These cinnamon roll cookies are soft and chewy and capture all the magic of your favorite breakfast treat in buttery cookie form.
The cinnamon sugar filling gives each bite that classic, irresistible flavor we all crave.
And don’t even get me started on the glaze! It’s sweet, creamy, and adds the picture-perfect finishing touch.
These are great for holidays, brunches, potlucks, or anytime you need a sweet pick-me-up.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Classic Spiced Flavor: These cookies capture everything you love in a sweetly spiced cinnamon roll in buttery cookie form.
Soft Texture: The edges are slightly crisp but the middle is tender and super moist.
Perfect for the Holidays: These elegant bakery-worthy treats will steal the spotlight at any festive gathering!
Make-Ahead Friendly: Prep the dough and store it in the fridge or freezer. That way, you can enjoy warm, fresh-baked cookies anytime the craving strikes!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Provides richness and moisture, ensuring a tender texture.
- Granulated & Light Brown Sugar: Sweeten the cookies and contribute to their soft texture.
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients.
- Salt & Pure Vanilla Extract: To balance the sweetness and add a warm, aromatic note.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the dough, providing structure and stability.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise slightly and achieve a light texture.
- Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Creates the classic sweet and spicy flavor.
- Cream Cheese Glaze: A simple blend of powdered sugar, milk, cream cheese, pure vanilla extract, and salt.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Made with love and a generous dose of cinnamon, these cookies bring the warmth of a bakery straight to your kitchen.
Plus, the delicate swirl pattern makes them as beautiful as they are delicious.
Trust me, they’re worthy of a spot in your holiday cookie lineup or year-round baking rotation.
Here’s how to make them:
1. BEAT the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Blend in the egg, yolks, and vanilla one at a time.
2. WHISK the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Mix on low into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
3. DIVIDE the dough in half and roll each portion between parchment paper into 1/4-inch thick rectangles (about 10×8 inches).
4. MIX the brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Spread evenly over each dough rectangles.
5. ROLL each rectangle tightly into a log using the parchment for support. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
6. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. SLICE the logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Arrange on the baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
8. BAKE for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
9. WHISK the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set. Enjoy!
Tips For the Best Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Calling these cinnamon roll cookies good is an understatement.
Between the cinnamon sugar swirl and decadent glaze, they’re downright irresistible!
Like any cookie recipe, though, there’s an art to the baking. So I’ve included these helpful tips:
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Get the butter, eggs, and cream cheese out of the fridge early for easy mixing.
- Smooth the cracks. If the dough cracks when rolling, simply use your fingers to smooth it out.
- Don’t overmix. Use a mixer on low or a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients into the wet. This will help prevent dense cookies.
- Shape the edges. Straight out of the oven, place a large glass over each cookie and gently swirl the glass in a circular motion to push the edges inward, reshaping the cookie into a perfect circle.
- Adjust the consistency. Add more milk or powdered sugar to the glaze as needed. It should be thick but pourable.
- Variations. Add chopped nuts or lemon/orange zest to the filling, double-dip in cinnamon sugar like a snickerdoodle, or try different icings like maple or brown butter.
How to Store
I highly recommend freezing a batch of these cookies. That way, you can always have some on hand whenever your sweet tooth strikes!
To Store: Place cooled cookies in an airtight container, adding parchment paper between the layers. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
To Freeze the Cookie Dough: Wrap the dough logs tightly in plastic and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Or flash freeze sliced cookies, then move to a freezer bag. Freeze unbaked cookie dough for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge and bake as instructed.
To Freeze Baked Cookies: For best results, freeze unglazed cookies on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for 2-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw completely at room temperature and add fresh glaze before serving.
More Soft & Chewy Cookies You’ll Love
Toffee Doodle Cookies
Cream Cheese Cookies
Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Graham Cracker Cookies with Frosting
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
~40
servings25
minutes12
minutes116
kcalThese soft and chewy cinnamon roll cookies topped with a sweet and creamy glaze are a delightful and super easy twist on a classic breakfast treat!
Ingredients
- For the Cookie Dough
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg + 2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- For the Glaze
1 tablespoon softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch salt
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and blend in the egg, yolks, and vanilla one at a time until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half onto two separate sheets of parchment paper. Roll each portion into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (about 10×8 inches).
- Make the Filling: In a small bowl, mix the light brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until smooth. Divide in half and spread evenly over the dough.
- Using the parchment paper to help, tightly roll each rectangle into a long log (starting from one of the long sides). If any cracks appear, gently press together with your fingers.
- Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Then, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart (work in batches, keeping leftover dough in the fridge until ready to bake).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Icing: In a small bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add more milk if needed to adjust the consistency.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top with a spoon or piping bag. Let the glaze set before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Get the butter, eggs, and cream cheese out of the fridge early for easy mixing.
- Don’t overmix. Use a mixer on low or a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients into the wet. This will help prevent dense cookies.
