Food trends are definitely a thing in Omaha. We had lobster rolls and food flights in 2022. Hot cocoa bombs had a good run in 2021. One thing I’m noticing reaching peak frenzy now is the humble little cookie. Or not so little…it depends on where you buy cookies in Omaha. With new shops opening recently, I decided it’s time to explore the variety of cookie shops in town.
The things I do for this blog. It’s not easy.
UPDATE: This post was published in January 2023 and has been updated in June 2023 with new information.
Category 1: Just cookies
It’s a curious thing, the shop that specializes in cookies and only cookies. I mean, it makes sense. We have donut shops and cupcake shops. But, still, it’s a fairly new concept for Omaha.
Omaha has both locally-owned cookie shops as well as popular national cookie chains, and their business is cookies and everything else is just fluff.
Crumbl Cookies
2883 S. 168th St., Omaha, Neb.
3606 N. 156th St., Omaha, Neb.
When Crumbl Cookies opened its first Omaha location, Omaha showed up and bought them out of inventory on the first day. The popularity continues and in less than a year, a second location opened. I blame Crumbl Cookies for this city’s obsession with cookies.
Which is to say, Crumbl Cookies makes great cookies, and it’s no wonder we’re addicted. Ordering at the store is rather impersonal, with touchscreen menus doing the heavy lifting. Service is fast, though, and your warm cookie (or cookies) are ready in their cute pink boxes in a blink of an eye.
Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie is the winner in my book at Crumbl Cookies. It had huge chunks of chocolate chips that were softened and the cookie was just chewy enough.
My kids and wicked sweet tooth loved the Galaxy Brownie Cookie. The Galaxy Brownie is a chocolate cookie topped with creamy fudge frosting and colorful candy bits. It’s super sugary and even split between three of us, it was too rich for me.
The cookies are large, and for most of us, one is more than enough.
Goodly Cookies
17250 Davenport St., suite 108, Omaha, Neb.
The Goodly Cookies location at Village Pointe Shopping Center is what I’d imagine an industrial, futuristic bakery would be. Minimal decor, there’s nothing about the place that encourages lingering (or like, a smile). But hey, the cookies are good.
These cookies are thicker and fluffier than the others, almost to the point of being absurdly round. Served warm, it’s hard to not eat yours at you walk out of the shop. But you must because you pass by the Lululemon shop and wouldn’t want to gross anyone out.
Mary’s Mountain Cookies
10922 Prairie Brook Road, Omaha, Neb.
Mary’s Mountain Cookies is a regional chain out that started in Colorado, known for their monstrous quarter-pound cookie. Thanks to Mary’s, my son has developed an unwavering love of cookie cakes, specifically the chocolate chip cookie cake. It’s a bit much for my taste, but I’ll still sneak a bite when no one’s looking.
Tip: Mary’s Mountain Cookies always has a Black Friday deal online, and since my son’s birthday is in December, I order his cookie cake when the deal starts and pick it up the day of his birthday.
The individual cookies sold at Mary’s are large, and there’s a variety of flavors on any given day. Kids will likely be wooed by the festively frosted sugar cookies for whatever holiday is coming up. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to sample a cookie as well.
Cookie places opening soon in Omaha
Early in March 2023, Dirty Dough announced they’d open a location at La Vista’s Southport West area. It will be the Arizona-based chain’s first location in Nebraska.
Category 2: Bakeries and treat shops with cookies
if you have a bakery, how can you not have cookies? It’s possible, but still I ask you how.
Anyway.
Here are a few of Omaha’s great bakeries that have equally great cookies in the mix:
Sugar Coma Treats
2623 S. 144th St., Omaha, Neb.
Come for the fancy cakes, stay for the cookies. Sugar Coma Treats makes customized baked goods, and cookies are among them. They even one-up the typical bakery and offer decorating parties, where you can decorate 12 cookies with the theme of your choice.
Camille’s Bakery
8717 Countryside Plaza, Omaha, Neb.
Camille’s Bakery is a little gem in Countryside Village, and to me, it’s a place to go for savory baked goods and delicate tarts. But, yes, they have cookies, too. And unique ones at that. Head to Camille’s to try Russian Teacakes, for instance.
The Omaha Bakery
10503 S. 15th St., suite 109 Bellevue, Neb.
725 N. 210th St., Elkhorn, Neb.
The Omaha Bakery (now relocated to Elkhorn and Bellevue, Neb., but still “Omaha” in our hearts) is a decadent bakery for a variety of treats, but primarily cakes and brownies and the like. Cookies are on the periphery there. However, one thing they do have going for them is that they often have an array of Keto-friendly treats, and cookies are among them.
Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop
813 N. 40th St., Omaha, Neb.
1222 Nicholas St., Omaha, Neb.
The handmade pastries and treats at Sweet Magnolias are as pretty as they are delicious. I’m most familiar with their rolls and cakes, but the shop with two locations offers cookies as well (not to mention cookie sandwiches).
Category 3: Surprising places with good cookies
Her Company
15330 Weir St., Omaha, Neb.
Her Company is a women-owned cooperative, and the vendors sell a range of items from self-care items and mugs to food…including cookies. Fans of the Baked After Dark shop in Benson will be happy to know they have started selling their cookies at the shop. crumb coat & chill is another vendor at Her Company offering beautiful cookies and cookie sammies.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
3701 S. 10th St., Omaha, Neb.
Omaha’s zoo is known for many things — a huge indoor desert, an indoor rainforest, elephants… — but cookies are not typically included on the list. At least, not yet.
The zoo sells giant chocolate chip cookies at its concession stand in the Africa setting. It’s definitely a shareable item for a whole family. I tried to split it with my two kids and we did not manage to finish it. Maybe it was because it was about 90 degrees outside and after a few bites of this tasty cookie, we were satisfied.
Enjoy it at an outdoor table where you might catch a view of the elephant herd.
Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard
12102 S. 180th St., Gretna, Neb.
There are so many great food options at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, it’s easy to forget something as simple as a cookie. The place is only open in the fall, so most people are thinking about comfort food like pies or apple cider cookies, or maybe, if it’s a particularly warm day, a monster shake.
But, if you have a sweet tooth, you’re in for a treat at Bob’s Cookie Coop at the pumpkin patch. These little, bite-sized cookies come in two containers: bucket ‘o cookies and cone of cookies.
Category 4: Custom cookies
For the occasional that call for a special design or look to cookies, say a baby shower or an anniversary party, you go to a professional baker. Here are a few in Omaha that are known for designing what amounts to cookie art:
Sugar Chic Design (her designs have been featured on “Today Show” and “The Knot,” among others)
The Finicky Cookie (recently seen on Food Network)
Your turn: Where is your favorite cookie shop?
Scott
Monday 6th of February 2023
You have to try OcookieOs... A whole nother level of cookie and doughnut.......www.ocookieos.com
Megan W
Friday 13th of January 2023
Best cookies ever at the Cookie Co in Gretna. Made with fresh butter & eggs unlike Crumble. Delicious! Plus we love their convenient drive thru.