Coffee Cake Cookies

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You will absolutely adore these Coffee Cake Cookies! They are loaded with classic cinnamon sugar flavor, and the crumbly cinnamon streusel is to die for. They’re the perfect treat to enjoy at a special brunch, for the holidays, or as a sweet treat for any night of the week.

Overhead shot of coffee cake cookies on a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Wonderful Flavor: Coffee cake in cookie form? I can’t think of anything more delicious!
  • Amazing Texture: These coffee cake cookies are soft and chewy with a slightly crisp, buttery streusel on top that makes them dangerously addictive!
  • Great for any occasion: I love to bake these year round, but they’re especially great for the holidays!

Ingredients Needed for Coffee Cake Cookies

Your family and friends will go crazy with how amazing these coffee cake cookies taste! The recipe uses simple baking ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact measurements.

Streusel

  • Flour: Provides the structure of the crumble topping.
  • Sugars: The streusel uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar for sweetness.
  • Ground Cinnamon: Adds extra cinnamon goodness!
  • Salt: Balances out the sweet cinnamon flavors!
  • Unsalted Butter: Cold butter provides a rich, crunchy streusel that pairs so well with the tender cookies.
Overhead shot of labeled streusel ingredients.

Coffee Cake Cookies

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe. Also, be sure to soften your butter to room temperature so it combines properly with the sugars.
  • Brown Sugar: Combines with the granulated sugar for a moist cookie with rich flavor.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
  • Egg: Helps to bind the ingredients.
  • Vanilla Extract: For sweet vanilla flavor.
  • Flour: I recommend all-purpose flour for a perfectly soft and tender texture.
  • Cornstarch: This is my secret ingredient that makes cookies extra soft and thick. 
  • Baking Staples: A combination of baking powder and baking soda helps these rise and bake properly.
  • Ground Cinnamon: You can’t have coffee cake without cinnamon!
  • Salt: Enhances and balances the flavors in the cookie.
Overhead shot of labeled coffee cake cookie dough ingredients.

Glaze

  • Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness while keeping the icing smooth.
  • Milk: Provides the perfect consistency for the glaze.
  • Vanilla Extract: For an extra boost of flavor.
Overhead shot of labeled glaze ingredients.

How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies

To make coffee cake cookies, you start with a basic cookie dough and then add a generous topping of buttery streusel before baking. Once cooled, drizzle them with a sweet glaze for the perfect finishing touch.

For the Streusel

  1. Prep and Start the Streusel: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Add in the Butter: Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork until it has been fully absorbed into the flour mixture. You may alternatively use clean hands to mash the butter into the flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate until the cookie dough is ready to be topped.
Overhead shot of flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a glass bowl.
Overhead shot of flour mixture with butter cut in.
  1. Cream the Butter: Add the butter and both sugars to a large bowl and beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
  2. Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift or whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. The dough will be quite dry and crumbly.
  5. Scoop Dough: Use a medium cookie scoop (about 2 ½ tablespoons) to scoop the dough into cookie dough balls. You may have to press the dough into the scoop and level it off due to the crumbly texture. Place the cookie dough scoops onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Use the back of the cookie scoop to gently press an indent into the tops of the cookies.
  6. Add Streusel: Fill the indents with a generous amount of streusel. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are set. The cookies won’t brown very much, if at all, so do not wait for them to start browning. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack.
Overhead shot of butter and sugars mixed in a glass bowl.
Overhead shot of sugar and butter mixture with eggs and vanilla added and mixed together.
Overhead shot of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
Overhead shot of wet and dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl.
Overhead shot of someone smashing the coffee cake cookie dough balls with the back of a tablespoon.
Overhead shot of the coffee cake cookie dough with streusel sprinkled over the top, on parchment paper ready to go in the oven.

Make the Glaze

  1. Add Glaze: Once the coffee cake cookies are completely cool, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Thicken the glaze by adding powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time or thin it by adding ½ teaspoon of milk at a time. Do this until you reach the consistency you like. Drizzle the glaze across the cookies before serving.
Overhead shot of glaze inrgredients whisked in a bowl.

Tips for the Perfect Coffee Cake Cookies

Check out these simple tips to ensure your cookies are perfectly baked every time you make them!

  • To Indent Cookies: Instead of a cookie scoop to make the indent on the cookies, you can use your thumb or the back of a spoon.
  • Flavorings: You can ramp up the vanilla or cinnamon flavor in the cookies by doubling the amount!
  • Glaze: The glaze is optional but adds a sweet touch to the buttery cookies.
  • Cold Streusel: Keep the streusel topping cold while you prepare the cookie dough. This will help it maintain its shape while baking! The longer it sits at room temperature, the more the streusel will melt and spread.
  • Baking: Don’t overbake these cookies! Bake until the edges are set and the tops (however much you can see of the tops through the streusel) have turned matte instead of shiny.
  • Let Cool: Be sure to let the coffee cake cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. This will continue the baking process but won’t overbake them.

Side shot of coffee cake cookies staked on a cooling rack.

Storing Leftover Coffee Cake Cookies

  • Baked Cookies: Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Let the cookies come to room temperature before serving.
  • In the Freezer: The cookies may be frozen after they have been baked. Store in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to thaw before serving. I recommend not adding the glaze before freezing, as it will melt and become sticky when frozen and thawed.
  • Freezing Cookie Dough: I don’t recommend freezing these cookies before they have been baked. The streusel will have a hard time staying on the cookie dough.

Close up shot of coffee cake cookies on a cooling rack.

You can find my full list of cookie recipes here!

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Streusel

  • Add the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt to a small bowl and whisk until combined.

  • Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork until it is fully absorbed into the flour mixture. Alternatively, you may use clean hands to mash the butter into the flour mixture.

  • Cover and refrigerate until the cookie dough is ready to be topped.

Cookies

  • Add the butter and both sugars to a large bowl and beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

  • Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

  • Sift or whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. The dough will be quite dry and crumbly.

  • Use a medium cookie scoop (about 2 ½ tablespoons) to scoop the dough into cookies. You may have to press the dough into the scoop and level it off due to the crumbly texture.

  • Place the cookie dough scoops onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Use the back of the cookie scoop to gently press an indent into the tops of the cookies.

  • Fill the indents with a generous amount of streusel.

  • Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are set. The cookies won’t brown very much, if at all, so do not wait for them to start browning.

  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Glaze

  • Once the cookies are completely cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Thicken the glaze by adding powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time, or thin it by adding ½ teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach a consistency you like.

  • Drizzle the glaze across the cookies before serving.

Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 349IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Published by Staff Reporter