Treat your sweet tooth with these gluten free cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies. Made with a simple ingredient list (no eggs needed!), the small batch of cookies get their delicious tangy flavor from creamy cream cheese. Inspired by our iced matcha cookies, the cookies are wonderfully soft with a generous coating of fragrant cinnamon sugar.
Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Cookies
With the change of seasons comes the change of flavors. We still have the sweet memories of cherry cupcakes, peach cream cheese tarts, and s’mores cakes. And now we can look forward to cozy apple spice cupcakes, cinnamon maple bread, and all desserts pumpkin!
The gluten free cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies are a tip-toe into the fall baking season. Luxurious cream cheese is the star in this small batch of cookies and delivers a wonderful tang. While cinnamon sugar coats the cookies – creating a caramelized exterior with the sweetest crunch!
What Makes These Cookies So Great
- You can taste the cream cheese – If cream cheese is in the name, you want to taste it! Just like my cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting.
- Fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies – The cream cheese combined with the thoughtful gluten free flour blend yield pillowy soft cookies.
- Flavorful gluten free cookies – Much like my classic gluten free sugar cookies, and gluten free chocolate chip cookies, you won’t be able to tell the cookies are gluten free! It’s all in the single gluten free flours I use – which start with almond flour.
- Cinnamon sugar highlight – Yes, the cookies have a liberal layer of cinnamon sugar on the exterior. Which serves as a delicious complement to the cream cheese and does not overpower the flavor.
Everything You Need To Make gluten free cream cheese cookies
Ingredients
- Almond Flour – We use blanched almond flour to add structure, flavor, and texture to the cream cheese cookies. I recommend either Bob’s Red Mill or Anthony’s almond flour.
- Arrowroot Flour – The arrowroot flour makes the cookies soft. You can substitute tapioca flour.
- Salt – Salt is must as it balances and enhances the flavor in the cookies.
- Cream Cheese – I recommend full-fat cream cheese to achieve optimal texture and flavor. Low-fat cream cheese may make the cookies flat.
- Butter – A little butter adds moisture, texture, and flavor to the cookies.
- Powdered Sugar – The cookies wouldn’t be so soft without the powdered sugar!
- Vanilla – For flavor.
- Cinnamon Sugar – To give the cinnamon sugar cookies their name! You can easily make your own cinnamon sugar by using 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar. Or, just mix to your liking!
Baking Equipment
- Mixing Bowls – If you use a hand mixer than you will need two bowls. Plus a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar.
- Hand Mixer – I love my hand mixer that has a timer, and it is a workhorse. You can also use your tilt-head stand mixer with standard attachments and a smaller mixing bowl.
- Small Cookie Scoop – I personally use a tablespoon measuring spoon for these cookies. Though, a small cookie scoop will also work great.
- Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper – You only need one baking sheet since the cream cheese cookies are so small!
How To Make these Cream Cheese Cookies
Much like most of my cookie recipes, these cinnamon sugar cookies are incredibly easy to make. The preparation steps are straight-forward and are free from fancy mixing techniques!
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
- Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the butter mix, and mix until smooth.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet, and mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Scoop into cookie balls and (generously) roll through the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for about 12 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Enjoy!
Tips For Success
- Room temperature butter and cream cheese – When both are room temp, they will mix easy and smooth.
- Chill the dough – The dough needs time in the fridge to develop flavor and for the butter and cream cheese to firm. Otherwise, you may end up with cinnamon cream cheese cookie pancakes when you bake the cookies!
- Keep the cookies small – The smaller cookie will ensure a great bake all the way through. A larger cookie may have a super-soft, almost raw, center.
- Give the cream cheese cookies a generous roll through the cinnamon sugar – For flavor and the sugar bakes into a sweet and crunchy exterior.
- Sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar for good measure – When the cookies are on the baking sheet, before baking, go ahead and give them another sprinkle of cinnamon sugar – I did!
- Let the cookies cool completely – As with most of my gluten free baked desserts, the cookies taste much better when they’ve had a chance to cool.
FAQ’S
Yes, the recipe is easily doubled! Use two baking sheets, and bake one sheet at a time for best results.
Yes, you will taste the tang of the cream cheese!
They do not and are fine left covered at room temperature. But if you are worried about the cream cheese, cover and refrigerate the cookies.
I can’t say for certain as I’ve only tested the recipe as written. Likely, using a different gluten free flour will yield different results.
The powdered sugar makes the cream cheese cookies super soft. Granulated sugar may yield a tasty cookie, it just may not be as soft.
Yes. I recommend placing in a tightly sealed ziploc bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Cinnamon Sugar Gluten Free Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (to coat the cookies)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, and salt.¾ cup blanched almond flour, ¼ cup arrowroot flour, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a medium mixing bowl using a hand held mixer – or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Note – see the recipe notes below for using the stand mixer.2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In increments, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the butter mixture and beat on low speed until all of the flour has been added. Once all the flour is added, turn the speed up to medium and beat until all the flour is incorporated, no dry streaks remain, and a moistened dough forms. Note – The dough will seem dry as you're adding and mixing in the flour, but continue to mix and a dough will form.
- Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Add the cinnamon sugar to a small bowl.
- Using a tablespoon measuring spoon – or a small cookie scoop – scoop and roll into a ball 12 cookies. Individually roll the cookie balls generously through the cinnamon sugar, and place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Optional – Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with any leftover cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunch. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, or until the edges turn light golden brown.3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This recipe is intended to be a small batch, but can easily be doubled if needed.
- Stand Mixer – You can use your tilt head stand mixer and the standard attachments with a small 3 quart mixing bowl. The small mixing bowl is more effective for small batch recipes. Otherwise, the regular size mixing bowl may not mix the butter effectively (it will just smear it along the side of the bowl!)
- Cookie Size – The cookies are intended to be small so they get the proper bake all the way through. Any larger than a 1 tablespoon cookie, and the centers may be too soft.
- Chill The Dough – Because of the butter and cream cheese, the cookie dough does need time in the refrigerator to allow it to chill and firm. Otherwise, the cookies may spread/melt when baked.
- Storing and Freezing – The cookies can be stored covered at room temperature. To freeze the cookies, place in a tightly sealed ziploc bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
Did you mean 1/4 cup arrowroot flour instead of 1/4 tablespoons?
Oh gosh – yes 1/4 cup! Thanks for letting me know Shelley. The recipe card has been corrected!