Making Cookies Inspired by TV Shows, Part 5: Gilmore Girls! This Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookie is my favorite cookie of this series! You read that right — my favorite one. And if you know me well, you know I am so bad at choosing favorites, so this is saying something.
When I first shared this cookie, I hadn’t seen any episodes of Gilmore Girls. Since making this cookie, I started and finished the entire show! I am definitely a fan of the show and love this cookie even more.
This cookie consists of a cinnamon dough base, topped with streusel and icing! It is a soft cookie and the flavor is actually similar to coffee cake!
Here are a couple FAQ I get with this cookie:
Add more flour! If you add 1/3 cup of flour and the streusel is still sticking together and won’t crumble at all, add more. You may need more than 1/2 cup total. Add 1 tbsp additions of flour until the streusel starts to crumble when ran between your fingers. It shouldn’t be so crumbly that it won’t stick together, though. If you squeeze a handful in the palm of your hand, it should stick together, but if you then take that handful and run it through your fingers it should crumble.
The recipe makes 12 large cookies! I use my large cookie scoop, which is about 1/4 cup. You are welcome to make them smaller than this, in which case you will have more than 12 cookies.
If your dough is sticky once you add all of the ingredients, add more flour! The amount of flour needed in a recipe can be effected by altitude, so you may need extra! If your dough is stick, add 1 tbsp additions of flour until it is no longer sticky and looks like my dough in the video below.
I hope that helps! Always feel free to reach out to me with any additional questions. I can’t wait for you to try these Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookie!
Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookie
ingredients
Cinnamon Dough
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 cups flour
Streusel
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- splash of vanilla
instructions
- To make the dough, combine the butter, oil and dark brown sugar. Mix for a couple minutes until it is smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.
- To make the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hand. Start with 1/3 cup of flour. The mixture should stick together, but should also crumble when you run it through your fingers. If it isn't crumbling, add 1 tbsp additions of flour until it crumbles.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop a ball of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Using a spoon or your fingers, make an indent on the top of the dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the streusel on the top of the cookie, into the indent.
- Bake the cookies at 350 for 10-12 minutes. While they are baking, make the icing. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until it's smooth and runny. Once the cookies have cooled slightly, drizzle on lots of icing! Enjoy!
i made these today and i am OBSESSED. my boyfriend loved them and my mom said they are the best cookies she’s ever had! currently compiling a list of some of your other cookie recipes to try!
Yay! I’m so glad you loved them!! They are one of my fav cookies ever so I’m happy your mom felt the same way 🙂 Can’t wait to see what cookies you try next!
Your recipes have been fairly inconsistent. I feel like a lot of your cookies contain way too much oil on top of the butter. My cookies crack and fall flat because of how much oil there is.
hey, i’m so sorry that you feel this way. which other recipes have you had issues with?
I just made these and they are so good!! I made mine dairy free and they came out amazing. If you do them dairy free, they do need a bit more time in the oven. I used my 5 tbsp scoop and had to cook them for about 18 minutes. A new favorite! Can’t wait to try more of your cookies!
Amazing! I’m so glad you loved then and so glad they turned out well dairy free! I can’t wait for you to try other recipes! 🙂
I love these cookies so much. The cinnamon dough alone is too tempting. However, I am running into a bit of a problem with execution, if you could help. These cookies always fall flat for me when I bake them, even if I refrigerate the dough first. Also, my crumble often “disappears” (for lack of a better description) into the dough by the time it comes out. Any thoughts on how I can correct these two problems?
Hi! So glad you love these cookies! It sounds like your dough and crumble need more flour. Is the dough sticky when you make it? Try adding 1 tbsp additions of flour until the dough isn’t very sticky anymore. Same with the streusel — add 1 tbsp of flour until it crumbles in your fingers. Sometimes flour amounts can vary slightly. I hope this helps!! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Made a slight modification in using butter flavored shortening instead of oil.
Beautiful texture, flavor, and appearance. I’ve been bringing them into work and they’ve gone over well with rave reviews. Will be a favorite from now on!!
