Cookies Inc. : Recipe Ratios & Business Math
⬇ Download Teacher GuideIn this hands-on, interactive lab, students step into the role of an aspiring entrepreneur with a dream of starting a cookie business. Inspired by their grandmother’s delicious homemade cookies, they decide to sell them in a mall—but quickly realize they need $3,000 for the deposit. With only a $1,500 investment from Grandma, they start small with a cookie cart in the mall, learning critical business and math skills along the way.
Students target is to make a profit of $3000 or more over the course of three simulated months.
Throughout this lab, students apply ratio concepts, measurement conversions, and cost analysis to calculate the total cost of making each cookie. They begin by scaling Grandma’s recipe, which is measured in teaspoons and cups, into standard units like pounds and gallons. Using a supplier's rate card, they determine ingredient costs and apply pricing strategies based on demand and profit curves.
Each simulated month consists of three key tasks:
✅ Month Planning: Decide how many cookies to produce.
✅ Purchase Order Preparation: Determine ingredient quantities and prepare an order to buy supplies.
✅ Pricing Strategy: Set the price of cookies based on demand and profit analysis.
At the end of each month, students analyze their sales performance, adjust their pricing and production strategies, and track their earnings. An auto-calculated leaderboard, presented by the teacher, displays each student’s profit standings, allowing for a competitive and engaging experience.
The ultimate goal? Earn enough profit to pay back Grandma’s investment and secure $3,000 to open a cookie store inside the mall!
This engaging simulation blends math, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship, making real-world business concepts accessible and fun for students. Will they make the right decisions to build a successful cookie empire? Let’s find out! 🍪💰
Student Feedback
Working out the calculations with others and working together.
I will remember the calculations and how to run and business and make profit and how to calculate the cost of my ingredients.
Problems created in the business setting within costs
How to make formulas to calculate the profit.
I remember being able to work with a partner and how much fun it was instead of having to work on something alone with little help.
To find how much money we would spend at the very end of the month.
I will remember how proud I was of me and my partner for making almost double our goal.
I will remember that you have to know how much you will sell and being able to pay back and for whatever you re selling.
I enjoyed the budgeting section and working with my partner.
Starting a business is difficult alone. Investments from others are needed to help get it off of the ground and having a business partner will help lighten the workload.
Money is important and you need to check your calculations.
The feeling of succeeding and making a profit.
How to balance your budget and make money at the same time.
I would remember to do the math and help each other as a big team
I will remember how to make money.
I liked writing the letters.
the importance of budgeting
How to make profit
I need to put more money in to max out profit
How to calculate profit and find revenue and cost
you got to spend your money wisly
Didn't have to do worksheets on something way less interesting so thats memorable
i will remember all the writing from this and this will help educational prowess towards school and help me understand writing better and with business.
How to calculate exact prices.
Everything
I will remember that the most amount for a loan is not all ways the best. I have found the way to calculate this and in the future this will save me money.
How to do the math to find the numbers.
I will remember the most that with different loan amounts and over a different period of time can either help or worsen your business's financial situations.
I will remember most that it is important to calculate how big of a loan and how much time to pay the loan back will give your business the maximum profits.
I remember how much you put into your capital affects how much money you make. Although you can be borrowing money for a long time, you need to do some research as to how long you can borrow until it begins to affect you.
The first 3 activites with all the numbers
The sliders
That if I am ever taking a loan out that I need to do key research to decide how long and how much money to take.
The loan calculations
Probably the financing advice.
I remember the assignments i did about the loan duration and the profit you would make off of each duration having the loan out.
Finding the correct loan amount.
How to manage money and how loans work
It helps you learn alot
I will remember if you dont have enough capital with you you can take a loan
they will probably remember loan amount and interest and initial capital because of the first activities.
that the bigger the loan the bigger the interest.
I will remember how if I start a business then I need to plan and do what I am supposed to do. And how I am supposed to calculate before.
I will remember the most from the compound growth as I learned more than I already knew, though I feel like the Loans helping finance a business was not explained well enough in its entirety.
The lesson that it teach's us about the importance of getting all the proper things you need to start your own buisness.
The strategic features of Compound Growth and the recommended money and year amount for loans.
How to calculate loan.
I will remember that the amount of the loan does matter, and the highest isn't the best amount to get to have the largest amount of money, the reason for this is the high-interest rate.
I will remember the interest rate loan amount and duration activity because it was challenging at first, but now i understand it!
I will remember figuring out how to do the loan amount because it was challenging at first.
Filling in the graphs
Compound growth
How easy it was
When getting business loans going for the most years is not always beneficial
how to increase profits from a start-up business
compound growth and interest
