These soft and chewy coffee cake cookies have a buttery cinnamon streusel topping and a sweet vanilla glaze! They're a delicious treat to enjoy alongside a cup of coffee any time of year.
I am SO excited to share these coffee cake cookies with you! I kid you not when I say that they are *perfectly* chewy, with a soft, almost gooey interior. The recipe comes from my friend Amanda's new cookbook, Cookie School.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's technique-driven. Browning the butter and chilling the dough leads to incredible flavor and a soft and chewy cookie.
- It's delicious. The cinnamon flavor, buttery crumb topping, and vanilla icing taste *just* like a traditional coffee cake!
For more sweet treats, try my chocolate sable cookies, mini basque cheesecake, peach clafoutis, or apple cider coffee cake.
About the Cookbook
Amanda runs the blog A Cookie Named Desire, and as a fellow cookie addict, I was very excited when she asked me to review the cookbook. There are so many tasty cookie recipes, from brown butter chocolate chip cookies to sugar cookies to macarons. The recipes progress in order of difficulty, so you can choose a cookie that's within your skill level.
Alongside the coffee cake cookies, I also tried her peanut butter cookie recipe, and it was very easy to follow and downright addicting. If you're looking to elevate your baking game, I highly, highly recommend this cookbook!
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: Butter is used two different ways here. First, it's melted and cooked over the stove until the milk solids brown, becoming nutty and aromatic. Second, it's softened to room temperature, then mixed with flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to form streusel crumbs.
- Eggs: The use of an egg and an egg yolk provides a slightly richer, tender crumb. Make sure they're at room temperature!
- Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar, or icing sugar, helps create a smooth glaze. If your sugar is a bit clumpy, you'll want to push it through a sieve.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
Step 1 - Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally as the butter begins to foam and sizzle. Once the foaming subsides, watch for brown milk solids at the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma.
Immediately remove from the heat, and transfer to your stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand-held electric mixer). Cool to room temperature (Image 1).
Step 2 - Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda) in a medium bowl (Image 2).
Step 3 - Make the dough: Fit the paddle attachment to the mixer. Cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 - 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the remaining wet ingredients (eggs and vanilla extract) and mix until combined (Image 3).
Fold in the flour mixture (Image 4) until just combined; do not overmix. Chill for at least an hour in the fridge.
Step 4 - Prepare the streusel mixture: In a small bowl, mix softened butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt with a fork until it forms the texture of wet sand. Use your hands to form various-sized crumbs (Image 5). Chill for at least 5 minutes.
Step 5 - Roll the cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop or a large spoon, portion the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls. Dip one side of each dough ball into the streusel (Image 6).
Step 6 - Bake, cool, and glaze: Arrange cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 12 - 14 minutes until the edges and the streusel topping are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool in on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (Image 7).
While the cookies bake, mix the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag, and snip off the end. Pipe frosting on cookies, and allow glaze to set fully before enjoying (Image 8)
Tips
- The best way to accurately measure your ingredients is to use a scale. If using measuring cups, make sure to apply the scoop and level method.
- If the streusel isn't sticking, you can make a thumbprint in each dough ball, then gently scoop a little bit of filling into the center of each cookie. Pat gently to stick.
Recipe FAQs
Browning butter helps achieve a superior texture and complex, nutty flavor.
To keep these cookies soft and chewy, make sure not to overbake them! Take them out when the edges are just golden brown but still appear slightly underbaked.
Yes! These cookies stay freshest stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days, but will last up to 1 week.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaCoffee Cake Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer, or Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, or ½ teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ - ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, or ¼ teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving:
- Flaky salt, optional
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Brown the butter: Set a small saucepan over medium heat, and melt butter. As it begins to foam and sizzle, stir occasionally with a whisk.About 5 - 7 minutes later, once the foaming subsides, you should see specks of brown milk solids on the bottom of the pan and the butter should be emanating a nutty aroma. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cool to room temperature.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Fit the paddle attachment to the mixer. Add 1 ½ cups brown sugar to the mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed for 3 - 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients: Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 2 - 3 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Finish the dough: On low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients until just barely combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prepare the Streusel:
- In a small bowl, using your hands or a clean fork, combine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt until they form crumbs. If it's too sticky, add more flour.Chill for at least 5 minutes in the fridge. Note: You can squeeze together smaller crumbs to make larger crumbs (and vice versa). I like having a mix of smaller and larger crumbs for a nice textural variation.
Portion the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, portion the dough into cookie dough balls that are about 2 tablespoons (1 ¾ inches or 45g) big.
- Dip one side of each dough ball into the streusel. Note: If the streusel isn't sticking, you can make a thumbprint in each dough ball, then gently scoop some streusel into the center of the cookie. Pat it gently to stick. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring there's at least 2 inches of space around each cookie.
Bake the Cookies:
- Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, or until the edges and the streusel topping are both golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, mix 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and lump-free.Transfer to a plastic bag or piping bag and snip off the end. Drizzle glaze over cookies and allow to set completely. Top with flaky salt (if using).
Frost and Serve:
- Serve cookies, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Deepti Singhal
Coffee and cinnamon together in a cookie...Heavenly! Perfectly browned and baked are these cookies. Can't wait to try them! Thanks for sharing!
Karishma
I hope you love them!