Yay I’m so glad you enjoyed them and that you were kind enough to share with co-workers as well!
Hello! Everytime I make these cookies my dough is like way way wetter and I don’t understand why? Could you help?
hi! i would try adding a bit more flour. depending on how you measure your flour can really sway how much flour you add, so if your dough is wet i would recommend adding more flour! the amount of flour you need can also be swayed by what elevation you live at (crazy, i know!) so there are lots of reasons you could need more flour! i would recommend adding flour until the dough is no longer super sticky. i hope this helps!
I came across your TikTok today, and had to make these (while watching Gilmore Girls, of course hahaha) My family absolutely loved them, and I will definitely be making these again! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
YAY so glad you and your fam loved these!!!
I regularly make these cookies and they’re some of my all-time favorites. I always make them for my friends. 🙂
YAY this makes me so happy!!
What about subbing butter for the oil? Would this work? I’m also considering adding oats to the topping. The recipe looks amazing tho!
hi! subbing butter for the oil will change the consistency. ohh oats to the topping is a fun idea! hope you enjoy these.
Hey!! So excited to try these but wanted to know if you’re using salted butter or unsalted butter first before I mess them up with the wrong one haha armature over here! Thank you 🙂
hi! you can use either. i usually use salted butter, but it won’t make a huge difference.
Really loved it tastes soooo good and cozy perfect for winter, though I wished I added more cinnamon, definitely making it again! ?
yay! so glad you loved them!!
They are sooo good and are making my house so yummy!!!
yay!! thank you! and yes a good smelling house is one of the best parts!
Part of my 2022 New Year’s resolution is to learn how to bake, and these were my first attempt for the year. Oh, my goodness! These things are to die for. Soft, crumbly, and oh so comforting. Love them!
YAY this makes me so happy!! so glad you loved them. it sounds like your resolution is off to a great start!
These turned out awesome! I ended up making about 18 cookies as opposed to the 12 the recipe called for, I baked for about 9 minutes instead. They turned out so delicious!
I ended up adding a touch more milk for the glaze just to help break it up a bit more. Phenomenal recipe.
yay!! so glad you loved these!
I’m so excited to try these but I live at a really high altitude. Do I need to make any adjustments?
hi! sometimes with high altitude baking, a bit more flour is needed. once the dough is mixed up, if it is really sticky, add 1 tbsp additions of flour until it is no longer sticky!
Sooooo good! These are so delicious and so easy to make. I appreciate the video instruction with it since I’m a visual learner. ? Can’t wait to have one with my morning coffee
yay!! so glad you loved them!!
hi im wanting to make this recipe so bad because coffee cake is my fav but i only have self rising flour, can you use that instead or no?
Hi! I would not recommend using self rising flour. Self rising flour has baking powder and salt, which will mess withe the baking powder and salt we are adding. I hope that makes sense!
this recipe is amazingggg! and i recently got addicted to gilmore girls and its now my comfort show along with these cookiessss:)
YAY so glad you love them!! I swear they taste even better when watching Gilmore Girls!
These cookies were so good, I took them to a get together & everyone loved them!! I was wondering if next time would it be possible to substitute vegetable oil for coconut oil?
yay!! i’m so glad you loved these!! i have never tried making these with coconut oil, but you can give it a shot!
Wow! I just made these cookies and they are so delicious. Thank you for this amazing and easy recipe.
YAY so glad you loved these!!
Made these earlier this week and they were to die for! I am stalking your website to see what to make next lol!!
EEK! so glad you loved these! can’t wait to see what you try next!
Hiii! Dark or light brown sugar??
hi! i like using dark, but either will work!
Hi, I really want to try to make these but is there a substitute for the eggs? We, unfortunately, do not eat eggs in my house.
hi! i haven’t tried it with these cookies, but you could try using a flax egg and see how it works!
Have you ever made these but with sugar substitute. I’m a type 2 diabetic and I’m dying to make these, but with modifications. Any tips?
hi! i’ve never made these with a sugar substitute. i’m afraid using a sugar substitute would change the texture and consistency of these cookies. but you’re always welcome to give it a shot!
