Oreo Facts for Kids

An Oreo cookie

An Oreo is a very popular cookie. It's like a sandwich with a sweet, white cream filling. This cream is placed between two round cookie pieces. These pieces are usually chocolate or golden.

The company that makes Oreos is called Nabisco. It's part of a bigger company, Mondelēz International.

Since they first came out, almost 500 billion Oreos have been sold! Oreo has been the world's best-selling cookie brand since 2014.

History of the Oreo Cookie
What's in an Oreo?
- Oreo Nutrition Facts
Different Kinds of Oreos
Images for kids
See also

History of the Oreo Cookie

The special design on an Oreo cookie

The first "Oreo Biscuit" was made in 1912. It was created by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Nabisco. This happened in their factory in New York City. Today, that area is called Chelsea Market. In 2002, the street where it started was even named "Oreo Way"!

The name "Oreo" became an official trademark on March 14, 1912. It was first sold for about 25 cents a pound. The very first Oreo was sold on March 6, 1912, in Hoboken, New Jersey.

The first Oreo cookies had a wreath design around the edge. The name "OREO" was in the middle.

Over the years, the cookie's name changed a few times. In 1921, it became "Oreo Sandwich". In 1948, it was "Oreo Crème Sandwich". Finally, in 1974, it got its current name: "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie".

A new design for the cookie came out in 1924. The modern Oreo design we know today was made in 1952. It includes the Nabisco logo.

For a short time in 1920, there was a lemon cream Oreo. But it was stopped in 1924. For many years after that, only the original flavor was available.

The creamy filling we enjoy today was created by a food scientist named Sam Porcello. He also made Oreos covered in dark or white chocolate. In the early 1990s, Nabisco changed the filling. They stopped using animal fat (lard) and started using vegetable oil instead. This change also helped the cookies become kosher-certified. This means they follow special food rules. Also, because of this change, many vegans (people who don't eat animal products) can enjoy Oreos!

What's in an Oreo?

The main ingredients in classic Oreo cookies haven't changed much. However, many new flavors and types have appeared. As mentioned, the animal fat was replaced with vegetable oil in the 1990s. Then, in the mid-2000s, Nabisco removed partially hydrogenated oil due to health worries.

Here are the main ingredients in a classic Oreo cookie:

Sugar
Unbleached enriched flour (this is wheat flour with extra good things like niacin and iron)
Canola oil or palm oil
Cocoa (which gives it the chocolate flavor)
High-fructose corn syrup
Leavening agent (like baking soda, which helps the cookie rise)
Corn starch
Salt
Soy lecithin
Vanillin (for vanilla flavor)
Chocolate

Oreo Nutrition Facts

One Oreo cookie has about 45 calories. Most of these calories come from carbohydrates and fat. A small amount comes from protein.

Different Oreo flavors can have different amounts of carbohydrates and sugars. For example, a chocolate fudge Oreo has less sugar than a mint Oreo. Oreos have small amounts of minerals like iron and sodium. But they don't have any vitamins.

Different Kinds of Oreos

From left to right: Oreo Mini, regular Oreo, and Double Stuf Oreo

Oreo Double Triples

Golden Oreo

The Most Stuf Oreo

Besides the classic chocolate and cream Oreo, many other types have been made! Not all of them are sold in every country. Here are some of the most popular ones in the United States:

Double Stuf Oreo – These came out in 1974. They have about twice the amount of cream filling as a regular Oreo. You can find them with original, chocolate, peanut butter, mint, and birthday cake cream.
Football Oreo – These are shaped like footballs. They were introduced in 1976.
Big Stuf Oreo – These were much larger than a normal Oreo. They were sold from 1987 to 1991.
Golden Oreo – First sold in 2004, these have vanilla-flavored wafers instead of chocolate. They come with original, chocolate, lemon, and birthday cake cream. The chocolate cream version was once called "Uh-Oh Oreo"!
Oreo Mini – These tiny, bite-sized Oreos came out in 1991. They are often sold in small bags or cups. You can find them in original, chocolate, strawberry, and mint flavors.
Oreo Cakesters – These are soft chocolate snack cakes with cream in the middle. They were first made in 2007. After being stopped in 2012, they came back in 2022 because people wanted them!
Mega Stuf Oreo – Released in 2013, these have even more cream than Double Stuf Oreos. They come with both chocolate and golden wafers.
Oreo Thins – Introduced in 2015, these are a thinner version of the original Oreo. They have fewer calories and come in many flavors like chocolate, mint, lemon, and tiramisu.
Chocolate Oreo – This is an Oreo cookie with chocolate-flavored cream filling.
Mint Oreo – This Oreo has two chocolate wafers with a mint-flavored cream filling.
The Most Stuf – These came out in 2019. They have about four times the amount of cream as a regular Oreo!
Gluten Free – Introduced in 2021, these Oreos are made without gluten. They come in both traditional and Double Stuf.

Special holiday Oreos are also made. Around spring, Halloween, and Christmas, you can find Double Stuf Oreos with colored cream. They might have blue or yellow for spring, orange for Halloween, or red or green for Christmas. Some even have special designs stamped on them, like flowers or ghosts!

In some countries, Oreos come in unique flavors not found in the U.S. For example, you might find Green Tea Oreos in China and Japan. Or Blueberry Ice Cream Oreos in Southeast Asia. In Argentina, there are even "alfajor" Oreos, which are three cookies stacked with cream and covered in chocolate!