If you want to take what’s one of the most popular cookies and put a little fall twist on it, then you need these easy cinnamon chocolate chip cookies. Warm cinnamon and dark brown sugar give these cookies a little kiss of fall flavor. They cook up perfectly in your oven or air fryer!
Add a little fall flair to your standard recipe with these easy cinnamon chocolate chip cookies. Just a bit of cinnamon and the depth of dark brown sugar take this basic cookie to the next level!
You can bake them in the oven by the dozen, or do a small batch of around 6 cookies in your air fryer (depending on the size of your specific appliance of course)!
The oven is perfect for making them en masse, but I love the air fryer option since it heats up faster and doesn’t heat up the whole house. Yep, that means chocolate chip cookies all summer, too!
You can even make the dough ahead of time and freeze it, grabbing a handful and baking them any time you’re craving a sweet treat.
What You’ll Need: Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
½ cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Ingredient Notes and Tips
This recipe can easily be doubled if you want more, but it should make around 15 cookies (3” diameter) as written
Feel free to add more cinnamon if you want a stronger flavor, or use half cinnamon chips in addition to the chocolate
You can also add a ½ tsp of other fall spices, such as nutmeg or allspice to the mix
Dark brown sugar can be substituted for light brown or granulated if needed
If you want a more chocolatey cookie, you can add up to double the amount of chocolate chips
Nut Variation: if you want, feel free to add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the mix
How to Make Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
In a large mixing bowl or mixer, cream together the butter and sugar
Add the egg and vanilla, then stir to thoroughly combine
Mix the dry ingredients together, and them add them to the wet and stir until well mixed
Fold in the chocolate chips
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or the freezer for 15 minutes
Instructions For Baking in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 375°F
Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2” apart
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until brown around the edges
Cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Instructions For Baking in the Air Fryer
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper
Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment in the basket about 2” apart (I can fit 3 at a time in each basket of my Ninja Dual Zone air fryer, for 6 total)
Air fry at 325°F for 7 minutes
Cool for 3 minutes in the air fryer before removing cookies to a wire rack to cool completely
What Goes With Cookies Besides Milk?
Hot chocolate
Spiced tea
Mulled cider
Apple cider
Mulled wine
Chai tea
Lattes
Cappuccino
Lemonade
Iced tea
Milkshakes
Ice cream
Chocolate Martini
Hot Toddy
There are lots of great options that go with cookies besides milk (but that’s still a classic)!
I do love these cinnamon chocolate chip cookies with a hot apple cider in the fall. However, they’re equally great with my easy Microwave Mulled Wine or a Hot Chocolate Martini.
Recipe FAQs
Does Cinnamon Taste Good in Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes, cinnamon tastes good in chocolate chip cookies. It offers a warm spice note to the dough, without overpowering the rest of the flavors.
Chocolate and cinnamon is a common combination, with cinnamon hot chocolate being another very common occurrence of the pairing.
How Much Cinnamon to Add to Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Typically, you add between ½ tsp and 1 tsp cinnamon to chocolate chip cookies, depending how strong you want the flavor to be.
However, you can add a little over that if you want extremely strong cinnamon flavor, or add cinnamon bits or chips into the batter as well.
Can I Use Parchment Paper in the Air Fryer For Cookies?
Yes, you can use parchment paper in the air fryer for cookies. Use a pre-cut sheet for your specific air fryer, or cut regular parchment paper to fit. Perforated is actually preferable for air flow, but regular works as well.
The other option is a silicone baking mat that fits in your basket. Either way, something is needed to keep the cookie batter from falling through the grates of your air fryer.
Do I Need to Spray Parchment Paper in the Air Fryer?
No, you do not need to spray parchment paper for use in the air fryer. It will not stick to your basket, and the food will not stick to it either.
You do, however, need to weigh down the parchment paper with the food. Never run parchment paper alone in the air fryer, as it will float up into the heating element and catch fire.
Are Air Fryer Cookies Better?
