Name: Sweet Cinnamon Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 83 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup Granulated sugar; ½ tablespoon Cinnamon; ½ cup Butter - soft; 1 large Egg; ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract; 1 ¼ cup All purpose flour; ½ teaspoon Baking powder; 1 pinch Salt

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Melt-in-your-mouth sweet cinnamon cookies are thin with crisp edges and crunchy centers! These elevated sugar cookies have cinnamon both in the dough and then sprinkled on the outside for the most delicious after school treat, holiday cookie, or anytime you need a sweet treat.

6 cookies stacked on top of each other with a teaspoon of cinnamon on the left side.

Sweet, spice and everything nice is what you get when you make these sweet cinnamon cookies! If you can’t get enough of warm spices like cinnamon, then these cookies are for you.

They are a cross between a crunchy sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle and will satisfy any cookie craving!

In the fall when you start to crave something warm and nostalgic, these cinnamon sugar cookies really hit the spot! They are just as perfect for any holiday cookie tray as they are for an afternoon snack or enjoy them as an after dinner dessert with a cup of coffee!

Table of Contents

Why You Will Love These Cinnamon Cookies

Sweet cinnamon spice: If you love everything cinnamon and warm spice, you will love these cookies.
Crowd pleasing: Whether it’s a football gathering or holiday party, everyone will love these cookies.
Easy to make: Simple enough for the kids to help make with only 10 minutes hands on preparation!
Freezer friendly: Enjoy a sweet treat anytime by storing these in the freezer either baked or unbaked!

Ingredients Needed for Sweet Cinnamon Cookies

With less than 10 ingredients, you can make these buttery cinnamon sugar cookies on a whim with pantry staples!

Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and gives the cookies those signature crisp sugar cookie edges, plus we sprinkle some on top of the cookie to make it extra sweet!
Ground cinnamon: A warming spice that makes these cookies so flavorful.
Butter: Your butter will need to be softened so plan accordingly to bring it to room temperature.
Egg: Used for binding the ingredients together.
Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and rich taste to the cookies.
All purpose flour: Adds structure to the cookies.
Baking powder: Helps the cookies achieve a slight rise.
Salt: Adds taste and enhances the flavor in your cookies.

6 cookies stacked on top of each other with the top one halved.

Variations

Chocolate dipped: For a decadent treat, dip half your cooled cookie into melted chocolate!
Coarse sea salt: To add some crunch and texture, immediately after removing from the oven sprinkle with sea salt.
Drizzle with frosting: Drizzle with cream cheese frosting, it will taste like a cinnamon roll!
Baking chips: Add some white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or caramel chips!
Spice cookies: Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or chai spice or any combination of allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.

How to Make Sweet Cinnamon Cookies

This crisp sweet cinnamon sugar cookie recipe comes together easily for a simple, straight forward cookie that will be a new favorite!

Make cinnamon and sugar mixture: In a small bowl whisk together the cinnamon and sugar. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture and set it aside for the top of the cookies.

Sugar and cinnamon mixed together in a small bowl.

Whisk together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt to remove any lumps and then set aside.

Dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Combine ingredients: In a medium to large mixing bowl, beat together the cinnamon mixture with the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat again to incorporate, then add the vanilla extract and combine. On low speed, add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until just combined.

Ingredients mixed together in a bowl to create the cookie dough.

Chill dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Roll dough: Roll out the dough to ¼ inch or a bit less and cut with round cookie cutters.

Cookie dough rolled out and cut into circles.

Bake: Brush the tops of the cookies with milk and sprinkle with the leftover cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet or until lightly browned on the edges. Cool for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy!

Measure the flour correctly. The spoon and level method ensures you don’t pack your flour into the measuring cup and use too much!
Room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter and egg will incorporate and blend better with other cookie ingredients.
Chill the dough. Don’t skip this step as it adds both flavor to the cookie dough and gives the cookies a better texture.
Parchment paper lined baking sheet. This promotes both even baking and even browning of your cookies. You can also use a silicone baking mat if preferred.
Don’t over bake. Every oven bakes differently, experiment with one or two cookies to find the ideal baking time for your oven. For a chewy cinnamon cookies recipe bake 10 minutes or less and for crispy cookies bake closer to 13 minutes.

How to Store and Freeze Sweet Cinnamon Cookies

Cool your cookies completely then store in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for up to a week. I doubt they will last that long!

You can also freeze your baked cookies. Cool completely then store in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy!

5 cookies on a black wire rack with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a black tea towel close to the rack.

FAQs

How do I know when the cookies are done?

The edges of your cinnamon sugar cookies will be golden and slightly set. When it comes to cookie baking, underdone is always better than overbaked.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the dough ahead of time and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days before baking. You can store it in cookie dough balls or whole. Do not brush with milk or cinnamon sugar until right before baking. Cinnamon cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag! You can either thaw and bake or thaw slightly and then bake adding a few minutes to the baking time.

How do I keep my cinnamon cookies soft?

There are a few steps you can take to keep your cookies soft while they are in storage! Cool your cookies completely before storing in an airtight container or bag at room temperature. Adding a piece of bread to the storage container is a neat trick that helps keep your cookies soft as well as it slows down the moisture loss in the cookies.

How can I warm up and refresh my cookies?

Nothing is better than a fresh baked cookie! To give leftover cookies that just baked feel, re-crisp them in a 400 degree F for 2-3 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes then enjoy warm!