Not many snack and bakery brands make it to the century mark. Mother’s Cookies (a Ferrero brand) has been around for more than 100 years, and the company continues to resonate with sweet-toothed snackers by offering a combination of flavor and fun. 

To find out more about the brand and its history of innovation, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with Rachna Patel, vice president of distinctive brands marketing with Ferrero.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please tell me about the history of Mother’s—how the cookie making started more than 100 years ago, how the company grew, joining the Ferrero family, and what sets the brand apart from other companies in the cookie/baked snack space?

Rachna Patel: In 1914, the brand founder, Noah M. Wheatley, was working his bustling newspaper stand in Oakland, CA, when he made an offer to one of his customers who had gained a reputation for going door-to-door with his wife selling homemade vanilla cookies. Captivated by the irresistible taste and neighbors’ equally delighted reviews, he purchased the recipe rights and named the cookies after the newly established “Mother’s Day,” because, after all, there’s nothing better than mom’s cookies. 

Within just a year of selling, Mother’s Cookies became a sensation, and our founder’s small bakery was churning out 2,000 cookies a day to satisfy the insatiable demand. Mother’s Cookies was sold to Ferrero in 2019 and, since then, has continued to soar, innovating new flavors and shapes that truly encourage kids to let their imagination run wild.

Mother’s Cookies believes in letting kids and their parents live life playfully. Our fun cookie shapes spark imaginative play and turn even the simplest treating occasion into a creative adventure. From on-the-go treats to holiday indulgences to baking innovations, Mother’s Cookies are all about bringing playful fun and creativity with each bite.

JS: You’ve been having fun with the shapes of your cookies—could you please talk about some of the LTO, seasonal, and permanent additions you’ve made?

RP: We have an exciting lineup of delicious and unique flavors—the Original Circus Animal Cookies, with pink and white frosting in fun shapes of elephants, camels, and more. We have our Sparkling Mythical Creatures Cookies, which are white and lavender-frosted shortbread in the shapes of unicorns, mermaids, sea serpents, and dragons, all covered in silver sprinkles that bring a bit of magic with each bite. 

We also have a lot of limited-time offerings, such as Puppy Love, Springtime Buddies, and Reindeer Games, that feature seasonal shapes and festive colors, all in our classic shortbread cookie flavor. 

Our latest release is Chocolatey Dynamite Dinosaurs. This new offering is the first to feature a delicious chocolatey cookie coated in blue and green frosting, all topped with orange and black sprinkles. Each cookie shape resembles the fierce yet fun dinosaurs inspired by Jurassic World, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brachiosaurus, Pteranodon, and Triceratops. 

In addition to our new flavor innovation, we recently launched an online content hub that features exciting recipes, games, and crafts – all inspired by Mother’s Cookies. Now, our fans can easily find more creative ways to enjoy our frosted cookies.

JS: Let’s talk about the Dynamite Dinosaurs—could you please tell us what sets this launch apart? Feel free to talk about it being the brand’s first chocolatey cookie, the Jurassic World tie-in, and whatever you like.

RP: Dynamite Dinosaurs is the brand’s first-ever chocolatey flavor and first permanent addition to the Mother’s portfolio in four years. 

Inspired by the legendary Jurassic World franchise and the popularity of dinosaurs, there is so much imagination that can be had with these dino cookies. They will appeal to older kids and allow us to remain fun and engaging with our core target of Fun Moms with kids under 12. At Mother’s Cookies, we are dedicated to infusing frosted fun into all our cookies and hope that our Chocolatey Dynamite Dinosaurs accomplishes that.

JS: You mention that all of these neat products and shapes are helping you connect with a specific demographic: fun moms. Please tell us about that group and why they’re a good demographic to connect with.

RP: Fun moms are the everyday moms who take the extra step to make every experience as fun, memorable, and creative as possible to delight their kids. They drive positive and engaging communities both offline and online, whether they’re managing afterschool curriculum, organizing playdates and crucial appointments, or connecting with resources that make day-to-day parenting easier and childhoods brighter. 

We understand the hard work that it takes to be a mom, and we have always strived to uplift them and make responsibilities, like snack time, more enjoyable. Moms are pivotal to shaping positive experiences for their children, and we believe that every child deserves imaginative and playful moments that are essential for a happy childhood. We encourage families to slow down and create meaningful moments of fun where kids can just be kids and as Mother’s puts it, Stop and Taste the Frosting.  

JS: What’s next for Mother’s? Please feel free to tell us about new products you have in the works, new packaging, new markets, anything you like.

RP: We’re so excited to continue the big launch of our newest Dynamite Dinosaur flavor, and we have more in store that we’re not able to share quite yet! We can’t wait to continue evolving the brand in innovative and playful ways that stay true to our mission, and you can stay tuned for more announcements by following @motherscookiesus on social. 

JS: Finally, do you have a favorite Mother’s product?

RP: My favorite Mother’s product is our iconic Circus Animal Cookie. It’s a fan favorite and just the right sweet treat when I need it the most. But during Valentine’s, a close second is Puppy Love. Who doesn’t love puppies? Also, it definitely helps me flex my “fun aunt” status with all the little ones in my life!

Related: Ferrero Group snaps up protein snack brand Power Crunch