Skip the cake and make these coffee cake cookies instead! These gourmet cookies feature a soft cookie base topped with crumbly cinnamon streusel and an easy glaze. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Coffee Cake In Cookie Form
Grab a cup of coffee and prepare your taste buds…these coffee cake cookies are going to blow your mind!
Inspired by my coffee cake recipe, these tasty, gourmet-style cookies totally deliver on all the beloved aspects of the real thing: a soft, tender base, crisp cinnamon streusel, and of course, a simple glaze on top.
If you enjoyed my blueberry muffin cookies, you’ll love this similarly streusel-topped, perfectly-acceptable-for-breakfast 🙃 cookie. Like that recipe, cake flour helps makes these cookies super tender and soft without making them cakey (a detestable trait in a cookie, don’t you think?). I do include a note in the recipe for substituting all-purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand though!
The crumbly streusel is based on my classic streusel topping; it’s easy to make (without a pastry cutter!) and so flavorful. If you choose to double this recipe (it makes 12 large cookies), note that you might want to make the streusel in two separate batches for ease.
What You Need
Pictured below are the ingredients you will need for the cookies, crumb topping, and glaze. Before you get overwhelmed, let me break things down a bit for you!
Cookies
- Cake flour. You can substitute all-purpose flour (instructions in the recipe notes below), but I do prefer and recommend cake flour for the softest, most tender coffee cake cookies.
- Cornstarch. Much like cake flour, cornstarch helps keep these cookies nice and soft and prevents them from spreading too much on the baking sheet. Don’t skip it!
- Brown sugar. I use a blend of granulated and light brown sugar in the cookies for maximum flavor and perfectly chewy results.
- Butter. Use softened unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that and reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Baking powder + soda. A combination of the two helps these cookies rise without making them too cakey. Remember, baking powder and baking soda are NOT the same thing, and you will need both here.
Topping + Glaze
- All-purpose flour. While we’ll use cake flour in the cookies themselves, you will also need all-purpose flour for the crumb topping.
- Butter. Using melted butter makes our streusel topping easy peasy. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, just skip the salt altogether in the streusel part of the recipe.
- Cinnamon. Just under a teaspoon adds a warm and cozy flavor to the crumble topping.
- Powdered sugar. We’ll use powdered sugar to make our easy 2-ingredient glaze.
- Milk. Any kind works here.
SAM’S TIP: This glaze is foolproof! Made yours too thin? Just add a bit more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add a splash of milk. You seriously can’t mess it up!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
Cookie Dough
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before gradually adding them to the wet ingredients.
- Cover and chill the dough in the fridge while you make the streusel.
Streusel
- Melt the butter and let it cool until no longer warm to the touch.
- Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- Drizzle the butter over the dry ingredients.
- Toss with a fork until everything is combined and you have crumbly bits of streusel.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t work the streusel together too much, or you will be left with a paste that will be difficult to crumble. Use a fork to claw and toss the streusel together just until it is clumpy.
Assembly
- Roll 2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough between your palms and place 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Indent each cookie in the middle with your thumb or a tablespoon.
- Press a handful of streusel into the indentation and bake for 12 minutes at 350F.
- Let the cookies cool on their baking sheet before drizzling with glaze.
SAM’S TIP: Give the cookies about 10 minutes or so to cool, then add your drizzle. Adding the glaze right after the cookies come out of the oven will cause it to melt and be too thin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Much like the real thing, these coffee cake cookies have coffee in their name simply because they pair so well with a cup of the stuff–not because they actually contain it!
The same is true for my coffee cake muffins, blueberry coffee cake, and pumpkin coffee cake. All contain zero coffee, and all are the perfect match for it!
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy them within 5 days. They would also freeze well, simply wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Assuming you measured your flour the right way, the most likely reason is over-baking. You want to remove the cookies from the oven when they are still a bit underdone (the edges will just be turning a light golden brown) and let them finish cooking on the baking sheet.
Many of my cookie recipes use this technique. Not only does it prevent them from being dry, but it also makes them soft and chewy too!
I hope you are enjoying the gourmet cookies I’ve been sharing recently! I have a few more coming soon, and I would love to hear what others you’d like to see 😊
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Coffee Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (225 g) cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Streusel (see note)
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Glaze (optional)
- ⅔ cup (85 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons whole milk plus more as needed
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat together until light and fluffy.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Add egg and vanilla and stir until well-combined.1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups (225 g) cake flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and stir until completely combined and dough is uniform.
- Cover dough and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the streusel topping.
Streusel
- Melt butter then set aside until cooled until no longer hot.6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Drizzle in butter and use a fork to toss/claw the mixture until you have a clumpy streusel.
Assembly
- Scoop cookies into 2 Tablespoon-sized balls and roll until smooth. Place on cookie sheet, spacing cookies 2” apart, and make a small indent or nest in the center of the dough with your thumb or the back of a round Tablespoon.
- Take a handful (at least 2 Tablespoons) of streusel and gently press into the nest you created. You’ll have a heaping mound of streusel, use a lot! You may have some streusel left over.
- Bake in center rack of 350F (175C) oven for 12 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before decorating with glaze (if using).
