Cinnamon Jumbles with Browned Butter Icing

Sneak Preview: Cinnamon Jumbles (aka Jubilee Jumbles) with Browned Butter Icing is a modern rendition of an old-fashioned soft cinnamon cookie with a cake-light texture. You’ll love the frosting.

iced cinnamon jumbles on a cooling rackPin

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If you could step into your grandmother’s kitchen right now and peek inside her cookie jar, what would you hope to find?

For me, it would always be Cinnamon Jumbles. Oh, how I wish I could grab a couple from Grandma’s kitchen today! These cookies taste just like hers, but they don’t quite look the same.

Grandma’s version was rustic—big blobs of dough that spread together on the pan. She cut them into squares, and while they weren’t pretty, they were always delicious.

I discovered her handwritten recipe on the inside cover of an old cookbook, where she called them “Jubilee Jumbles.” Later, I found a similar recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookie Book (paid link) as “Cinnamon Jumbles.”

These cookies are a delicious nod to nostalgia, and I can’t wait for you to try them!

Grandma's recipe for "Jubilee Jumbles" which close to this recipe for Cinnamon JumblesPin

Five Reasons to Treasure These Cookies

  • Soft, teacake-like texture
  • A hint of cinnamon for extra warmth
  • Frosting elevates the flavor and appearance
  • Brown butter frosting adds indulgence
  • My updated recipe tastes even better than the original (seen above)

Try them for yourself.  Frosted Cinnamon Jubilee Jumbles go down r-e-a-l easy.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“I actually made these cookies… and they turned out GREAT!!!!!! I was scared about browning the butter, but it was so simple! My kids love them, and their friends at school love them…apparently they share homemade cookies from their lunchboxes.” DER
.


Snickerdoodles vs. Cinnamon Jumbles

Cinnamon is the star ingredient in both Snickerdoodles and Cinnamon Jumbles. However, the differences are significant.

interior shot of frosted cinnamon cookiesPin
  • Snickerdoodles: Chewy and crispy when warm but flatten as they cool. No frosting needed—they’re rolled in cinnamon-sugar for plenty of flavor.
  • Cinnamon Jumbles: Soft, cake-like, and hold their teacake shape. My version always gets dressed up with browned butter icing for extra sweetness (highly recommended!).

Which team are you—classic or frosted? 😊

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • FLOUR
    Substitute bleached all-purpose flour for unbleached flour in a 1:1 ratio
  • BUTTER
    Use real butter instead of shortening (e.g., Crisco) for better flavor
    Avoid butter substitutes
  • BUTTERMILK
    • Substitute with plain yogurt (2% or whole milk), thinned with milk to buttermilk consistency
    • Combine 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice with milk to measure 1 cup; let stand before using
    • Mix equal parts sour cream and water, whisk until smooth– Foodess.com
  • SUGAR
    • Use 100% granulated sugar for a lighter cookie
    • Substitute part brown sugar for a darker, moister cookie

Variations:

Iced cinnamon jumble cookies with red sugar on topPin
It takes so little to make these simple cinnamon cookies festive. Sprinkle sanding or sparkling sugar in holiday-appropriate colors over the icing before it dries.

Tips for Customizing Your Cookies

  • Decorate with Colored Sugar:
    • Red or pink: Valentine’s Day or Christmas
    • Green: St. Patrick’s Day
    • Orange and black: Halloween
  • Experiment with Icing Flavors:
    • Try chocolate or plain white powdered sugar icing
    • Add food coloring to white icing for a themed touch
  • Eggnog Cookies Variation:
    • Replace yogurt or buttermilk with eggnog
    • Use 1 tsp baking powder instead of baking soda
    • Substitute eggnog for cream in the icing
    • Add 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

Other variations

Variations abound on the internet. Take a look: Applesauce Jumbles, Coconut, Butterscotch, Orange Cream, and Chocolate Cream Jumbles. Some people add chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts.