Amazing cookies!!!!
thank you!!!
I am beyond perplexed. I bake a lot, and I followed this recipe exactly. The dough was way too wet and I ended up over-mixing them trying to get the dough to the right consistency. Tried to bake the first batch and they just rose, dried out and crumbled. Threw them all away. I have no clue why this didn’t work for me. So sad.
hmmm, i’m so sorry this happened! that is so strange…if the dough was wet then i bet there wasn’t enough flour. next time i would try adding 2-3 tbsp more of flour and see if its less wet. i’m so sorry you had problems with these cookies!
these cookies were wonderful!! the smell is amazing and overall it’s just divine. mine came out quite dry though, which i didn’t mind, because we were pairing them with ice cream anyways. but do you know what might caused that? i put in all the ingredients, it just was very crumbly and dry. thanks! 🙂
hi! i’m so glad you loved these! but i’m so sorry they came out dry. it seems like you had too much flour. next time i would add 1/4 cup less of flour, then add 1 tbsp additions of flour until the dough is no longer sticky. this should help you get the right amount of flour.
Just made these… and I’m obsessed! My sister is a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and said it made her feel like she was in the series! I personally added a little less salt in the dough, and I think it helped the sugary icing shine just a little more ?? Will definitely be making these again.
yay so glad you loved these!!
Hi! I’m anxious to try these but wondered if using light brown sugar in place of dark brown sugar would still work or if you’ve ever tried it. Thank you!
hi! yes, that is totally fine!
These were sooo good. If you’re contemplating making them, do it! This is your sign.
YAY thank you!!
10/10 cookies, so delicious – thank you!!! Just a bit of feedback: I always find it easier to stay consistent with flour measurements also provided in grams and butter in tbsp!
yay so glad you loved these!! and thank you — that’s a feature i hope to add soon!
So I love the flavor of these! I’m super happy I tried them. But mine came out kind of dry and crumbly. Was that just too long in the oven? Or what could have caused that? ? I wondered if they were supposed to be like that but your description says they’re soft cookies so I guess not ?????
hi! they’re definitely not supposed to be dry and crumbly… was your dough really dry? the amount of flour added can depend on how you measure your flour or even what elevation you live at. so it possibly had too much flour! next time i would try adding 1/4 cup less of flour, then add 1 tbsp additions of flour just until the dough isn’t sticky anymore. i hope this helps!
Made these yesterday and it’s an 11/10 for me!
YAY so glad you loved them!!
What would be the best flour substitute if you’re trying to make these gluten free?
I would use any 1:1 gluten free flour! One that is similar to all-purpose flour.
So I tried it with a 1:1 flour and they turned out very crumbly. Maybe I needed extra egg to hold it together?
hm, yeah i’m so sorry i’ve never personally tested this recipe with gf flour. an extra egg could help with the crumbly factor! it’s worth a shot! you could also try decreasing the flour amount slightly.
I made them with King Arthur’s 1:1 flour and they were absolutely phenomenal!
yay i’m so glad it worked well with the 1:1 flour!
These cookies were so good! I used dark brown sugar for the dough, light brown sugar for the streusel, and salted butter with both. 10 minutes in my oven and they were JUST right; slightly under-baked, but cooled to perfection. The taste reminded me of those brown sugar cinnamon pop-tarts…but better. I’m planning on making these again (twice in one week!). Thank you for this amazing recipe.
YAY i’m soo glad you loved these!! they totally have brown sugar cinnamon pop-tart vibes!
Is there a way to make the dough in advanced? I want to bake these at a holiday party tomorrow so I can serve them fresh & warm, but want to do as much prep ahead of time as possible. Could I make the dough & streusel in advance and refrigerate them until they are ready to be baked tomorrow? Thanks in advance 🙂
hi! you can totally do that! just make sure you cover the dough and streusel with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out, then you can bake them day of. i hope you enjoy them!
