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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    School Sugar Cookies

    Published: Sep 27, 2012 · Updated: Oct 19, 2023 · Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    School Sugar Cookies recipe from my time as a lunch lady will remind you of your favorite grade-school dessert.

    green plate with baked lunch lady cookies.

    About Lunch Lady Cookies

    For a semester in college, I spent every Thursday as a lunch lady in a Tuscaloosa, Alabama school.

    It was quite the experience, and people who work in school cafeterias are grossly undervalued.

    While most of it was tireless, thankless work, I was delighted to make dessert.

    Especially if it was for school cafeteria cookies.

    Using an electric mixer the size of a 4th grader, you'd make enough dessert for hundreds of kids.

    After trying one of the sugar cookies, I knew I needed the recipe.

    Despite the instruction to toss the printed recipe, I snuck it into the extra-large pockets of my khaki pants.

    Best decision ever, snagging that sugar cookie recipe for my later use. I figured I should get something good out of this experience...

    I was oh so very right.

    And now you can enjoy them too!

    baking sheet with baked school sugar cookies.

    Ingredients

    Butter: Unsalted butter that is at room temperature is best. If you use salted butter, skip adding the salt. And room temperature helps the butter to cream with the sugars.

    Sugar: Both granulated and brown sugar are used in this school sugar cookies recipe. I prefer light brown sugar but dark brown sugar will also work fine.

    Oil: A tiny bit of helps keep the cookies from being too puffy. Any neutral oil will work like canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil.

    Extracts: To give it an extra hint of sweetness and flavor, use both vanilla extract and almond extract.

    Flour: All-purpose flour is recommended. Any kind of whole grain or whole wheat flour makes these cookies a bit too dense. Gluten-free all-purpose flour can also be used.

    Salt: To enhance the sweetness of the cookies, add a pinch of salt.

    Baking soda: For a chewy cookie, add baking soda. Baking powder will not give you the same results, so make sure that it's baking soda you use.

    close up of a lunch lady sugar cookie that has been bitten into, with a green plate and polka dot table cloth underneath.

    How To Make School Sugar Cookies

    Time needed: 1 hour

    These delicious school cafeteria are simple to make. Here's how:

    1. Cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

    2. Add in egg, oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

    3. Sift together dry ingredients.

    4. Stir dry ingredients into the mixer.

    5. Refrigerate.

    6. Place dough on a baking sheet.

    7. Bake the cookies.

    8. Enjoy!

      plate with baked school sugar cookies.

    Final Thoughts:

    These are my all-time favorite sugar cookies!!

    Just like the ones you loved from your school cafeteria: crispy on the outside, perfectly chewy on the inside, sugary, sweet, buttery...heaven.

    baking sheet with baked lunch lady cookies.

    COOKIE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

    • Gingerbread Cookies without Molasses
    • Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
    • Microwave Oatmeal Cookie
    • Chocolate Chip Cookies Gluten Free Dairy Free
    • Banana Almond Butter Cookies
    green plate with baked lunch lady cookies.

    School Sugar Cookies

    Lunch Lady Cookies recipe from my time as a lunch lady will remind you of your favorite grade-school dessert.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Refrigerate: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 28 cookies
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon avocado oil
    • 1 large egg
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon almond extract a little bit less than ⅛ tsp
    • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars.
    • Beat in oil, egg & extracts.
    • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.
    • Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides of the mixer at least once to make sure all of the flour is incorporated.
    • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
    • Bake in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. They don't really brown, so take them out when you see the slightest hint of golden around the bottom edges.
    • Let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Notes

    *Any neutral-flavored oil will work in the cookies: canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil.

    What to Use in This Recipe

    Stand Mixer
    silver baking sheet
    Baking Sheet
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    School Sugar Cookies Nutrition Facts

    Nutrition Facts
    School Sugar Cookies
    Serving Size
     
    1 cookie
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    94
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    3
    g
    5
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    15
    mg
    5
    %
    Sodium
     
    95
    mg
    4
    %
    Potassium
     
    12
    mg
    0
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    14
    g
    5
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    110
    IU
    2
    %
    Calcium
     
    3
    mg
    0
    %
    Iron
     
    0.5
    mg
    3
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Virginia McNeil

      September 27, 2012 at 5:30 pm

      if i make these ill end up eating 1/2 the dough and then all of the cookies that end up getting baked!

