Cornmeal Cookies

I’ve been seeing cornmeal cookies all around the internet this year, and this is my version of a cornmeal sugar cookie that I think you’re going to love. These are thin and super chewy, kind of like a crinkly chocolate chunk cookie, with a sugary crust and the texture is so good.

As for flavor, these kind of just taste like an amped up, more hearty sugar cookie. The cornmeal flavor isn’t super overpowering here and it compliments the cookies perfectly. On top of everything, these are super easy to make so let’s get to it!

How to Make Cornmeal Cookies

The ingredients for these cookies are pretty simple and very similar to a chocolate chip cookie but without the chocolate and with, of course, the addition of cornmeal. I’m using fine ground cornmeal here- not only is that the easiest to find in my area, but I did try these cookies with coarse ground cornmeal and I found the texture wasn’t as good.

We’re starting out by beating together some butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Then add in an egg, a generous pour of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. The milk helps these cookies spread a little bit more. I know at high-altitude we’re often trying to avoid that, but these cookies are thin and super chewy on purpose!

Once those ingredients are well combined, it’s time to throw in the dry ingredients. You should have a thick but soft cookie dough at this stage. I like to roll each cookie in sugar before they head to the oven to bake.

Your cookies should look slightly crinkly and puffed when they are ready to come out of the oven. They will settle pretty quickly when they come out of the oven. Optionally, you can ice the cookies with this simple icing- I used cranberry juice for a slightly tart flavor and a light pink color.

I like the idea of having cookies for the holidays that are all different shapes and sizes, and having some bigger cookies like this in the mix is a fun changeup for me. I hope you guys give this one a try- it’s really just such a lovely sugar cookie and super easy to make!

Tips and Tricks for Cornmeal Cookies

Here are my tips and tricks to help you make the perfect cornmeal sugar cookies!

• Use fine ground cornmeal, not coarsely ground cornmeal to get the perfect texture here. Finely ground cornmeal is a standard in most grocery stores these days.
• Do I have to use dark brown sugar? You can swap in light brown sugar in these cookies, but I always prefer the added flavor of dark brown sugar and it works really well in these cookies.
• Mix the cookies until just combined. You want the cookie dough to come together completely without any dry pockets of flour remaining, but you don’t want to over-work the dough. It should be a thick but still fairly soft cookie dough.
• Bake a test cookie: I always like to bake a test cookie before I scoop out all the dough and go for it here. You can make sure that you’re getting the right results, and add more flour if the cookies are spreading too much at this stage. I like a thin, chewy cookie for these!
• How do I know when the cookies are finished baking? The cookies should be lightly golden brown around the edges, slightly cracked all over, and they will be a bit puffy when it’s time to come out of the oven but they will settle as they cool.
• Do I have to add icing to these cookies? No, the icing is not necessary, but I think it’s a cute addition to make these cookies look pretty and festive. Plus it’s yummy!
• I live at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Cornmeal Cookies

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

For the cornmeal cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/4 plus 1/4 cups granulated sugar separated
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2-3 tbs. cranberry juice

Instructions

For the cornmeal cookies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda and set this aside. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and dark brown sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until well combined and you have a soft dough. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoonfuls and roll each cookie into the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to coat.
4. Place onto your prepared baking sheets with room for the cookies to spread and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread out to become slightly crinkly and they may still look a little puffed when it’s time to come out of the oven, but they will settle as they cool. Cool the cookies completely before icing.

For the icing:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and salt, and add in 2 tbs. cranberry juice. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, add in a little more cranberry juice until it reaches the right consistency. If it’s too thin, add another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Drizzle the cooled cookies with icing as desired. Enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!