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Teddy graham and sprinkle packed cookies taste like a full on bash. The dough is soft and cozy with cinnamon. Each bite has a creamy cookie butter middle. Topped with crunchy teddy grahams and lots of color, these treats bring smiles to any day—especially birthdays or whenever you want extra happiness.
The first batch I made got my nephews cracking up thanks to those teddy grahams and they vanished from the snack bowl quick. So now whenever I want to amp up dessert fun, I always go with these.
Irresistible Ingredients
- Cookie butter: The creamy wow factor—use it right from a fresh opened jar and pop some spoonfuls in the freezer for simple stuffing
- Rainbow sprinkles: Give cookies that pop of color—go for jimmies if you love crunch and bright hues
- Whole teddy grahams: Press some on top for cute crunchiness (cinnamon or honey's great)
- Crushed teddy grahams: Fold these into the dough right before baking for max crisp
- Salt: Fine sea salt is best for mellowing the sweetness
- Cinnamon: Warm spice that dials up the cookie butter flavor—Saigon cinnamon is extra bold
- Baking powder: Makes things extra puffy and thick
- Baking soda: Lets the dough spread just a touch
- All purpose flour: Gives the treat some heartiness and helps them hold shape
- Cake flour: Makes the whole batch super tender—grab a fine textured bag
- Large eggs: Use them at room temp—they keep dough soft and easy to work
- Vanilla extract: Go with real vanilla if you can, for better flavor
- Granulated sugar: Adds extra golden brown color and makes things sweet
- Brown sugar: Choose the moist packed kind if possible—it brings a touch of caramel and depth
- Unsalted butter: Fresh and good quality works best for rich, yummy dough
Step by Step Instructions
- Cool and Enjoy:
- Let the baked cookies chill on the tray for about ten or fifteen minutes. That way they’re easier to grab and the gooey centers set up right.
- Bake:
- Line them all on your baking sheets, spacing out by two inches. Slide into a hot oven at 400°F and bake twelve to fourteen minutes. You want edges just turning gold, but keep middles soft and puffy.
- Decorate with Teddy Grahams and Sprinkles:
- Pop a couple whole teddy grahams on top of each dough ball and roll in sprinkles for loads of color.
- Form and Fill Cookies:
- Grab about a quarter cup of the dough, flatten it, plop in frozen cookie butter, then squish up the edges to wrap it up. Make sure the filling is totally sealed inside.
- Chill the Dough:
- Toss your bowl of dough in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. Makes rolling and stuffing way simpler.
- Add Crushed Teddy Grahams:
- Dump in those teddy graham bits and lightly fold together so each bite crunches.
- Combine Wet and Dry:
- Mix the dry add-ins into the creamed butter bowl, just until blended. Stop as soon as it’s together for the softest cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients:
- Stir together cake flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Sift if you want super light cookies—gets rid of lumps, too.
- Beat in Eggs and Vanilla:
- Crack in one egg at a time, mixing well every time. Add a good splash of vanilla and mix a little longer so it’s nice and aromatic.
- Cream Butter and Sugars:
- Cream together room temp butter cubes, both sugars, until pale and fluffy. Three to four minutes is plenty using a mixer on medium speed.
- Prepare the Cookie Butter Filling:
- Spoon cookie butter onto a parchment-covered tray for around 18 scoops, then stick these in the freezer to firm up while you start the dough. Keeps that center thick, not messy.
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Cinnamon gives off a warm, sweet smell that’s super comforting. Biting into that silky cookie butter inside is honestly magical. We had an all out race for the last cookie at movie night, so these days I just make two trays to dodge family drama!
Storage Tips
Keep leftovers in a tightly sealed container on the counter for up to three days. Want to save for later? Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls (already filled), then bake straight from frozen—just tack on a couple minutes to the bake time.
Ingredient Swaps
No teddy grahams around? Swap in mini graham crackers or animal crackers. For cookie butter, Biscoff or Trader Joe’s brands both work great. If allergies are a thing, sunflower seed butter swaps in easily—just know it won’t taste exactly the same.
Serve It Up
They're best when just a touch warm. Grab a glass of cold milk for dunking, or cut the cookies and toss them onto an ice cream bar. Always get cheers at birthday blowouts or after school snack time.
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Behind the Mix
Cookie butter comes from speculoos, a spiced cookie popular in Belgium and the Netherlands. Teddy grahams first showed up in the eighties and are now a nostalgic American snack. Put them together and you get a cheerful mash up of both cultures in a treat that's ready to party.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How do I keep the cookie butter from leaking out?
Freeze a few small chunks of cookie butter first. When filling, totally cover it with the dough and press the edges together so there aren’t any spots for it to slip through.
- → Could I use a different flour?
You could swap out cake flour for all-purpose if needed, but the cookies will be a bit more dense and not quite as soft. The cake and all-purpose blend keeps them light and cakey.
- → Best way to get Teddy Grahams to stick on top?
Right after you fill the dough, press a few Teddy Grahams right onto the top, then roll the whole thing in sprinkles. That’ll make sure the crackers hang on while baking and get crispy.
- → How should I store these to keep them fresh?
Place the cookies in a sealed container at room temp—they’ll be good for three days. If they lose their chew, pop them in a 350°F oven for just a few minutes to warm them up.
- → Is it okay to freeze the baked cookies?
Definitely! Let them cool all the way, then toss in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat, let them thaw and reheat for that gooey center again.