Forgotten cookies, called so because you make them, put them in the oven, and forget about them! In the morning you'll wakeup to freshly baked cookies that are crisp on the outside filled with chocolate chips and nuts. It's an old fashioned, vintage kind of recipe for everyone's cookie recipe file. Once you make them, you will never forget these cookies! They are easy and fun to make.
Similar to chocolate chip meringue cookies, forgotten cookies are a favorite for home cooks because they are simple to make, inexpensive, and can be flavored with a variety of add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, or dried fruit. This method is fun, because you make them and forget about them until they are crisp and ready to munch on. Their light as a cloud!
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Light and airy meringue cookies with crunch from walnuts and chocolate chips.
- They crisp overnight in the oven, ready in the morning.
- Great for busy bakers as they are so easy.
- Simple ingredients.
For another easy and fun sweet treat, make this chocolate bark bites with cranberries and nuts.
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs: Large eggs; all you need is the egg whites (no egg yolks).
- Sugar: White sugar; superfine works even better with meringues than standard granular.
- Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites for the meringue.
- Salt: Just a pinch, I use sea salt.
- Chocolate chips: Your favorite chocolate chips, semisweet or dark chocolate, regular or low-sugar. The mini chocolate chips work well too. Use no-sugar chips to reduce overall sugar in recipes.
- Nuts: Walnuts provide a nice crunch and texture to these cookies.
- Vanilla: Real vanilla extract for the best flavor. Here is my favorite vanilla.
Please see the recipe card for measurements.
Love hot chocolate? Here's spiked hot chocolate with optional liqueurs. It's like a liquid dessert. There's a kids version too.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use pecans instead of walnuts.
- For alternative chocolate chips try: GoodSam chocolate chips, date-sweetened chocolate chips (they are good!), or these chocolate chips that are free from 14 common allergens. I'm shying away from brands with erythritol due to a recent study, and malitol, another hybrid sugar that gives some people digestive upset.
- Try white chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, or mint chips.
- Chopped coconut is a nice add (unsweetened, not the sticky stuff).
- Add a little cinnamon for cinnamon meringues.
- Try crushed peppermint candy at Christmas or peppermint extract.
Here's a bite-sized treat that's actually healthy but tastes like it's not; peanut butter oatmeal protein balls with chocolate chips. Keep them in the freezer!
Chef's tip on whipping egg whites: Egg whites whip the best when they are at room temperature, but they separate more easily when the eggs are cold. So separate your eggs while they are cold, then allow the whites to warm up to room temperature for the best whipping and a nice stiff meringue.
Recipe Instructions
Be sure the egg whites are at room temperature before you start making forgotten cookies for best results. Cold egg whites do not whip well. Pre-heat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Note on timing: In recipe testing, I've let forgotten cookies go as long as 17 hours and also had them ready in as little as 5 hours. Pull one from the oven and test around 5 hours to see if they are crisp enough for you.
Chef's tip: How to make perfectly portioned cookies? Use a terrific little tool called a disher or a cookie scoop. They are handy for quickly and easily portioning many things, especially cookie batter and dough. Find them online. The size I use for forgotten cookies is the #30. The higher the number, the smaller the size. If you have a cookie scoop of a different size, say a #40, the cookies will be a little smaller (more cookies). For more free-form cookies, just use a tablespoon and dollop them onto the baking sheet.
Forgotten Cookies vs. Chocolate Chip Meringues
Forgotten cookies and chocolate chip meringue cookies have basically the same ingredients, but they are baked differently.
Forgotten cookies are placed in a pre-heated oven, then the oven is turned off and the cookies are left to slowly dry and crisp overnight (I've made them anywhere from 5 hours to 17 hours).
This unique method creates a crisp exterior while the inside remains slightly chewy. Meringue cookies are baked at a low temperature for an extended time until they are fully dry throughout. This creates a uniformly crisp and light textured cookie.
If you leave forgotten cookies in the oven long enough, they will completely dry like a chocolate chip meringue.
Here's another way you can bake the forgotten cookies. Use ¾ of the chocolate chips folded into the batter with the walnuts, and sprinkle the other ¼ cup on top before baking.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Use room temperature egg whites.
- Skip plastic bowls to whip meringues, choose a metal bowl, glass bowl, or ceramic.
