McDonaldland Cookies were a popular snack item sold at McDonald’s restaurants in the 1980s and early 1990s. The cookies were based on characters and locations from McDonaldland, a fantasy world featured in McDonald’s commercials and promotions at the time. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of McDonaldland Cookies and find out who was responsible for creating these nostalgic treats.
The Creation of McDonaldland
In 1971, McDonald’s introduced a new set of mascot characters as part of a major advertising campaign. Ronald McDonald became the face of the company, joined by characters like Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. McDonaldland was conceived as the fantasy world where these characters lived. The world was brought to life through animated TV commercials that showed the characters interacting in McDonaldland. This campaign was hugely successful and helped boost McDonald’s brand recognition and connect with young customers.
Over the next decade, more characters, settings, and stories were added to expand the world of McDonaldland. Some of the new additions included Officer Big Mac, Professor Von Vomit, and the evil Captain Crook. McDonald’s was able to use this colorful cast of characters in a variety of marketing, advertising, and product releases. McDonaldland allowed McDonald’s to connect with kids and tap into popular culture in a way other fast food chains couldn’t match at the time.
The Creation of McDonaldland Cookies
In 1986, McDonald’s began selling packaged cookies modeled after McDonaldland characters and settings. The cookies were manufactured by Stella D’oro, a New York City-based company with a long history of producing cookies and bread sticks. The initial lineup included the following cookie varieties:
- Ronald McDonald – Sugar cookies with chocolate wafer ears
- Grimace – Purple sugar cookies with chocolate chip eyes
- Hamburglar – Chocolate cookies with striped icing suit
- Fry Guys – Fried potato-shaped sugar cookies
- Filet-O-Fish – Fish-shaped sugar cookies
- Apple Pie – Apple-filled pastry cookies
- McNuggets – Chicken nugget-shaped vanilla cookies
The back of the packaging featured images of the characters and descriptions of McDonaldland. The cookies were sold individually or in snack packs. They quickly became popular items to include in McDonald’s Happy Meals.
The Peak of McDonaldland Cookies
The late 1980s were the peak era for McDonaldland Cookies. In 1987, four new cookie varieties were added:
- Big Mac – Burger-shaped sugar cookies with chocolate chip sesame seed buns
- Egg McMuffin – English muffin-shaped cookies sandwiching a “yolk” of icing
- McDonald’s Fries – More realistic french fry-shaped cookies
- Hot Apple Pie – Imitation apple pie cookies with streusel topping
The packaging also got an overhaul with colorful images of Ronald and the gang against a yellow and red checkered background. McDonaldland Cookies were heavily marketed alongside major kids’ films of the late ’80s, like The Land Before Time and Oliver and Company. The cookies reached the height of their popularity from 1987-1990.
The Decline of McDonaldland Cookies
While still popular with kids, McDonaldland Cookies began to decline in the early 1990s. Some factors that contributed to this decline include:
- Fading popularity of McDonaldland characters – As McDonald’s commercials focused less on serialized stories in McDonaldland, the characters became less recognizable to younger kids.
- Food marketing scrutiny – Watchdog groups began pressuring McDonald’s to cut back on marketing less healthy foods to children.
- New dessert options – Items like McFlurry ice cream drew customer attention away from cookies.
- Production costs – The detailed character-shaped cookies cost more to produce than regular cookies.
By 1994, McDonald’s had phased out McDonaldland Cookies entirely in the United States. A few international markets like Canada continued offering basic versions of the cookies into the 2000s before discontinuing them.
Who Created McDonaldland Cookies?
So who exactly was responsible for developing these cookies that became a staple of so many 1980s and 1990s childhoods? While McDonald’s came up with the general idea of using their characters, the cookies themselves were invented by food scientists at Stella D’oro.
Stella D’oro had been approached in the mid 1980s by McDonald’s to develop a new line of branded snack products. While Stella D’oro was already known for its breadsticks and breakfast cookies, this was its first project making character-based licensed cookies. The company’s research and development team used McDonald’s character artwork and descriptions to design cookies that would match each character’s appearance and personality.
Prototypes were developed and presented to McDonald’s for feedback. The final designs perfectly captured the colorful, fun spirit of McDonaldland. Thanks to Stella D’oro’s expertise with shaping and decorating cookies, every detail from Grimace’s purple fur to the Hamburglar’s stripes was faithfully reproduced in icing and cookie dough.
Once the initial batch of cookies was approved, Stella D’oro began mass producing them to meet demand. At the peak of McDonaldland Cookies, Stella D’oro’s factory was pumping out over 200 million cookies per year for McDonald’s. The company continued to innovate with new shapes and flavors as more McDonaldland characters were introduced.
While McDonald’s got the credit as the brand behind McDonaldland Cookies, it was the hard work and creativity of Stella D’oro’s food scientists that brought the cookies from concept to reality. Their innovative use of shapes, textures, and decorations took McDonaldland from the TV screen into the hands of happy kids nationwide.
Where Are McDonaldland Cookies Now?
Today it’s nearly impossible to find official McDonaldland Cookies in the United States. After discontinuing the full line in the mid 1990s, McDonald’s occasionally offered revivals of select cookie varieties for limited promotional periods. The last major revival was in 2013 when Egg McMuffin and Big Mac cookies were brought back for a few months to celebrate McDonaldland’s 40th anniversary.
While no longer produced for McDonald’s, very similar cookies can still be purchased under Stella D’oro’s own branding. Stella D’oro continues to make cookies modeled after generic hamburgers, fries, and fish that are close approximations to the original McDonaldland versions. These are mainly sold in dollar stores and discount retailers around the country.
