I love a good cinnamon sugar combo, and these brown sugar cinnamon cookies are just that plus added tenderness and flavor from dark brown sugar. They're slightly crunchy on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside.
INGREDIENT NOTES:
Butter: always always always unsalted butter for baking so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Salted butter varies in salt content from brand to brand. If you really don't have unsalted butter, you can use the salted, but make sure to lessen the amount of added salt. Either way, needs to be room temp!
Dark brown sugar: this gives the cookies a delicious deep molasses flavor and ultra chewy texture. You could use light brown sugar if it's all you have, but note that the flavor won't be as deep - but will still be yummy.
Egg: you'll want to use one whole large egg + one egg yolk here to help drive the texture. Make sure they're room temp!
HOW TO MAKE THESE BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON COOKIES:
These brown sugar cinnamon cookies come together in your basic cookie steps, and have minimal fridge time which means fresh out of the oven cookies faster.
- Step 1: in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars for about 3 minutes until pale in color.
- Step 2: add in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
- Step 3: in a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and just using a fork mix them together.
- Step 4: add the dry into the wet in about 3 increments, and mix to combine after each time.
- Step 5: in a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls, and roll through the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Step 6: when ready to bake, take the cookies out of the fridge while you preheat your oven. This will bring them back down closer to room temp. Preheat your oven to 350℉, place the cookies 2 inches apart from each other, and bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet.
HOW TO STORE THESE COOKIES:
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. If you're freezing them, allow them to come to room temperature first.
If you want to freeze the dough before baking, roll it into the 2 tablespoon sized balls, put on a cookie sheet in the fridge for at least 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag (don't forget to put the date on it!). They can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months. When time to bake, you can bake directly from being frozen, just add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
OTHER DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES
📖 Recipe
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temp
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- For rolling: ¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a hand-mixer, beat together the butter and sugars (both dark + granulated) for about 3 minutes until well combined and pale in color.
- To the bowl, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat to combine for about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Gently mix together.
- In increments of three, add the dry ingredients into the wet until combined and a dough forms.
- Grab a parchment lined baking sheet and roll the dough into 2 tablespoon size balls. Roll through the additional ¼ cup sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and place on the baking tray. They can be touching here. Put in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, take your cookies out of the fridge and allow them to come down closer to room temp while you preheat your oven to 350℉. Bake the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet for 14-16 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
- Enjoy!
Jeff says
I omitted the vanilla and substituted pure maple syrup and bumped it to 2 teaspoons. Thus they became Cinnamon Maple Sugar cookies
Haley says
Sounds delish!
Bailey Rabon says
I just made some and they turned into graham crackers but they are delicious!
Karlie says
Just tried these OUT and they are AMAZING
Haley says
Yay!! So glad you loved them 🙂
Bethany says
For me these cookies are honestly too sweet. They just taste like a spoonful of sugar and not much else really.
Haley says
I'm sorry you didn't like them Bethany, I appreciate your feedback!
Ayd says
That’s what I was worried about as soon as I saw 2 cups of sugar. I’m going to try with one cup and see how that goes
Patty Johnson says
Why do you need to refrigerate these before baking?
Haley says
If you don't chill them, they will spread too much. Chilling gives the butter a chance to re-solidify. Also when you chill them it gives the ingredients a moment to meld together more.
Amanda says
Sooooo gooood! Crispy on the outside, soft in the inside! Whole family love, love, loved these cookies!!!!!
Haley says
Ah!! Yay😊 so glad to hear that!
Katja says
Just tried them out this afternoon, loved them! I added more cinnamon and since I was impatient I didn’t refrigerate them before baking. They turned out to be nicely round and flat, and therefore perfectly crispy!
Haley says
I'm so glad you loved them and they worked well without being chilled!
Leslie Castilonia says
Can you substitute a 1:1 gluten free flour?
Haley says
I haven't tried it so I can't say for certain, but it's worth a shot!