The Best Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipe: A Taste of Cinnamon Roll Bliss
Prepare yourself for an extraordinary cookie experience with these incredible cinnamon sugar cookies. Imagine the sweet, gooey, and warmly spiced center of a classic cinnamon roll transformed into a perfectly baked cookie – that’s precisely what you’ll get with this recipe! Crafted with simple pantry ingredients, these cookies deliver an unparalleled soft, chewy texture and a rich, comforting flavor that will quickly make them a household favorite.
What makes these cookies truly stand out? It’s the magical combination of dark brown sugar and a generous, perfectly balanced amount of cinnamon. This duo not only imparts a deep, molasses-infused flavor but also ensures the cookies achieve that coveted chewy texture. With over 250 cookie recipes on this blog, we know our cookies! But it’s a rare occasion when my husband, usually reserved in his praise, sheepishly asks, “Lindsey, when’s the next time you’ll make those?” Ladies and gentlemen, these chewy cinnamon cookies are that recipe! They embody everything I adore about my classic chewy sugar cookies, the rich depth of molasses cookies, and the spiced charm of my prized snickerdoodles, resulting in the easiest, most comforting cookie you’ll ever bake.
I always keep a batch of these cinnamon sugar cookie dough balls in my freezer, allowing me to bake them straight from frozen whenever a craving strikes. And as you might guess from my popular cinnamon rolls, sourdough cinnamon rolls, and apple cinnamon rolls, that’s pretty often! This make-ahead method is not just for convenience; it also enhances the cookie’s texture, ensuring they’re extra chewy every time.
Table of Contents
- Why This is the Best Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Professional Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Cookies
- Essential Ingredients for Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Delicious Variations and Flavor Twists
- How to Serve Your Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipe Card
- Before You Go
Why This is the Best Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipe:
- A Whole New Level of Cozy Sugar Cookie: These aren’t just any sugar cookies; they are an experience. The carefully calibrated ratio of dark brown sugar and aromatic cinnamon creates a flavor profile that genuinely tastes like the comforting, gooey center of a freshly baked cinnamon roll. It’s a warm hug in cookie form, perfect for any occasion.
- Crunchy Edges & Irresistibly Chewy Centers: Achieving the perfect cookie texture is an art, and this recipe masters it. The dough spreads just enough in the oven to develop delightfully crunchy edges, while the dark brown sugar works its magic, adding extra moisture to ensure the centers remain incredibly soft and chewy without ever being underbaked. Each bite offers a satisfying contrast of textures.
- Super Easy to Make Ahead & Bake from Frozen: Unlike many traditional sugar cookie recipes, these are designed for convenience. The dough freezes beautifully, allowing you to prepare it in advance and bake fresh cookies whenever you desire. Baking from frozen not only saves time but also contributes to their superior chewy texture, making them an ideal treat to have on hand.
Professional Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Baking, especially cookies, is a delicate balance of art and science. Following these professional tips will elevate your cinnamon sugar cookies from good to truly exceptional:
- Measure Carefully and Precisely: Cinnamon sugar cookies rely on simple ingredients, meaning the success of your cookies hinges on the precise ratio of sugar to butter to flour. Pastry is a science, and exact measurements are crucial. Using a kitchen scale for flour, in particular, can make a significant difference, ensuring your cookies have the intended thickness and chewiness.
- Avoid Over-Creaming Butter and Sugar: This is a common mistake that can lead to cakey cookies instead of chewy ones. Over-creaming incorporates too much air into the mixture, which results in a lighter, more cake-like crumb. Instead, beat your butter and dark brown sugar just until a smooth paste forms and they are well combined, aiming for a consistent texture without excessive aeration. Use cold but pliable butter for the best results; it creams smoothly without becoming too aerated.
- Always Bake These Cookies from Frozen or Chilled: Chilling the dough thoroughly before baking is a non-negotiable step for these cookies. This crucial step helps the dough firm up, preventing excessive spreading in the oven and allowing the cookies to maintain their ideal shape and thickness. Baking from frozen takes this a step further, yielding cookies with a truly remarkable chewy interior and perfectly crisp edges. The cold dough takes longer to heat through, setting the edges before the center fully bakes, contributing to that desirable chewy texture.
