For a Sugary Dose of Nostalgia, Swing by Cleo and Leo on Elm Street for One of the Best Sugar Cookies in Kansas

When you’re a kid, nothing hits quite like dessert. That final sweet bite after a long day of building blanket forts or losing your lunch money in a rogue vending machine. In Kansas, folks might shout out peach cobbler from Stroud’s or a slice of chocolate meringue pie at The Upper Crust.

Me? I’ve always had a soft spot (pun absolutely intended) for a good sugar cookie. You remember 'em, right? Round, impossibly soft, with thick coat of pastel frosting like a sweater two sizes too cozy. Grocery store versions used to get close, but let’s be honest… they don't taste the same anymore. Too dry. Too fake. Not enough soul. Luckily, in the heart of Lawrence, Kansas, there’s a cute little place that delivers the sugar-cookie experience I remember. Let me introduce you to Cleo and Leo on Elm St.

Tucked into a quiet North Lawrence neighborhood, just across the bridge, Cleo and Leo might fool you at first. From the outside, it looks like a charming riverfront bungalow. You half expect someone’s grandma to pop out with a pie. Instead, you walk into a space bursting with character: a mosaic sign beaming from the wall, sunlight flooding through big windows, cacti dressed up for whatever holiday is next, and dried flowers on every table like the bakery version of a handwritten love note. It’s warm. It’s artsy. It smells like cinnamon and fresh coffee, which is precisely what you want a place like this to smell like.

Now, let’s get to the real reason you’ll want to turn your car around on Elm Street: the sugar cookies. These aren’t the plasticky, over-sweet grocery store versions of this childhood delight that taste like disappointment and preservatives. These are thick, buttery, hand-cut cookies with just the right amount of chew. The frosting is rich and creamy (never gritty or cloying) and spread with a steady hand that clearly respects the art of dessert.

One bite and you're right back at your fifth birthday party, sugar-drunk and thrilled about life. They’re soft in the center, just enough chew at the edges, and the frosting? Sweet, yes, but balanced, not cloying. Cleo and Leo knows how to deliver nostalgia without the toothache.

Don’t sleep on the rest of the menu either. There are chewy chocolate crinkle cookies spiced with cinnamon, funfetti conchas with a confetti explosion of joy, and flaky cinnamon rolls (go cream cheese or go home). The drink menu? A full-on Latin-inspired love letter to caffeine. Churro lattes. Mexican mochas. Vanilla lavender iced lattes that taste like spring in a cup. You can go oat milk, almond, full dairy, whatever your frothy little heart desires. The baristas are kind, efficient, and genuinely happy to see you… not in a corporate, forced smile kind of way, but in a “we remember your last order” way.

Lawrence itself makes the trip even sweeter. This is a city that doesn’t try too hard, y'all… it's just cool. Start with some treasure hunting (aka thrifting), then get lost in the stacks at The Raven Bookstore. Walk it off on the levee trail, where cottonwoods line the river and the sky feels endless. There’s plenty to explore: quirky boutiques, bold street murals, and that slow, easy rhythm Kansas towns do better than anywhere else. Lawrence doesn’t rush you. It hands you a deep breath, a lazy patch of sunshine, and maybe the perfect excuse to grab a second cookie just because it feels right.

Whether you live down the street or you’re cruising through town on the way to somewhere else, Cleo and Leo on Elm Street is a stop worth making—especially if you’ve got a soft spot for sugar. This café isn’t just about coffee and cookies: It’s a warm little portal to childhood, packed into a sunny space by the river. Get the sugar cookie (yes, the one that looks too pretty to eat), order a churro latte, and settle in by the window. Watch the birds glide past, your cookie in hand, and let the rest of the day wait.

Kansas may not have an ocean view, but it does have a sugar cookie that tastes like childhood wrapped in frosting… and that’s arguably more important.