Homemade cookies packed in a lunchbox can make the first week back to school extra special.
Back-to-school season can be both exciting and hectic. New schedules, new teachers, and lots of preparations – it’s a big transition for kids and parents. A straightforward way to add comfort and joy to those first days is with a batch of homemade cookies. Tucking a sweet treat into a lunchbox or sharing cookies after school can make the start of the year feel extra warm and welcoming.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 10 best “back-to-school” cookies. From nostalgic classics with a twist to creatively decorated goodies, each of these cookies brings something fun and delicious to the table. Below you’ll find a quick introduction to each recipe, and don’t forget to visit the full sub-article for each cookie to get all the details and the complete recipe! 🍪✨
Table of Contents.
Table of Contents
1. Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
Nothing says “back to school” like the classic peanut butter and jelly combo! These cookies take the nostalgic charm of a PB&J sandwich and reimagine it as soft, chewy treats loaded with rich peanut butter flavor and sweet bursts of fruity jam. Sweet nostalgia for kids and adults alike. Best of all, this recipe is super simple – you don’t even need a mixer to make these cookies, so it’s an easy treat to whip up on a school night. Imagine a tender peanut butter thumbprint cookie filled with your favorite strawberry or grape jelly; it’s the ultimate after-school snack that feels both homey and special.
👉 Read more: Check out the whole Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies recipe in our collection to finish reading and get the step-by-step details!
2. Rainbow Sugar Cookies
Brighten up any lunchbox with a cheerful splash of color by packing these fun and festive Rainbow Sugar Cookies. These are not your average sugar cookies – they’re decorated with blue “sky” frosting, fluffy white frosting clouds, and candy strips shaped into vibrant rainbow arches (complete with little candy “pots of gold”!). The cookie itself starts with an easy cake-mix dough, which bakes up soft and sweet. But the real magic is in the adorable decorations that make each cookie look like a tiny rainbow scene. Kids will be delighted by the bright colors and fun candy toppings, and you’ll love how surprisingly simple they are to assemble. It’s a perfect treat to celebrate the start of a new school year or even St. Patrick’s Day – any time you need a happy, colorful cookie!
👉 Read more: Don’t miss our Easy Rainbow Sugar Cookies article to finish reading how to create these fun treats step by step.
3. Frosted Animal Cookies
These Frosted Animal Cookies will spark instant childhood memories. Inspired by everyone’s favorite pink-and-white circus animal crackers, this recipe turns them into a homemade cookie form. The cookies are soft on the inside, loaded with colorful sprinkles, and have “childhood written all over them,” as one baker put it. In fact, this playful treat even features a cookie on top of a cookie – each one is topped with a frosted animal cracker for extra crunch and cuteness (because who doesn’t love a cookie on a cookie?). The base dough comes together easily (some recipes use a vanilla cake mix as a shortcut), so you can whip these up with minimal fuss. These frosted animal cookies are perfect for class parties or an after-school surprise, bringing a bit of nostalgia to kids of a new generation.
👉 Read more: Head over to the Frosted Animal Cookies sub-article to finish reading and get the full recipe details (and pro tips for that fun “cookie-on-cookie” topping!).
4. Cookie Monster Cookies
Looking for a treat that’s almost as playful as its namesake? Cookie Monster Cookies are sure to be a hit with the kids (and Sesame Street fans of any age). These bright blue cookies are jam-packed with goodies: semisweet and white chocolate chips, chopped-up chunks of chocolate chip cookies (yes, cookies inside the cookie!), and even a melty chocolate centre. They bake up soft and chewy, with an over-the-top sweetness that would make the real Cookie Monster proud. In fact, this treat was inspired by a viral TikTok trend, and it’s easy to see why – they’re vibrant, indulgent, and so much fun. Each bite is chocolatey and loaded with different textures, bringing out “the cookie monster in all of us”. Bake a batch for an after-school treat and watch them disappear faster than you can say “Me want cookie!”
👉 Read more: Find the full Cookie Monster Cookies recipe (and all the messy, yummy details) in our dedicated post to finish reading and start baking your own!
5. Cosmic Brownie Cookies
Turn lunchtime nostalgia up to eleven with Cosmic Brownie Cookies. Remember those Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies from your childhood – the fudgy chocolate brownies topped with rainbow candy pieces? These cookies capture that same magic in cookie form. They’re ultra-rich and chocolatey, made by cleverly transforming a simple boxed brownie mix into delightful cookies. On top, you’ll find a sprinkle of mini candy-coated chocolates or rainbow chips, just like the cosmic brownies of old. The result is a chewy, fudgy cookie that brings back childhood memories in every bite. Best of all, this recipe is quick and easy – perfect for busy parents. Whip up a batch in no time and blast off to a galaxy of flavor that will make after-school snack time feel extra special.
