These delicious Cinnamon Streusel Cookies have a chewy vanilla cinnamon cookie with an almond butter caramel filling all topped with a homemade streusel. They are fully vegan, gluten-free and easily nut-free.
I just love everything cinnamon streusel, as my latest Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread would show and a few previous recipes too, involving cinnamon. Inspired by this month’s banana bread, these cookies are just as simple and use very similar ingredients, so you can bake them at the same time for a real cinnamon streusel feast.
Why will I love these cookies?
These Cinnamon Streusel Cookies are delicious, they are:
- Cinnamon spiced and all things nice
- Packed with texture: chewy cookies, gooey middle and crunchy streusel
- Warming, cosy and sweet
- Made with vegan, gluten-free and easily nut-free ingredients
- Quick and easy to make (no chill-time required)
- Delicious with a cup of tea or coffee
If you already know you are going to love these Cinnamon Streusel Cookies then skip ahead to the recipe card below. First, let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
These cookies rely on a few wholefood ingredients, and while the list may seem long, most ingredients are used multiple times.
Firstly, for the cookie dough:
- Almond butter: this is key for the texture of the cookies. I went with almond butter as it’s naturally sweet and I love the nutty taste but cashew butter is also great. Peanut butter will have a stronger peanut flavour and you can use runny tahini or sunflower seed butter, to make these nut-free. it’s important that it is smooth and runny and 100% nuts, ideally.
- Coconut yoghurt: this adds moisture and texture to these chewy cookies. I use the Cocos Organic coconut yoghurt as it’s really thick and creamy and only uses minimal ingredients. Other dairy-free Greek-style thick yoghurts will also work.
- Maple syrup: for sweet stickiness or you can use another syrup like oat, agave or tapioca syrup or try vegan honey.
- Coconut sugar: for the delicious warming flavours and colours of these cookies. You can also use golden caster or light brown sugar.
- Vanilla and cinnamon: for flavour.
- Oat flour: adds fibre and wholegrain goodness to these cookies. Make your own oat flour by blending oats (gluten-free where needed) to a fine flour and storing in a sealed container for 1-2 months.
- Buckwheat or plain flour: I love the nutty flavour of buckwheat flour (which is naturally gluten-free, despite the name) and it’s light and great for baking cookies with. You can swap this for plain flour, too.
- Vegan protein powder: this is great for adding texture and absorbs the liquid to turn these into chewy cookies. I like the Vanilla Buttercream or Cinnamon Bun proteins from Macromike, linked here and you can save 10% off all orders with code AMB-AMY.
- Bicarbonate of soda and salt: for texture/rise and flavour.
Onto the filling, this is a thick gooey caramel-like filling:
- Almond butter: as above for swaps and tips.
- Maple syrup: similar to above.
- Cinnamon: for the flavour.
For the streusel top:
- Flour: use any of the above flours. Oat, buckwheat or plain flour will work for the streusel crumbly.
- Coconut or brown sugar: for a little crunch.
- Cinnamon: for flavour and colour.
- Coconut oil or vegan butter: use solid coconut oil or vegan butter to rub or press into the dry mix until it reaches a crumble consistency.
Finally for drizzling we need:
- Icing sugar: or powdered sugar. There are great sugar-free alternatives or use regular icing sugar.
- Water: to mix to a thick but pourable icing glaze.
How do I make these?
These cookies are ready in a few steps:
- Make the filling: stir together all the ingredients and either spoon or roll into balls ready for the cookies.
- Prepare the streusel top: stir together the dry ingredients then rub in the coconut oil to a crumble.
- Make the cookie dough: whisk together the wet ingredients then fold in the dry ingredients to a thick, sticky dough.
- Divide the cookie dough into 11 or 12 balls: and flatten each one onto the trays. Spread them out slightly as they spread a bit.
- Make an indent into each cookie with your thumb: wash your hands in between as needed as they are sticky.
- Fill the middle with the caramel: to fill all cookies.
- Sprinkle over the streusel: don’t worry if some falls on the tray.
- Bake for 8 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges: but soft in the middle.
- Cool for 20 minutes before touching: as they continue to firm up as they cool.
- Once fully cool, drizzle over the icing sugar glaze: and enjoy.
Are these cookies gluten-free and nut-free?
These Cinnamon Streusel Cookies are gluten-free, just make sure that your oat flour is gluten-free and that you use buckwheat or another gluten-free flour blend. To make these nut-free, swap all of the almond butter for tahini or sunflower seed butter.
How long will these last?
These will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container at room temperature or you can freeze them for 1 month. Allow to defrost before eating.
I love baking cookies, what else can I make?
I hope you are going to love these cookies and for more ideas, how about my:
- Cherry Bakewell Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownie Cookies
- Soft Baked Snickers Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Vegan Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
Cinnamon Streusel Cookies
These delicious Cinnamon Streusel Cookies have a chewy vanilla cinnamon cookie with an almond butter caramel filling all topped with a homemade streusel. They are fully vegan, gluten-free and easily nut-free.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 60g runny, smooth almond butter
- 60g thick coconut yoghurt
- 2 tbsp (30ml) maple syrup
- 50g coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 50g oat flour
- 50g buckwheat or plain flour
- 30g vegan protein powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- A pinch of salt
For the Filling:
- 60g runny, smooth almond butter
- 2 tbsp (30ml) maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
For the Streusel Top:
- 20g oat, buckwheat or plain flour
- 20g coconut or brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp (15g) coconut oil, or vegan butter
For Icing:
- 80g icing sugar
- 2-3 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Start with the filling: stir together the ingredients till smooth, it may start to thicken a lot, this is normal. Leave to one side.
- Make the streusel top: stir the flour, sugar and cinnamon and then use a fork (or your fingers) to rub the coconut oil into the mix to make a crumbly streusel. Leave to one side.
- For the cookies: whisk together the almond butter, yoghurt, maple syrup, sugar and vanilla till smooth. Now add in the cinnamon, oat flour, buckwheat flour, protein powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir to a thick and sticky cookie dough.
- Divide the mix into 11 or 12 equal amounts. Roll each one into a ball, flatten into a round on the tray. Leave a 2-cm gap around each one as they spread slightly. Press your thump into the middle of each cookie to make an indent. Fill this middle with some of the filling (you can roll the filling into small balls or just spoon it in).
- Sprinkle over the streusel (you may have some leftover). Bake for 8 minutes, turning the tray halfway through till they are golden and crisping at the edges.
- Cool on the tray for 20 minutes before touching the cookies. Cool on a wire rack.
- Once fully cool, stir the icing sugar and water for the top and drizzle over the cookies.
- Keep the cookies for 5-7 days in a sealed container at room temperature or for 1 month in the freezer. Allow to defrost before eating.
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I look forward to hearing what you think of these Cinnamon Streusel Cookies so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star rating above. If you do make these cookies, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With cinnamon streusel cookie love x
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