Cinnamon roll cookies are a fun slice and bake cookie inspired by decadent cinnamon rolls. They’re soft and buttery sugar cookies swirled with a classic cinnamon roll filling. Top these soft cinnamon cookies with an easy and irresistible cream cheese icing to make these cookies the best frosted cinnamon roll cookies everyone will love.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft, chewy and cozy cinnamon spiced cookie. My Maple Cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Chewy Molasses Cookies and Apple Cider Cookies are just a few soft cinnamon dessert recipes I love from the blog. I know you’ll love these soft Cinnabon sugar cookies because:
- Layers of cozy flavors and textures. From the soft and buttery sugar cookie to the sweet brown sugar cinnamon roll filling and creamy cream cheese icing, these soft cinnamon swirl sugar cookies will delight your senses.
- Easy to make, bake and eat. These cinnamon roll cookies come together in almost one bowl and use a handful of simple pantry basics to make. Make sure to set aside some time to roll out the cookie dough, roll the dough into a cookie roll and chill before slicing and baking.
Ingredients
This cinnamon roll cookie recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
Sugar Cookies
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg and vanilla extract.
Cinnamon Roll Filling
Gather unsalted butter, brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
Cream Cheese Icing
Gather cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these frosted cinnamon roll cookies if you need them.
- Almond Flour: I love adding a ¼ cup of almond flour to this sugar cookie recipe. The almond flour adds a bit of chewiness that lasts for days. If you would prefer not to use almond flour, substitute this with ¼ cup (30 g) of all purpose flour or oat flour.
- Baking Powder: I do not recommend substituting the baking soda for the baking powder in this recipe. Baking powder makes these cookies more cake like, similar to a cinnamon roll.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugars: Light brown sugar gives these soft cinnamon cookies more moisture and chewiness. Feel free to use all granulated sugar if needed for a more traditional sugar cookie taste. Maple sugar would also work well to make these cinnamon bun cookies refined sugar free.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Ground Cinnamon: This is for the cinnamon roll filling. Feel free to replace the ground cinnamon with any warming spices or spice blends such as apple pie spice or chai spice.
- Cream Cheese Icing: This is optional, but highly recommended.
Variation
Soft Cinnamon Sugar Cookies: If you would like to make a more traditional look sugar cookie with cinnamon roll filling, follow the recipe instructions as written up to the slice and bake part. Instead of placing the sliced cookies on the cookie sheet looking like cinnamon buns, simply roll into a tablespoon (30 ml) sized cookie dough ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet and bake as directed.
How To Make
Learn how to make cinnamon roll cookies in a few easy steps.
Make the sugar cookie dough
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and well combined. About 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. On low speed, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. On low, mix the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. If needed, take a spoon or flexible spatula and fold in any stray pieces. The dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky. If needed mix in 1- 2 tablespoons of flour (8 -16 g).
Make the Cinnamon Roll Cookie Roll
- Roughly divide the dough into two sections. Place one dough ball onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Trim the edges of the cookie roll dough. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough on another piece of parchment paper. Transfer the rectangles onto a small baking sheet or large plate. Place in the fridge to chill for a 10 - 15 minutes. While the cookie dough chills, make the cinnamon roll filling. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the light brown sugar and ground cinnamon into the butter until well combined.
- After 10 -15 minutes, remove the cookie roll rectangles from the fridge. Spread ½ of the filling onto each of the rectangles. Using the parchment paper as a guide, roll the rectangles into logs. Loosely wrap the cinnamon roll dough with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the dough is very firm.
Bake and Frost the Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 20-30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove one cinnamon roll cookie logs from the fridge. Slice the dough into ½ inch round cookies. Place each cookie onto the parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake the cinnamon cookie rolls for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and lightly golden brown. Cool the cinnamon bun cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Make cream cheese while the cookies cool. In a bowl, whisk the room temperature cream cheese and vanilla extract into the powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Spread or drizzle the icing on top of each cinnamon scroll cookie. Allow the cookies to set for 30 minutes and enjoy.