Hi! i made these cookies and they have great flavor!! however, my texture was dry and towards the outer edges of the cookie with a sort of sandy texture. I’m pretty sure I measured correctly. Any suggestions?
hi! it sounds like your cookies had a little too much flour. the flour amount can be swayed by elevation and by how you measure it (how tightly you pack it). so next time i would try adding 1/4 cup less of flour, then add 1 tbsp at a time until the dough isn’t sticky anymore. i hope this helps!
These were great! I was going to try them again with a little more butter, but when I took them to work, everybody went wild for them and raved about how perfect they are. Safe to say this was a success!
yay i’m so glad they were loved by everyone!!
These were delicious!! Big hit with my family. They didn’t make enough to share. Could I just double the recipe to make more?
hi! so glad you loved these! yes, you can double or triple the recipe!
Hello! These look amazing! What would recommend using as an egg substitute in this recipe? Thanks a ton! Can’t wait to try!
Hey! I can’t wait for you to give these a try! I haven’t tried making these with an egg substitute, so I can’t guarantee how it will turn out, but if you were to try, I would suggest adding a flax egg instead!
Seriously the best cookie I’ve ever had!
YAY this makes me so happy!!!
Holy moly. These were absolutely amazing!! They’re also easy to make, so that’s a bonus.
YAY so glad you loved these!!!
I made the coffee cake cookies yesterday 2-1-22 it’s was my first time making them,but when I tried one it was too dry but it was good I don’t know if it supposed to taste like that did I do something wrong for them to be dry I followed the directions has anyone else made them too & it came out dry,r the cookies supposed to be moist & soft? I would make them again if they come out moist & soft next time
hi! i’m so sorry these turned out dry. it sounds like you had too much flour. flour can really vary due to several factors such as how exactly you measure it, elevation, etc. so next time i would try adding 1/4 cup less of flour, then add 1 tbsp additions until the dough is not sticky!
After cooking mine ending up being very crunchy cookies. Is that the intention or are they supposed to be soft cookies? I may not have added enough flour or over baked slightly if they are meant to be soft.
hey! i’m sorry these ended up being crunchy — they’re definitely supposed to be soft! i would try baking them less time. and if your dough seemed a little dry, i would try adding a little less flour next time!
They’re not bad, but I followed the recipe exactly and they did not look like the pictures at all. The flavor was a little disappointing—could use a lot more spices.
Hi! I am wondering if you have ever frozen these cookies. I need quite a few for a wedding coming up and need a cookie that will freeze well. Thanks!
hi! i haven’t tried freezing the cookies after they’ve baked, but i’ve tried freezing the dough and that works great! i would recommend making a batch and sticking them in the freezer to see if they hold up to your liking!
How would you freeze these cookies? With the crumble already on top? I thought about gifting it to a friend that absolutely loves your recipe ?
yes, if you are freezing the dough (uncooked), add the crumble on top before freezing! then store them in an airtight container in the freezer. when you’re ready to bake, pull them out and you can bake them from frozen! you just might have to add a minute or two to the bake time.
The recipe says you need 1/2 cup of butter, but in the video you use a half stick of butter (1/4 cup). How much butter do I need?
the recipe is correct! follow the recipe! so sorry for the confusion!
Made these today and they are delicious! Recommend 100%!!
yay!! so glad you loved them!
these are AMAZING!! had to app a couple extra tablespoons of flour but turned out perfect. thanks mallory for hitting it out of the park, again!!
yay! thank you! so glad you enjoyed!
made these yesterday for my family and everyone loved them!! They were so soft and had a beautiful cinnamon and sweet flavour! Excited to try more recipes
yay i’m so glad everyone loved them!
i tried making these the other day and my dough and the topping turned out to be extremely oily. when i baked the cookies, they were dry and crumbly. i wonder if it was because the butter i used had vegetable oil in it. i would love to try again soon though
hi! what type of butter did you use that had vegetable oil in it? that might have been the reason! also, if the dough was dry, try adding a bit less flour next time as well!