👉 Read more: Blast over to our Cosmic Brownie Cookies article to finish reading how to make this easy, out-of-this-world treat for your family.
6. Caramel Apple Cookies
Welcome the fall semester with Caramel Apple Cookies, a treat that tastes like a trip to the apple orchard! These cookies are packed with juicy apple bits and warm cinnamon spice, and each bite is drizzled with a sweet caramel glaze that practically melts in your mouth. It’s the perfect combination of tart apple flavor and buttery caramel richness – reminiscent of those caramel-dipped apples we love, but in a soft cookie form. Some versions of this recipe use fresh diced apples or even apple cider in the dough to amp up the flavor. The aroma while baking is incredible (your kitchen will smell like apple pie!). If you want to celebrate back-to-school and the beginning of apple season, this cookie is the way to go. Teachers and kids alike will appreciate this cozy, seasonal treat – it’s an A+ in flavor!
👉 Read more: See our Caramel Apple Cookies sub-article to finish reading the full recipe, including tips for the perfect caramel glaze.
7. “No-Bake” Pencil Cookies
Here’s a cookie that’s literally school-themed – Easy Pencil Cookies! These clever treats look just like real pencils, making them a super-fun option for back-to-school events or lunchbox surprises. And guess what: they’re totally no-bake, so no oven required. The “pencils” are made by trimming wafer cookies (the long rectangular wafer biscuits) into a pencil shape and then dipping or decorating the ends to create a pink “eraser” and a chocolate “lead” tip. A bit of yellow candy melts or frosting gives the pencil its classic color. The result is a delightful treat that’s super simple to make– it’s more of a crafty kitchen project than a baking recipe! Kids will love helping to assemble these and showing them off to friends. Slip one into your kid’s lunchbox and watch their face light up at snack time.
👉 Read more: Check out our Easy Pencil Cookies guide to finish reading how to assemble these cute no-bake treats step by step.
8. Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
If you’ve ever had a store-bought Oatmeal Creme Pie, you know what a treat you’re in for here–but homemade is even better! Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies feature two soft, chewy oatmeal cookies sandwiched together with a layer of creamy filling. These cookies are thick, cozy, and satisfying, made with hearty rolled oats and warm spices, like a gourmet twist on Grandma’s classic oatmeal cookie. The filling is typically a vanilla or maple buttercream that’s smooth and sweet. When you bite in, you get that perfect combo of chewy cookie and luscious frosting – it’s the ultimate cookie sandwich experience. These treats will bring profound joy to any lunchbox. They also hold up well to packing (wrap them or put them in a container to keep the filling neat). Parents might love these as much as the kids do – they’re a little nostalgic and totally satisfying with a cold glass of milk.
👉 Read more: Visit our Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies post to finish reading the recipe and learn how to make that dreamy buttercream filling.
9. Trail Mix Cookies
Why not take your favorite trail mix and bake it into a cookie? Trail Mix Cookies are a fantastic back-to-school snack because they’re both yummy and energy-packed. These cookies are perfectly chewy and loaded with crunchy mix-ins – think nuts, raisins or dried cranberries, chocolate chips or M&Ms, pretzel bits, seeds… whatever you love in trail mix can go in here. The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility: you can customize the mix-ins to your family’s tastes, making a “kitchen sink” cookie that’s uniquely yours. Each bite gives you an excellent salty-sweet combination, plus different textures (crunchy nuts, chewy fruit, melty chocolate) to keep things interesting. These cookies also feel a tad more wholesome – great for an after-school boost before homework or sports practice. It’s like giving kids a handful of trail mix and a homemade cookie all at once!
👉 Read more: Get the full scoop on Trail Mix Cookies in our article to finish reading how to bake these customizable, hearty treats (and get ideas for your mix-in combinations!).
10. Chocolate Candy “Smarties” Cookies (M&M Cookies)
Last but definitely not least, we have Chocolate Candy Cookies – basically a chocolate-lover’s dream cookie that’s studded with colorful candies. This recipe starts with a rich chocolate cookie base (think double chocolate: cocoa in the dough and chocolate chips mixed in). Before baking, you fold in a generous handful of candy-coated chocolates like M&Ms (or Smarties candies), which add pops of color and extra bursts of chocolate in every bite. The result? Chewy, ultra-chocolatey cookies packed with rainbow candies and gooey chocolate chips. They’re as fun to look at as they are to eat, making them perfect for kids who could use a little encouragement during their first week back (nothing cheers someone up like a chocolate cookie!). Bake a batch of these and watch them disappear from the cookie jar – they’re an instant classic that never goes out of style.
👉 Read more: Head to our Chocolate Candy Cookies (Smarties/M&M Cookies) article to finish reading the recipe and get pro tips for the chewiest, chocolatiest results.
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