Irresistible Coffee Cake Cookies: Your Guide to Soft, Chewy Cinnamon Perfection
Indulge in the comforting flavors of your favorite breakfast treat, transformed into a delightful cookie! These **Coffee Cake Cookies** are wonderfully soft and chewy cinnamon-spiced delights, crowned with a rich, buttery streusel crumb topping and finished with a delicate drizzle of sweet vanilla icing. They capture the essence of a classic coffee cake in a convenient, bite-sized form, perfect for any time of day.
Traditional coffee cake, a beloved buttery and cinnamon-spiced breakfast cake, is typically enjoyed alongside a warm cup of coffee. Imagine that same nostalgic taste and tender texture, but in an easy-to-handle cookie form. That’s exactly what these incredible coffee cake cookies offer – all the beloved elements without the need for a fork. They are a true crowd-pleaser, ideal for brunches, dessert platters, or simply a sweet moment to yourself with your favorite beverage.
Crafting the Perfect Coffee Cake Cookie
Creating these delightful coffee cake cookies involves a simple yet rewarding process. The cookie base is a soft, flavorful cinnamon dough, enhanced with both butter and a touch of coconut oil for an extra layer of richness and chewiness. Before baking, each cookie is generously topped with a homemade streusel crumb, a delectable mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon that bakes into a golden, crumbly crown. Once cooled, a simple vanilla glaze adds a final touch of sweetness and visual appeal, bringing all the iconic coffee cake elements together in one irresistible bite.
Essential Tips for Baking the Best Coffee Cake Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality coffee cake cookies is easier than you think with a few key techniques. Follow these important tips to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor every single time:
- Achieve the Right Dough Consistency: The flour content in your dough is crucial. If your cookie dough feels overly sticky after mixing, gently incorporate a small amount of additional all-purpose flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a manageable, soft consistency. Avoid adding too much, as this can lead to dry, dense cookies.
- Master the Creaming Method: Don’t rush the creaming of butter and sugars. Dedicate 2-3 minutes to thoroughly beat them together until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale in color. This process incorporates air into the dough, which is essential for creating soft, tender cookies with a delightful texture.
- Always Preheat Your Oven: This golden rule of baking ensures consistent results. A properly preheated oven maintains a stable temperature, allowing your cookies to bake evenly and preventing them from spreading too much or baking inconsistently.
- Utilize a Cookie Scoop: For perfectly uniform cookies, a cookie scoop is your best friend. It guarantees that each cookie is the same size, promoting even baking and a beautiful presentation. Plus, it makes the scooping process much quicker and cleaner.
- Bake on Parchment Paper or a Silicone Baking Mat: Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat is a game-changer. Not only does it prevent sticking, making it incredibly easy to remove your delicate cookies, but it also helps them bake more evenly and prevents the bottoms from browning too quickly. Your cookies will slide right off in perfect shape!
- Resist Overbaking: This is perhaps the most important tip for soft, chewy cookies. When you remove them from the oven, they should still look slightly underbaked in the center and just barely golden around the edges. They will continue to set and bake on the hot baking sheet for a few more minutes, ensuring they remain tender and don’t dry out.
Key Ingredients for Your Coffee Cake Cookies
Each ingredient plays a vital role in creating the signature taste and texture of these coffee cake cookies. Using quality ingredients and preparing them correctly will elevate your baking experience:
- Butter: For the most delicious and rich flavor, always use real butter. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature before you begin, as this allows it to cream properly with the sugars, creating a light and airy cookie base.
- Coconut Oil: A unique addition that contributes to the cookies’ wonderfully chewy texture and a subtle richness. Melt and then cool the coconut oil before adding it to your mixture to prevent it from solidifying prematurely or cooking the other ingredients.
- Brown Sugar: This provides moisture, a lovely chew, and deep caramel notes to the cookies. Make sure your brown sugar is soft and fresh; if it’s hard, microwave it briefly with a damp paper towel to soften it up.
