Cinnamon Roll Cookies
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Updated: 10/15/2020
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With plenty of brown sugar cinnamon-y goodness and cream cheese frosting, these Cinnamon Roll Cookies are guaranteed to be one of your new favorite cookies.
They are thick, perfectly baked, soft, and fun to make too!
I am a big cinnamon roll girl, so naturally these are high up on my list of favorite cookies.
Nothing beats my giant chocolate chip cookies but when I am wanting something different from the classic these are my go-to. ?
Can’t get enough Cinnamon Rolls? Check out my Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Cinnamon Rolls, and Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies!
- Loaded with brown sugar and cinnamon!
- They taste just like your favorite cinnamon rolls.
- Thick
- Chewy centers
- Super soft
- No chill time!
- Comforting
- Great year-round and for holiday’s too
If you’ve made some of my cookie recipes before, you will notice the base of the cookie dough is similar, and you’ll be very familiar with this cinnamon roll cookie variation.
I have been sticking to the same base recipe and you can see that in my funfetti cookies, cookies n cream cookies and my snickerdoodle cookies.
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Pro Tip
Don’t let the butter sit out on the counter for more than 15 minutes. If so, place it back in the fridge prior to using.
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Make the cinnamon sugar filling and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Cream the cold butter and white granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolks. Adding in extra egg yolks (minus the whites) is a cookie trick to promise a super chewy cookie. The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and binds the dough.
- Add dry ingredients: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, etc.
- Spread cookie dough out into a large rectangle. Do this on a lightly floured surface, using your hands will work fine!
- Place cinnamon sugar filling on top and spread evenly.
- Roll the cookie dough up, starting on the long end, jelly roll style.
- Cut dough into ~24 cookies. Roll dough into balls.
- Place on baking sheet and bake!
- It’s important to make sure the cinnamon sugar filling doesn’t ooze out so be sure the filling is sealed inside the dough ball.
- Before you begin baking, take the cream cheese out to soften for the frosting.
- You will also need softened butter for the frosting so if you don’t already have some out on your counter, take butter out to soften as well.
- What if I don’t have cake flour? Like most all of my cookie recipes, these cinnamon roll cookies use cake flour. It makes a more chewy cookie in my opinion. If you don’t have cake flour it’s OK to use All-Purpose Flour in it’s place (making this recipe need 4 cups total All-Purpose Flour).
- How many cookies does this recipe yield? This recipe makes ~12 large cookies measuring ~4.5 oz. each. You can make them smaller. To make the same size, I always recommend using a food scale.
- Bake 6 cookies at a time. While the first batch is baking you can place the other cookies in the fridge to stay chilled.
- Can I make these in advance? Yes, you can make the cookies in advance! Make the cookie dough & chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out and allow it to come to room temperature while your oven is preheating.
- Can I use a hand mixer? I have not personally tested using a hand mixer for this recipe. If you do, be sure the butter and sugar gets creamed together well. Creaming the butter and the sugar incorporates air into the butter which contributes lightness to the cookie dough.
- Why did my cookies spread? This could be for many reasons. Be sure the cinnamon sugar filling inside doesn’t escape and don’t use baking spray on your cookie sheets. Place cookies straight onto your pan, use a sheet of parchment paper, or a baking mat.
- Be sure to use light-colored baking sheets and not dark colored cookie sheets. Dark = absorb more heat = possible burnt cookies.
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These Cinnamon Roll Cookies are everything you love about cinnamon rolls but in cookie form! They are perfectly spiced, made with an amazing brown sugar cinnamon filling and topped with an irresistible cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake Flour
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed (16 Tbsp.)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
- pinch of salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- splash heavy cream, as needed
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a few cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark), 1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
- Make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups cake Flour, 2 tsp. corn starch , 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt
- Place the cubed butter into the bowl of a stand mixture and secure the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on medium speed and cream for about 1 minute. Then add in the granulated sugar and cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. It should like almost like a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed (16 Tbsp.), 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract and blend until mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks , 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time. Being careful not to over mix.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, press the cookie dough into a long rectangle. (For sizing, you can use a 9×13 inch dish for reference.) Flatten out using your hands, no rolling pin necessary.
- Spoon the cinnamon sugar filling onto the dough and into an even layer.
