Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Cookies Recipe

Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Cookies

Some flavors take me straight back to Saturday mornings at my grandmother’s kitchen table, and frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts sit right at the top of that list. These frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tart cookies bring that same warm cinnamon sugar magic home, only softer, thicker, and baked fresh in your own oven.

Every cookie has a tender, cake like center thanks to cake flour and a spoonful of cornstarch, and tucked inside is a gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling that stays soft long after the cookies cool.

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A layer of classic pop tart style icing finishes each one, so every bite tastes like the treat you loved as a kid, with a bakery style upgrade.

This recipe makes 16 generous cookies and comes together in three simple parts: the cookie dough, the brown sugar filling, and the brown sugar glaze. If you can cream butter and scoop dough, you can absolutely make these. Let me walk you through every step.

Why You’ll Love These Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies

I have baked more cookies than I can count, and this one earned a permanent spot in my recipe box. Here is why.

• The center stays gooey. That brown sugar cinnamon filling bakes into a soft, almost caramel like pocket in the middle of every cookie.
• The crumb is incredibly soft. Cake flour and cornstarch work together to give these cookies a tender, bakery style texture instead of a crisp, crunchy bite.
• Cinnamon appears twice. You taste it in the filling and again in the glaze, so the spice is warm and even from the first bite to the last.
• They are make ahead friendly. Both the dough and the filling can be prepared in advance, which makes baking day feel calm and easy.

Ingredients You Need

Nothing here is hard to find. Most of it is already in your pantry, and the full measured list lives further down in this post.

• Unsalted butter. You will use it softened for creaming the cookie dough, and again in the brown sugar filling. Room temperature butter should sit out only 1 to 2 hours and still feel cool to the touch.
• Granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar. The white sugar keeps things balanced while the brown sugar brings moisture and that deep caramel note.
• Eggs and vanilla extract. Two room temperature eggs give the cookies structure, and the vanilla rounds out the flavor.
• Cake flour. This is the secret behind the soft, bakery style texture. You can substitute all purpose flour if that is what you have, but the cookies will be a little less tender.
• Cornstarch. A small amount keeps the cookies pillowy and soft.
• Cinnamon. It goes into the filling and into the glaze.
• Powdered sugar, butter, and milk. Together they make the classic pop tart style icing that sets into a soft, glossy layer.

How to Make Pop Tart Cookies

The whole process is simpler than it looks. Here is the short version before we get into the details.

1. Cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mix them into the wet ingredients, and chill the dough for one hour.
3. Stir the filling ingredients until smooth, then roll them into small balls.
4. Scoop the chilled dough, split each scoop in half, nestle a filling ball inside, and pinch the seams so nothing leaks out.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the tops are just set and the edges are lightly golden.
6. Whisk the icing, spoon it over the cooled cookies, and let it set for 15 minutes.

If you keep the dough cold and seal the filling well, you are going to end up with beautiful, evenly baked cookies every single time.

Expert Tips

These are the little details that make the difference between a good cookie and a great one.

• Weigh your ingredients when you can. A kitchen scale is the most reliable way to get the same result every time. If you are using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag.
• Watch your butter temperature. Room temperature butter should sit out only 1 to 2 hours and still feel cool to the touch, around 60°F. Butter that is too warm is the number one cause of cookies that spread flat in the oven.
• Chill the dough. One hour in the fridge firms the dough up, prevents spreading, and makes the stuffing step much easier to handle.
• Pinch the seams closed. Seal the dough completely around the filling so it stays tucked inside while the cookies bake.
• Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the tops are just set. They will finish setting up as they cool and stay soft and tender.

How to Store and Freeze

These cookies hold up beautifully, which is one of my favorite things about them.

Storing: Once the cookies are completely cool, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezing baked cookies: Freeze them without the icing. Place the cookies on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, then move them into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and add the icing just before serving.

Freezing the dough: Skip the chill, scoop and stuff the dough balls as directed, freeze them solid on a cookie sheet, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time as needed.

Ingredients

This recipe has three parts, so I like to set everything out in groups before I start. It makes the whole process feel organized and quick.

For the cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the brown sugar filling:

• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons cake flour

For the brown sugar glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Make the cookie dough. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl. Beat on medium high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. Add the dry ingredients and chill. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate medium bowl until combined. Add them to the wet ingredients and beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Cover the dough and chill it for one hour.
3. Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Make the filling. Add the filling ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Use a heaping teaspoon, about 2 teaspoons, to scoop the filling, roll it into a ball, and place it on a baking sheet.
5. Stuff the cookies. Scoop the chilled dough with a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a very large cookie scoop. Break each portion of dough in half and create a well in the middle of one half. Place one ball of filling inside the well, press the other half of dough on top, and pinch the seams closed. Roll the dough into a ball to seal the filling inside.
6. Bake. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the tops are just set and the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Ice the cookies. While the cookies cool, whisk together all of the icing ingredients until smooth. Place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack and spoon the icing over the top of each cookie, letting it spread to the edges. Allow the icing to set for 15 minutes, then enjoy.

This recipe makes 16 cookies, and each one is a generous, bakery style treat that tastes like a pop tart in cookie form.

Notes

A few notes before you preheat that oven.

• Butter temperature matters most. Room temperature butter should sit out only 1 to 2 hours and still feel cool to the touch, around 60°F. Butter that is too warm is the main cause of flat cookies.
• If your dough chills longer than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before you start scooping, so it softens enough to work with.
• Storage: keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freezing baked cookies: freeze them without icing on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and ice before serving.
• Freezing dough: skip the chill, scoop and stuff the dough balls, freeze them on a cookie sheet until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.

One quick tip I always share: the moment those cookies come out of the oven, they will look a little underdone in the middle. That is exactly what you want.

Recipe details

Here is everything at a glance so you can plan your baking day.

Per cookie: 420 calories, 61g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 18g fat, 11g saturated fat, 1g fiber, 37g sugar, 272mg sodium, and 66mg cholesterol.

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Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies

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Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Cookies Some flavors take me straight back to Saturday mornings at my grandmother’s kitchen table, and frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts sit right at the top of that list. These frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tart cookies bring that same warm cinnamon sugar magic home, only softer, thicker, and baked fresh in your own oven.

• Total Time: 90 min
• Yield: 16 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Brown Sugar Filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cake flour

Brown Sugar Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 tablespoons milk

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Instructions

1-Add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown: Add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, or hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2-Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate: Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate medium bowl until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on medium speed until combined, 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Cover and chill the dough for one hour.
3-Preheat the oven to 350°F and line: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4-Add the filling ingredients to a medium: Add the filling ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Use a heaping teaspoon (about 2 teaspoons) to scoop the filling out and roll it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet.
5-Scoop the chilled dough out using 1/4: Scoop the chilled dough out using 1/4 cup measuring cup (or a very large cookie scoop). Break the dough in half and create a well in the middle of one half. Place one ball of filling inside the well and press the other half on top of the filling and pinch the seams. Roll them into a ball to seal the filling inside.
6-Arrange the cookie dough balls on the: Arrange the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the tops are just set and the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7-While they cool, make the icing: While they cool, make the icing. Whisk together all of the icing ingredients until smooth. Place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack and spoon the icing on top of each cookie, letting it spread to the edges. Allow it to set for 15 minutes and enjoy.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 420
• Sugar: 37g
• Sodium: 272mg
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 61g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 66mg