How Cookie the Beanie Baby became a Gen Z neurodivergent icon

Gen Z has a new object of infatuation. He is tiny, sort of ugly but also sort of cute, and he’s shaped like a gingerbread cookie.

In fact, his name is Cookie. Cookie is a wide-smiling, gingerbread-shaped Beanie Baby with big blue eyes and ears, and he has gone so viral across social media in recent days that Ty Inc—the company that manufactures the nostalgic plush toys—can barely keep him in stock.

How did Cookie the Beanie Baby go viral?

On Dec. 13, 2024, user Devin (X handle @FartPog) shared an image of themselves on X holding the Beanie Baby alongside the caption, “saw this guy and said Ew ew ew ew ew ew ugly and then felt so bad I cried and bought him.” The post went viral on the platform almost immediately, receiving 26.6 million views and 422K likes.

Where did Cookie come from?

In a comment to The Daily Dot, Devin says they initially encountered the toy at a local CVS. “It was more of an amazement attraction, and confusion for why he looked a bit scary hanging on the peg stand.” After their sister teased them about rejecting the toy, Devin’s feelings suddenly changed. “I immediately started tearing up and held him close to my chest. Next thing I knew I was walking out of there with him cradled in my hands.”

Devin wasn’t alone in feeling a surge of sentiment over Cookie. The plush toy clearly resonated with X users, as did its narrative of being the Beanie Baby “nobody wanted.”

While some users believe Cookie has an ugly-cute allure, others find the toy makes them emotional. “I think a lot of people have had this same experience, feeling such strong emotions for inanimate objects,” Devin said.

According to the Ty website, Cookie is deserving of those warm emotions, a toy that is as “sweet as can be, with frosting details and a warm, gingerbread smile.”

Cookie the Beanie Baby is a neurodivergent icon

In the days following Devin’s original post, an outpouring of positive comments ensued. According to Devin, many of these responses came from neurodivergent individuals, who felt a deep emotional connection to the toy, believing that Cookie “has a soul and deserves all the love in the world.” Devin adds, “It’s honestly a beautiful way of thinking.”

Others ran with Cookie’s popularity, making humorous memes placing Cookie all over the world, turning him into a Dress to Impress avatar, crocheting him, and making fan art and video fan edits of the plushie.

Cookie the Beanie Baby sells out

In the days following Devin’s tweet, Cookie Beanie Babies immediately sold out, forcing fans to scour various CVS locations. On Dec. 17, 2024, @TyInc—the official Ty Beanie Babies X account—posted that Cookie was back in stock.

Two hours later, the company shared another message, crediting Devin for the resurgence of interest in Cookie.

A week after posting the initial image, Devin feels grateful that both they, and the world, “found” Cookie. “He’s honestly a huge comfort and a funny reminder of what’s happened within the past week,” said Devin. “I feel very blessed.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Ty via their official online store and direct message on Instagram, X, and Facebook. The company did not immediately respond to the request for comment.