- To make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar with 1 Tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed until you have a smooth glaze that ribbons off of your whisk. Drizzle over cookies.⅔ cup (85 g) powdered sugar, 1-2 Tablespoons whole milk
Notes
Flour
Cake flour is recommended for softer, more tender cookies. You may substitute all-purpose flour, use 1 ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon or 225 grams.Streusel
The amount of streusel listed is the amount I personally use. You can see in the photos I use a lot per cookie (pile it on — about as much as you’d use to top a muffin). I may have a small bit left over but not much. A few readers have commented they have a lot of streusel left over, if you’re concerned about this feel free to cut the streusel recipe in half. If you find yourself with leftover streusel, you could also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Save it for another batch of cookies or on muffins.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Ryan Childs
Really good! I ended up with too much streusel, I would say you could honestly half the streusel recipe (or use the leftovers for muffins).
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed them overall, Ryan!
AJ
What did I do wrong that when I pressed the tablespoon into the dough, the dough didn’t spread out and when he cookies baked there was literally a mound of streusel on top?
I had to press the streusel into the tops after the cookies were out of the oven. This is what I would see as a far from complex recipe and I am frustrated the cookies look horrible.
Sam
Hi AJ! Was the dough very firm and not able spreading at all? If so you may have accidentally over-measured your flour. 🙁
A Miller
Up in your explanation of topping and streusel, shouldn’t it say skip the salt if you
use SALTED BUTTER?
I mean, the recipe calls for salt AND unsalted butter. So why would you leave the
salt out if all you were using what the recipe called for?
Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but it hit me as strange.
Loved the cookies!
Jill
Hi Sam. Your coffee cake cookies are delicious. My family loved them!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Jill! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Leise
Can you freeze this and then bake them when ready? I was thinking about freezing it with the crumb to bake at a future date.
Sam
Hi Leise! I haven’t tried this myself personally but I think it would be fine. Let me know how they turn out if you try it!
Rebecca
I’m a lifelong baker and new to Sugar Spun Run and I just made my first recipe and goodness, these cookies are delicious. What a cool variation of coffeecake. My friend loves coffee cake, so I will be taking some of these over to her. 😁
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Rebecca! Welcome to the website! I hope you love everything you try. I can’t wait to hear how everything turns out. 🙂
Nessa
I’m planning to make these for a cookie party and wondering if I could use the same method of layering the Streusel and cookie dough as done for the Blueberry Muffin Cookies and what would the bake time be?
Sam
Hi Nessa! That should work. I would guess it would probably take another minute or two in the oven. 🙂
Miriam Rose Blanar
I made these today for a music show so I quadrupled and of course made a ginormous mess, but it was so worth it! I think these are my new favorite cookies!
I also has a thought that maybe you could make a pumpkin coffee cake cookie? 😁
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! I love the idea for a pumpkin coffee cake cookie. I’ll have to see what I can do. 🙂
Miriam Rose Blanar
Oh that would be amazing!!! 🥰
Erin Rivera
I’ve made these twice this month. First time a single batch, second time a double batch. I give them away to friends, family and clients so I don’t eat them all. Both times with AP flour and they were perfectly tender and soft. Everyone has raved about them and asked for your recipe. Thanks for sharing with us!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are SO happy you love this one, Erin! Thanks for commenting ❤️
Nancy
Hey Sam…when I made these today I had enough crumbs left over for another batch of cookies….did I do something wrong? BTW I’m addicted to your crumb cake….it’s the perfect recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipes & your down-to-earth awesome personality💚🍪Nancy
Sam
Hi Nancy! Several people have said they have extra, but I have never encountered this issue, maybe I just use more streusel than others. 🤷♀️ If there’s room for more I would just pile more on top. 🙂 I hope you loved the cookies! 🙂
Karen W
They were delicious and very easy to make. I gave the cookie dough about an hour in fridge because it is so hot and humid.
How about a chocolate version, please?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Karen! A chocolate version sounds awesome! I will have to play with it to see what I can do. 🙂
Paula
Just made these today and tagged you in my Instagram story (Sadie’s Bake Shop). Very tasty and reminiscent of coffee cake! I made 12 large cookies, but probably could have made 13-14. I baked for 11 minutes with 6 per sheet. I think the streusel topping is enough for 2 recipes of these cookies. Next time I make them, I won’t “pack” the topping into the cookie. Still tasted good, but was a bit mounded after baking. Maybe a bit more cinnamon in the topping, but a nice large soft cookie with a great flavor. Can this recipe be doubled? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Paula! I’m glad you enjoyed them! They can be doubled. 🙂
Marty
Can you use gluten free flour?
Sam
Hi Marty! I’m not familiar with using gluten free flour so unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to advise. Hopefully someone else who has tried it can chime in. 🙂
Wendy
Made these for a school brunch. They were a big hit!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Wendy! 🙂
Cindy
Did you try this with GF flour? I’m wondering the same question that you asked.
Bonnie
Hi Sam,
I know you said you can use all-purpose flour in place of cake flour, but could you
make your own cake flour and would they turn out the same as buying cake flour?
Sam
Hi Bonnie! I honestly don’t know here. It varies on the recipe depending how the recipe works. I don’t think it will give you quite the same crumb, but if it’s all you have on hand I would certainly do it. 🙂
JoAnn McGoldrick
Yum! Can’t wait to make these!
Sam
I hope you love them, JoAnn! 🙂