- Don't try to make meringues on humid or rainy days.
- Be sure your tools a squeaky clean.
- Use the cream of tartar for stiffer whites.
Serving and Storage
Enjoy forgotten cookies anytime a cookie snack attack happens! They also make a nice gift from the kitchen at Christmas. Be sure cookies are completely cool before storing or they might get chewy and sticky versus being crisp.
Because forgotten cookies are meringues, they are fragile and must be packaged carefully to avoid crushing. Use a cookie tin or other stiff airtight container that seals well to protect them as they are highly susceptible to moisture.
To stack them in a cookie tin, place a layer of parchment paper between each layer and don't overcrowd them. Store the container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as the humidity can cause the cookies to soften or become sticky.
Forgotten cookies can typically be stored for up to 5-7 days if kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Chewy or stick forgotten cookies could be due to several reasons. Humid conditions in the environment, insufficient baking or drying time, or improper storage could be the reasons.
Overnight is the typical instruction, so about 8 hours. Exact timing depends on the heat retention of your oven and the size of your cookies.
You can, but the risk is not getting nice stiff meringue when the egg whites are whipped as cream of tartar is a stabilizer and creates a firmer meringue.
Even the smallest amount of fat, such as egg yolk, may prevent the meringue from reaching optimal stiffness. Even residual fat in the mixing bowl can effect the meringue development. Be sure your bowl and utensils are squeaky clean when making meringue.
More Sweet Treat Recipes
For more sweet ideas, check out the desserts index page for inspiration!
⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make forgotten cookies, please comment and let me know how you liked them. If they were a hit, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers and I enjoy hearing from you.
📖 Recipe
Forgotten Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie scoop (aka disher) I use the #30
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature (important!)
- ⅔ cup sugar superfine works best if you have it
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt starting on slow speed until foamy. Increase speed and beat whites until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and begin adding sugar gradually until all sugar is added and peaks are stiff and glossy. Gently fold the chocolate chips and nuts in by hand with a rubber spatula.
- Drop cookie dough by tablespoons full onto the parchment. Alternatively for portioning, use a #30 cookie scoop (aka a disher, notes below). Place the cookies in the oven, turn the oven off, and allow the cookies to slowly dry and crisp overnight in the oven, door closed. Do not open the oven. NOTE: I've let forgotten cookies go as long as 17 hours (super crisp) and also had them ready in as little as 5 hours. Pull one from the tray and test around 5 hours to see if they are crisp enough for you.
- In the morning, remove the cookies and taste test one. Cool cookies on a wire rack and package in an airtight container or cookie tin with a tight fitting lid. To layer cookies, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the layers. Cookies keep on the counter for about a week. Do not refrigerate, as moisture is the enemy of meringues.
Notes
- Use pecans instead of walnuts.
- Add some chopped coconut (unsweetened, not the sticky stuff).
- Add a little cinnamon.
- Use finely chopped chocolate instead of chips.
- Add crushed peppermint or use peppermint chips for Christmas.
Nutrition
Forgotten cookies, called so because you make the batter and portion them, then put them in the oven and forget about them overnight. An old fashioned treat and cookie recipe that should be in everyone's cookie file. Once made, you will never forget these cookies. Note, room temperature whites whip better than cold ones.
Makes: about 15-16 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large or extra large egg whites (at room temperature)
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- A pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment paper.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until whites are stiff. Fold in the stevia, chips and walnuts by hand. This will make a flatter cookie. See notes below for options.
- Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheet. You should make about 15-16 cookies. Place the baking sheet in the oven and turn it off. Leave the cookies to bake and dry until morning, or about 6-8 hours, until crisp.
Notes on sugar options - If you are going to use all sugar or half sugar/half stevia, add the sugar to the egg whites when they are frothy when beating with the mixer. Beat until stiff, the fold in chips and nuts. If you want more of a mounded cookie versus a flat cookie, do this for the all stevia version too.[/recipe]
Subs: pecans for walnuts, what about for a nut allergy?
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Andrea says
Love these cookies. I've made them four times. Easy to make. Love the crunch and the chew of the meringue with the contrast of chocolate and walnuts.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for commenting Andrea, I agree with you! And they are so easy.
Porsche guy says
My mom used to make these when I was a kid and I loved them. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to try it. Myself looks pretty easy.