Soft, chewy, and delicious, these cinnamon cookies are the quintessential cookie everyone loves and dreams of when they think of home. Our Cinnamon cookie recipe is easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes so go grab a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk, the perfect way to enjoy these cookies.
These melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon swirl cookies could become your new favorite cookie recipe. They’re simple to make and the warm cinnamon aroma will bring back all the best memories of your childhood and satisfy your craving for a delicious sweet treat.
Ingredients for the Cinnamon Cookies Recipe
Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
We use real salted butter that adds richness to our cookies. You can substitute it with a butter substitute but it may affect the flavor. You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. Using room-temperature butter creams much better than cold butter. If you use unsalted butter, you’ll want to add 1/4 teaspoon (per ½ cup of butter)
Cinnamon. The star of this cookie, a good quality cinnamon is definitely called for. My favorite is Saigon Cinnamon. If you’re sensitive to cinnamon, this article might help explain why.
Light Brown Sugar. For a lighter cookie, where the more intense molasses flavor of dark brown sugar is not preferable, we recommend light brown sugar. However, they truly are interchangeable and you can go with your preference.
Large Eggs. Using fresh grade A large eggs adds structure and stability to the cookie dough and increases the moisture content.
All-Purpose Flour. You can choose between bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour. Unbleached flour is less processed, but it doesn’t make a difference in this recipe.
How To Make Cinnamon Cookies
Wet Ingredients
Creamed Wet Ingredients
Add Dry Ingredients
Mix until combined
Once your oven is preheated and your cookie sheets are lined with silicone mats or parchment paper, it’s time to get mixing. First, cream the wet ingredients, and add one egg at a time. Then mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients a little at a time. My favorite tool for this is a Danish dough hook which helps me not to overmix the dough.
When the basic dough is mixed, set it aside and get out a smaller bowl to mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients. You can do that with a fork. Gently fold this mixture into the cookie dough with a spatula as if you were folding a delicate meringue. Don’t over-mix. Use a small cookie scoop to measure and scoop the cookies onto your baking sheet pan. Bake. Cool. Eat.
Scoop cookie dough
Space cookies on a baking sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cinnamon cookies the same as snickerdoodle cookies?
No. Technically, these cookies use the same exact ingredients as snickerdoodles right down to the cream of tartar, but the way the ingredients are combined is different. Instead of rolling these cookies into balls and then rolling them in a mix of white sugar and cinnamon — these cookies have a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon swirled right into the dough at the end for an easy-to-bake and easy-to-eat cookie with less mess.
What is cream of tartar? Do I need it?
Cream of tarter is made from grapes and works as an acid. This acid works to activate the baking soda causing our cookies to rise. It adds both a tanginess and a certain amount of chewiness to the cookie that you cannot get without this special ingredient.
What is the secret to making good cookies?
A couple of different secrets make the difference between *good* cookies and *amazing* cookies. The first is this. Don’t over mix the dough. And second, don’t over bake the cookies. If you can accomplish these two things, your cookies will likely be amazing!
How To Store
Cool completely before storing. Place the cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Can I freeze Cinnamon Sugar Cookies?
Lay cookies flat on a baking sheet and once frozen, you can put them in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 45 days for optimum flavor. I’ve frozen them for 3 months and they were still delicious. They thaw quickly at room temperature or place them in the microwave for ten to fifteen seconds. The good news is you can thaw exactly how many you need!
Tips for the perfect Cinnamon Cookie
The key is not to over-bake the cookies. You’ll want to take them out before they look done. When they have barely lost their gloss on top or barely started to turn brown on the edges, it’s time to pull them out. I always check on them before the minimum bake time. Once they’re perfectly baked I’ll note the time on my recipe card.
For perfect cookies, preheat your oven. Skipping this step will cause the cookies to bake too slowly at first and then too quickly at the end. They will be unevenly baked and it will be hard to figure out when to pull them from the oven.
If you enjoyed this recipe check these out!
Everyone loves a good cookie right? We just can’t stop looking for the next amazing recipe, which is why we have so many cookies on our website already. If you are planning to make a variety of cookies, be sure to check out these Lemon Snowflake Cookies made with cake mix which are another recent favorite. And, nothing beats a soft Peanut Butter Cookie for comfort. For a more unique cookie with exceptional quality, try this Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Cinnamon Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp salt
Swirl
- ¼ cup salted butter ½ stick, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp teaspoon salt pinch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer until all ingredients are combined, light, and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and mix well in between each one. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar together.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until flour is all incorporated and you have a cookie dough. Set aside. For this step, I used my Danish dough whisk. This way I make sure I don’t overmix the batter.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the ingredients for the swirl; butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Add the swirl mixture to the cookie batter. Use a spatula and mix “LIGHTLY” the swirl into the cookie batter. Use the same motion as folding an egg or meringue into a batter. Don’t overmix, you still want to see the swirl.
- Use a medium size cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons) and scoop the dough into a ball.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet and press down the ball to make a thick disc.
- Fill the cookie sheet leaving 1 ½ inch space between each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. The edges of the cookies will be set and golden.
- Cool the cookies in the pan for 1-2 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with more cookie dough. If, like me, you have a warm kitchen you might want to keep the uncooked batter in the fridge in between batches.
Notes
o Storage: Once they are completely cooled off, place them in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze the cookies for up to 45 days for optimum flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer
This cookie recipe is sweet and delicious but what’s even sweeter is that this recipe was made for the Sweetest Season Cookie cookie exchange event called the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fundraiser. You can learn more about this worthy cause by visiting their donate page.
This is one of my favorite charities and Hostess At Heart has been supporting this charity for over three years. Other cookie recipes that were made for the Sweetest Season are these amazing Sour Cream Cookies, Chocolate Oreo Truffles, Turtle Thumbprint Cookies, and Shortbread Cookies recipes.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