- Roll the dough up, starting on the long edge, being careful not to tear the dough. (If you floured your work surface this shouldn't be an issue but if it does tear a little, it's out the cookie dough is forgiving and you'll be rolling into balls anyways).
- Cut the cookie dough into equal slices. You should be able to get about 20-24 cookies.
- Roll cookies into balls, being sure to seal the filling inside so it doesn't ooze out. I like to pinch the bottom so it's sealed, and then leave some of the swirl on top. Place on prepared cookie sheet and press down slightly to flatten cookie a little. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. I always underbake just a little for the perfectly soft, tender cookies.
- If desired, use a round cookie cutter or the back of a spoon to gently “cookie scoot” around the edges right after baking to create perfectly round cookies, especially if some of the filling oozed out or escaped. Cool cookies on baking sheet for ~10-15 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or a splash of heavy cream, as desired for perfect consistency.8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened , 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Spread or pipe frosting on top of cooled cookies, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Store cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days if you frosted them, or unfrosted cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
- When rolling in a dough ball, be sure the cinnamon sugar filling inside doesn’t escape by pinching the edges of the dough around the filling. If it oozes out, it can cause the cookies to lose shape/look a little wonky. You can easily fix this by cookie scooting with a round object and swirling around the cookie.
- 2020 recipe: my original recipe had the cookies baked at 400°F and only made 10-12 large cookies. I’ve found that a lower oven temperature of 350°F and smaller cookies make a more tender, soft cookie. I also increased the brown sugar filling just a little & added ground cinnamon into the sugar cookie dough. (2026 update).
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cookie with frosting, Calories: 377kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 50g (17%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 19g (29%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 79mg (26%), Sodium: 262mg (11%), Potassium: 64mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 32g (36%), Vitamin A: 621IU (12%), Vitamin C: 0.05mg, Calcium: 53mg (5%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
I’ve made them 5x. They are amazing.
They look so pretty with the snowflake on them 🙂 thank you for making!
These cinnamon roll cookies are outstanding. Loved the simplicity of the recipe, the flavor is that of a true cinnamon roll. Thank you Tawnie.
i am so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!
Is it too much to give these a 10 star rating, because I want to! My grandkids inhaled these cookies. I’m just glad I grabbed one before they were gone.
OMG yay I am so glad!! thank you thank you! 🙂
I’m curious. You mentioned that if a person wanted to make these cookies smaller than the 4.5 oz size. How many would i get after rolling up the dough? TIA
Yes you can get ~18-20 cookies if you make them 2.5 oz. Size. Keep in mind the bake time will be shorter too so just keep an eye on them 🙂
I found this to be a very easy cookie to whip up .. that looks great and tastes even better!!! I did add cardamom with the cinnamon just because I love the pairing. I live on an island and didn’t have cake flour so I made my own. Otherwise I followed the recipe and cut smaller cookies!!!!!
They look great Diane! Thank you soo much 🙂
I made these and it’s so amazing. Since we’re from New Orleans I decided to add Mardi Gras colors to the frosting to resemble a King Cake and it couldn’t be more perfect.
How cute!! They look amazing Linda thank you!
I am making these now to bring to our family’s late Christmas gathering. How do they travel with the frosting? Do they stack well or would they lose their frosting to the cookie above?
Hi Sarah! I would not recommend stacking them. I hope they made it to the family OK and everyone loved them, thank you!!
Thank you! I just finished them up, except the frosting. I’m going to try making the frosting on its own and bringing it with them, as an option to top them before eating. We are gathering tomorrow.
Cookies look great and sound delicious but oh my goodness, 672 CALORIES per cookie! NOOO
that is if you make them really big. Scale them down in size 🙂
Tasted a small corner OMG sooo delicious. Can’t wait to bring them for my cookie exchange.
Thank you for this recipe.
Hi! Do these cookies freeze well? Is like to make them for a wedding cookie table!
How fun! Yes you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. I wouldn’t freeze them with the cream cheese frosting though!
Is freezing the dough een option before baking? I am going to do the same thing for my wedding 👌🏻😉
awww congratulations! Yes, you should be able to with no problem. Might need to allow dough to come to room temp prior to baking 🙂
cant wait to try these! why do you do 2 egg yolks?
hope you love them! Using an extra egg yolk is another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk! The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and binds the dough.