The History of Nutter Butter

Peanut butter cookies date back to at least 1910 in the United States. Nutter Butter cookies were first introduced in 1969 by Nabisco, however, their origin story is largely a mystery. Some claim that former Nabisco design engineer William Turnier created the Nutter Butter’s unique waffle pattern, but Nabisco executives deny that any one person should be credited with designing the appearance of the cookies and that the project was likely a team effort. Nabisco has also stated that it is unclear who was responsible for creating the original Nutter Butter recipe. In the 1970s, Nabisco marketed Nutter Butters in a series of TV ads featuring the Nutter Butter Man, who is often thought to be inspired by Willie Wonka; however, the ads were considered creepy and eventually discontinued, perhaps in part because the cookies were selling so well that TV advertisements were no longer needed. Another interesting tidbit about Nutter Butters is that they are often offered to blood donors at blood drives! Today, Nutter Butter cookies remain a beloved snack for many Americans and are available at most stores nationwide.