These honey cookies are thick, soft, and chewy, with warm cinnamon flavor and a subtle honey sweetness. The easy dough needs no chilling, so you can have a fresh batch ready in about 45 minutes. Inspired by a beloved children's book and perfect for fall or Rosh Hashanah, they're a lovely cookie to bake and share with the whole family!
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Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Honey Cookies with Cinnamon: Thick, soft, and chewy cookies with warm cinnamon flavor, subtle honey sweetness, and a sparkling cinnamon-sugar coating.
Easy no-chill cookie dough: The dough comes together quickly with everyday ingredients, then can be scooped, coated, and baked right away. No rolling pin, decorating, or refrigerator time required!
Active Time: About 20 minutes • Bake Time: 12 to 15 minutes • Total Time: About 45 minutes
Difficulty Level: ⭐ Easy. A simple creamed cookie dough that's easy to mix and shape.
Yield: About 32 cookies • Freezer-friendly: Baked cookies or uncoated dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months • Make-ahead: Bake frozen dough balls directly from the freezer using the adjusted temperature and timing below.
👉 Follow the detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips below for thick honey cookies with soft centers, warm cinnamon flavor, and a lightly crisp sugar coating.
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Why this recipe works
- Honey holds onto moisture: It helps the cookies stay soft and tender while adding a subtle sweetness.
- An egg yolk adds richness: Using just the yolk gives the dough tenderness without adding excess liquid.
- Baking powder creates lift: The cookies bake up thick and fluffy rather than spreading thin.
- Cinnamon is layered throughout: Adding it to both the dough and coating gives every bite warm, spicy flavor.
- Even portions bake consistently: One-tablespoon scoops help the cookies finish at the same time, with soft centers and lightly golden edges.
When my girls were young, I sought out bedtime books that could (subtly) teach as well as entertain.
One such book was A Cow, a Bee, a Cookie, and Me, by Meredith Hooper. It's the story of a grandmother baking with her grandson while telling him all about the origins of the ingredients they were using to make honey cookies. This book includes a recipe for honey cookies with cinnamon, and I've adapted it to include here.
I love to bake with my girls, and teaching them math and science in the kitchen is important to me. Thinking about where ingredients come from in the natural world teaches an appreciation for what we have to work with.
In addition, the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) features foods using honey, symbolizing a sweet new year. While Honey Cake is a traditional Rosh Hashanah dessert, honey cookies are easy to make and easy to share with friends and family, both near and far.
Although they're especially fitting for fall and Rosh Hashanah, these honey cookies are delicious any time of year. Think of them as soft, fluffy snickerdoodles with a subtle touch of honey: warmly spiced, fragrant, and coated in cinnamon sugar.
I encourage you to bake them with children, all the while talking about where your ingredients come from (I'm looking forward to doing just that with my grandchildren!). Then everyone can share in the treat of warm, sweet and spicy honey cookies!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this honey cookies recipe:
Ingredient Notes
All-purpose flour: This recipe has been adapted to use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour.
For the softest cookies, weigh the flour with a kitchen scale or spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off; scooping flour directly from the storage container can pack in too much and dry out the dough.
Honey: Use your favorite type of honey. While the flavor is subtle, it will be noticed.
Butter: Softened butter creams more easily with the sugar. It should indent when gently pressed but still feel cool and hold its shape, not look shiny or melted. Depending on your kitchen temperature, this generally takes about an hour on the counter.
You can make these cookies pareve (that is, dairy-free) by substituting in your favorite non-dairy butter or margarine.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Can I use self-rising flour?
The original recipe from the book calls for 1¾ cups self-rising flour. To use it here, substitute 1¾ cups self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour and omit the baking powder and salt.
As a general rule, you can make the equivalent of one cup of self-rising flour by combining one level cup (120 grams) of all-purpose flour with 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. [Source: Epicurious ]
How to make honey cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (photo 1). Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, then beat in the honey (photo 2).
Mix in the egg yolk, then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms (photo 3). If the dough is too sticky, add more flour in 1 tablespoon increments (no more than 2 tablespoons).
Step 2: Make the cinnamon sugar topping
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Step 3: Shape the cookies
Using a 1-tablespoon small cookie scoop, , portion the dough and roll each piece into a ball. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar topping, coating it completely (photo 4).