- Egg: A single large egg acts as a binder, holding all the ingredients together and providing structure and richness to the cookie dough.
- Vanilla Extract: High-quality vanilla extract is a must for enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie and glaze. Its aromatic notes are essential for that classic coffee cake taste.
- Cinnamon: The star spice! You simply can’t have coffee cake without the warm, inviting aroma and flavor of cinnamon.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These leavening agents work in harmony to give the cookies their perfect rise and tender crumb. Always check their expiry dates, as old leaveners can lead to flat, dense cookies.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt is all it takes to balance the sweetness and intensify all the other delightful flavors in the cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the cookie’s structure. All-purpose flour yields the best results for cookies, providing the right balance of tenderness and chew. If dietary needs require, a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend can be substituted.
STREUSEL TOPPING:
The streusel topping is a crucial element, adding texture and a burst of cinnamon-sugar flavor:
- Butter: Again, real butter is paramount for the best flavor and crumbly texture. Ensure it’s softened, but not melted, to easily mix with the dry ingredients.
- Brown Sugar: It provides a rich, molasses-like sweetness and helps create those irresistible clumpy crumbs. Soft, fresh brown sugar will integrate best.
- Flour: The backbone of the streusel, giving it its delightful crumbly consistency. All-purpose flour works well, and a gluten-free alternative can also be used here if needed.
- Cinnamon: A generous amount of cinnamon in the streusel amplifies the coffee cake experience, adding warmth and spice.
ICING:
The simple vanilla icing provides the perfect finishing touch:
- Powdered Sugar: Essential for a smooth, lump-free glaze. It dissolves easily and provides pure sweetness.
- Milk: Any variety of milk will work to thin the icing to a perfect drizzling consistency, including non-dairy alternatives.
- Vanilla: A touch of vanilla in the icing ties all the flavors together and enhances its sweetness. Opt for a good quality extract for the best flavor.
How to Make These Delightful Coffee Cake Cookies
Let’s get baking! Here’s a detailed, easy-to-follow guide to creating your own batch of these incredible coffee cake cookies:
First, begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature for even baking from the moment your cookies go in.
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, cooled coconut oil, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. This crucial creaming step whips air into the mixture, making your cookies tender and light.
Next, crack in the large egg and add the vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Continue to mix for another 2-3 minutes until well combined and fluffy, ensuring the egg is fully incorporated.
Finally, add the dry ingredients: cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough cookies.
MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING
In a separate, small bowl, combine all the streusel ingredients: softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix them thoroughly until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients for a more uniform crumb.
If your streusel mixture appears too sticky and not crumbly enough, gradually add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until you achieve the desired crumbly texture.
SCOOP & TOP THE COOKIES
Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons per cookie), portion the dough onto a baking sheet that you’ve lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Once scooped, take the back of a tablespoon and gently press a slight indentation into the center of each cookie dough ball. This will create a perfect little nest for your streusel topping.
Generously sprinkle some of the prepared streusel topping into each indentation on the cookie dough. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft. Remember, slight underbaking is key for a chewy cookie! Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE ICING
While your delightful cookies are baking, you can prepare the simple vanilla icing.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and free of lumps. The consistency should be thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to coat. Once the cookies have cooled slightly on the wire rack (while still warm to the touch), generously drizzle the vanilla icing over them. The warmth of the cookies will help the icing set beautifully.
COFFEE CAKE COOKIES
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Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ cups flour
STREUSEL TOPPING:
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
ICING:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH
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In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the butter, oil, and brown sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour and mix just until combined.
MAKE THE STREUSEL
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Combine all of the streusel ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork. If the mixture is too sticky/not crumbly, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
SCOOP & TOP THE COOKIES
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Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Use the back of a tablespoon to press a slight indentation on top of each ball of dough.
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Sprinkle some of the streusel on top of each indentation. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until just barely golden brown on the edges. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE ICING
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While the cookies are baking, make the icing.
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Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Drizzle the icing on the cookies while they are still warm (immediately after transferring to the wire rack).