Air fryer cookies are better in that they take less time for both preheating and baking. The cookies come out tasting equal to the oven preparation. So, they are better from a speed and convenience factor.
However, the oven has a larger capacity. When baking large batches of dozens of cookies, then the oven is the better choice.
Recipe Pro Tips
Very powerful air fryers like my Ninja Dual Zone tend to lift the parchment up during cooking (even with the weight of the dough on it), which causes the cookies to slide together. You can cut the parchment a little large and tuck the edges under the rack to wedge it down, or just be prepared to try and re-shape your cookies as best you can while they’re still warm. They may not be as pretty, but they’re still delicious!
If you don’t preheat your air fryer, add 1 extra minute to the first batch to account for getting it up to temperature. I do find it easier to navigate the parchment and dough while the air fryer is cold
Storage and Heating
Store fully cooled cinnamon chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 4 days. Place in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months
If you would like a warm cookie, place it on a paper towel or plate and microwave for 30 seconds
You may also form the unbaked dough into balls and freeze the cookie dough balls. Remove how many you want, and cook directly from frozen (add 1-2 minutes to cooking time to account for the frozen state)
These cinnamon chocolate chip cookies add the perfect kiss of fall to your staple cookie. They’re soft, gooey, loaded with chocolate, and perfect with a glass of milk or your favorite cocktail.
If I’m feeding a crowd, I make my cookies in the oven for convenience. When I want a small batch, though, I just pop them in my air fryer. Since it preheats and cooks more quickly, I find it much more convenient on a small scale.
No matter which way your cookie crumbles, they’re going to be delicious!
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies (Air Fryer or Oven)
These cinnamon chocolate chip cookies are soft, gooey, and delicious! With a kiss of cinnamon and dark brown sugar, they’re perfect any time.
In a large mixing bowl or mixer, cream together the butter and sugar
½ Cup butter, ½ Cup dark brown sugar
Add the egg and vanilla and stir to thoroughly combine
1 Large egg, 1 Tsp vanilla extract
Mix the dry ingredients together, and them add them to the wet and stir until well mixed
1 Cup all purpose flour, ½ Tsp baking soda, ½ Tsp salt, 1 Tsp ground cinnamon
Fold in the chocolate chips
½ Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or the freezer for 15 minutes
To Bake in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 375°F
Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2” apart
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until brown around the edges (pictured after 10 minutes in my oven)
Cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
To Bake in the Air Fryer
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper
Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment in the basket about 2” apart (I can fit 3 at a time in each basket of my Ninja Dual Zone air fryer, for 6 total)
Air fry at 325°F for 7 minutes
Cool for 3 minutes in the air fryer before removing cookies to a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled if you want more, but it should make around 15 cookies (3” diameter) as written
Feel free to add more cinnamon if you want a stronger flavor, or use half cinnamon chips in addition to the chocolate
You can also add a ½ tsp of other fall spices, such as nutmeg or allspice to the mix
Dark brown sugar can be substituted for light brown or granulated if needed
If you want a more chocolatey cookie, you can add up to double the amount of chocolate chips
Nut Variation: if you want, feel free to add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the mix
Very powerful air fryers like my Ninja Dual Zone tend to lift the parchment up during cooking (even with the weight of the dough on it), which causes the cookies to slide together. You can cut the parchment a little large and tuck the edges under the rack to wedge it down, or just be prepared to try and re-shape your cookies as best you can while they’re still warm. They may not be as pretty, but they’re still delicious!
If you don’t preheat your air fryer, add 1 extra minute to the first batch to account for getting it up to temperature. I do find it easier to navigate the parchment and dough while the air fryer is cold
Store fully cooled cinnamon chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 4 days. Place in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months
If you would like a warm cookie, place it on a paper towel or plate and microwave for 20-30 seconds
You may also form the unbaked dough into balls and freeze the cookie dough balls. Remove how many you want, and cook directly from frozen (add 1-2 minutes to cooking time to account for the frozen state)
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, any swaps or additions, size of cookies, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
