This cookie is really just a glorified sugar cookie. And it's very good, very moist.
"Restaurant cookies" can be found in almost any Amish cookbook. It’s just one of those recipes that have caught on. But the name seems lost to history. Why are they restaurant cookies? I have no idea. No one else seems to know either. But if you look at any Amish cookbook, you almost always reliably see a recipe for “restaurant cookies."
Still, if we break down the recipe a bit, this cookie fits right in the average Amish cook or baker's wheelhouse: it’s simple, the ingredients are ones that they probably already have on hand, and it just makes a good moist soft sugar like a cookie.
Historically, much of Amish cooking and baking is centered around what’s available. And what’s been available has often been flour, butter, eggs, sugar and a few other things. Add some frosting to these cookies, or a glaze, and they really are good. I imagine you can easily make them into bars too if you didn’t want to bother with cookies.
A version of restaurant cookies appears in the very first Amish cookbook that I published over 30 years ago. And if you look at Amish cookbooks 30 years before that, you’ll see "restaurant cookies."
If you Google "restaurant cookie" or "Amish Restaurant Cookies", nothing really helpful or insightful comes up. But if you want a traditional Amish cookie that is popular in their communities, you can try your hand at Amish Restaurant Cookies!
Again, these are all basic ingredients, nothing fancy here. I'm thinking, if you wanted to you could probably experiment and add some cinnamon, molasses, or chocolate chips to these. But this is the "base recipe."
This cookie recipe lends itself well to an electric or a stand mixer, but a good, old-fashioned wooden spoon works just as well!
Enjoy with a tall glass of milk. And this cookie would actually make a good "breakfast cookie." I've had breakfast in many Amish homes where a plate of cookies is put on the table with everything else. You won't hear any complaints from me on that!
🍪 Amish Restaurant Cookies
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups margarine
- 1 1 /2 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 cups flour
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A little water
📋 Instructions
- Beat eggs, then add sugar. Melt margarine and then add to sugar mixture. Add these ingredients to your mixture. Mix well.
- Last add, the flour one to two cups at a time.
- Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden.
- Frost when cool.
🍪 More Amish Cookie Recipes
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Restaurant Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups margarine
- 1 1 /2 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 cups flour
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A little water
Instructions
- Beat eggs, then add sugar.
- Melt margarine and then add to sugar mixture.
- Add these ingredients to your mixture.
- Mix well.Last add, the flour one to two cups at a time
- .Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden.Frost when cool.
Linda Kate
I gave it 5 stars without trying it because it made my mouth water to read it. LOL Meanwhile, I have a question for you. Do many Amish people suffer from gluten problems? And if not, do you think it's because they process their own flour? I LOVE bread, cookies, cakes, etc but can no longer eat them without developing a serious sinus infection, headache, etc. I learned in my travels to Italy and El Salvador that it NEVER happened in either of those places but when I once bought a little package of peanut butter sandwich crackers in El Salvador, within 20 minutes I was sick. Looking on the package, I saw it was from San Francisco.
I honestly think our foods have been purposely poisoned in America because my ancestors never had gluten issues - I doubt they ever knew what that was! So what do you think? And if they do make their own flour, hook a sister up! I'd buy some from them to try.
Thanks - love your recipes and stories!
Kevin Williams
Linda, good questions - all of them....I do know some Amish that mill their own flour...I met an Amish man in Canada who has a flour mill, but I also know some Amish who have gluten issues, so...yeah, I think it is a mixed bag. Thank you for the kind words about the site!
Ali Redford
Delightful!