Our Mission
Betty’s mission is simple
Betty’s mission is simple: to teach people how to cook. From the early days of answering letters to selling millions of cookbooks around the world, she continues to inspire home cooks with quality products, delicious recipes and reliable advice.
The Story of Betty Crocker
1921
Betty Crocker is born
Betty’s story began with a contest in the Saturday Evening Post, which asked participants to complete a puzzle to win a prize. The Washburn Crosby Company, who ran the competition, was inundated with entries and questions about baking. To answer, the company coined the name Betty Crocker to sign off responses. Betty was chosen as a friendly, wholesome name, while the surname came from a retired director of the company, William G. Crocker.
1924
Betty finds her voice
Three years later, the Washburn Crosby Company gave Betty her first-ever radio show all about cooking. The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air was an instant hit and expanded to 13 regional stations the next year. Each station had its own Betty Crocker voice and continued for 24 years with more than one million listeners.
1928
Betty joins General Mills, Inc.
In 1928, Betty Crocker officially became part of the General Mills family when the Washburn Crosby Company merged with three other mills. She has remained under this brand ever since.
1945
The First Lady of Food
By the 1940s, Betty Crocker was one of the most well-known names in America. In 1945, Fortune magazine named her the second best-known woman in America, following First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The same year, Betty broadcast a radio show called Our Nation’s Rations to help Americans make the most of their rationed goods. Almost seven million copies of an accompanying wartime booklet Your Share were distributed at the same time.
1947
Cake Mix comes to life
Betty’s famous cake mixes were first introduced in 1947 with Ginger Cake, which is now known as Gingerbread Cake. This was quickly followed by Devil’s Food Cake Mix and Party Cake Mix, beginning the line of delicious cakes Betty is known for.
1950
Betty becomes a bestseller
Betty’s first cookbook, Betty Crocker’s Picture Book, was published in 1950 and quickly became a kitchen staple. To date, 63 million Betty Crocker cookbooks have been published worldwide and continue to be bestsellers.
1954
The Red Spoon
Designed by Lippincott & Margulies, Betty’s trademark Red Spoon began to appear on packaging in 1954. Today, it’s become a symbol of quality on more than 200 products, from cake mixes to frosting and more.
Mid-1950s
Betty goes international
Betty may have started her journey in the United States, but she arrived in Canada in the mid-1950s and soon made her way around the world. Now, she can be found in countries like the United Kingdom, Iceland, Mexico, and Australia, to name but a few.
Today
Cordially yours, Betty Crocker
To this day, Betty Crocker remains a beloved source of cooking and baking inspiration. Backed by a dedicated team of kitchen experts, our diverse range of products and recipes are meticulously tested to ensure quality is always maintained for the Betty name.
