Cinnamon Cookies

These turned out so good! Our new favorite cookie recipe!

— Kate

Cinnamon Cookies are the perfect mix of sweet, spice and everything nice!

Can’t get enough cinnamon this season? Me neither — that’s why I have to share this scrumptious Cinnamon Cookie recipe with you!

These tasty treats will conquer all your cravings: your sweet tooth, your cookie fix and your need for warm, nostalgic spices.

Bake these soft and chewy cookies for a mid-afternoon or after school snack, or for an after dinner treat. They’re also perfectly shareable at fall parties, get-togethers, football games or holiday gatherings… after all, there’s no bad time to enjoy a cookie.

Ingredients needed

Similar to my favorite snickerdoodle recipe, this recipe makes irresistible cookies that are soft, yet chewy in the middle, with crispy and lightly puffed edges. And, of course, they are buttery, cinnamon-y, and delicious. The best part? Unlike snickerdoodle cookies, you don’t need cream of tartar to make them!

Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Both add sweetness. Granulated sugar promotes nice browning, while the molasses content in brown sugar makes the cookies chewy and moist. I like to use dark brown sugar in this recipe because it holds a little more molasses and gives the cookies an extra rich taste. However, light brown sugar works fine too.
• Unsalted butter. I always use unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt going into a recipe. Be sure your butter is softened to room temperature, so that it combines properly with the sugars. Room temperature butter is still a bit cool to the touch and it should indent slightly when you press on it with your finger. Take butter out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe.
• Eggs. Two large eggs will add structure, stability, and richness.
• Pure vanilla extract. Adds flavor depth and a touch of sweetness.
• All-purpose flour. Flour gives the cookies structure and depending on its ratio to the other ingredients, will make the cookies chewy, fluffy, cake-y, crisp, or crumbly. Today’s ratio of ingredients makes a soft, tender cookie with the perfect amount of chewiness.
• Baking powder + baking soda. Using both baking powder and baking soda will give your cookies the perfect rise and chewy texture.
• Ground cinnamon. You’ll need 1 teaspoon cinnamon for making the cookie batter and we’re also mixing it with some granulated sugar for coating the outside of the cookies.
• Nutmeg. For extra cozy flavor! If you don’t have nutmeg in your pantry, just omit it.
• Salt. A must for any sweet treat! Salt enhances other flavors in the cookies while also balancing out the sweetness from the sugars.
• Maldon sea salt. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse sea salt right after they come out of the oven for a great salty crunch to contrast the sweet flavors.

How to make this recipe

This chewy cinnamon cookie recipe is simple, straightforward and will be your new go-to! Just follow these easy steps for amazing cookies from scratch:

Please see the recipe card for the full, printable recipe with all of the details.

1. Mix cinnamon + sugar. The first step is to stir the cinnamon and sugar, in a small bowl, for rolling the cookie dough balls. Set this aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer and beat the softened butter and sugars on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; mix on high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
5. Add in the flour. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture.
6. Chill dough. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 days.
7. Scoop dough balls. Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to make dough balls. Then, roll the cookie dough balls into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The cookies, pictured, are about 1.5 tablespoons of dough. This will make approximately 40 medium-sized cookies.
8. Bake. Cookies will need to bake for about 12-13 minutes in a preheated oven. Remove from the oven right when edges start looking set and golden. The centers may look slightly undercooked, but they will continue to cook even after they are removed from the oven.
9. Cool cookies. While the cookies are still warm, sprinkle with sea salt, if you’d like. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to wire racks to continue to cool.
10. Enjoy! Serve while still warm and gooey. Or enjoy them after they’ve completely cooled. In my personal opinion, I love them even more after they’ve cooled. This is when the edges get a little crispy and the inside is super soft and chewy. Either way… yum!

Tips for recipe success

Here’s a list of our best tips & tricks for baking cookies, so you’ll have amazing cinnamon cookies every time!

• Measure flour correctly. Using a food scale is the most precise method for measuring ingredients, especially flour. If you don’t have one available, lightly spoon flour (don’t pack) into a measuring cup and without shaking the cup, use the straight side of a butter knife to level the flour across the measuring cup.
• Fresh baking soda and baking powder. Be sure that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh before using, so these cookies rise properly! They lose potency over time. When I open a new can, I always write the date on the lid with a Sharpie. Discard the opened can after 6 months.
• Chill the dough. I highly recommend taking the time to chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough enhances the flavor of the cookies and ensures that they have the best texture.
• Bake on parchment or silicone. Parchment or, better yet, a silicone baking mat makes for the most perfect cookies. Greasing the baking sheet creates an overly greasy foundation, which will cause the cookies to spread too much. Silicone baking mats will grip onto the bottom of your cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. The mats also promote even browning.
• Don’t overbake. I recommend experimenting with a couple of cookies before baking the entire batch. This will help you find that sweet spot when it comes to bake time in your oven and your preferred level of doneness. Remember cookies continue to bake for a short time, even after they’ve been removed from the oven. And, as they cool, they will become more chewy than doughy.
• Flaky sea salt. Adding a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt over your cinnamon cookies while they are still warm will really take the flavor to the next level.

STORING & FREEZING RECOMMENDATIONS

• Freezing cookie dough. Like most recipes, this cookie dough is a great candidate for the freezer. After rolling balls of cookie dough in the cinnamon & sugar, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will flash-freeze the dough, so the cookie dough balls don’t stick together. Once the cookie dough balls are firm, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Frozen cookie dough will keep well for up to 3 months. Be sure to label your bag of cookie dough with the date.
• Bake from frozen. Baking from frozen will work just fine. The tops of your cookies may darken a bit more, but they will still be delicious. Follow all of the instructions for baking, but add a minute or two onto the bake time.
• Freezing baked cookies. You can totally freeze already-baked cinnamon cookies with awesome results. Store cookies in a freezer-safe container or baggie and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Storing baked cookies. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie at room temperature for about 1 week, but I can’t imagine them lasting that long!

If you try this cinnamon cookies recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves these cookies as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.