These are THE cookies for anyone who eats the streusel crumbs off a coffee cake before eating the cake. Cinnamon Streusel Cookies are solid streusel; buttery, cinnamon crumbs baked into crunchy circles or wedges.
Why you'll love this recipe
If you are one of those people who think streusel is the best part of any dessert they adorn, here is some exciting news. Those buttery, sweet crumbs can be used to make cookies!
When streusel crumbs are baked, they join together a crunchy deliciousness. They can be baked in a large circle and cut into wedges or baked into smaller individual cookies.
Drizzled with icing, or sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, streusel most definitely can be made into fabulous cookies!
Savor the cinnamon crunch with a quiet cup of tea or celebrate their deliciousness on a holiday cookie platter.
However you share them, streusel lovers everywhere will be thrilled at first bite.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, then set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the vanilla and the melted butter. Rub the ingredients together with your fingers to form streusel crumbs, pea-size and smaller.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the bottom of a springform pan or divided evenly into the bottoms of cupcake pan cups or circle molds.
- Bake for 12-18 minutes until light golden. Smaller cookies will bake faster than the 1 large springform pan. Cool completely in the pan.
- Optional: If using glaze, in a small bowl stir together confectioner’s sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Sprinkle cooled cookies with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with glaze.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Variations
- This recipe makes a big bowl of cinnamon scented streusel crumbs. Bake the crumbs in a round springform pan, then cut into wedges like shortbread, or broken into chunks like peanut brittle.
- For circle streusel cookies, bake the crumbs in the cups of a cupcake pan or in cylinder cake molds.
- I also baked a batch of in colorful paper baking cups with sealable plastic lids, that I found at Home Goods. A stack of two or three cups tied with a ribbon makes a pretty presentation in care packages or as gifts.
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Cinnamon Streusel Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup fine semolina flour I use Bob’s Red Mill
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Round cookies can be made with circle molds or cupcake pans. Wedge or chunk cookies can be made with a 9-inch round springform pan. The pans do not require lining or greasing.
- Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, then set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir in the vanilla and the melted butter. Rub the ingredients together with your fingers to form streusel crumbs, pea-size and smaller.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the bottom of the springform pan or divided evenly into the bottoms of the cupcake pan cups or circle molds.
- Bake for 12-18 minutes until light golden. Smaller cookies will bake faster than the 1 large springform pan.
- Cool completely in the pan.
- Optional: If using glaze, in a small bowl stir together confectioner’s sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Sprinkle cooled cookies with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with glaze.
- Allow glaze to firm before storing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Double wrap columns of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap.
- Place cookie columns in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag with no wiggle room.
- Use plenty of paper or other soft stuffing around the cookies in the mailing box to keep the cookies from moving (and breaking) in transit.
Nutrition
First Published: November 19, 2015. Last Updated: November 15, 2022. Updated for better reader experience.
Allison
How important is the semolina flour? Could I just use all-purpose for the full amount?
Thanks!
Wendy Sondov
Hi Allison. I have never tried this cookie with all-purpose flour for the full amount.I am not sure how these cookies would turn out, but from what I read, you should be able to make that substitution. I know that each type of flour adds different properties to baked goods. The high protein and gluten content of Semolina flour helps cookies keep their shape when baked and provides a crunchy texture. Though the texture might be a bit different if you use only all-purpose flour, but these cookies are made in molds or pans so you don't have to worry about whether they will hold their shape.
Lindy Curtis
Just wondering grans of butter. My mixture was sloppy.
The Monday Box
Hi Lindy. The recipe calls for 11 tablespoons of butter which is about 156 grams of butter. If your streusel wasn't crumbly the measurement of your dry ingredients could be off too. I agree that it would be so much easier if all recipes were written in weight measurements, but unfortunately, most Americans don't have kitchen scales! I hope you were able to make the needed crumbs. This is one of my favorite cookies!
______________________
They did not turn out as struseley as i'd like them to be, but my family loved them.
The Monday Box
I am glad your family enjoyed the cookies! They are made using streusel only so I don't know how we could make them more streusely for you. would adding more cinnamon help? Personally, I can never get enough cinnamon!?
Reeni
You mean I can just eat streusel????!!!! I don't have to bake a cake and steal it off the top so everyone else is left wondering where the streusel went? OMG. I had no idea you could do this Wendy! I can't tell you happy I am! I'll be dreaming of these tonight. Thanks for mentioning my cake! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Reeni! That is EXACTLY what I said when I saw this recipe! We all bake recipes and eat the streusel off the top. Now we can leave the other desserts intact and get our streusel fix from cookies! 😉 Happy streusel cookie dreams. I hope you a great Thanksgiving!
Monica
Hi Wendy - now, this kind of blow my mind a little. It's so genius! Anything with crumb topping and all anyone talks about is how great that buttery sweet topping is and how it's the best part of the pastry! This is such a great idea and a conversation starter at that. I like how you bake some in the ring mold/cookie cutter. It reminds me of those beautiful cookies Dorie Greenspan is known for. And thank you for the kind mention. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!
The Monday Box
I agree, Monica, these cookies are REALLY wonderful because they are made of what everyone talks about; the STREUSEL. When I found the recipe, it was a major aha moment. I hope you will try them (add some of your favorite nuts, if you must 🙂 ) because I KNOW you will love these! After reading your comment, I had to go find the Dorie cookies you were referring to. Wow, yes! Jammers look a lot like these in contents as well as shape. Lottie & Doof has a recipe for them that I now plan to try asap! Thanks for pointing me in that direction. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
These look wonderful and you know I love a good streusel! Thank you Wendy - have a great Thanksgiving!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Tricia! Streusel lovers unite! I think these would make a great Christmas cookie tray cookie because streusel IS everyone's favorite and these can be made way ahead of time. Have a joyful Thanksgiving!
Ashley
Me, me, me!! haha I love streusel! It's my favorite part of the cake / muffin / whatever! haha These cookies will definitely be happening this baking season! And thanks for including my bread! 🙂
The Monday Box
You are going to LOVE these cookies, Ashley. All the qualities that make streusel a great topping, make streusel an awesome cookie! 🙂
Chris
Wendy, these are some of the best looking cookies I've seen in a long time. I will definitely be trying them. I love all the ways you made them too. So creative!
Thanks for the link, I agree, streusel makes everything better!
Hope you're doing well!
p.s. love the pretty picture of you!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Chris! I know we all love streusel, because we all have streusel topped recipes! Eating a streusel only cookie is sort of like getting to eat frosting with a spoon. The best part on its own! 🙂 The little crumbs mold easily to the shape of their container and because they are so buttery, the cookies pop right out with no sticking. I recommend these for getting over jet lag and travel exaustion! 😉 (The photo is a free headshot taken at ChoppedCon. FINALLY I have a photo I like for the blog. 🙂 )
Liz
Okay, what?! These cookies are calling to me... I keep a bag of streusel in my freezer to use for desserts on a short moments notice. But... confession time... I eat a lot of it on it's own. Thank you for posting this Wendy! Pinning 🙂
The Monday Box
I know, Liz! Can you believe streusel cookies existed all this time and we never knew?!! I even didn't believe it until I had baked and eaten several batches 😉 I am pretty sure they are real, but may bake another batch or 2 soon, just to be sure. 🙂 Thanks for pinning!