Coffee Cake Cookies pair a buttery cookie base with crumbly brown sugar cinnamon streusel and sweet vanilla icing. They are the perfect breakfast or dessert!
If you love coffee cake, you’ll also enjoy this Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Be sure to try my Streusel Bundt Coffee Cake too!
Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookies
Imagine sitting in a coffee shop, such as Luke’s from Gilmore Girls and indulging in a coffee cake cookie and hot cup of coffee. Basically my dream scenario, except it snows on the show and I prefer warm weather.
I have fun putting new spins on classic recipes. Apple Pie Fudge, Pecan Pie Brownies, Churro Cupcakes. These Coffee Cake Cookies are another example!
These coffee cake cookies have the flavor of coffee cake, in cookie form. The cookies themselves are buttery, chewy on the edges, and flavored with vanilla, almond extract, and cinnamon.
Because the best thing about coffee cake is the streusel, I don’t skip that either. Made with brown sugar and cinnamon, it’s crumbly and delicious.
To finish off these cookies, drizzle them with a sweet vanilla glaze. Not only does it make them even more delicious, but pretty too.
- Easy to make.
- The ingredient list is mostly pantry staples!
- The texture and flavor of these coffee cake cookies makes them a total crowd-pleaser. They’re a fun addition to a brunch party as an alternative to traditional coffee cake!
If you love unique cookies, try my copycat recipe for Neiman Marcus Cookies. So tasty and delicious.
Important Ingredient Notes
To make this coffee cake cookie recipe, scroll down to the full ingredient list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor of the cookies. You can use salted butter if that’s all you have on hand. Use my guide on how to soften butter quickly for the cookie dough (you’ll need melted butter for the streusel).
- Light Brown Sugar– adds the perfect sweetness to these cookies, while also giving texture.
- Egg yolks – You can freeze the whites for another day when you’re making a recipe that calls for whites and not egg yolk! For instance my peppermint meringue cookies use egg whites!
- Extracts – Vanilla extract and almond extract. Almond extract is fragrant (seriously—open the bottle and inhale, it smells AMAZING!) and has a cherry-like flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – This goes in the cookies and the streusel. To me, cinnamon and coffee cake go hand-in-hand!
- All-purpose flour – Use my guide on how to measure flour for best results!
- Milk – You can use any type you have in the fridge. This includes plant-based milks like almond, as long as they are unflavored.
This basic cookie dough (without the topping) is the same one I use for my cardamom cookies too.
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
Make the Cookie Dough:
- Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl.
- Beat in the egg yolks and extracts.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat until a ball of dough forms.
*If using an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to blend the cookie dough.
Make the Streusel Topping:
- Combine the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Use a fork or a small spoon to combine the crumb topping.
Form the Cookies:
- Drop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough (using a medium cookie scoop) into each cup of a greased muffin tin.
- Push down the dough to form a small cavity in the center.
- Drop a tablespoon of streusel (using a small cookie scoop) into the center of the cookies.
Bake the Cookies:
- Bake cookies in a 350ºF oven for 12-14 minutes until edges are golden brown.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan.
- Use a butter knife to loosen and remove the cookies from the pan and set on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Glaze the Cookies:
- Whisk the powdered sugar with vanilla extract and milk in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the icing over the top of the cookies once they’ve cooled completely.
Tips and Tricks
- Soften the butter before you get started with the cookie portion of the recipe. Softened butter mixes more evenly into the rest of the ingredients.
- You can store these coffee cake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- If you want to freeze these cookies, they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them without the icing. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying.
- I like making these chewy coffee cake cookies in a muffin tin to get slightly crisp edges. If you prefer, you can use a parchment paper lined standard cookie sheet. Place the cookie dough balls 2 to 3 inches apart. Make an indentation in the middle of each with your thumb before baking.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before glazing them. If the cookies are still warm, the glaze will melt right into them.
More Coffee Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake Donuts
- Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze
- Banana Streusel Coffee Cake
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Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe
Coffee Cake Cookies pair a buttery cookie base with crumbly brown sugar cinnamon streusel and sweet vanilla icing. They are the perfect breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Streusel
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin (cupcake pan) with non-stick baking spray. Set it aside.
- For the cookie dough, combine butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes until fully blended. Add in egg yolks, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to the mixing bowl. Beat until combined. The dough will be crumbly, keep mixing until a dough ball forms. Set cookie dough aside while you make the streusel topping.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the streusel ingredients. Using a fork or a small spoon, combine until all the butter has been blended into the streusel. Set aside.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, drop cookie dough into the prepared muffin tin. Using a tablespoon, wine cork, fingers, or a tart shaper, press the dough in the center of the muffin tin until a small cavity forms. Repeat for the remaining cookie dough balls.
- Using a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, drop streusel topping into the cavity, using your fingertips to slightly spread it out.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan. Use a butter knife to pop the cookies out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with vanilla and milk until desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Notes
- Save the egg whites to make meringue cookies or an egg white omelette!
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze baked and cooled cookies in an airtight freezer safe container (or ziploc) for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the cookies before drizzling with icing.
- You can make these cookies without a muffin tin. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet, spacing 2-3 inches apart. Press thumb into the center of the cookie and add streusel. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before adding icing.
- I prefer the muffin tins because the edges of the cookie get a nice crispy, chewy texture. They are also easier to assemble with less mess.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 84mg, Potassium: 35mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 302IU, Vitamin C: 0.004mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg
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