Nutrition
How to Soften Butter to Room Temperature Perfectly
Softened butter is crucial for a smooth, well-incorporated cookie dough. While the ideal method is to plan ahead and leave butter out for a few hours, life often gets in the way. Here are some quick tricks to get your butter to the perfect room temperature in minutes:
- The Microwave Method (with caution): This is the fastest way, but it requires careful attention to avoid melting. Place the unwrapped stick of butter in the microwave. Start with 6-7 seconds on a low power setting. If it’s still very firm, continue with additional 5-7 second intervals, checking after each burst. As the butter starts to feel soft, reduce the intervals to just a few seconds to prevent melting. You want it soft enough to leave an indentation when pressed, but not oily or liquid.
- Defrost Setting: Many microwaves have a “defrost” setting. While it might take a bit longer (around 30 seconds to a minute), this mode often thaws more gently than regular power, making it easier to soften butter without melting.
- The Water Bath Method: Fill a medium bowl with warm water (not hot). Place your stick of butter (still in its wrapper) into the warm water for about 5-10 minutes. The warmth will slowly penetrate and soften the butter evenly.
- Cut into Cubes: If you’re really short on time, cut the cold butter into small cubes and spread them out on a plate. The increased surface area will allow the butter to warm up much faster, usually within 10-15 minutes.
Troubleshooting: Why Do My Cookies Burn on the Bottom?
It’s frustrating when your cookies come out with perfectly golden tops but burnt bottoms! This common baking mishap is usually due to one of two reasons:
- Dark Cookie Sheets: Dark-colored baking sheets absorb and conduct heat more intensely than lighter ones. This increased heat transfer can cause the bottoms of your cookies (and other baked goods) to cook and brown much faster, often resulting in burning before the centers are fully baked. Switching to lighter-colored, reflective baking sheets can significantly alleviate this problem.
- Excessive Cooking Spray: While cooking spray prevents sticking, using too much can also lead to burnt bottoms. The oil can get too hot and effectively fry the bottom of your cookies.
To avoid these issues, I highly recommend investing in good quality, light-colored non-stick baking pans. Even better, as mentioned in our baking tips, using silicone baking mats or parchment paper is a fantastic solution. These provide a barrier between the cookies and the hot metal, distribute heat more evenly, and ensure effortless release without any sticking. Say goodbye to scraping cookies off the pan!
Serving and Storage Suggestions
These coffee cake cookies are fantastic on their own, but here are some ideas to make them even more special:
- Perfect Pairing: Naturally, they pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of cold milk.
- Anytime Treat: Serve them for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or as a delightful dessert. They’re also perfect for potlucks and gatherings.
- Storage: Store cooled coffee cake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The streusel topping and glaze might soften slightly over time, but the flavor will remain delicious.
- Freezing: You can freeze baked and cooled cookies (without icing) in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then drizzle with fresh icing before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls with the streusel topping already on them; just place them on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.
More Delicious Cinnamon Cookie Recipes to Try:
If you’re a fan of the warm, inviting flavor of cinnamon, you’ll love exploring these other delightful cookie recipes:
- CHUNKY APPLE CINNAMON COOKIES
- CINNAMON ROLL SNICKERDOODLES
- APPLE CINNAMON SCOOKIES
- ALMOND CINNAMON CRESCENT COOKIES
- APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL COOKIES
- SNICKERDOODLE APPLE PIE BITES
- CRUNCHY WHITE CHOCOLATE CINNAMON COOKIES
- CINNAMON ROLL COOKIES
- CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES
- CINNAMON OATMEAL COOKIES
- SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS
- PEACH SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES
- FROSTED SNICKERDOODLES
These **Coffee Cake Cookies** are more than just a sweet treat; they’re a delightful fusion of two comforting classics. With their soft, chewy cinnamon base, irresistible buttery streusel, and a sweet vanilla glaze, they offer a taste of nostalgia in every bite. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or simply craving a homemade indulgence, these cookies are sure to become a new favorite. Happy baking!