Hey! Dying to try these but was wondering what type of flour do you use? Would that be all purpose?
Thank you xx
all-purpose!
These are THE best cookies I’ve had in my life and they make my home smell amazing. I made them twice and each time it has come out perfect! These are sending my social media into a frenzy! I made small 1TBSP cookies and got close to 30 from one batch but I do prefer them larger! All in all, 15/10 recommend!
YAY this makes me so happy!! i’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them. and yes — the smell they leave in your house is almost reason enough to make them!
Hi! Made these cookies exactly how the recipes says and I always measure flour using a kitchen scale – but my cookies came out so crumbly and dry!! What am I doing wrong
hi! i’m so sorry these turned out dry for you. flour can be tricky because it can be swayed by altitude and how it’s measured, so next time i would try adding less flour. the dough for these cookies should be soft and slightly sticky. i’m so sorry again that these didn’t turn out for you the first time!
i made these for the first time and they didn’t flatten out like yours did, i’m not sure what i’m doing wrong because i followed the recipe. they still taste great though!
hi! if they didn’t flatten at all they might have had a little too much flour! was the dough sticky at all?
These are amazing! Literally baking the last batch of cookie dough as I write this out, I read the comments before making and made sure to add a little more flour to the cookie dough and streusel topping! But let me tell you these are the most delicious looking cookies I’ve ever made and my husband 100% agrees they are awesome! Definitely writing this recipe down in my cookbook!
yay i’m so glad you enjoyed these!!! <3
i never leave these reviews but this one is kind of perfect. if you like crumb cakes then this is your cookie. i did exactly as the recipe says. though i may have put more streusel on them than in the pics.
yay this just made my day! so glad you enjoyed these — and good call with the streusel, you can never have too much!
Good lord lady! 1000/10 for this cookie recipe, I made them for staff at work and my managers. Whole batch gone before they cooled with sooo many requests for the recipe. You may have scored me promotion!! Found you on Tik Toc and I’m you new biggest fan!!
AAHH this just made my night!! i’m so glad you loved them and that all your co-workers loved them as well! and crossing my fingers you get that promotion!!
Super great, Iv made these a second time now, the first go around I had a hard time with the cookies setting up nicely, they were oily.
Second time I made them, I replaced 2 tbsp of flour with corn starch, I also cooked these on a dark cookie sheet and they turned out perfect. I just need to figure out how to add more crumble.
-if your cookies come out flat/spread out, take a circular object and swirl them while hot, it’ll bring them back together
yay i’m so glad these turned out the second time! if you want more crumble on top, just try to pile it as high as it will allow, then it will flatten as it cooks!
These are a favorite ever since my bestie’s daughter brought them along on an outing a little over a year ago! They are perfection!????
yay this makes me so happy! they’re perfect for picnics or outings of any kind!
Is there a link for that honey dipper?
i originally got it from ikea, but i can’t find it on their website anymore…. so sorry!
This recipe looks amazing and when I baked them the dough didn’t flatten out at all in the oven. Could I have done something wrong? Everything was measured exact.
hmm did your dough feel dry at all? it sounds like there was possibly too much flour! the easiest way to get the perfect amount of flour is to use a scale!!
my roommate made these and they are FANTASTIC. thank goodness she sent me the recipe so I can make them all the time!! I’ve now looked your other recipes too and so far they all look absurdly delicious… very excited to bake them all 🙂
YAY i’m so glad you loved these!! and can’t wait for you to try other ones!
These cookies look amazing!! Can’t wait to make these with my granddaughter! Question: what are using to drizzle the icing?! And do you have a link?
yay! so excited for you to try these! i got the drizzler from ikea a few years ago. i just looked for a link but i couldn’t find one, which makes me think they don’t sell them anymore…
I made these cookies today after seeing the recipe in a FB post. Cinnamon being my favorite flavor, this was a no brainier. I am not disappointed and will keep this recipe for the future.
yay!! so glad you enjoyed these!! cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors as well!
What size scoop are you using?
1/4 cup! but you can make them smaller if you want!