So how did we get to a place where Betty Crocker is a popular Halloween costume, casually mentioned in the media and a single red spoon can telegraph an icon? Well, grab some popcorn, and before you even ask, yes, we, of course, have recipes for that, and let’s dive into just who was Betty Crocker and who are we today at age of (if you can even believe it) 100!

Bake Way! Betty Crocker History

We got our start in 1921 — and thank you, we do look good for our age. Who could have guessed that a simple contest by The Washburn-Crosby Company would give birth to an icon? The contest called on home cooks to solve a jigsaw puzzle for the chance to win a pincushion in the shape of a bag of Gold Medal Flour (cute). Washburn, a flour-milling company and predecessor of General Mills, Inc., was surprised to find themselves suddenly inundated with questions from home cooks who used the competition as an opportunity to ask for expert baking advice.

But who could offer the public the spoonfuls of wisdom American cooks were so hungry for? Enter, Betty Crocker. Now, Betty was not a single person. The name was created as a way to personalize responses to questions, and if you guessed that the name has meaning behind it, you’re right. “Crocker” was chosen in honor of a popular company director, and "Betty" was selected because... well, she sounded friendly. We love a little history moment.

But there was one final element needed to bring Betty to life. The Washburn-Crosby Company invited their female employees to try their hand at a Betty Crocker signature. A distinctive winner was chosen and is still used today. Talk about an icon in iconography!

Whisking in Expertise

During this time, commitment to consumer service and product quality was expanding. So much so that the company started sponsoring cooking schools across the country and employing home economists to carefully test and demonstrate its gold-medal-winning flour. The demand for baking information continued to grow along with our staff. This was the start of the world-renowned Betty Crocker Kitchens.

To this day the make-up of our kitchens is comprised of the creative cooks, bakers and dietitians who make the recipes, answer your cooking questions and carry on the tradition of creating kitchen-tested recipes that reflect the ever-changing tastes of America. So when you receive a compliment over a Betty recipe you whip up, they’re the folks to silently thank for ensuring your recipe is, well, *chef’s kiss*.

Each year as the holidays approach and you start to explore what new recipes to try, maybe raise a spatula to people like Meredith Deeds and Maggie Lyon, two of our kitchen's latest legends. They are helping to make (or should we say bake) some of Betty Crocker's most recent festive dessert recipes possible. And, when you can’t stop thinking about our cookies and treats, they’re also the ones to blame!

Every Betty Party, We’re 100!

We’ve done a lot in our time and as of October 21 2021, Betty Crocker is officially 100 years young.

Thank you for trusting us with your birthdays, celebrations of all shapes and sizes, comfort meal pick-me-ups and everything in between. It’s you, our Bettys, that we have to thank for the honor of turning a 100. There’s no one we’d rather celebrate it with.

Let’s raise a big, red spoon to the next 100 years!