Coffee cake cookies have all the flavors of a classic coffee cake in cookie form.
They’re soft, tender cinnamon cookies topped with a layer of buttery brown sugar streusel. Then, you finish them with a sweet vanilla glaze.
All that and their delicate, cake-like texture make them practically perfect. Enjoy them for breakfast, dessert, or a midday pick-me-up.
They’re delicious all day long!
Why You’ll Love These Coffee Cake Cookies
Easy to Make: The recipe is straightforward and requires no advanced baking skills. It’s accessible for both novice and experienced bakers.
Nostalgic Comfort: These cookies capture the beloved flavors of classic coffee cake. With every bite, they’ll transport you back to cozy childhood memories.
Delightful Texture: They combine a soft, tender cookie base with a crumbly streusel topping. With sweet vanilla glaze on top, they offer a fantastic mix of textures in every bite.
Perfect for Gatherings: They’re ideal for sharing at brunches, parties, or family gatherings. They’re a crowd-pleaser everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: For that rich, buttery flavor and a moist texture.
- Sugars: Use both granulated and light brown sugar. They sweeten the cookies and make them exceptionally chewy.
- Large Eggs: They add moisture and hold everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: A flavor enhancer that adds warmth and sweetness. You use it in the dough and the vanilla glaze.
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of most cookie recipes. Unless you have a gluten allergy, stick to all-purpose for ease of baking.
- Cake Flour: Remember, these are coffee cake cookies. Adding cake flour gives them a delicate, tender, cake-like crumb.
- Ground Cinnamon: The quintessential coffee cake spice.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents to help the cookies rise.
- Salt: Another flavor enhancer.
- Powdered Sugar: Dissolve it into the milk to make the yummy vanilla glaze.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but any will suffice. When mixed with the sugar, it creates a silky smooth glaze to finish off the cookies.
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
There are a few steps to making these cookies, but they’re easy to follow.
1. Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the batter. Add the butter and both sugars to a large bowl. Cream them together for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time and add the vanilla. Whisk together the flours, cinnamon, leavening agents, and salt in a separate bowl.
3. Combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
4. Prepare the streusel. Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, pour in the melted butter and stir until crumbly.
5. Prepare the cookies. Form the cookie dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Make an indent in the center of each. Then, sprinkle the streusel topping over and into the indentations.
6. Bake and cool. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Then, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Finish cooling them on a wire rack.
7. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla until smooth. Then, add more milk as needed until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
8. Finish and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Then, let the glaze set and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Coffee Cake Cookies
Here are a few tips to incorporate when making this recipe:
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Specifically for the eggs and butter. They’ll incorporate better with the other ingredients.
- Brown the butter. If you’d like to add a rich, nutty flavor to the cookies, brown the butter first. Then, let it cool before using it in the dough.
- Remember the indents. You can use the back of a spoon or your thumb. But be sure to add a small indent in the tops of all your cookie dough balls. The streusel topping won’t work right without them.
- Don’t drizzle hot cookies. If you add the vanilla glaze while they’re still hot, it will melt. Wait until the cookies are thoroughly cool.
- Try variations. You can add some finely chopped nuts to the streusel topping. You can also vary the extract (e.g., Try almond instead of vanilla). The same goes for the spices. Cinnamon is nice, but you can also use cardamom or nutmeg.
How to Store
Remember to let the cookies cool completely before storing or freezing them.
To Store: Store the cookies in an air-tight container. They’ll last at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you refrigerate them, they’ll keep for about a week.
To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing these cookies after adding the vanilla glaze. However, you can freeze them once they’ve cooled down after baking. Simply flash-freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months with parchment paper between the layers.
To Thaw: Let the frozen cookies thaw at room temperature. Then, ice them with the vanilla glaze and enjoy!
More Coffee Cakes Recipes You’ll Love
Coffee Cake Muffins
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake Banana Bread
Coffee Cake Cookies
12
servings15
minutes10
minutes483
These delectable coffee cake cookies capture the essence of the classic treat! Enjoy a cake-like texture, a sugary cinnamon-spiced streusel topping, and a delightful drizzle of vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
- For the Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- For the Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is crumbly.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Use a thumb or the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the center of each ball.
- Generously sprinkle the streusel topping over the cookies. Press it lightly into the indentations.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk as needed to reach the desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let it set before serving. Enjoy!
