Mother's Cookies
Back — the cookies returned in 2009 and belong to Ferrero today, with Circus Animals still in national retail. The company that baked them for nearly a century is the part that stayed dead.
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
Oakland's pink-and-white animal-cookie institution had been baking since 1914 when it shut down abruptly in October 2008, in the teeth of the financial crisis, laying off its whole workforce at once.
Filed under: Snacks & Chips · the ’70s & earlier
📅 Timeline
- 1914Mother's begins baking in Oakland, California.
- 2008October — Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. abruptly shuts down in Chapter 11 as credit markets seize, laying off its workforce; Kellogg buys the trademarks and recipes in December.
- 2009May — Kellogg relaunches Mother's Cookies in time for Mother's Day week. The Oakland bakery stays closed for good.
- 2019Ferrero acquires Mother's in its purchase of Kellogg's cookie business.
- 2026Circus Animals remain in national retail, lately starring in a NERDS collaboration.
❓ People also ask
Are Mother's Circus Animal cookies still made?
Yes — the brand came back in 2009 under Kellogg and belongs to Ferrero today, with Circus Animals in national retail.
What happened to Mother's Cookies in 2008?
The Oakland company shut down abruptly that October during the financial crisis. Kellogg bought only the trademarks and recipes — the 94-year-old bakery itself never reopened.
🧾 Sources
- San Francisco Chronicle, Mother's Cookies abruptly shut down (2008)
- Kellogg (press release), Kellogg Company Acquiring Trademarks and Recipes of Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. (2008)
- BrandlandUSA, Kellogg's brings Mother's Cookies back to life (2009)
- SFGate, Kellogg selling Keebler and other brands for $1.3 billion (2019)