Church potlucks<\/a> and Ladies Aid meetings were frequent events. And every time anyone from the church met up, there was food.\u00a0<\/p>\nLots and lots of food.<\/p>\n
The desserts were the best part. And one of the desserts in particular that would show up at almost every event were these crispy cookies.<\/p>\n
To the best of my knowledge, this crispy cookie recipe comes from a sweet lady named Sadie. But it\u2019s probably one of those recipes that became church famous<\/em> and got passed around from kitchen to kitchen, origin unknown.<\/p>\nBoth my grandma and my mom would make these cookies.<\/p>\n
And now I have started making them, too. (Much to my brothers\u2019 and dad\u2019s delight)<\/p>\n
Once you try them, you might start making them regularly. And the recipe lives on!<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\n
Why You\u2019ll Love These Cookies<\/h2>\n\nThis recipe makes a huge batch<\/strong>: This recipe yields about 5 dozen cookies. That\u2019s a lot of bang for your buck!<\/li>\nAs the name suggests, they\u2019re crispy<\/strong>. The texture is addictive. They crumble a little when you eat them. Kind of like a Pecan Sandie (remember those?)<\/li>\nThe recipe is simple<\/strong>. Very low fuss. Basically foolproof. Just mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, and then mix them together and bake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA Note On The Vegetable Oil<\/h2>\n Yes, this recipe calls for vegetable oil. An ingredient many of us try to avoid eating and cooking with. But keep in mind it\u2019s an old-fashioned recipe. For better or for worse, ingredients fall in and out of fashion.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re on the fence about baking with vegetable oil, I urge you to make an exception for this delicious cookie recipe!<\/p>\n\n
\n
Ingredients: What You\u2019ll Need<\/h2>\n This is a simple, old-fashioned cookie recipe that doesn\u2019t require any hard-to-find ingredients. You\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n
White granulated sugarInstructions (You Can Do This!)<\/h2>\n Are you more of a cook or a baker? I\u2019m more of a cook. I like the flexibility and creativity of non-baked recipes. To me, baked recipes are a little too easy to mess up.<\/p>\n
Which is why I LOVE this old-fashioned church lady crispy cookie recipe. It\u2019s not fussy. It\u2019s not finicky. It\u2019s hard to screw up \u2013 even if you\u2019re more of a cook than a baker. Even if you\u2019re new to cooking in general.<\/p>\n
\nBeat the sugars, butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl; then add the egg.<\/li>\n In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, soda, cream of tartar, salt)<\/li>\n Then combine the wet and dry ingredients until a dough forms.\u00a0<\/li>\n Mix in the coconut, oats, and Rice Krispies (crispy rice cereal) \u2013 this is where the \u201ccrispy cookies\u201d name comes from<\/li>\n Let dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes for best results.<\/li>\n Roll into little balls and bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n
Recipe & Storage Tips<\/h2>\n\nMake sure you use quick oats \u2013 not old fashioned<\/li>\n These cookies are excellent with a cold glass of milk!<\/li>\n Store cookies in an airtight container for 2 or more weeks (can also be frozen)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n\nWhy does this recipe call for vegetable oil and butter?<\/strong><\/summary>\nThat\u2019s the old-fashioned magic! Using both butter\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0vegetable oil gives these cookies their distinctively crispy, light texture. The oil keeps them from becoming too dense or chewy, which is exactly what you want in a cookie like this. It\u2019s a classic technique from an era before seed oils became controversial \u2014 and honestly, the results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\nCan I substitute something else in lieu of the vegetable oil?<\/strong><\/summary>\nYou can try a neutral oil like canola or avocado oil if you prefer. Keep in mind that changing the oil may slightly affect the texture, but the cookies should still turn out crispy and delicious.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\nCan I leave out the coconut or Rice Krispies?<\/strong><\/summary>\nThe Rice Krispies are a big part of what makes these cookies so wonderfully crispy, so we\u2019d recommend keeping them. The coconut adds a subtle sweetness and chew \u2014 you can use sweetened or unsweetened depending on your preference. The coconut flavor in the cookie isn\u2019t too strong.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
More Old-Fashioned Recipes Straight From The Church Basement<\/h2>\n If you love the old fashioned recipes made famous at church potlucks, I\u2019ve got you covered. Here are some of my favorite recipes:<\/p>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup white granulated sugar\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup brown sugar\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup butter, room temperature\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup vegetable oil\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 egg\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 teaspoon vanilla\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 teaspoon baking soda\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 teaspoon salt\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 teaspoon cream of tartar\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3 1\/2 cups all-purpose flour\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup quick oats\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 cup Rice Krispies\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Instructions<\/h2>\n\nPreheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, place white sugar, brown sugar, butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Mix in egg and beat until smooth.<\/li>\n In a separate bowl, sift together soda, salt, cream of tartar, and flour. Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine.<\/li>\n Stir in oats, coconut, and Rice Krispies.<\/li>\n For best results, let dough chill for at least 30 minutes before baking.<\/li>\n Take a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough, roll in a ball, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Old-fashioned-church-lady-crispy-cookies-2-640x1002.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Old-fashioned-church-lady-crispy-cookies-640x960.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Old-fashioned-church-lady-crispy-cookies-recipe-640x938.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Old-fashioned-church-lady-crispy-cookies-recipe-2-640x960.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Old-fashioned](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Old-fashioned-church-lady-crispy-cookies-3-640x897.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n