These Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies channel the cereal-aisle classic—soft cinnamon-brown sugar center, tender cookie shell, and a sweet cinnamon glaze—into a bakery-style cookie that bakes up thick with crinkly edges and a fudgy center. The secret is a brown butter dough for deep toffee notes, a quick brown sugar–cinnamon filling that sets without leaking, and a light cornstarch addition to keep the cookies plush. A brief chill controls spread; a precise bake at 180°C / 350°F sets the edges while the middle stays soft. Finish with the iconic cinnamon glaze and a dusting of cinnamon sugar for instant nostalgia.
Ingredients & Measurements
- Yield: 18 large cookies (No. 24 scoop; ~3 Tbsp each)
- Brown Sugar–Cinnamon Filling
- 90 g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar
- 20 g (2½ Tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 minutes
- 1 tsp milk (as needed, see Steps)
- Brown Butter Cookie Dough
- 170 g (12 Tbsp / ¾ cup) unsalted butter
- 150 g (¾ cup packed) light brown sugar
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 280 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- Cinnamon Glaze
- 140 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 Tbsp milk (as needed to thin)
- Finishing Touch
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar + ¼ tsp cinnamon (stir together for dusting; optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the pop-tart-style filling (3 minutes). In a bowl, whisk brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in melted butter until sandy and evenly moistened; it should clump when pressed. If the mixture looks dusty, add ½–1 tsp milk just until it holds together. Portion into 18 compact teaspoons and keep chilled; compact pieces stay centered and create a clean, gooey pocket.
- Brown the butter for depth (6–8 minutes). In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt 170 g butter and cook, stirring, until milk solids are deep golden and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl (include all browned bits). Cool until warm, not hot—about 10 minutes. Browning intensifies that Pop-Tart “toasty crust” vibe.
- Whisk in sugars and eggs (2 minutes). To the warm browned butter, whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar until glossy, 60–90 seconds. Whisk in vanilla, then egg + yolk until slightly thickened and lightened, 30–45 seconds; this builds structure for a chewy edge.
- Combine dry ingredients separately (30 seconds). In another bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until homogeneous. Cornstarch keeps the crumb tender and prevents a cakey texture.
- Bring the dough together (1 minute). Switch to a spatula. Fold dry mix into wet in two additions just until no flour streaks remain. Dough will be soft but scoopable. If it seems greasy (butter too warm), rest 5 minutes; the flour will hydrate.
- Portion and fill (10 minutes). Line two light-colored baking sheets with parchment. Using a No. 24 scoop (~3 Tbsp), portion 18 dough mounds. Working one at a time, split a mound in half, flatten both sides slightly, nestle one portion of filling in the center, and cap with the other half. Pinch seams to seal and roll lightly into a ball. Return to the tray and press 2–3 gentle dimples on top—this encourages pretty crinkles.
- Chill briefly for height (30–40 minutes). Refrigerate filled dough balls 30–40 minutes (or up to 24 hours covered). A short chill firms the butter for thicker cookies that stay soft in the center. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180°C / 350°F with a rack in the center.
- Bake to set edges, soft centers (12–14 minutes). Arrange 6–8 chilled balls per sheet with 7–8 cm / 3 in spacing. Bake 12–14 minutes, rotating the pan at 8 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers are puffy and just matte. They should look slightly underbaked—carryover heat + cooling will finish them.
- Pan-bang for ripples (optional). At 10 and 12 minutes, gently tap the tray on the oven rack to deflate centers for those bakery-style wrinkles.
- Cool before glazing (20 minutes). Cool cookies on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack 15 minutes until barely warm. Warm cookies melt glaze too thin; room-temp yields a neat cap.
- Glaze and finish (5 minutes). Whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 2 Tbsp milk until smooth, adding drops of milk to a thick, pourable consistency (think honey). Spoon 1–1½ tsp glaze on each cookie and spread into a rough rectangle to mimic Pop-Tart frosting. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon sugar. Let the glaze set 20–30 minutes before stacking.
- Store and refresh. Keep cookies airtight at room temperature 3–4 days. For just-baked texture later, warm a cookie 3–4 minutes at 150°C / 300°F. Unbaked filled balls freeze up to 2 months; bake from frozen 14–15 minutes.
Cooking Notes
- Why flour in the filling: A small amount of flour binds the brown sugar, preventing it from melting into syrup and leaking. The filling bakes soft, like the Pop-Tart center, not gritty.
- Browned butter moisture fix: Browning drives off water; whisking in eggs while the butter is warm helps emulsify, and the dough hydration is balanced so cookies spread just enough. If you skip browning, add 1 tsp milk to compensate.
- Stuffing technique: Keep filling compact and fully encased—no seams or exposed sugar—so the pocket stays centered. If a ball won’t seal, borrow a pinch of dough from another ball to patch.
- Chill window: 30–40 minutes yields thick edges and fudgy centers. An overnight chill deepens flavor and will bake 1–2 minutes longer; let dough sit 10 minutes at room temp so it’s not rock hard.
- Doneness cues: Pull when edges are set but centers are still domed and soft. Overbaking dries the middle and dulls the brown sugar flavor. Cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Glaze control: Keep glaze thick; thin glaze runs off and tastes overly sweet. If it’s too stiff to spread, add milk ¼ tsp at a time. For a glossy set, let cookies cure 30 minutes before storing.
- Spice level: Classic flavor uses 1½ tsp cinnamon in the filling + ½ tsp in the glaze. For a bolder profile, add ¼ tsp cinnamon to the dough as well.
- Mix-ins & variants:
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon “Streusel” Cap: Sprinkle a thin line of cinnamon sugar down the center of the glaze for a toaster-pastry look.
- Maple Glaze: Swap 1 Tbsp milk for 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup and reduce added milk accordingly.
- Mini version: Use a No. 40 scoop (~1½ Tbsp); portion ½ tsp filling per cookie and bake 9–10 minutes.
- Gluten-free path: Use a 1:1 GF baking blend (with xanthan gum). If the dough feels stiff, add 1–2 tsp milk; bake time is similar.
- Scaling: Double all ingredients for ~36 cookies; bake on four trays, one at a time, for consistent color.
Nutrition Facts (per cookie)
- Approximate calories: 265 kcal
- Total fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Dietary fiber: 1 g
- Total sugars: 22 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
Conclusion
These Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies translate toaster-pastry nostalgia into a modern bakery cookie: browned butter for toffee depth, a bound brown sugar–cinnamon center that stays put, and a tidy cinnamon glaze that sets to a soft sheen. With a short chill and a disciplined bake at 180°C / 350°F, you’ll get thick, crinkly cookies with plush centers and that unmistakable brown sugar snap of childhood—only better.