Beyond the Stella D’oro versions, McDonald’s fans have found other ways to get their McDonaldland Cookies fix:
- eBay – Vintage packages of McDonaldland Cookies are highly sought after by collectors. Sealed packages often sell for over $50.
- Etsy – Some bakeries on Etsy offer homemade recreation recipes for McDonaldland Cookies, using pictures of the originals as references.
- Pinterest – Recipes for homemade clones are popular on Pinterest. Dedicated fans have come close to matching Stella D’oro’s secret formulas.
- Japan – Japanese McDonald’s locations continued selling McDonaldland Cookies into the 2010s with limited-time revivals still occurring. Original 80s packaging is prized by collectors worldwide.
While their heyday has passed, McDonaldland Cookies remain a fond memory for those who grew up with the snacks in the 80s and 90s. The cookies offered a unique way to literally taste the colorful McDonaldland world. Thanks to nostalgic fans, the memory of these novel cookies lives on even if they’ve long disappeared from McDonald’s restaurants.
Nutritional Information
Since McDonaldland Cookies are no longer sold by McDonald’s, exact nutritional data is hard to come by. However, by examining the current formulations of similar Stella D’oro cookies marketed under their own brand, we can get a rough idea of what eating a McDonaldland Cookie was like:
| Serving Size | Calories | Total Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cookie (30g) | 140 | 7g | 18g | 1g |
As we can see, the cookies were high in calories, fat, and refined carbohydrates. The fat likely came from vegetable oil and butter, while the carbs were mostly refined sugar. They offered minimal nutritional value beyond some energy from sugar.
By today’s standards, a single McDonaldland Cookie accounted for 7% of recommended daily calories and 14% of recommended daily fat intake for a child. The cookies were definitely more of a treat than a daily snack option.
How McDonaldland Cookies Compare to Modern McDonald’s Desserts
McDonaldland Cookies have been off the McDonald’s menu for nearly 30 years now. How do they compare nutrition-wise to the dessert and snack offerings at McDonald’s today? Let’s see how a McDonaldland Cookie stacks up against a few contemporary options:
| Item | Calories | Total Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonaldland Cookie | 140 | 7g | 18g | 1g |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | 170 | 7g | 24g | 2g |
| M&M McFlurry | 520 | 18g | 77g | 10g |
| Apple Pie | 250 | 11g | 34g | 2g |
Compared to McDonald’s current dessert menu, the McDonaldland Cookies fall somewhere in the middle on most nutrition metrics. Modern cookies and pies tend to be higher in calories, fat, and carbs. On the other hand, indulgent layered desserts like McFlurrys far exceed the McDonaldland Cookies in calories and refined carbs.
While the McDonaldland Cookies weren’t exactly health food, they represented a less extreme indulgence than many modern fast food desserts. The creep in calories, fat, sugar, and portion sizes makes the original cookies seem almost modest by comparison!
Should McDonaldland Cookies Make a Comeback?
With nostalgia for the ’80s and ’90s surging these days, could it be time for McDonald’s to bring back McDonaldland Cookies? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of a potential comeback.
Pros of Bringing Back McDonaldland Cookies
- Nostalgia appeal – Adults who fondly remember the cookies as kids would be excited and likely buy the cookies themselves and for their own kids.
- Retro trendiness – McDonaldland has a kitschy, ironic appeal to younger consumers who appreciate retro pop culture.
- Innovation – McDonald’s could develop new shapes and flavors themed to modern McDonaldland characters.
- Happy Meal draw – The cookies would make Happy Meals more enticing to kids again.
Cons of Bringing Back McDonaldland Cookies
- Health criticisms – McDonald’s may face backlash for bringing back unhealthy cookies aimed at children.
- Dated brand – The classic McDonaldland characters don’t resonate with most kids today.
- Production costs – The detailed shaped and decorated cookies are expensive to produce at scale.
- Cannibalization – The cookies may just take away sales from McDonald’s other desserts instead of attracting new business.
Ultimately, the return on investment may be questionable for McDonald’s to bring back McDonaldland Cookies full-scale after nearly 30 years. However, limited time runs of the nostalgic cookies or revivals only for special occasions could let McDonald’s tap into consumer nostalgia without the ongoing production commitment.
Preserving Food History
Whether they make a comeback or not, McDonaldland Cookies remain an important artifact of food history. The cookies represent:
- The creativity of McDonald’s in translating their brand and characters into fun, innovative products.
- Stella D’oro’s mastery of cookie art and decorating to bring fictional characters to life.
- The role of kid-focused snacks and desserts in driving fast food sales and marketing.
- The power of food to tap into pop culture trends and spark nostalgia.
Groups like The American History Museum and various fast food historians have collected packaging and other marketing materials from McDonaldland Cookies over the years. These documents help provide a window into the strategies fast food chains used to connect with consumers decades ago. They also reveal shifting tastes as menus evolved.
Beyond their business and cultural impact, McDonaldland Cookies simply made a lot of kids happy. The excitement of opening a bright red box with Ronald and friends on the package was a small but memorable delight. And getting to eat cookies modeled after favorite characters didn’t hurt either! That joy and enrichment of childhood is worth celebrating and preserving too.
So while they may not still be on the menu, McDonaldland Cookies hold an important place in the history books. Their story illustrates innovation in food marketing and production, as well as the cultural relationship between iconic brands, media franchises, and childhood nostalgia. And that’s a legacy worth remembering.