Essential Ingredients for the Best Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
The magic of these cinnamon sugar cookies lies in a thoughtful selection of high-quality ingredients, each playing a vital role in creating their unique flavor and texture profile.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This is a star ingredient! Using dark brown sugar not only provides sweetness but also introduces a rich, deep molasses flavor that granulated sugar simply cannot replicate. Its higher moisture content is key to keeping these cookies incredibly soft and delightfully chewy, distinguishing them from traditional, crispier sugar cookies.
- Unsalted Butter: Good quality unsalted butter is the foundation of any great cookie. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the exact amount of salt in your recipe, ensuring a balanced flavor. Ensure it’s softened but still cool to the touch for optimal creaming.
- Whole Egg: The whole egg is a triple threat in this recipe, contributing fat, moisture, and leavening. The yolk’s fat content adds richness and promotes that desirable chewy texture, while the egg white helps with binding and structure. Beating the egg just enough incorporates air, aiding in a slight lift, and it also emulsifies the batter for a perfectly smooth consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer, good quality vanilla extract complements the cinnamon and brown sugar, adding depth and a comforting aroma. Don’t skimp on this!
- Ground Cinnamon: This recipe highlights cinnamon, so choose a fresh, aromatic ground cinnamon. Its warm, spicy notes are what give these cookies their signature “cinnamon roll” taste.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour strikes the perfect balance of gluten content needed for soft and chewy cookies. Too much flour can lead to dense, cakey cookies, while too little will cause them to spread excessively. For comparison, snickerdoodle cookies often contain a slightly higher flour proportion for a thicker, slightly cakier yet still chewy result, whereas these aim for a flatter, chewier profile.
- Baking Powder: We use double-acting baking powder, which reacts twice: once when mixed with liquid and again when heated in the oven, providing a consistent lift. Crucially, we skip baking soda to ensure these cookies remain thick, dense, and wonderfully chewy, rather than thin and crisp.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is essential for balancing the sweetness of the sugars and enhancing all the other flavors. It brightens the cinnamon and deepens the molasses notes, making every ingredient shine.
For precise measurements and quantities, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below!
Delicious Variations and Flavor Twists for Your Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
While these cinnamon sugar cookies are perfect as they are, there are many delightful ways to customize them and add your own unique flair. Get creative and make them truly your own!
- Take the Cinnamon Up a Notch: For an extra burst of cinnamon flavor and a satisfying crunchy crust, take a cue from my cinnamon sugar twists recipe. Just before baking, roll your scooped cookie dough balls generously in a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon. This adds an irresistible sparkle and an extra layer of spice. You could also incorporate a ½ cup of cinnamon chips directly into your cookie dough for pockets of warm, melty cinnamon; any extra chips would be perfect for some delicious cinnamon scones!
- Make Them Maple Marvels: For a cozy, autumnal twist, swap out the vanilla extract for maple extract. The rich, woodsy notes of maple pair beautifully with cinnamon and brown sugar, making these cookies an ideal treat for cooler months. Once you fall in love with this flavor combination, you’ll definitely want to try my maple pound cake with a maple glaze or my indulgent maple pecan caramel blondie next!
- Add a Decadent Frosting: While delicious plain, these cookies also serve as an excellent canvas for a touch of frosting. Consider spreading on a luscious cream cheese frosting for a true cinnamon roll experience, or try a slightly lighter cream cheese frosting specifically designed for cookies. A classic American buttercream, perhaps tinted with food coloring for a festive touch, would also be wonderful. For a truly unique flavor, you could even adapt the frosting from these Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes.
- Chocolate & Nut Add-ins: For an additional layer of texture and flavor, consider folding in a ½ cup of white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or finely chopped pecans or walnuts into the dough with the dry ingredients. These additions provide a delightful contrast to the warm cinnamon spice.
How to Serve Your Irresistible Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
These versatile cookies are perfect for any occasion, from a simple snack to a festive dessert. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Classic with a Glass of Cold Milk: There’s truly nothing quite like a warm cinnamon sugar cookie straight from the oven, paired with a tall, frosty glass of cold milk. It’s pure, unadulterated comfort and a timeless combination that never disappoints.
- Ideal Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies: Their chewy texture and perfect thickness make these cookies absolutely perfect for crafting gourmet ice cream sandwiches. The sturdiness of the cookie holds up beautifully against melting ice cream. A classic vanilla bean ice cream would be a divine pairing, but for an adventurous twist, this maple walnut ice cream would be an unforgettable combination!
