By: Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
Cookies originated from Persia in the 7th century, they were the unintentional invention of a baker’s test of oven temperatures. They were made of small dollops of cake batter. Over the next 1400 years we developed and refined cookies into a category of its own.
Willy Street Co-op’s Prepared Foods program uses a lot of unique ingredients that make us stand out from others in ways other than just taste and flavor; these little treats are notably different economically, ethically, and environmentally. In this brief article we’ll look at how we do that, but know that each aspect could be a whole article in their own right.
The Co-op and Fair Trade Difference
It is with great pride that our production kitchen uses Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate in all of our recipes. The need for Fair Trade status and certification is an extremely dark and depressing subject, and honestly deserves its own multipart article in and of itself to appropriately address the issues surrounding the chocolate industry. The conventional chocolate industry is rife with corruption and secrecy, and it thrives under a veil of ignorance.
That said, we feel it is essential for us to prioritize using Fair Trade ingredients in our recipes despite the cost and the temptation of something cheaper. The true cost of chocolate and sugar goes far beyond what you see on a shelf tag. Cheap ingredients often come at the expense of people and the planet—whether that’s exploitative labor practices, environmental destruction, or a lack of transparency in the supply chain. By choosing Fair Trade and organic ingredients, we’re investing in a food system that values workers’ rights, soil health, and long-term sustainability.
For those who don’t know, Equal Exchange is a worker-owned cooperative founded in 1986. Equal Exchange was built to give small-scale farmers around the world direct market access and ensure growers are paid fairly. Their co-op model mirrors our own: democratic ownership, transparent supply chains, and a shared commitment to people over profit. By using Equal Exchange chocolate in our cookies, we’re not only offering you something delicious, we’re also helping to strengthen a global movement of cooperatives working for fairness and sustainability.
Local Partnerships and Organic Standards
Our cookies aren’t just delicious, they’re also a reflection of our commitment to the community. By sourcing organic flour and butter from local farms, we’re keeping money circulating close to home while reducing transportation emissions. Organic eggs and oats mean fewer harmful chemicals in the environment, healthier farmland, and better nutrition in every bite. Even for ingredients we can’t source locally, like coconut or vegan butter, we carefully select partners that meet high standards of responsibility, such as RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil.
Cookies with a Conscience
Cookies may have started as a simple oven test, but they’ve grown into something much more. A symbol of care, quality, and comfort. We’re proud to make and sell cookies that aren’t just good, but good for something.
When you pick up a pack of Willy Street Co-op cookies, you’re not just getting a sweet treat—you’re supporting fair wages for farmers, organic agriculture, and local producers. You’re choosing cookies that make a difference.
Our Ingredients
- Chocolate: Organic, Fair Trade, Cooperatively Owned
- Sugar: Organic, Domestic
- Flour: Organic, Local
- Butter: Local, Non-GMO
- Oats: Organic
- Coconut: Organic, Fair Trade, Kosher
- Eggs: Organic, Local, Cage -Free
- Vegan Butter: Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Kosher, Non-GMO
Our Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookie: Spicy, sweet, and sugar coated
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookie: Chewy, spiced, and full of pumpkin, with a cross-hatch of chocolate and vanilla frosting
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie: The timeless favorite, made with Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate
- Cowgirl Cookie: Hearty oats, chocolate, and coconut in one rustic bite
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie: All the flavor, none of the dairy.
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie (Multipack only): Rich, nutty, and satisfying. It couldn’t hurt to enjoy this with a glass of “milk”
- Oatmeal Raisin (Multipack only): Chewy, spiced, and full of organic oats
