"Coffee Cake Cookies" Are So Good, I've Already Made Them Three Times This Month

These soft brown sugar and cinnamon–swirled cookies are everything you love about coffee cake, reimagined as a treat that fits in the palm of your hand. Topped with a crunchy streusel and drizzled with sweet vanilla icing, these coffee cake cookies are a showstopper in any holiday cookie box — a little unexpected and a lot unforgettable. Serve them after a holiday meal, and don’t be surprised if they disappear faster than you can say, “Save one for me!” Bonus: They pair just as beautifully with a morning cup of coffee as they do a festive glass of eggnog.

Why You’ll Love It

• They really taste like coffee cake! Complete with a cinnamon swirl, a buttery streusel, and a vanilla icing on top, these cookies have all the makings of classic coffee cake flavors, and are just as fun to eat as they are to make.

• The cinnamon swirl is everything. A mixture of light brown sugar and ground cinnamon gets gently folded into the dough, creating delicate ribbons of sugar-and-spiced goodness.

Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

Everything you love about coffee cake, reimagined as a treat that fits in the palm of your hand.

Prep time 20 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook time 13 minutes

Makes 14 (3-inch) cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the cinnamon swirl:

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

• 1 pinch kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the vanilla icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons whole or 2% milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

Show Images

Make the cookie dough:

1. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds, and heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat 1 stick room-temperature unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula. Beat in 1 room-temperature large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda on low speed until combined and no streaks of flour remain; the dough should form a cohesive mass.

Make the cinnamon swirl:

1. Stir 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon together in a small bowl with a fork. Sprinkle over the cookie dough, then use the flexible spatula to fold it into the dough a few times. Do not overmix — you’ll lose your swirls!

Make the streusel and bake the cookies:

1. Stir 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, and 1 pinch kosher salt together in the now-empty cinnamon swirl bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter with the fork or your fingers until it resembles wet sand and clumps together.

2. Scoop out the dough in 3-tablespoon (1 1/2-ounce) portions (about 14). Roll each portion in your hands to smooth the edges, then place at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, no more than 8 per sheet.

3. Flatten the top of the balls gently with your palm until about 2 inches wide and 3/4-inch thick. Top each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of the streusel topping (you will not use up all the streusel at this point), then gently press the streusel into the top and sides of the dough so it sticks.

4. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Take the baking sheets out of the oven. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the cookies and gently press it in. Return the cookies to the oven, switching the sheets between racks, and bake until they’ve puffed up and are set and firm around the edges but still soft in the middle, 5 to 8 minutes more.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Use a flat spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Reserve one of the parchment sheets.

Make the icing:

1. Return the cookies to the reserved parchment.

2. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch kosher salt together in a small microwave-safe bowl until smooth. The mixture will be thick.

3. Microwave for 15 seconds, then stir again — this will thin the icing out and help it harden once it dries on top of the cookies. Use a spoon to drizzle the cookies with the icing. Let sit until the icing sets, about 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Forever Cookies

Meet the cookies that'll forever change your holiday baking. From the beloved recipes our families have made for decades to clever twists on classics, these are the keepers we turn to year after year.

Subscribe to The Kitchn!

Further Reading

Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study

The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About

Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!")