- Bring on the Cookie Platters! Cinnamon sugar cookies offer a wonderful balance of spice and sweetness, making them an excellent addition to any holiday or celebration cookie platter. Their warm, inviting flavor complements a wide range of other treats. I love them so much, I’d happily mix and match them with literally any of these Easy Christmas Cookies for a truly impressive spread!
- A Perfect Companion for Coffee or Tea: For a cozy afternoon pick-me-up or a delightful after-dinner treat, serve these cookies alongside a freshly brewed cup of coffee, a warm latte, or your favorite herbal tea. The spices in the cookie beautifully enhance the beverage.
- Crumble Over Desserts: Get creative and crumble cooled cinnamon sugar cookies over vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt, or even a fruit crisp for an added layer of flavor and texture.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Baking these delightful cookies is a straightforward process, but paying attention to each step ensures the best possible results. Before you begin, gather all your ingredients and equipment – this “mise en place” will make your baking experience much smoother.
Further details and exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Whisking ensures these ingredients are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed throughout the dough, preventing pockets of unmixed flour or leavening. Set this bowl aside.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine the softened unsalted butter and dark brown sugar. Beat them on medium speed until a cohesive paste forms. It’s crucial not to over-cream at this stage; beat just until the ingredients are well incorporated, lightened slightly in color, and smooth. Then, add the large egg and vanilla extract, beating well until fully combined and the mixture is emulsified. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
Chef’s Tip for Creaming: Ensure your butter is softened but still cool and pliable to the touch. This helps you achieve the perfect paste without incorporating too much air, which is key for a chewy, rather than cakey, cookie texture.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture (from Step 1) to the wet ingredients in three additions. Mix until almost all of the flour has been incorporated before adding the next batch. Be careful not to overmix the dough once the flour is added; overmixing develops the gluten too much, which can lead to tough cookies. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain.
Step 4: Scoop and Chill the Dough. Use a large cookie scoop (about ¼ cup size) to portion the dough into even balls. This ensures uniform baking. Arrange the scooped dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Now, and this is critical for the best texture and shape, chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking. For even better results and ultimate convenience, consider freezing the dough balls at this stage! Frozen dough can be baked directly, often yielding an even chewier cookie with crispier edges.
Chef’s Insight on Cookie Size: Many claim that “bigger is better” for chewier cookies, but with the right recipe and technique, this isn’t always true! At Les Filles Bakery, we sell two different sizes of this exact same cookie. Even our smaller 30g cookies (less than an inch across) bake up perfectly chewy, provided you meticulously watch the bake time. The key is the recipe and careful monitoring, not just size.
Step 5: Preheat Your Oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) using the convection setting. If your oven doesn’t have a convection setting, you can use a standard setting at 350°F (175°C), but be aware that baking times might vary slightly. Convection helps ensure even heat distribution and a more consistent bake.
Step 6: Bake and Cool. Place the chilled or frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between them for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes. Look for visual cues of doneness: the edges should be a beautiful golden brown, the centers should have puffed up slightly, and the surface of the cookies should look matte, not shiny. This indicates they are perfectly baked. Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet or transfer them to a wire rack. Cooling fully helps them set and develop their final chewy texture.
Chef Lindsey’s Golden Rule: Avoid Overbaking!
This is perhaps the most critical tip for achieving the perfect chewy cinnamon sugar cookies. While perfectly baked cookies are wonderfully soft and tender in the center with a slight chew, even a few extra minutes in the oven can dramatically change their texture. Overbaked cookies quickly become dry, crumbly, and lose that coveted chewiness. Always err on the side of slightly underbaking if you’re unsure, as cookies continue to cook slightly from residual heat as they cool on the baking sheet. Look for those visual cues of matte centers and golden edges, and trust your instincts!
Frequently Asked Questions About Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
My grandmother had a fantastic old-school trick: store your chewy cookies in a plastic baggie or an airtight container with a slice of fresh bread. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, keeping them wonderfully soft for longer! Alternatively, for long-term freshness, store baked chewy cookies in an airtight container in the freezer. They’ll retain their soft, chewy texture and delicious flavor for up to a month! If stored at room temperature in an airtight container, they’ll remain fresh for up to a week, though their chewiness will gradually decrease over time.
