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 comes from the Great Depression era. During this time, certain ingredients like dairy and eggs were scarce due to shortages. They were also too expensive for the average household.

These cookies are made with simple pantry ingredients instead of perishable ones. The ingredients include 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: This is an eggless cookie recipe. We’re using some water for extra moisture. It helps 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.

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