The Beloved McDonald's Cookie That Dominated The '70s And '80s (But Is Completely Gone Today)

Part of what's interesting about the McDonald's menu isn't what's on it, but what's gone from it. Back in the day, before the addition of the McFlurry (which was surprisingly invented outside the United States), it served a treat called McDonaldland Cookies, which came in a little plastic bag or cardboard box. They were small, crunchy, and featured the famous faces of characters like Ronald McDonald and Grimace. These things looked and tasted much like animal crackers (but with a distinct hit of lemon), and though they were relatively humble they were hard to stop eating once you started.

But there's a reason why they're merely a part of my childhood memory, and that's because they were discontinued in the early 2000s. The McDonaldland Cookies were eventually replaced with chocolate chip cookies, which had a more adult (and unfortunately generic) appeal. The crispy McDonaldland Cookies aren't likely to return considering McDonald's brand image no longer includes the old mascots aimed toward children, but that doesn't mean you can't still chase after their retro flavor.

People like me who've got fond memories of these cookies don't have to live continuously in the past, thankfully. Redditors swear that Aldi sells a McDonaldland Cookie dupe in the form of Benton's Animal Crackers (Benton's is an Aldi house brand). These crackers have that distinct cross between shortbread, animal cracker, and lemon flavor, which was the defining taste for the treats. 

One Redditor said, "I am eating the Benton's animal crackers from Aldi right now and they taste exactly like the McDonald and cookies. I believe they're the bakery that produced them and if they're not, they taste exactly the same [sic]." In another thread, people said what really clinches the deal is the touch of lemon, with one user noting, "I've been trying to think of why they tasted so familiar. We just got them for my son and husband and I snuck a couple. I love the hint of lemon flavor." So, fortunately for us this isn't a recipe that's lost to the sands of time. We can easily relive the taste and feel of McDonald's sticky Play Places and childhood birthday parties — all it takes is a quick trip to Aldi.