Written by contributor Stacy Karen of A Delightful Home.
Want to treat yourself to cookies without gaining a pound?
Try the following bath cookies!
Just mix the ingredients and bake like regular cookies, then let one or two melt in the tub, get in and relax.
No calories consumed.
Bath cookies are made with salt, eggs, and baking soda, which are wonderful for your skin. They also contain a small amount of essential oil which releases a lovely aroma, making them a fragrant treat that will help the tired among us unwind and relax.
Very quick and easy to prepare, bath cookies would be an excellent gift. Not to mention, unique. When was the last time your received cookies for the tub?
The really do look like cookies, so make sure you label them. No one would be hurt by eating one, but they won’t taste very good!
How to make bath cookies
Ingredients
2 cups salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons oil (safflower, grapeseed, or another light oil))
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil, optional
2 eggs
5 drops essential oil – I used lavender. Chamomile, orange and lemon, or rosemary would also make great bath cookies.
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the essential oil.
Once the the ingredients are fairly well mixed, add the essential oil and stir to distribute evenly.
Taking about a teaspoon of dough, roll it into a ball of about 1-inch diameter.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (they do stick a little. If you want to avoid this entirely, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper).
Bake for approximately 10 minutes. They will be slightly brown.
Once the cookies have cooled completely place in a decorative jar or bag.
Makes about 24 cookies.
To Use: Drop one or two cookies into the bath while the water is running. Allow to dissolve. Relax and enjoy!
Notes:
It is fun to mix in a few small lavender buds or dried orange peel. They make the cookies look pretty and add an extra touch of luxury. Just be careful not to include too much as it could clog the drain. A teaspoon or two sprinkled in and mixed throughout the entire batch would be sufficient.
This recipe was adapted form Natural Beauty for All seasons by Janice Cox
What do you think? Would you bathe with a bath cookie?
About Stacy
This sounds like a lovely present! I absolutely adore long baths, although I rarely get them now with babes needing baths instead. It looks like a fun activity that we can all do though, and maybe my kids would enjoy a bath cookie in their baths!
I put one in my daughter’s bath and she thought it was pretty exciting!
These are adorable – I’ve never heard of bath cookies! Great idea!
These look lovely! Do you know how long or well will they keep at room temperature? Just wondering if I could make them now for Christmas gifts or should wait till closer to the date to make.
You could make them now. The will keep for a number of months.
Thank you!!! I have a feeling I’ll be visiting this page pretty often
Great idea!
One warning:
I thought peppermint bath cookies might be fun for Christmas. I crushed some peppermint candies and put them in the bath cookies with the essential oil.
BAD idea! The little candy pieces melted and oozed from the bath cookie- it looks like a festering sore! Don’t do it! Stick to lavender!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the great idea, I’m going to try lavender tomorrow!
Oh dear! It sounded like a good idea
Thanks for letting us know. I think I’ll stick with my lavender, too.
I made these bath cookies last night, to make sure they would work before I gave them as gifts. I must have done something wrong! They didn’t dissolve at all. I had to break it apart in my bathtub under the running water, but then there was just tiny pieces of wet bath cookie floating all over the tub, which felt pretty weird. : ) Two possibilities: 1) I used coconut oil. I melted it in the microwave before I added it. It smelled divine with the lavender, and mixed perfectly. But would one of the others work better? 2) I baked them a couple of extra minutes. They were not brown at all, so I left them in for a spell. They weren’t turning brown, so I took them out. They looked lovely! Could they have been baked too hard to dissolve? Are there supposed to be tiny floaters all over the tub? I want to try again!
Hi Amy,
It might be that they were cooked a little too long. You could try cooking them for less time.
I don’t think the coconut oil would cause any trouble.
I did have some floaty bits in the tub, though.
Sorry it didn’t turn out as well as you hoped!
Thank you! I’m gonna try it again.
Does it matter what kind of essential oils you use? I just want to make sure it would be safe for skin. I’m planning on making these for my mother and probably cousin.
Hannah,
There are some essential oils that are very strong and might not be the best for use in the bath. Is there anything specific you were thinking of using?
I haven’t purchased any yet, nor do I really have one in mind. What kind did you use?
Fun idea! I’m getting ready to invest in some essential oils, so I will definitely be keeping this recipe on hand.
What kind(s) of essential oil have you used? How were they?
I’m definitely making a double batch for 2 presents! (: Quick question, where did you buy your essential oil and what brand did you use?
Wow!!! It’s always wonderful to hear from you.
do you think peppermint tea in the cookies would work?
Nice to be here and see your post!