How To Make Cinnamon Jubilee Jumbles

butter and sugar in a mixing bowlPin
Add room-temperature butter to sugar in the bowl of a mixer.
creaming the butter and sugarPin
Turn the mixer on medium-low to combine butter and sugar.
after adding eggs to the mixturePin
Add eggs. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until the mixture is fluffy.
adding buttermilk and vanilla extractPin
Stir in the buttermilk (or yogurt) and vanilla extract.
pouring drying ingredients into the creamed mixturePin
Measure out dry ingredients and add to the bowl all at once.
finished cookie dough before chillingPin
Mix until all flour disappears. Chill for at least an hour.
baked cookiesPin
Use a spring-loaded ice cream dipper (or two spoons) to make cookies approximately one tablespoon in size. (I like smaller cookies, but bigger ones will work, too.) Bake at 400 degrees F. until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove cookies to a cooling rack.
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When cookies are lukewarm, spread them with icing.

How To Make Brown Butter Icing

browning butter in a pan on top of the stovePin
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. (Read how to brown butter in the microwave if you prefer.)
browned butter in a clear bowlPin
Keep a watchful eye on the butter. When golden brown (solids will be dark brown but not black), pour into another bowl to stop the browning.
Adding milk, then powdered sugar to make browned butter icingPin
Add milk or cream. Stir. Then add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
frosting cookies with an offset spatulaPin
Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to carefully spread icing on top of these soft and tender cookies.

Parting thoughts: Did your grandmother make these cookies in some form or another? Have you ever tried them? If so, please tell me what you think in the comments below.



Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!

soft cinnmon cookies with brown butter iicing on a cooling rack.Pin
Yield: 36 cookies

Cinnamon Jumbles with Brown Butter Icing

Kid-favorites!! These cake-like, cinnamon-spiced cookies are frosted with a browned butter icing.
5 from 4 votes
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Video

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients
 

Cookie Dough

  • ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large (50 g) egg
  • ¾ cup (170 g) buttermilk or unflavored yogurt thinned with milk to the consistency of buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Browned Butter Icing

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Cream 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, and 1 large (50 g) egg.
  • Stir in 3/4 cup (170 g) buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • Blend in 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine until you can’t see any flour.
  • Chill the dough in the freezer for about 30 minutes or 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
  • Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto a baking sheet. For larger cookies, use 2-3 tablespoons of dough. Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease it.
  • Bake at 400˚F (200˚C) for 8-10 minutes. When barely cool, ice with Browned Butter icing.

Brown Butter Icing:

  • Melt 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter (do not substitute margarine) in a small skillet using low heat on the stove till golden brown. Be careful not to burn. (If any solids turn black, start over.) Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Start out by adding about 1 tablespoon of milk into the butter. Stir in 1½ cups powdered sugar and beat till smooth. Add milk as you go in very small increments until it will spread easily but not so thin that it drips. Because icing becomes thick as it cools, stir in a small amount of extra milk if necessary to make icing spreadable. If you get it too thin, let it sit for a while or add more powdered sugar.
  • Leftover icing is good on graham crackers or animal cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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4.75 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. I actually made these cookies… and they turned out GREAT!!!!!! I was scared about browning the butter, but it was so simple!
    My kids love them, and their friends at school love them…apparently they share homemade cookies from their lunchboxes.
    Maybe this will be a Christmas tradition that my kids can trace back to their great-grandma!
    Thanks for the recipe!

  2. best chocolate recipes says:

    just made these cookies with my friend, they’re incredible. thanks 😉

  3. trina @ best salad recipes says:

    i tried this and my kids loved it! thanks for sharing 🙂

  4. I want to bake the cookies without the icing if I do will they not taste as good?

  5. Hi! Two quick questions:
    I was just wondering if I can use a cookie cutter (such as a candy cane cutter) for these.
    Do you have a a rough guess for the calories in these??
    Thanks and Merry Christmas!!
    -Taylor

  6. I plan to make these but noticed the use of yogurt or buttermilk. Does the liquid not make a difference in the consistency? Seems like the batter would be slightly thinner using buttermilk rather than yogurt. Which one do you use?

    1. I use whichever I have. If the yogurt is thick you might add a little milk but it doesn’t make that much difference. Either way, the dough needs to be chilled so it all turns out about the same.

  7. I am making these tonight….

    About how much milk do you start the icing with?