Coffee Cake Cookies

I've combined two of my favorite desserts into one and made these dreamy coffee cake cookies. They're made with a cinnamon sugar cookie, filled with a buttery streusel and a drizzle of powdered sugar icing on top. Enjoy with a cup of warm coffee and get ready to fall in love with your new favorite cookie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings large cookies

Calories 555kcal

Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

For the streusel

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt
5 Tbsp. softened butter, unsalted

Cookie Dough

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 cup cake flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. cold butter, unsalted, cut into cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Icing

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

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Instructions

Prepare the streusel filling: In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together. Then work in the butter until small clumps form. (I just use my fingers to work it together). Refrigerate.
1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed, 2 tsp. cinnamon, pinch salt, 5 Tbsp. softened butter, unsalted
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: all purpose flour, cake flour, corn starch, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 3/4 cup cake flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt
Place the cubed butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer and secure the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on and cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
8 Tbsp. cold butter, unsalted, cut into cubes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and blend until mixed. Use a rubber spatula to knock off mixture if any is sticking to the sides of the bowl and mix again.
1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk
Gradually add in the dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time. Mix until incorporated.
Scoop and roll cookie dough into ~8 large balls, or smaller if preferred you can get about 22-24 cookies. Place on prepared baking sheets.
Make an indent in each cookie, using your thumb or the end of a spoon/spatula or something similar. (I used the end of a wooden juicer and dunk it in a little flour so it doesn't stick).
Spoon ~1 Tbsp. of the streusel filling in each cookie and bake for ~8-11 minutes, or until edges appear set and are slightly golden. (They will continue to bake a bit more on the pan after you pull them out so pull them out just before you think they're done so they don't over-bake/become dry.)
*Optional step to get cookies perfectly circular: Immediatley after the cookies come out of the oven, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie should help to smooth out any uneven edges.
Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for ~5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Whisk together the ingredients for the icing and once the cookies are cooled, drizzle icing over the tops and enjoy!
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, 3 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk, 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted, 1 tsp. vanilla, pinch salt

Video

Notes

Make the streusel up to three days in advance and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
You can also double the streusel so you have extra streusel topping to garnish the cookies with after they bake, if needed. If you do this, it's important to heat treat the flour so it becomes safe to consume. To do so: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the flour onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and bake for 7 minutes in the oven or until the flour reaches 160°F then let it cool and use to make the streusel.
Ice the cookies only after they are completely cool.
For added texture to the streusel add shredded coconut, or finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
Store cookies in at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
March 2026 updated recipe: For the Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (365g)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
For the Streusel
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (75g)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (~57g) you just don’t want the butter super hot, still a little warm is OK.
- Splash of vanilla
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (plus more as needed)
- 2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla (or clear vanilla)
1. Make the Streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until crumbly and incorporated. Set aside.
2. Make the Cookie Dough:
- Using the bowl of a stand mix fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Once again, scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
3. Scoop & Fill: Scoop dough into 2 Tbsp-sized portions (you’ll get about 18-20 cookies). Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined plate or small baking sheet. Using the back of a tablespoon (lightly dipped in flour), press an indent into the center of each cookie. Fill each indent with streusel, ~2-3 tsp.
4. Chill: Chill the filled cookies for 30-60 minutes. (Make sure you have room in the fridge for your tray or use a parchment-lined plate.)
5. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing a few inches apart (I bake 6-8 at a time) Bake for ~10 minutes, or until edges are set and centers look just slightly underbaked. (Do not over bake them, they’ll set more as they cool) Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
6. Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Adding a little more powdered sugar or milk to get the perfect consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

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