Description
Bring the warm, bakery-like flavor of coffee cake into cookie form. These treats have a soft, cake-y center, a crunchy cinnamon streusel on top, and a light glaze to finish. Super comforting, easy to make, and excellent for sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened — gives richness and tenderness
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil — keeps cookies moist and cake-like
- 1 cup packed brown sugar — adds sweetness and molasses depth
- 1 large egg — binds and helps the cookies rise
- 1 tsp vanilla extract — rounds the flavors
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon — the warm, signature spice
- ½ tsp baking soda — helps with lift
- ½ tsp baking powder — extra leavening for soft texture
- ½ tsp fine salt — balances the sweetness
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour — structure for the cookie
Streusel
- ¼ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces — for a crumbly topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar — sweet crunch
- ⅓–½ cup all-purpose flour — adjust to get the crumb texture you like
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon — streusel spice
- Pinch of salt — enhances flavor
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar — base for the drizzle
- 1 tbsp milk (plus a little more if needed) — thin the glaze to pourable consistency
- Small splash vanilla extract — flavor lift
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep pans. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Cream the fats and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, oil, and brown sugar until smooth and slightly lighter in color. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry mix into the wet ingredients until just combined — stop as soon as the dough comes together.
- Make the streusel. Combine the small pieces of cold butter with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers or use a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Aim for a damp-sand texture.
- Portion and indent. Scoop generous mounds of dough onto the prepared sheets (a large cookie scoop works well). Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to press a shallow well in the center of each mound.
- Top with streusel. Fill each well with a spoonful of the crumb topping — let it mound slightly so it caramelizes as the cookies bake.
- Bake. Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and the streusel turns golden-brown. The centers should still feel soft to the touch.
- Cool and drizzle. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Whisk powdered sugar with milk and a splash of vanilla; drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies.
Notes
- Room-temperature butter mixes more smoothly — don’t use it straight from the fridge.
- Don’t overwork the dough after adding flour; overmixing makes cookies tough.
- Make the streusel slightly drier than you think — that helps it crisp up in the oven.
- If dough seems too soft to shape, chill for 20–30 minutes.
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Freeze baked cookies layered with parchment for up to three months. Thaw before serving and warm briefly if you want that fresh-baked vibe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150kcal
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg