Originally inspired by The Gilmore Girls, these coffee cake cookies are made with a soft and chewy cinnamon-infused brown sugar cookie with a crumb topping and vanilla glaze!
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Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookies
You’re going to fall in love with these coffee cake cookies that are made with cinnamon brown sugar cookies and a crumble topping drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze. They’re your favorite coffee cake in cookie form!
Extra soft and tender, these bakery-style cookies are ready to in just over 30 minutes. They’re perfect for the holidays, an afternoon snack, or whenever you’re cozying up in front of the TV watching your favorite mother-daughter duo in Stars Hollow!
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Salted butter: Softened butter is needed for the cookie dough and crumb topping, then you’ll need to melt some for the glaze, too.
- Light brown sugar and white granulated sugar: Pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup to ensure you’re using enough.
- Whole egg and egg yolk: The egg is used for binding and moisture, and the extra egg yolk helps make it extra chewy! Bring them to room temperature along with the butter.
- Cornstarch and baking soda: For a soft and tender texture.
- Other baking staples: Vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, sea salt, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and whole milk.
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugars. Then, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Mix to combine before adding in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 2-inch balls and place them onto parchment paper lined baking sheet Use the back of your cookie scoop to gently press a groove into the top and chill in fridge while you make the crumb.
In a small bowl, combine crumble, along with softened butter, and use a fork to mix until coarse crumbs form. Fill the center of each of the cookies with crumb topping, then bake in a preheated 365°F oven for 8 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Whisk glaze ingredients then drizzle on top of all the cooled cookies before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Room temperature ingredients blend better and promote even baking. Bring your butter out to room temperature about an hour before baking.
- You can mix the cookie dough in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, if preferred.
- Chilling the cookies will help prevent spreading.
- Add the crumble just after making it, so the butter doesn’t melt.
- Bake just until the edges are golden. They will set as they cool, so you don’t want to overbake them.
More soft and chewy cookies you’ll love include pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, snickerdoodle cookies and carrot cake cookies.
More Cookie Recipes
Coffee Cake Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (165 grams) salted butter , softened
- ¾ cup (145 grams) light brown sugar , packed
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (75 g) brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons (70 g) butter , softened
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) butter , melted
- 2-3 Tablespoons whole milk , more as needed
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 365°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Beat: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup white sugar. Add 1 egg, egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon vanilla and mix to combine.
- Mix in 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until combined.
- Scoop: Use a medium cookie scoop (or Tablespoon) to scoop the dough into 2-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Use a Tablespoon to make an indentation in each cookie dough balls. Refrigerate pan while making crumb.
- Mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Then mix in 5 Tablespoons softened butter with a fork. Fill the crumb topping in the center of the cookies.
- Bake 8 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
- Cool: Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool.
- Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 2-3 Tablespoons whole milk. Then drizzle over the top of the cooled cookie.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Substitutions and Variations
- You could add some oats to your crumble and make it a streusel topping.
- Mix in some chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts for crunch.
- Add chocolate chips to your brown sugar cinnamon cookies for some chocolaty flavor.
- You could also swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a different kind of spiced cookie.
- Use a different kind of glaze for your crumb cake cookies. Something like a maple glaze or cream cheese glaze would be great.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dough up to 1 day in advance. Keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to scoop and bake.
Keep them stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Sure do! Freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Separate the layers with parchment paper and then thaw what you need overnight, either in the fridge or at room temperature.
