Coffee cake cookies taste like traditional coffee cake. The cookies have a cinnamon dough base, streusel filling, and an icing glaze. Coffee cake cookies are a delicious cookie to pair with a cup of coffee or to even eat just on its own.
Coffee cake cookies don't actually contain any coffee or espresso in them. They are meant to be eaten with your coffee - just like you eat coffee cake with your coffee.
The cookies are soft and chewy. They imitate thumbprint cookies since the center is hollowed out with a spoon and then filled with a crumbly cinnamon streusel filling.
Why are Coffee Cake Cookies also called Gilmore Girls cookies?
Coffee cake cookies are so delicious that they have even been featured in the hit TV show Gilmore Girls. These cookies are also called Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookies and have gone viral on TikTok.
Gilmore Girls fans love these cookies because they remind them of the show and what they like about it. Since the characters, specifically Rory & Lorelei, often hang out at Luke's Diner and eat cookies and drink coffee, these cookies are particularly special to Gilmore Girls fans.
The dough is similar to a sugar cookie with the addition of cinnamon. The cookies are topped with a streusel and then drizzled with icing. No wonder the Gilmore Girls loved coffee cake cookies!
The coffee cake cookie flavor is very reminiscent of fall! Since the streusel has a hint of cinnamon, these cookies are the perfect cookies to eat during the fall season. Grab a comfy chair, a cup of coffee, and one of the best fall cookies to celebrate the changing season! Don't worry - these cookies are delicious any time of the year.
Some of my other dessert and cookie recipes include Chocolate Chip Cookies with Butter Flavored Shortening, Strawberry Jam Cookies, and Sombrero Cookies (a Cinco de Mayo favorite).
Why you’ll love Coffee Cake Cookies
- Bakery-style cookies: These cookies are bakery-style cookies. This means the cookies are larger than most homemade cookies and the addition of streusel and icing create a picture-perfect cookie.
- Gilmore Girls themed cookies: Coffee cake cookies are featured in the hit TV show Gilmore Girls. If you are a fan of Gilmore Girls, this is one of the best Gilmore Girls themed food items.
Ingredients
To make coffee cake cookies, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Eggs
- Flour
- Milk
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Vegetable oil
How to Make Coffee Cake Cookies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend softened butter, oil, and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Then add cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine softened butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix in ⅓ cup of flour. Ensure the mixture sticks together but crumbles when pressed. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until reaching the desired crumbly texture. Set aside.
Step 4: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and thin. Set aside.
Step 5: Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a large cookie scoop to place dough balls on the sheet. Make an indent on each with the scoop's back or fingers. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of streusel into each indent. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 mins. After cooling, drizzle generously with icing.
📖 Recipe
Coffee Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Streusel
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓-½ cup flour
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups flour
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cinnamon Dough
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend together the softened butter, oil, and brown sugar until the mixture achieves a smooth consistency.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated.
- Add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour and mix until well combined. Set aside.
Streusel
- Add the softened butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a bowl. Add ⅓ cup of flour. Start to combine the ingredients, ensuring that the mixture sticks together while also crumbling when you run it through your fingers. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the desired crumbly texture is achieved. Set aside.
Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until the mixture becomes smooth and runny. Set aside.
Assembly
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a large cookie scoop, place a ball of dough onto a baking sheet. Create an indent on the top of the dough using the back of the cookie scoop or your fingers. Then, generously sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of streusel into the created indent on the cookie's surface.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350°F. Let the cookies cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled slightly, generously drizzle the icing over them.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use parchment paper or a cookie mat to bake the cookies. It prevents the cookies from sticking to the cookie sheet and makes for easy cleanup!
- Don't over-cook the cookies! It is important to monitor the cookies closely. When the cookies begin to turn ever-so-slightly light brown, it is time to pull them out of the oven. The cookies can continue to sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to allow the interior to heat through a little longer before moving them to a cookie sheet. If you leave the cookies in the oven too long, you run the risk of drying the cookies out.
- Incorporate chopped pecans or walnuts into the streusel for added texture and flavor enhancement.
- Switch out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice seasoning! Or add a pinch of nutmeg, cardamon, or all spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does coffee cake contain coffee?
Coffee cake doesn't actually contain coffee. Neither do these coffee cake cookies. They are meant to be eaten with your coffee - just like you eat coffee cake with your coffee.
How should you store coffee cake cookies?
Baked goods should be stored in an air-tight container. These cookies can be stored for up to 5 days at room temperature. Alternatively, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Lauren
I love to pair these cookies with coffee while watching Gilmore Girls.
Jessica C
thanks for posting this recipe. FYI: the butter ratio in the struessel is off; I think it should be 1/4C instead of 1 1/4C.
God bless!
Lauren
I'll get that updated! Thanks for letting me know.