Not all heroes wear capes—some wear aprons. One of those heroes is Ruth Graves Wakefield, the woman who changed home baking forever with a happy accident at her Massachusetts inn. National Chocolate Chip Day, celebrated every year on May 15, honors both her creation of the chocolate chip cookie and the tiny morsels that made it possible. It’s a tribute to American ingenuity, kitchen creativity, and the sweet traditions that connect generations.
🍫 Did you know there are more than 80 national days dedicated to chocolate celebrated throughout the year?
📅 When Is National Chocolate Chip Day?
| Year | Date | Day of Week |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 15 | Thursday |
| 2026 | May 15 | Friday |
| 2027 | May 15 | Saturday |
| 2028 | May 15 | Monday |
| 2029 | May 15 | Tuesday |
| 2030 | May 15 | Wednesday |
🍫 Similar Observances
Several other dessert-themed days celebrate the joy of chocolate and baking:
- National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day – August 4: specifically honors Ruth Wakefield’s world-changing recipe.
- National Chocolate Day – October 28: celebrates chocolate in all its delicious forms.
- National Cookie Day – December 4: invites everyone to bake, share, and enjoy cookies of every kind.
The Origins of the Chocolate Chip Cookie
In 1938, Ruth Wakefield and her husband Kenneth ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, a popular roadside restaurant known for its warm meals and homemade desserts. Ruth, a talented cook and former home economics teacher, was constantly experimenting with new recipes. One day, she added chopped pieces of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar into her cookie dough, expecting them to melt completely. Instead, the bits softened but kept their shape, creating a new kind of cookie with delightful pockets of chocolate throughout.
She called them Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies, and they quickly became a local sensation. The recipe appeared in her 1938 cookbook Toll House Tried and True Recipes, and demand for the cookies soared. In 1939, Nestlé partnered with Wakefield—printing her recipe on their packaging and producing ready-made chocolate chips for home bakers. In exchange, Ruth received a lifetime supply of chocolate, a modest reward for what became one of the most famous recipes in American history.
From the Great Depression to the Front Lines
The chocolate chip cookie’s popularity only grew during World War II. Despite sugar rationing, home bakers found ways to adapt the recipe using honey or maple syrup as sweeteners, sending care packages of cookies to soldiers overseas. These homemade treats offered comfort and a taste of home, helping to spread the cookie’s fame far beyond New England. When the war ended, returning soldiers shared their love of the Toll House cookie, solidifying it as an American classic.
Over time, chocolate chips became a baking essential, inspiring everything from muffins and pancakes to ice cream and snack bars. What began as a small kitchen experiment became one of the most beloved inventions in modern culinary history.
💡 Ways to Celebrate
National Chocolate Chip Day reminds us that a single inspired idea can change how we bake and celebrate together. Ruth Wakefield’s chocolate chip cookie began as an experiment but became a timeless symbol of comfort, creativity, and everyday joy—proof that even small discoveries can leave a lasting mark on the world.
- Bake the original Toll House recipe. Try Ruth Wakefield’s 1938 version for a taste of history.
- Share cookies with others. A batch of homemade cookies makes a perfect simple gift.
- Experiment with flavors. Mix in nuts, sea salt, or dark chocolate for a modern twist.
- Honor Ruth Wakefield. Share her story online to keep her sweet legacy alive.
Before You Go:
We have many more national days lists for you to explore.
- Food-related national days: complete list of national food days, pasta & noodles days, vegan & vegetarian days, celiac & gluten-free days, mushroom days, ice-cream days, pizza days, coffee days, chocolate days, wine days, alcohol & drinking days.
- Non-food national days: National Days Calendar 2025-2026 (check out the printable calendars in my Etsy shop), National Days for Teachers, and a wide array of special lists such as cat days, dog days, animal days, cleaning & organizing days, book days, music days, family & relationships days, national days for women, stationery days and even Harry Potter days.
- Country-specific national days: Australian national days, more coming soon.
