Description
Soft cinnamon cookies topped with crunchy streusel and finished with a sweet spiced icing drizzle. These coffee cake cookies taste exactly like coffee cake but in handheld form, and they’re ready in 35 minutes with no chilling required.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (135 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Streusel
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes with a mixer.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until everything’s smooth and combined.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add this to your butter mixture and mix just until a dough forms. Don’t overwork it.
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Roll the dough into balls about 1.5 inches across, press each one down slightly into a disc, and arrange them on your lined baking sheet with space between.
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Make the streusel by combining the cold butter cubes, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to work it into coarse crumbs — like wet sand.
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Press a spoonful of streusel onto the top of each cookie, patting it gently so it sticks.
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Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
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While the cookies cool completely, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until smooth.
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Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies and let it set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
The butter temperature matters here. Soft butter in the dough gives you that tender cookie texture, while cold butter in the streusel creates those crispy, crumbly bits on top. Don’t mix up the two.
Use your fingers to work the streusel together. It’s messy but fun, and you’ll get better texture than with a fork. Stop when it looks like chunky breadcrumbs, you want distinct pieces, not a paste.
These keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or you can freeze them without the icing for up to 2 months. Just thaw and drizzle before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins