These cinnamon chip cookies have a chewy gooey cream cheese dough with easy homemade cinnamon chips that melt into the cookies. It gives us all the cinnamon roll vibes in easily portable (no chilling required!) bite-sized cookies.
What Makes these Cookies Special?
My love for these cinnamon chip cookies runs deep. I don’t think I can even have them in the house or I will scarf the entire pan in one sitting. Why are they so delicious?
- The cream cheese in the dough not only gives a subtle tanginess to the cookies, but it keeps them super chewy and soft for days.
- The cream cheese it also prevents cookies from spreading while baking, so no chilling required and no flat cookies here!
- Our homemade cinnamon chips will melt down as they bake, so you end up with little pockets of cinnamon throughout the cookies.
- A quick glaze on top makes it feel like you are having a mini cinnamon roll without all the effort.
Ingredients
There are 3 main components in the cinnamon cookies: the homemade cinnamon chips, the cream cheese cookies and a glaze on top. The glaze is technically optional, but is it though?
Let’s look through some of the key ingredients!
- Brown sugar. My typical recipe for cinnamon chips uses granulated sugar, and that is completely OK to use in the chips still, but because I really liked the flavor of the brown sugar in the cookie dough, I swapped for it in the chips too. One less ingredient on hand!
- Shortening & corn syrup. This is what makes the cinnamon chips “work” and lets them melt into the dough. The shortening will melt just enough at a low temperature to bring the paste together into something sliceable, and the corn syrup keeps it from getting crunchy.
- Baking powder. A little goes a long way, these are thick gooey cookies.
- Ground cinnamon & nutmeg. Use a good quality cinnamon for the best flavor, and, if possible, I prefer to grate my own whole nutmeg on a microplane. Or pre-ground nutmeg works well too!
Making Cinnamon Chips
I go through all the steps of making cinnamon chips in my original recipe post, so I won’t go through all the details here.
Plus, they are really very simple and can be made in a large batch and stored in the fridge for ages (always have some on hand!)
Stir together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients – ta da, you have a paste now! Pat the paste into a thin sheet and bake at a low temperature. This will just set the chips. Allow to cool completely and they will be sliceable!
Could you skip the baking step and just stir the cinnamon mixture into the dough? Sorta kinda. Yes, you will get the same flavors, but you will miss those little lovely bursts of cinnamon. Think of cinnamon bread vs a cinnamon roll center.
Making Cream Cheese Cookies
These cream cheese cookies are crazy easy. I make a version of them for my over-the-top sprinkle cookies, but these are slightly different most notably with a brown sugar base.
I tested this recipe with several ratios to give a fabulous chewy, gooey cookie that simply melts in your mouth. They don’t require chilling and stay soft for days (if the cookies last that long).
Whip well. Begin by really whipping your butter, cream cheese and flour. This may not be as important as, say, in a cake, but we still want the texture to be very light and airy before adding more ingredients.
Don’t over mix. Avoid over-mixing after adding the flour to avoid tough cookies. Stop when the flour is just incorporated.
Gently add cinnamon. I prefer to mix the cinnamon chips in by hand. They can break up a bit if using an electric mixer.
I gave these a try making them oversized, but these are seriously thick and chewy cookies. I had to relent and admit the standard sized 2 1/2 tablespoon scoop is best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, these chips can be made up to 3 months in advance. Make some extra to have on hand!
Yes, this is a stickier dough, but it should still be scoop-able.
I reserve a few chips before mixing into the dough, then I dot them on top after scooping and before baking. Because these chips melt, I also look for any chips on the bottom edges and relocate them to avoid too much spilling onto the tray.
Cinnamon Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Silicone baking mat optional
- Standard cookie scoop
Ingredients
Cinnamon Chips
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons shortening
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Cookies
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 113 g cream cheese room temperature
- 213 g brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 210 g all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 84 g confectioners' sugar sifted
- 4 teaspoons milk or water
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Cinnamon Chips. Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or greased sheet of parchment. Set aside.
- Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl with a fork. Add in shortening, light corn syrup and vanilla. Continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated.2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons shortening, 2 teaspoons light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet and pat into a 1/4" tall layer. Bake for 30 minutes and set aside. Mixture will set as it cools.
- Cream Cheese Cookies. Turn oven temperature up to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip together butter, cream cheese and brown sugar on high until light in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula as needed.113 g unsalted butter, 113 g cream cheese, 213 g brown sugar
- Add egg and vanilla extract on low, mix until just combined. Then add salt and baking powder. Slowly add flour, mixing until dough forms.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 210 g all-purpose flour
- Once cinnamon chip mixture is cool, slice into 1/2" squares and stir into cookie dough with rubber spatula.
- Portion dough using standard 2 1/2 cookie scoop and place at least 2" apart on cookie sheet. Gently flatten cookie scoops with hand. If dough is sticking, light wet hands. If desired, relocate any cinnamon chips on the bottom edges to avoid spreading onto the pan.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes, until centers are just set and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack after 5 to cool completely.
- Glaze. Once cookies are cooled, whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle on top. Allow to set before stacking.84 g confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons milk, pinch salt
Notes
- Cinnamon chips can be made up to 3 months in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Store cookies in airtight container for up to 5 days.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
This is so rich and delicious. Cinnamon bun in a cookie. Love it ❤️
Thank you, Ene! We’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies!