cinnamon roll cookies

these cinnamon roll cookies combine the best of two favourite comfort desserts. soft, chewy cookie meets rich, fluffy cinnamon rolls, featuring buttery, browned butter sugar cookies encasing a swirl of gooey cinnamon sugar filling. topped with a silky smooth, cream cheese frosting, these cookies are like the warmest hug on a crisp, autumn day.

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this is the best cinnamon roll cookies recipe – blending a gooey cinnamon roll centre with a thick, chewy sugar cookie. this recipe is truly the best of both cinnamon rolls and cookies – combining a rich, toasty, browned butter sugar cookie with a swirl of sweet cinnamon sugar filling, just like you would have in a classic cinnamon roll. spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top and watch this become one of your favourite autumn treats!

why you will love this easy cinnamon roll cookies recipe

• combines cinnamon buns and cookies – two classic favourite desserts: these cinnamon roll cookies are the perfect blend of cinnamon roll with cookie – they’re packed with the rich flavours of a cinnamon roll but without the hassle of making a dough that needs to rise. the soft, chewy cookies are made with browned butter, then stuffed with cinnamon sugar, then topped with a cream cheese icing. they taste exactly like a cinnamon roll but are so much more convenient and easy to make!

• look impressive but are really easy to make – these cinnamon roll cookies are so easy to make, even for beginners, even though they look like they’d be complicated.

• great for making ahead – the longer you let the cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough rest in the fridge, the better, so you can easily make the dough in advance and bake the cookies in advance. they’re perfect for bringing to gatherings and parties, especially during the holiday season.

learn how to make these easy cinnamon roll sugar cookies

to make these cinnamon roll cookies with cream cheese frosting, we’re going to start off by browning the butter to add an extra toffee-like depth of flavour to our cinnamon roll flavored cookies. let the butter cool after browning, then add granulated sugar and brown sugar. mix all of that together, then add some heavy cream, a splash of vanilla and a large egg and mix that in. then add flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, some baking soda and salt and mix all of that together. once your cinnamon roll cookie dough is formed, let it chill in the fridge.

while your cinnamon roll cookie dough is chilling, make the buttery cinnamon sugar filling. mix the softened butter with dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon until you get a thick paste-like filling. let this chill in the fridge. split the cookie dough into equal sections, then flatten each dough ball out, stuff it with the cinnamon sugar filling, and freeze the dough balls.

once they’re ready to bake, bake until golden and soft, then remove from the oven, let the cinnamon roll cookies cool on the tray and make the cream cheese frosting.

for the cream cheese frosting, we’re going to whip together softened butter and softened cream cheese until smooth. then, beat in icing sugar (or powdered sugar) in small amounts at a time, as well as some vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. whip until you get a thick, smooth icing. top your cooled cinnamon roll cookies with cream cheese frosting – and we’re done!

cinnamon roll cookies ingredients

• butter – we’re going to use unsalted butter here. if you would prefer to use salted butter, just remove the extra salt from the dry ingredients. for this cinnamon roll cookies recipe, i decided to brown the butter for an extra depth of flavour that works so well in the cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough. i also use softened room temp butter in the cream cheese frosting. this is one of my favourite butters to use in cookie recipes.

• brown sugar – i make these cinnamon roll cookies using sugar cookie dough – i decided to use a small amount of light brown sugar because i love brown sugar in my sugar cookies. it helps give these cinnamon roll cookies more of a chewy texture and a nicer caramel-like flavour. this light muscovado sugar is one of my favourites. if you don’t want to use brown sugar, you can also just make a normal sugar cookie with just granulated sugar. i also decided to use dark brown sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling for a stronger flavour in the filling because it complements the cinnamon so well. feel free to use light brown sugar if you would prefer that.

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. the brown sugar keeps these cinnamon roll cookies soft and chewy and the granulated sugar helps them spread.

• egg – we’re just going to use one large egg in this cinnamon roll sugar cookies recipe – make sure it’s at room temperature so that it’s able to combine easily with the rest of the ingredients.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a splash of it will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your cinnamon roll cookies. i also use vanilla when making the cream cheese frosting.

• double cream or heavy cream – this is optional but i like to add a small amount of heavy cream to my cinnamon roll cookie dough as it adds a lovely richness and makes the cookies extra chewy. you can skip this, or use milk if you’d rather not use the heavy cream.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour or all purpose flour for this soft cinnamon roll cookies recipe.

• baking soda and baking powder – i use just a small amount of baking soda and baking powder in these soft cinnamon roll cookies to get a good balance of spread and thickness.

• ground cinnamon – in order to make cinnamon rolls in cookie form, we’re going to add ground cinnamon to the sugar cookie dough as well as in the cinnamon sugar filling to get a strong cinnamon flavour throughout our cookies.

• salt – a small amount of salt added to the dry ingredients helps balance out the sweetness in these cinnamon roll sugar cookies.

• cream cheese – we’re going to whip softened cream cheese with softened butter to make our smooth cream cheese frosting.

• icing sugar or powdered sugar – i make this cinnamon roll cookie recipe with icing sugar or powdered sugar to add sweetness to the cream cheese frosting, as well as to help you get a nice, smooth glaze.

• lemon juice – this is optional, but a small amount of lemon juice adds a nice brightness to the cream cheese frosting.

tools:

• large mixing bowl – for the cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough

• medium bowls – for the cinnamon sugar filling, and one for the dry ingredients.

• pot or pan – for browning the butter on the stove

• baking sheets – you’ll need a big baking sheet lined with parchment paper for baking the cookies and a smaller tray lined with paper for when you freeze the cookie dough balls.

• hand mixer – we’re going to make these cinnamon roll cookies with icing – using a hand mixer for this will make things a lot easier.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: add unsalted butter to a pan or pot and heat up over medium heat. keep stirring until golden brown and toasted. you’ll know you’re done when the butter starts to smell almost caramel-like. (detailed instructions on browning butter in faqs section).

step two: add the browned butter to a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape out all of the milk solids from the bottom of the pan and into the bowl. put this in the fridge or freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes until the browned butter has cooled.

step three: once the butter has cooled, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl, mix these together until combined.

step four: add the large egg, the heavy cream and the vanilla extract and mix this into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.

step five: in another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon and mix all of this together.

step six: add the dry ingredients to the cinnamon roll cookie mixture and gently fold them in until a cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough is formed.

step seven: place the bowl in the fridge and let the cookie dough chill for at least 30 minutes.

step eight: while the dough is chilling, make the cinnamon sugar filling. in a medium bowl, mix together softened butter with dark brown sugar until thick and creamy.

step nine: to this, add flour and ground cinnamon, and mix this is until you get a thick paste. let the filling chill in the fridge along with the cookie dough.

step ten: once your cookie dough is ready, separate the dough into equal sized portions. flatten each dough ball out, then add a tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar filling to the middle, and close it back up. try to make sure the dough is covering the cinnamon filling so that it doesn’t seep out too much.

step eleven: line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper or baking paper, then place the stuffed cinnamon roll cookie dough balls onto the tray. freeze these for 30 minutes.

step twelve: preheat oven 10-15 minutes before baking, and line a baking sheet or baking tray with parchment paper or baking paper.

step thirteen: place the cookie dough balls on the lined tray, making sure to put space between them so that they have enough room to spread.

step fourteen: bake the cinnamon roll cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until they look soft and golden.

step fifteen: remove the cinnamon roll filled cookies from the oven, and let them cool completely on the baking sheet.

step sixteen: once the cinnamon roll cookies are completely cool, start making the cinnamon roll cookies cream cheese frosting – in a bowl, add room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese. use a mixer to beat these together until the butter and cream cheese are combined, and the mixture looks soft and creamy.

step seventeen: add icing sugar or powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture in small amounts at a time, and use a hand mixer to beat the sugar each time, until the mixture becomes completely smooth, and all the sugar has been added. add vanilla and lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting mixture and mix it in.

step eighteen: add a generous amount of the cream cheese frosting to the top of each cinnamon roll cookie and gently spread it out.

step nineteen: let these chill in the fridge, or just serve immediately, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• keep an eye on the butter when browning it – butter can quickly go from nutty and toasted to burnt. once the butter starts to smell caramel-like and toasty, and you can see it start to turn a dark golden brown colour, remove the pan from the heat.

• make sure you give the browned butter time to cool before adding the rest of your ingredients. this is why i like to place it in the fridge or freezer for a while before going ahead with the rest of the recipe.

• i would recommend using room temperature eggs when making these cinnamon roll cookies. this will just make it easier to mix the ingredients and help the ingredients incorporate better.

• use room temperature cream cheese and butter when making the cream cheese frosting – this will ensure that the frosting is smooth and help avoid any lumps.

• if you forgot to leave the butter or cream cheese out to let them soften, you can always put them in the microwave for about ten seconds, just so that they can soften slightly so that they’re easier to mix. make sure you don’t melt the butter completely or put it in the microwave for too long.

• if using salted butter instead of unsalted, leave out the extra salt stated in the recipe.

• once you add the flour and dry ingredients to the cinnamon roll cookie mixture, gently mix until just combined to avoid over mixing the dough. over mixing can make your cookies tough and less soft and chewy.

• to keep these cinnamon roll cookies easy to make, i would really recommend chilling the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before stuffing them, as this will make the dough a lot less sticky. chilling the cinnamon sugar filling in the fridge while the dough is chilling will also make things a bit easier.

• use a cookie scoop or weigh out the cookie dough balls so that all of the cookies are equal and consistent in size. this cinnamon roll cookies recipe makes 6 cookies, each weighing about 95g (slightly more than 3oz) each.

• if the dough becomes too soft to handle while you’re working with it, just place it in the fridge again for a few minutes to firm it up a little.

• when stuffing the cookie dough balls with the cinnamon sugar filling, flatten them out and add around a tablespoon of the filling. make sure the filling is fully or mostly enclosed inside the dough ball to ensure that the filling doesn’t leak out of your cinnamon roll cookies. it’s alright if a small amount does, you just want to make sure that it’s not leaking everywhere.

• add your stuffed cookie dough balls to a lined baking tray and freeze them. this will ensure that they don’t stick to the tray when frozen, and will be easier to remove from the tray.

• freeze the stuffed cinnamon roll cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes. this will ensure that they don’t spread too much in the oven, and help the filling remain intact inside the cookies.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your cinnamon roll cookies as they bake. i like to take them out of the oven when they’re very slightly underdone as they will continue to cook as they cool once they’re out of the oven. over baking might make your cinnamon roll cookies dry and cakey and we definitely don’t want that! i baked these cookies for 20 minutes, but keep in mind that baking times will depend on how big your cookies are, so be sure to adjust times according to that. bigger cookies will take more time to bake.

• feel free to add a pinch or two of salt to the cinnamon sugar filling and the cream cheese frosting, or just use salted butter instead of unsalted – this will help balance out the sweetness.

• once your cinnamon roll cookies are out of the oven, they will be too soft to pick up. let them cool on the baking sheets for a good 10-15 minutes before trying to pick them up.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you do decide to use cups, bear in mind that this recipe uses higher than typical flour measurements, as it takes into account the fact that most people tend to scoop their flour.

• make sure the cinnamon roll cookies are completely cool before you add the cream cheese frosting on top. if you add it while the cookies are still warm, the frosting will just melt everywhere. this is why i like to make the cream cheese frosting after the cookies have cooled completely.

• you can adjust the amount of cinnamon in the cookie dough and in the cinnamon sugar filling to your taste. add however much you like!

• for an extra touch, roll sugar cookies in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. this will help add some extra texture and flavour.

• store any leftover frosted cinnamon roll cookies in the fridge. store any unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

• the frosting is a thinner, glaze-like icing so if you want it to set before eating, you can place the cookies in the fridge so that it can firm up. alternatively, you can just eat it immediately (which is what i did!).

frequently asked questions

1. how do i brown the butter for this frosted cinnamon roll cookies recipe ?

   – to brown the butter for these frosted cinnamon roll cookies, start by adding butter to a pan. melt this over medium heat and stir constantly as the butter melts. the butter will melt and then begin to foam and sizzle. you’ll know the butter has browned when the foam starts to tone down a little and the butter looks golden brown underneath the foam. the butter will start to smell slightly nutty and toasty. once this happens, remove the pot from the heat and transfer the browned butter to your mixing bowl to cool.

2. can i use salted butter in this cinnamon roll cookies recipe ?

   – yes, you can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. if you do use salted butter for your cinnamon roll cookies instead of unsalted, just leave out the extra salt in the dry ingredients.

3. do i have to use vanilla extract in this cinnamon roll cookies recipe ?

   – the vanilla extract in this cookie recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cookie dough and the cream cheese icing, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

4. why did my cinnamon roll sugar cookies turn into a cake instead of soft and chewy?

   – the reason why your cookies turned cakey could be because of baking times. you should take your cinnamon roll cookies out of the oven when they’re slightly underdone as they will continue to cook and firm up on the tray as they cool. even if you follow the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven. i highly recommend checking on your cookies every once in a while, especially towards the end of the recommended times to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be that there was too much flour in your cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough. to make these cinnamon roll cookies as accurately as possible, i would recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale.

5. can i make these cinnamon roll cookies without brown sugar ?

   – the brown sugar in the cinnamon roll cookie dough gives them some extra flavour and chewiness. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with the same amount of granulated sugar. keep in mind that using all granulated sugar to make this cookie might result in a cookie that is less chewy and maybe even a little crispier. it will also probably spread more, but other than that, it should work just fine. i really don’t use that much brown sugar in the dough recipe so it shouldn’t make too much of a difference. for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated. if you have molasses on hand, you could also add a small amount of that to granulated sugar to mimic the effect of brown sugar.

   – as for the use of brown sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, i would really recommend using it for the best flavour and texture. if you don’t have brown sugar, however, you can absolutely still make the filling with just granulated sugar. or you can just add a small amount of molasses to the granulated sugar to get a similar effect.

6. can i make these cinnamon roll cookies without heavy cream ?

   – the use of heavy cream in this cinnamon roll cookies recipe helps add a lovely chewiness and richness to the cookies. however, it is also completely fine to omit the heavy cream for the cookies if you don’t have it on hand or would rather not use it. it will result in a less chewy cookie but it’ll still be delicious! if you’re looking for a substitute for the heavy cream, you could also just use milk instead for a somewhat similar effect.

7. why did my cinnamon roll cookies not spread ?

   – one of the reasons why your cookies didn’t spread might be due to your oven temperatures being too low. make sure to preheat your oven 10-15 minutes before adding your cookies in so that the oven is hot enough.

   – it could also be that your cookie dough is too cold. if you find that your cookie isn’t spreading in the oven, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before baking it.

8. do i have to chill and freeze the dough to make these cinnamon roll cookies ?

   – i would highly recommend chilling the cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough and the cinnamon sugar filling before baking it. the cookie dough might be quite sticky when you first mix it due to the browned butter, so it will probably be difficult to shape. letting it chill in the fridge will help firm it up so that it’s easier to handle. it will also help enhance the flavours. freezing the stuff cookie dough balls will help prevent them from spreading too much in the oven, and also help prevent the filling from leaking out. if you would rather not freeze them, you can just chill the cookie dough balls in the fridge again for another 30 minutes after stuffing them.

9. can i make these cinnamon roll cookies ahead of time ?

   – you want your cinnamon roll cookies to be completely cool before icing them, so you can definitely make them ahead of time. you can make the cinnamon roll sugar cookies in advance, and store them in an airtight container. make the cream cheese icing fresh before serving and frost and assemble your cinnamon roll cookies right before you serve them.

   – the cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough also requires some chilling in the fridge, and chilling the dough for a longer time will actually help develop the flavours and make the dough a lot easier to handle. so, you can actually make the sugar cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance and let it chill overnight if you want to make these cookies ahead of time. if you do this, you won’t even need to freeze them afterwards!

10. can i make cinnamon roll cookie bars instead of cinnamon roll cookies ?

    – if you want to keep these cinnamon roll cookies easy and quick to make, you can definitely bake them as cookie bars instead of individual cookies. just make the sugar cookie dough as stated in the recipe and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. press around 3/4 of the dough into a lined 8×8 inch baking dish, add a layer of the cinnamon sugar filling, then add the rest of the sugar cookie dough on top and bake. keep in mind that baking times might differ for the cinnamon roll cookie bars. once they’re out of the oven, top with the cream cheese frosting, and slice them up just before serving.

11. can i make these cinnamon roll cookies without cream cheese frosting ?

    – absolutely! i personally love the cream cheese frosting with these cinnamon roll cookies, but the cookies are also delicious on their own.

12. how to store cinnamon roll cookies ?

    – store any unfrosted cinnamon roll sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. when it comes to storing frosted cinnamon roll cookies, be sure to place these in the fridge rather than leaving them out. once frosted, they’re best consumed within 1-2 days.

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