🍪 1922 Girl Scout Cookies Recipe – Original Trefoil Sugar Cookie
In 1922, long before Girl Scout Cookies came in shiny boxes stacked at grocery stores, 1922 Girl Scout Cookies were homemade in kitchens across America. These cookies weren’t just a treat — they were a community effort, a lesson in thrift, and a way for young girls to build skills (and raise funds) one cookie at a time.
This recipe is the real deal — straight from a 1922 issue of The American Girl magazine. Simple ingredients, no mixers, and a rich, buttery flavor that modern cookies just can’t compete with. They’re rolled thick, sprinkled with sugar, and traditionally cut into a trefoil shape — the same iconic shape still used by the Girl Scouts today.
Have you ever baked a recipe that’s over 100 years old? Tell me in the comments — I love hearing vintage baking stories!
🛒 1922 Girl Scout Cookies – Ingredients You’ll Need
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½ cup butter
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1 cup sugar
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2 tablespoons milk
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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2 cups flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
🧈 1972 update: “Oleo will do!” — but for that authentic flavor, stick with real butter.
👩🍳 How to Make 1922 Girl Scout Cookies
Step 1: Cream the Base
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
Stir in the milk and vanilla. Then add flour and baking powder, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Step 3: Chill It
Wrap the dough and refrigerate until firm. Chilling makes it easier to roll and helps the cookies keep their shape.
Step 4: Roll & Cut
Roll the dough thick (about ¼ inch). Sprinkle sugar lightly over the top. Cut into trefoil shapes (or use any cookie cutter you like).
Step 5: Bake
Place cookies on a baking sheet. Bake in a 375°F oven (a “quick oven,” as they used to say) for 8–10 minutes, or until edges are just golden.
🍪 These 1922 Girl Scout Cookies puff slightly and hold their shape. They’re somewhere between a sugar cookie and a shortbread — and they’re addictive!
💡 Tips & Variations for This Vintage Cookie
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Add a twist: Try almond extract instead of vanilla for a slightly nutty, old-school bakery flavor.
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Don’t overbake: The goal is a soft center with lightly golden edges.
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No trefoil cutter? Use a round cutter, or stack three circles together for a DIY trefoil shape.
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More crunch? Roll the dough thinner and bake slightly longer.
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More nostalgia? Serve with a glass of milk or tea — just like in 1922.
🧵 A Little Cookie History
The 1922 Girl Scout Cookies recipe marked the beginning of what would become a multimillion-dollar tradition. Girls baked these cookies at home and sold them to raise money for troop activities. The recipe was shared in The American Girl, the Girl Scout magazine at the time.
From these humble beginnings, we now have rows of Thin Mints and Samoas — but this original version remains a beautiful symbol of homemade simplicity, resourcefulness, and community.
Want to learn more about the history of Girl Scout Cookies? Visit the official Girl Scouts cookie timeline.
💬 Let’s Bake & Chat
If you’re like me, recipes with history have a flavor all their own. These cookies aren’t just a dessert — they’re a connection to generations of resourceful, community-minded girls who believed in doing their best (and baking their best too).
So tell me — have you ever made a vintage recipe like this one?
Or maybe your grandma had a go-to sugar cookie recipe? Drop your story in the comments below!
Original 1922 Girl Scout Cookies
Ingredients
- - ½ cup butter
- - 1 cup sugar
- - 2 tablespoons milk
- - 2 eggs
- - 1 teaspoon vanilla
- - 2 cups flour
- - 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar in a bowl.
- Add well-beaten eggs and mix.
- Stir in milk, vanilla, flour, and baking powder.
- Chill dough until firm.
- Roll dough thick and sprinkle sugar on top.
- Cut into trefoil shapes or desired cutter.
- Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
Notes
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla for a flavor twist.
- Store in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.