Baking from frozen is incredibly convenient and yields fantastic results! Simply preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) if using a convection setting, or 350°F (175°C) for a standard oven. Place the frozen dough balls directly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for approximately 17-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges have begun to brown lightly, the centers are puffed, and the surface has developed a lovely crackled, matte appearance rather than looking shiny. No need to thaw beforehand!
Absolutely, these cookies are excellent for shipping! Their robust, chewy texture holds up exceptionally well during transit. For best results, package them tightly in a decorative tin or simply place them in a zip-top bag inside a sturdy mailer box. They maintain their freshness for about 10 days at room temperature and stay wonderfully chewy for almost as long. A general rule of thumb for shipping is that larger, thicker cookies tend to retain their chewiness and structural integrity better than smaller, thinner varieties.
Yes, chilling the cookie dough is a crucial step for this recipe and should not be skipped! Since the butter in the dough was softened during the mixing process, the cookies need to chill for at least 2 hours before baking. Without chilling, the dough will spread too much in the oven, resulting in thin, crispy cookies instead of the desired thick, chewy texture. Chilling allows the butter to re-solidify and the flour to fully hydrate, which creates thicker, chewier cookies that hold their shape beautifully.
While you can technically substitute light brown sugar for dark brown sugar, it will affect the final taste and texture of your cookies. Dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content, which contributes a richer, deeper flavor and more moisture, resulting in a chewier cookie. Light brown sugar will still provide sweetness and some chewiness, but the cookies may be slightly less moist and have a milder, less complex flavor profile. For the “cinnamon roll inside” experience, dark brown sugar is highly recommended.
The unbaked cookie dough is excellent for making ahead! You can store the scooped and chilled dough balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze the scooped dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When ready to bake, follow the instructions for baking from frozen.
If you tried this amazing recipe and loved it, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments truly make my day!
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Chef Lindsey
5 minutes
17 minutes
2 hours
2 hours
22 minutes
13
cookies
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Ingredients
-
1 ¼
cups
dark brown sugar
-
½
cup
unsalted butter
softened -
1
large egg
-
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract
-
2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
¼
teaspoon
baking powder
-
½
teaspoon
kosher salt
-
2
teaspoons
ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
-
Cream butter and dark brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or electric mixer) until a paste forms. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat well to combine.
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Reduce the mixer to low and add dry ingredients in three additions, waiting until almost all the flour has been incorporated before adding the next.
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Scoop with a large cookie scoop or roll into balls about ¼ cup size. Chill dough before baking. Bonus points for freezing!
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Preheat the oven to 325°F convection.
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Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven for 17-20 minutes until the edges are a nice golden brown, the centers have puffed and the surface looks matte not shiny. Cool completely. You can cool them on a wire rack or on the baking sheet.
Notes
Variations – Feel free to enhance the flavor and texture by adding up to ½ cup of cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or finely chopped nuts to the dough.
Technique – For the chewiest cookies, it is essential that your butter is soft and pliable, yet still cool to the touch, not melted or greasy.
Storage – Baked cinnamon sugar cookies will remain fresh and delicious for up to 10 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For longer enjoyment, they can be frozen for several months. For the best flavor and texture, I highly recommend storing the dough frozen and baking them fresh as needed.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 36g
|
Protein: 3g
|
Fat: 8g
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Saturated Fat: 5g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g
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Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
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Trans Fat: 0.3g
|
Cholesterol: 31mg
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Sodium: 110mg
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Potassium: 58mg
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Fiber: 1g
|
Sugar: 21g
|
Vitamin A: 237IU
|
Vitamin C: 0.01mg
|
Calcium: 32mg
|
Iron: 1mg
Dessert
American
220
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Before You Go: Explore More Delicious Recipes!
I genuinely hope you savored this professional chef-tested recipe for the best soft and chewy cinnamon sugar cookies. It’s a true labor of love designed to bring warmth and comfort to your kitchen. If you’re looking to expand your baking repertoire, don’t hesitate to explore our extensive collection of over 250+ cookie recipes, including delightful variations like these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. Or, perhaps you’re in the mood for something a little grander? Indulge in one of our professional cake recipes for your next special occasion. Happy baking!