These soft and chewy coffee cake cookies are perfect for pairing with a cup of coffee. They are made with a cinnamon sugar cookie base, stuffed with a cinnamon sugar filling, and topped with coarse crumbs of a buttery streusel coating.
Why I love this recipe
- It is easy to make
- It makes 8 large bakery style cookies
- There is cinnamon filling in the center of each cookie
- They are topped with a crumbly cinnamon topping, just like coffee cake
Equipment
You will need some common baking supplies to make this recipe.
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients for Coffee Cake Cookies
You will need some common baking ingredients for this recipe. You probably already have most of these in your baking supplies, but if not they should be easily found in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
- Unsalted butter – For this recipe you will need butter in 3 forms: some cubed and cold, some melted, and some softened.
- Light brown sugar – You could also use dark brown sugar if that is what you have on hand.
- Egg – You will need 1 large egg.
- All-purpose flour – When measuring flour, it is best to spoon it into the measuring cup rather than scoop the measuring cup into flour.
- Cornstarch – Using cornstarch in cookies makes them soft and chewy.
- Ground cinnamon – Cinnamon gives these cookies their coffee cake flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt in cookies helps bring out the other flavors and adds balance to the sweetness.
- Baking powder – Helps the cookies to rise.
- Baking soda – Helps the cookies to be light and soft.
How to make coffee cake cookies
This easy cookie recipe can be divided up into 4 simple steps:
- Form the cookie dough
- Make the cinnamon filling
- Make the cinnamon crumb topping
- Assemble and bake
Read on for step by step directions on how to make these sweet treats.
How to make the cookie dough
These cookies are made from an easy sugar cookie dough.
First preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cube the cold butter into 1 centimeter pieces. You can do this with a pastry cutter or knife.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together. Cream butter on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. It will be coarse at first, just keep beating the mixture until it is smooth!
Alternatively, you can also use a hand mixer for this.
Next Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 2-3 portions. Mix until well combined and a smooth dough forms. Scrape down the bowl with a silicone or rubber spatula once complete. Set aside.
How to make the cinnamon filling
In a separate medium or small bowl add melted butter, flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir together with a fork until smooth. This cinnamon filling will later be stuffed into the center of the cookies.
How to make cinnamon crumb topping
Next make the streusel cinnamon crumb topping. In a separate small to medium bowl, add softened butter, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Use a fork, then your fingers to pinch the mixture together until coarse and grainy. The texture should crumble like wet sand.
How to assemble the cookies
Divide the dough equally into 8 portions.
Grab one portion of dough and flatten it out in the palm of your hand. Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to scoop about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon filling into the center of the dough.
Next fold the dough over the filling and roll into a ball.
Place the cookie on the lined baking sheet and repeat to create 8 filled cookie dough balls. Space them evenly throughout the cookie sheet, leaving at least 1-2 inches between each cookie.
To top the cookies, press the crumb topping gently over the top of the cookie dough balls to make the streusel stick. Avoid placing the topping on the bottom of the cookie. Use the topping generously!
As the cookies bake, the streusel topping will break up into large crumbs.
Bake the coffee cake cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.
Allow the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Enjoy these cookies at room temperature. This recipe will make 8 large bakery style cookies.
How to store leftovers
Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days.
How to freeze
You can freeze this cookie dough to bake for later. Make the cookie dough and assemble the cookies, including the cinnamon filling and crumb topping.
Freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer zip-top bag once frozen. You can add the frozen cookies to a baking sheet and bake when you are ready to serve them. You may need a few extra minutes of baking time when baking cookies from frozen.
Variations/substitutions
- You can mix together powdered sugar and milk or water for an icing drizzle to glaze the top of the cookies.
- Swap out the light brown sugar for dark brown sugar if needed.
- You can chop up nuts like walnuts or pecans to add to the streusel topping if desired.
Need more cookie recipes?
- Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate-Filled Peanut Butter S’more Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- Pumpkin and White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies
FAQs
Coffee cake is a buttery cinnamon flavored cake with a crumbly streusel topping. It doesn’t contain coffee, but gets its name from being served with coffee.
Coffee Cake Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For the cinnamon filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cinnamon crumb topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (not melted)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
To make the cookie dough
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cube the butter into 1 cm pieces.
- Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar. Cream on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth (see photo above).
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, corn starch, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2-3 portions. Mix until well combined, then scrape down the bowl once complete. Set aside.
To make the cinnamon filling
- In a separate small to medium-sized bowl add melted butter, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir together with a fork until smooth.
To make the cinnamon crumb topping
- In a separate small to medium-sized bowl add softened butter, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Use a fork, then your fingers to pinch the mixture together until coarse and grainy.
To assemble the cookies
- Divide the dough equally into 8 portions.
- Grab one portion of dough and flatten it out in the palm of your hand, then use a spoon to scoop ~2 teaspoons of filling into the center of the dough (see photo above). Fold the dough over the filling and roll into a ball.
- Place the cookie on the lined cookie sheet and repeat to create 8 filled cookie dough balls. Space them evenly throughout the cookie sheet, leaving at least 1-2 inches between each cookie.
- To top the cookies, press the crumb topping gently over the entire top of the cookie (avoid placing topping on the bottom of the cookie). Use the topping generously!
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy at room temperature.
These look amazing!
I made these last night! Mine ended up being a bit thicker than the picture. The second batch I made, I flattened the dough ball a little before I put the crumble on top and that seemed to help a little. They are so good! A coworker this morning said “These are good. State Fair Good!” Thanks for the great recipe
These are soooo good! My husband gives them 12 out of 10 stars!