shortening): The primary fat. It prevents excessive spreading in the oven, ensuring the cookies stay thick enough to support the mix-ins.
Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, chewiness, and a slight caramel flavor profile due to the molasses content.
White Sugar: Aids in spreading just enough to give the cookies shape, and crisps the outer edges during baking.
Crunchy Potato Chips: The star ingredient. They act as a flavor enhancer (salt) and a textural component. The starches in the chips absorb some of the surrounding fat, keeping them crunchy even after baking.
Vanilla Extract: One teaspoon vanilla is all you need to elevate the buttery notes of the dough.
Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies Step by Step Instructions
1. Cream the fats and sugars:
In a large bowl, cream the 1 cup of Crisco, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of white sugar together until smooth and well combined.
2. Add the wet ingredients:
Add the 2 eggs and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Mix well until the eggs are fully incorporated and the batter lightens slightly in color.
3. Stir in the dry ingredients:
Add the 2 cups of flour, ½ tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of baking soda. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough. Do not overmix.
Pro Tip: Overmixing the flour will develop the gluten, taking the cookie from chewy to tough and bread-like. Stop stirring the moment the white streaks of flour vanish.
4. Fold in the potato chips:
Add the 3 cups of slightly crushed, crunchy potato chips to the bowl. Use a sturdy spatula or your hands to gently fold the chips into the dough until they are evenly distributed.
5. Prep the pan:
Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading.
6. Bake:
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for exactly 12 minutes. The edges should be golden brown while the centers still look slightly soft.
Pro Tip: The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan after you pull them from the oven. Pulling them at 12 minutes ensures the centers stay chewy.
7. Cool and yield:
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This recipe yields approximately 6 dozen cookies.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
How can I elevate these cookies for a holiday platter?
If you want to dress them up, you can give them a light sprinkle of confectioners sugar once they are completely cool. Alternatively, you can dip half of each baked cookie into melted milk chocolate. The milk chocolate pairs beautifully with the salty flavors of the chips.
What can I make with leftover potato chips?
If you have a bag of chips going stale, this recipe is the perfect solution. The fat in the cookie dough coats the chips, masking any slight staleness and reviving their crunch in the oven.
What is the #1 selling cookie in the world?
While these potato chip cookies rule the vintage holiday tin, the undisputed #1 selling commercially produced cookie in the world is the Oreo. However, when it comes to homemade baking, the traditional chocolate chip cookie remains the most popular cookie globally.
What is Snoop Dogg's favorite cookie?
According to his own cookbook, Snoop Dogg's favorite cookie is a classic peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. But given his well-documented love for salty snacks, I'm confident he would appreciate the sweet and savory contrast of this potato chip recipe.
How to make 3 ingredient cookies easy?
The easiest 3-ingredient cookie is a traditional shortbread made with just butter, sugar, and flour. However, if you are willing to use just a few more simple ingredients, you can make this potato chip cookie which offers a much more complex flavor and satisfying crunch.
Can you freeze potato chip cookie dough?
You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container, but I do not recommend freezing the raw dough. The moisture from freezing and thawing will cause the potato chips to become soggy before they ever hit the oven.
Where did potato chip cookies originate?
They gained widespread popularity in the United States post-World War II. As mass-produced potato chips became a staple in American pantries, home bakers naturally began experimenting by folding them into standard drop cookie recipes for added crunch.
Substitutions Table
| Component | Swap Options |
| Crisco | Butter (Note: the cookies will spread significantly more) |
| Potato Chips | Crushed Pretzels or Corn Flakes |
| Nuts (Omitted) | You can add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts back in |
| Vanilla Extract | Almond Extract |
Storage
Store your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Because of the Crisco base, they have a fantastic shelf life and will remain chewy for up to a week. Do not store them in the fridge, or the chips will absorb ambient moisture and lose their signature crunch.
You Might Also Like
If you love authentic, vintage recipes, these three hits from the archive are worth checking out next.
- Grandmas Sand Tarts Pa Dutch Style
- Grandmas Forgotten Sweets Overnight Meringue Cookies
- Grandmas 7 Layer Cookies Magic Bars
The Final Verdict & Share
This original potato chip cookie recipe is proof that our grandmothers knew exactly what they were doing. It's the perfect balance of sweet dough and salty, shattering crunch. Bake a batch, sprinkle them with a little confectioners sugar if you like, and let me know how they turned out!
Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies (Vintage Holiday Cookie)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup white sugar granulated
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups potato chips slightly crushed
Method
- In a large bowl, cream the Crisco, brown sugar, and white sugar together until well combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix well.
- Stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the slightly crushed potato chips.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for exactly 12 minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies Tips & Expert Strategy
TEXTURE & SPREAD: The Crisco in this recipe is crucial. It has a higher melting point than butter, which stops these cookies from spreading out into thin puddles on the pan, keeping them thick and chewy. THE CHIP CRUSH RULE: Only “slightly” crush your potato chips. If you crush them into a fine powder, the cookies will be overly salty and completely lose their signature crunch. DON'T OVERBAKE: Pull these exactly at the 12-minute mark. They may look slightly underdone in the absolute center, but they will finish setting up as they cool on the hot pan. STORAGE TIP: Keep these in a sealed, airtight container on the counter. The Crisco helps them retain their chew for days, but putting them in the fridge will ruin the texture of the chips. FINISHING TOUCH: Before serving, you can sprinkle the tops with a dusting of confectioners sugar or dip them in melted milk chocolate for an extra layer of decadence.Tried this recipe?
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One response to “Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies (Vintage Holiday Recipe)”
divine. the best cookies you will ever make
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