Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake (Printable)

Tender cinnamon streusel cookies with a sweet vanilla glaze, ideal for pairing with your favorite warm drink.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
03 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

→ Streusel Topping

11 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
13 - 1/3 to 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - Pinch of salt

→ Icing

16 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
17 - 1 tablespoon milk
18 - Splash of vanilla extract

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Beat in egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Gradually add dry mixture to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - In another bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, flour (start with 1/3 cup and add more as needed), ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix until crumbly texture forms.
07 - Scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets using about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie, leaving space between each. Gently press an indent into the center of each cookie.
08 - Fill each indent generously with streusel mixture.
09 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
10 - Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The streusel stays crispy while the cookie underneath stays impossibly tender, creating this perfect textural surprise.
  • They come together in under 35 minutes with zero fancy equipment, so even a rushed Tuesday morning feels doable.
  • That vanilla glaze drizzle makes them look bakery-worthy, even though you made them in your own kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these even slightly—the cookies should look almost underbaked when you pull them from the oven because they continue cooking on the sheet during that five-minute rest.
  • The streusel texture matters; if it's too wet and paste-like, it'll bake hard instead of staying crumbly, so add that second flour tablespoon if needed.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more evenly, so pull your butter and egg out of the fridge twenty minutes before you start baking.
  • If your streusel mixture breaks apart when you're filling the cookies, your butter wasn't soft enough—let it sit a few more minutes and try again.
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