      Reply
      • memeinge

        September 27, 2012 at 10:20 pm

        Unfortunately, you are 100% right. I'm pretty sure the only reason I didn't eat all the dough was because I knew I needed to bake some cookies to take pictures...
        they.are.so.amazing! If I had the energy, I'd make them again right this moment

        Reply
    2. Wheeler

      September 28, 2012 at 9:23 am

      HAHA I think I remember you having to do that... I wish you had a pic of yourself in the cute "uniform". These cookies are making my mouth water though! I want to eat one right this second.

      Reply
      • memeinge

        September 28, 2012 at 10:46 am

        ha! Yes, I destroyed all photographic evidence of the lunch lady uniform.
        The cookies are so so so delicious! best sugar cookies I've ever made {and I've made a lot!}

        Reply
    3. Pat

      February 25, 2018 at 2:43 pm

      This is probably a silly question, but after you refrigerate the dough, how do you actually form the cookies? Are they spooned onto the sheet?

      Reply
      • Meme

        February 26, 2018 at 5:06 pm

        Yeah! I just use a tablespoon (or a regular soup spoon) and scoop the dough into balls. Place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake. Hope that helps. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
        • Pat

          February 26, 2018 at 5:22 pm

          Perfect. Thanks!!

          Reply
          • Meme

            February 27, 2018 at 5:03 pm

            Happy to help!

    4. Kay Walker

      August 14, 2018 at 2:08 pm

      Have you got an easy buttercream lemon frosting recipe for these? They are soooooo good!

      Reply
      • Meme

        August 14, 2018 at 4:37 pm

        I have a buttercream frosting recipe but not with lemon. I bet you could add some lemon zest and substitute lemon juice for some of the milk to make it lemon flavored. YUM!!
        xo

        Reply
    5. Maria

      September 25, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      These are very good but they came out hard. Followed recipe exactly as is & baked for 11 minutes.. What did I do wrong? Made 28 cookies

      Reply
      • Meme

        September 28, 2019 at 9:16 am

        Hi Maria! It is likely that 11 minutes might have been too long for the cookies in your oven. Because ovens vary (and my oven is old and not super reliable), your cookies might have cooked faster than the recommended time.
        Next time, you can try cooking them for 8-9 minutes (or until they are just ever so slightly golden on the edges) and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 2-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
        Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    6. ciara

      October 29, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      Did the original recipe really call for avocado oil or a different oil? What can I substitute avocado oil for? My daughter and best friend are very allergic to avocados These look so good!!

      Reply
      • Meme

        October 29, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        Great question! You can use canola oil or vegetable oil. I'll update the recipe to add 🙂
        Thanks!! Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. David L Woolsey

      December 22, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for publishing this recipe. I made it last night, and the cookies were exactly like I remember in elementary and middle school!

      Reply
      • Meme

        December 23, 2020 at 2:37 pm

        YAYYYYY!!! My heart just exploded with happiness! I need to make them again soon 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jackie

      January 27, 2021 at 3:50 pm

      I didn't refrigerate the cookies and they are soft in the middle. What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly but forgot about the fridgeration part.

      Reply
      • Meme

        January 27, 2021 at 6:47 pm

        Hi Jackie,
        It sounds like maybe they need to cook a little longer. Oven temperatures and times (unfortunately) vary, so the direction times are guidelines. You can also allow them to cool on the baking sheet for longer. This will help them cook a smidge more.
        Hope that helps!

        Reply
    9. Neena

      October 31, 2021 at 7:51 pm

      Hi there,

      I was wondering, would it ruin the recipe if I left out the almond extract? I do not have any on hand in the house.

      Reply
      • Meme

        November 01, 2021 at 2:04 pm

        It'll be ok! I love adding the tiny bit of almond extract to give it that extra sweet flavor, but the cookies are still tasty without it.
        Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Frances Rouse

      October 14, 2024 at 3:28 pm

      5 stars
      I can't wait to try these, Meme! I'm pretty sure my lunch lady NEVER put cookies on our tray, but I'll let these make a memory for me.
      I hope you're doing well!

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Meme holding Watson at a restaurant in san diego.

    Hi, I'm Meme!

    A thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist here to help you enjoy food, make eating easier, and live free of diets & shame.

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