These come out something like gingersnaps but with that sweet cinnamon flavor we all love. The chocolate just takes it up a notch. Don't wait for Christmas to make these!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Perfect sweet treat for cinnamon lovers
- Always a crowd pleaser on the dessert table during the holiday season
- Great recipe to make with kids—little hands love rolling out dough balls
Crisp and chewy cinnamon cookies have that nostalgic, fragrant cinnamon spice flavor that somehow makes the most wonderful time of year even more special. Plus, the shiny chocolate finishing glaze is like a big bow on top of a perfectly wrapped present—it doesn't get any better than this.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cream butter with brown sugar and white sugar, then add eggs.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Form three-dozen cookie dough balls and roll each through the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place two inches apart on parchment paper.
- Bake and cool on a wire rack. Dip each chewy cinnamon cookie into chocolate.
🥫 Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for one week. Buttery cookies like these ones stay fresher for longer if they're tightly sealed.
Like most of my favorite cookies, these chewy cinnamon ones can be frozen—baked or unbaked—for three to four months. Be sure to tightly cover the cookies or cookie dough in plastic wrap to shield them from freezer burn and odors.
For delicious cookies with almost no prep, shape the dough into balls before freezing. Then, whenever you're craving this cinnamon cookie recipe, just pull out a few, plop them on a baking tray, and enjoy 10-12 minutes later!
📖 Variations
Depending on your definition of the "perfect cookie," you might want to alter the bake time slightly. I've tested this cinnamon sugar cookie recipe to achieve the ideal chewy texture—no matter what "ideal" is for you!
- 8 minutes: very soft, chewy cookie.
- 8 ½ minutes: soft and chewy center with thin, crispy edges.
- 9 minutes: slightly chewy center but mostly crisp (my favorite!)
- 10 minutes: crunchy cookie.
Here are some other variation ideas:
- You can omit the cayenne from the cinnamon-sugar mixture if you don't like any heat.
- Swap the vanilla extract for a splash of rum or brandy—yum!
- Melt down some white chocolate chips (instead of regular chocolate) if you have a major sweet tooth. It's a little sweeter this way.
- Instead of dipping the cookies in chocolate, drizzle them with cream cheese frosting. It makes them taste like cinnamon rolls! (Keep in mind, anything with cream cheese frosting needs to stay refrigerated.)
- Decorate any way you prefer! Drizzle the cookies with red-tinted chocolate, sprinkle with holiday-colored sanding sugar, add festive sprinkles, or use piping gel to draw creative, personalized designs!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: For best results, use a cookie scoop to evenly portion out the cinnamon cookie dough. This ensures each cookie comes out with the same, great texture.
- You can weigh the dough balls on a food scale to make them the exact same size. I weighed each to 0.5 ounces, which is a scant tablespoon.
- Chilling the dough overnight (before rolling out the balls) makes it easier to work with. If you're going to make the cookies with kids, I'd recommend doing it this way.
- For quick room-temperature butter, use the 50% or defrost setting on your microwave at 10-second intervals. Rotate the butter in between each interval until it's soft—but not melted.
- Instead of parchment paper, you can prep your cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- If you prefer the texture of really crinkly crinkle cookies, lower the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake the cookies for a few minutes more, and see if you prefer them that way.
- For perfectly chewy cinnamon cookies, remove them from the oven once they're puffed and just done. They'll continue to harden a bit out of the oven so don't worry if they're slightly soft at first.
- Don't overbake or you'll lose that chewy texture!
If you like chewy, gooey cookies try these peanut butter Rolo cookies, too.
👩🍳 FAQs
You could, but you wouldn't have delicious cinnamon cookies! Baking soda helps the cookies to form and makes them tender. The baking powder makes them rise. Use both and your chewy cinnamon cookies will be perfect!
You can, if you like soft cinnamon cookies. However, the granulated sugar mixture dries out in the oven and makes that thin layer of crispiness that Christmas sugar cookies are known for!
They're similar! These chewy cinnamon cookies have a slightly spicier, warm flavor than a snickerdoodle cookie recipe because of the extra cinnamon in the cookie.
📚 Related recipes
- This Snickerdoodle recipe has been a family tradition for years because they're just that perfect—soft, fluffy, chewy, and crisp around the edges!
- Peppermint Blossom Cookies are easy, fun, and festive! They taste just like the holidays and make great cookie-exchange treats or gifts.
- With pecans, toffee, and butterscotch chips, these Chewy Butterscotch Cookies taste just like Buckaroons—if you're not familiar, you're going to want to be!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- stand mixer
- butter
- sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- cayenne pepper, ground
- dark chocolate
📞 The last word
If you love a chewy cookie you're going to go wild over these cousins to the infamous snickerdoodle cookies!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Chewy Cinnamon Cookies
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Spicy Sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional
Chocolate Glaze
- 12 ounces dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
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Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Or use a hand held electric mixer.
- Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended.
- Stir in flour mixture until the dough comes together and you can't see any streaks of flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Mix the cinnamon, sugar, and cayenne in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Gently roll tablespoon-sized pieces of dough (about 0.5 oz each) into a ball.
- Drop each dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll around until the dough is covered.
- Place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Centers will still be soft.
- Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from cookie sheets.
Chocolate Glaze
- Add the chocolate and butter to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 20 seconds.
- Add cinnamon and cayenne, stirring to blend.
- Dip each cooled cookie halfway into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set. Add sprinkles, nuts, or other décor while chocolate is still very soft.
Notes
- This recipe is so easy that it's a good one to make with kids. Even the littlest of the littles can roll the ball of dough in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Use baking soda and baking powder in this recipe. Baking soda weakens the gluten and that helps the crackles to form properly but it needs the baking powder to rise.
- You can roll the dough balls in Confectioner's or granulated sugar before baking BUT I suggest granulated because the sugar dries out the surface of the dough, giving it that thin layer of crispy sugar that we all love.
- If your cinnamon cookies don't crinkle enough at 375F try 325F for a longer period of time and see if you like them better.
- Be sure to remove them from the oven when they are puffed and JUST done if you like chewier cookies.
- Chilling the dough overnight will give you an easier dough to work with.
- Weighing the dough ensures that your cookies are all the same size and they will bake better. I made mine 0.5 ounces - about 1 scant tablespoon.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published December 7, 2021. Last updated November 24, 2022 for editorial improvements.
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