How To Store, Make Ahead, Freeze and Thaw
- Store Baked Cookies: Store all unfrosted cinnamon roll cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. Store cream cheese frosted cinnamon roll cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Store Unbaked Cookie Dough: Cookie dough or cinnamon cookie dough rolls can be stored in the fridge covered or wrapped in plastic wrap for 2 -3 days.
- Make Ahead: Although this easy cinnamon roll cookie recipe comes together quickly, the cookie dough or even the cookie roll can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions up to mixing the dry ingredients into the wet and decide which storage method meets your needs. If you prefer to make the cookies all the way through to rolling the dough into a log, that works too.
- Freeze Baked and Iced Cookies: Place each of the cookies in a freezer proof container in a single lined with parchment paper between each layer. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge overnight.
- Freeze Dough: Prepare the cinnamon log cookies through to mixing the dry ingredients into the wet. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap, transfer into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight and proceed with the cookie recipe as written starting with rolling the cookie dough into sheets.
M’s Expert Tips
- Chill the dough. After mixing the cookie dough, chill it in the fridge for 10 -15 minutes. This helps the dough roll out more easily. After rolling out the cookie dough, chill it for 5 - 10 minutes before spreading the cinnamon roll filling. This helps the dough roll more easily into a cookie dough log. Chill the cookie roll log for a couple of hours. The longer the dough chills, the better the cookies will set, slice and bake.
- Lightly flour the parchment paper. This of this sugar cookie dough the same way you would a pie crust. Keep the dough cool, lightly dust the work surface with flour and work quickly to roll out the dough, spread the filling and roll it into a log.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe for cinnamon roll cookies uses a cookie dough that can be rolled out as soon as it is mixed together. The dough will need time to chill after rolling into cookie dough into logs.
If you’d like to make these cinnamon roll cookies using store bought cookie dough, follow the recipe starting at rolling the dough out. Then simply make the filling, spread the filling, roll into cookie dough logs, chill, slice and bake.
This recipe for cinnamon roll cookies works best when the cookie dough is rolled out to ¼ inch thickness. Slice the cookie rolls into ½ inch thick cookies.
Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Try
If you try this Cinnamon Roll Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 4 sheets parchment paper
- 1 plastic wrap
- 1 roll pin to roll out the cookie dough
- 1 knife for slicing the cookies
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (28 g) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour, ¼ cup (28 g) almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and well combined. About 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. On low speed, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
- On low, mix the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. If needed, take a spoon or flexible spatula and fold in any stray pieces. The dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky. If needed mix in 1- 2 tablespoons of flour (8 -16 g).
- Roughly divide the dough into two sections. Place one dough ball onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Trim the edges of the cookie roll dough. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough on another piece of parchment paper. Transfer the rectangles onto a small baking sheet or large plate. Place in the fridge to chill for a 10 - 15 minutes.
- While the cookie dough chills, make the cinnamon roll filling. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the light brown sugar and ground cinnamon into the butter until well combined.4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- After 10 -15 minutes, remove the cookie roll rectangles from the fridge. Spread ½ of the filling onto each of the rectangles. Using the parchment paper as a guide, roll the rectangles into logs. Loosely wrap the cinnamon roll dough with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the dough is very firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 20-30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove one cinnamon roll cookie logs from the fridge. Slice the dough into ½ inch round cookies. Place each cookie onto the parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cinnamon cookie rolls for 11 - 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and lightly golden brown. Cool the cinnamon bun cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature. Repeat the slice, bake and cool steps with the remaining cookie roll in the fridge.
- Make cream cheese while the cookies cool. In a bowl, whisk the room temperature cream cheese and vanilla extract into the powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Spread or drizzle the icing on top of each cinnamon scroll cookie. Allow the cookies to set for 30 minutes and enjoy.4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract, 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
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