The famous Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies have made their rounds on the internet for decades, and for good reason! They are delicious and have an entertaining backstory!
You might also like the famous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies (from the NY Times), our copycat Chick-fil-a cookies, or the famous Double Tree cookie recipe!Â
Watch our step by step video!
The Neiman Marcus cookie recipe, also known as the $250 cookie recipe, has been around for decades! I first heard about these in the late 90’s. We had a youth group activity and were each asked to bring something representing what we had worked on that year. I loved to bake and wanted to bring a baked good to share. The year before I had tried my hand at my grandma’s 100% whole-wheat bread recipe, which was a complete flop. I didn’t have time to make anything else so I brought my loaf of dense wheat bread and served slices of it. Everyone was very complimentary, but I knew that it wasn’t that great. I needed to redeem myself the next year.
I stumbled across the story of the $250 cookie recipe on Yahoo (remember, it was the 90’s) and was intrigued! If you haven’t heard of these cookies, here’s the backstory…
Neiman Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe
My daughter & I had just finished a salad at Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas & decided to have a small dessert. Because our family are such cookie lovers, we decided to try the “Neiman-Marcus Cookie”. It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe and they said with a small frown, “I’m afraid not.” Well, I said, would you let me buy the recipe? With a cute smile, she said, “Yes.” I asked how much, and she responded, “Two fifty.” I said with approval, just add it to my tab.
Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement from Neiman-Marcus and it was $285.00. I looked again and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said, “Cookie Recipe – $250.00.” Boy, was I upset!! I called Neiman’s Accounting Dept. and told them the waitress said it was “two fifty,” and I did not realize she meant $250.00 for a cookie recipe. I asked them to take back the recipe and reduce my bill and they said they were sorry, but because all the recipes were this expensive so not just everyone could duplicate any of our bakery recipes….the bill would stand. I waited, thinking of how I could get even or even try and get any of my money back.
I just said, “Okay, you folks got my $250.00 and now I’m going to have $250.00 worth of fun.” I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover will have a $250.00 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus for nothing. She replied, “I wish you wouldn’t do this.” I said, “I’m sorry but this is the only way I feel I could get even,” and I will.
So, here it is, and please pass it to someone else or run a few copies…. I paid for it; now you can have it for free.”
Fact or Fiction?
It’s been shared that this story, and similar stories, have circulated for years and years, using different company names like Mrs. Fields and other baked goods like red velvet cake. The premise is always the same: a customer asks to buy a recipe and is misquoted on the price then sees the credit card statement. As payback, they share the recipe for free with everyone. The thing is, Neiman Marcus didn’t even have a cookie recipe in the 1990’s. The company developed its own recipe in response to the rumor and the recipe is completely different than the decades-old recipe that I made and shared with my friends.
Are the Infamous Neiman Marcus Cookies Worth The Hype?
My mom always bought margarine and rarely had nuts or other fancy mix-ins for cookies, so the fact that this recipe called for butter, nuts, chocolate chips, AND a Hershey bar meant that they’d be a splurge. My 16-year-old self couldn’t wait to make and share these cookies at the event and they were a HUGE hit. I had copies of the recipe on the table to pass out so that others could make them too—not knowing that it was a made-up story. I never forgot those decadent cookies and the entertaining backstory that came with them. They were delicious.
The original recipe makes a TON of cookies. What I’m sharing today is a half batch and it still yields 40 regular-sized cookies.
$250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Recipe Ingredients
Butter: I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you’d like
Sugar: This recipe calls for equal parts brown sugar and white sugar.
Eggs: For richness and texture.
Vanilla Extract: Have you tried making your own vanilla extract? It’s easy and adds great flavor to your baking recipes.
Flour: All-purpose flour is a great choice for baked goods. You can also use bread flour if that’s what you have on hand.
Rolled Oats: This recipe calls for oats that have been ground up. You can do this in a food processor or blender. I measure the oats out then blend them.
Salt, baking powder, and baking soda: for leavening and texture.
Chocolate chips: you can use whatever kind you’d like, but the classic recipe calls for semisweet chocolate chips.
Nuts: I used pecans, but walnuts are delicious too.
Milk Chocolate: The recipe calls for grated milk chocolate. A Hershey’s bar works great!
How To Make Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
(The $250 urban legend cookies)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Blend the rolled oats in a blender or food processor until blended to a fine powder.
- Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and blended oats.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and grated chocolate.
- Drop by 2 Tbsp. sized balls onto the cookie sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Let baked cookies stand on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
This recipe makes 40 cookies. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(printable version)
$250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate trips
- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
- 4 ounces milk chocolate bar grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Blend the rolled oats in a blender or food processor until blended to a fine powder. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and blended oats.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and grated chocolate.
- Drop by 2 Tbsp. sized balls onto the cookie sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Let baked cookies stand on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- This recipe makes 40 cookies. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Frozen chocolate is easier to grate than room-temperature chocolate. I like freezing my Hershey bar for 30 minutes before finely grating it.
- Use a blender or food processor to finely grind the rolled oats.
Nutrition
Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
Thank you