Place the dough balls 2-inches apart on 2 half sheet baking pans, each lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
Bake at 350˚F for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops look set and the edges and bottoms are lightly golden. The centers will still feel soft and will firm as the cookies cool (photo 5).
Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the baking pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Baked honey cookies will keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.
Make-ahead instructions: You can freeze both the baked and unbaked honey cookies. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Freeze the unbaked cookie balls (before you've coated them in the cinnamon sugar) on a wax-lined baking pan until solid (about 3 hours). Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To bake, roll the frozen balls in cinnamon sugar, then bake at 325 °F for 14 to 17 minutes.
Yield Notes
You should get about 32 cookies, depending on the size of your dough balls.
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some issues you might encounter when making honey cookies:
- The dough is too sticky to roll: Add flour one tablespoon at a time, using no more than two additional tablespoons.
- The dough is dry or crumbly: Keep mixing briefly to help it come together. It's best to weigh the flour with a kitchen scale for accuracy, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure the flour.
- The cookies spread too much: The butter may have been too warm. Use softened (not melted) butter, and let hot baking pans cool between batches.
- The cookies didn't spread enough: The dough should be soft and easy to roll, not stiff, so too much flour is the likely culprit (see the dry dough tip above for measuring flour).
- The cookies are dry: They were probably overbaked. Remove them when the tops are set and the edges are only lightly golden; the centers should still feel soft.
- The cinnamon sugar won't stick: Roll the dough balls in the coating immediately after shaping, while the surface is still slightly tacky.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
No. These cookies use both granulated sugar and honey. Granulated sugar helps the butter cream properly and gives the cookies structure, while honey adds moisture and subtle floral sweetness.
I wouldn't recommend replacing all the granulated sugar with honey in this recipe. Honey adds more liquid and behaves differently from granulated sugar, so a full substitution would change the dough's structure, spread, and texture.
A mild honey such as clover honey works especially well because it adds subtle flavor without overpowering the cinnamon. Orange blossom or wildflower honey also work well. Of course, in the end the best kind of honey to use is the honey you like best!
To make these cookies dairy-free, just substitute in your favorite non-dairy butter or margarine.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
Recipe
Honey Cookies with Cinnamon
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, see Recipe Notes
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey, see Recipe Notes
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
For the cinnamon sugar topping
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line 2 half sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat ½ cup unsalted butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar together until creamy. Beat in 2 tablespoons honey, then 1 large egg yolk. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour in 1 tablespoon increments (no more than 2 tablespoons).
- Make the cinnamon sugar topping: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- Shape the cookies: Using a 1-tablespoon small cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll each piece into a ball. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar topping, coating it completely. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking pans, 2-inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops look set and the edges and bottoms are lightly golden. The centers will still feel soft and will firm as the cookies cool.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the baking pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage instructions: Baked honey cookies will keep for 3 to 5 in an airtight container.
- Make-ahead instructions: You can freeze both the baked and unbaked honey cookies. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.Freeze the unbaked cookie balls (before you've coated them in the cinnamon sugar) on a wax-lined baking pan until solid (about 3 hours). Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To bake, roll the frozen balls in cinnamon sugar, then bake at 325 °F for 14 to 17 minutes.
Joni Keach says
So if I have self rising flour just use the same amount w/o adding the baking powder and salt?
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Joni, Yes, that’s correct. Self rising flour contains baking powder and salt already. Good luck, and happy baking! 😉
shari says
where does it say how much flour eggs etc?
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Shari, The recipe card at the bottom of the post gives you all the info you’ll need to make these yummy cookies. Good luck, and happy baking! 😉
Jacqueline Moore says
Made this when I was little kid. It’s not a table spoon a cookie dough or you won’t make 28-30 cookies. I’d say 1/2 a tablespoon. They’ll look super small but they do get a lot bigger in the oven. Mine ending up looking like standard cookie size and flatter
Tammy Spencer says
Thanks for sharing, and happy baking!
Amanda says
perfect cookies! mine turned out just like the picture. I made them for my daughter's baby shower and was very pleased! I doubled the recipe, and the only change i will make next time is to NOT double the cinnamon/ sugar mixture for coating the cookie balls. I had way too much.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Amanda, I’m glad you liked the recipe - thanks for sharing. Wishing your daughter an easy delivery and a healthy new baby! <3