If you love cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies, you are going to love this delicious marriage of the two. Cinnamon roll cookies are perfect for the holidays, as a cute dessert for brunch and so much more!
The swirls of cinnamon filling draw you in to these cinnamon roll cookies, but the soft texture and cream cheese glaze will keep you coming back for more. They are the perfect combination of cookie and cinnamon roll and are cute as can be.
Luckily they are pretty easy to put together too. There is a fair amount of chill time, but that just spreads out the work and believe me, they are worth the wait.
We threw a “Bun in the Oven” shower for my cousin, so cinnamon bun cookies seemed like a perfect treat. They got such rave reviews there that I knew I had to make a batch for my sister’s bridal shower brunch as well.
There were no complaints that they were served again by those who attended both. 😉
For my cousin’s shower these cookies acted as our little party favor. Each place setting had a little cellophane bag with a few cookies in it.
Nothing like a few cute little cinnamon bun cookies for the road! My aunts especially loved them.
They couldn’t wait to get home to try them. They kept telling me “if these aren’t on the blog, they need to be!”
So now they are! Since very few cookies actually made it out the door at my cousin’s shower, I skipped the step of bagging them for my sister’s shower and just left them on plates on the tables for people to grab and eat. Our guests didn’t have to worry about busting into the bags to get to the good stuff.
Though these are now our official shower cookies, they are really perfect for just about any occasion and would be great on your holiday cookie trays as well. They are something a little bit fun and different and they are easy to put together!
Making the Cookies
Luckily making these cinnamon roll cookies is a lot easier than making actual cinnamon rolls. There is no yeast to mess with.
The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill. You need to do it two separate times, but both times are for a good reason.
First whip up a batch of sugar cookie dough. This recipe is based on our favorite sugar cookies.
The dough is the perfect mix of soft but workable and the cookies are soft but sturdy enough to decorate and stack.
After the dough is put together, we reach our first chill time. Making sure the dough is good and cold will help you be able to roll it out without having to add more flour.
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This will help to keep your finished cookies tender and not too tough. The edges will be a bit crispy and the centers will be soft.
Once the dough is chilled, roll it out until it is between 1/4 to 1/2 -inch thick. You can cut the dough into halves if you prefer, it does make the process of rolling the dough out evenly easier.
Now spread a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the dough and roll it into a tight log the way you would roll cinnamon roll dough.
Wrap the log in plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator. This second chill time will help the cookies keep their shape as they bake, you don’t want them to overspread.
Just slice the log into little cookie rounds and place them on a cookie sheet. I use nonstick cookie sheets and no parchment paper or silicone mats were needed.
A quick trip to the oven and the cookies are pretty much ready. Just move them to a wire rack and whip up the glaze.
Icing Your Cinnamon Roll Cookies
One of the best parts about cinnamon rolls is the icing. So of course these cute little cookies needed some.
The cream cheese glaze really makes these cookies taste like the real deal. Just cream together softened butter and cream cheese.
Add a little powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and mix until you have a nice glaze. If needed, adjust the consistency until it is thin enough to drizzle.
Try not to thin it out any more than you need to. You want it to drizzle nicely, but you also want it to set up without having to wait forever.
You can easily switch of the flavors by using different extracts. Using maple or coffee would be tasty, but usually stick to classic vanilla.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you store cinnamon roll cookies?
Make sure your cookies are cooled and the glaze is set before moving them to an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I use other spices in my cinnamon roll filling?
Of course. Feel free to add a little bit of grated nutmeg or cardamom if you would like. You could even try a little bit of ginger or allspice if you want.
More Great Spiced Cookie Recipes:
If you like cinnamon in your cookies, try making cinnamon brown sugar cookies. They are made like traditional roll and cut sugar cookies, but have the warmth of cinnamon and brown sugar baked inside.
For a softer scoop and bake option, try making chewy maple cinnamon cookies. They are full of that classic flavor combo.
If you are looking to get festive, I have the perfect gingerbread man recipe. The dough has the perfect balance of spices and it is a holiday favorite along with chewy molasses spice cookies.
Check out all of these and more in my full collection of cookie recipes. There is bound to be something there you’ll love!
Cinnamon Roll Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
Equipment
- OXO Non-stick Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 Tablespoon butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cookies
- In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar¾ cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix until completely incorporated2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.2¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour, longer is fine.
- Roll dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Mix together filling ingredients. Spread over dough. Cut into manageable rectangles and roll tightly like you would a cinnamon roll dough.½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate another 1/2 hour or longer.
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Removing one log of dough at a time (you want the dough to be as cold as possible when it goes in the oven), slice the rolled cookie logs in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange on cookie sheet an inch apart.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for two minutes, then remove to the cooling rack until completely cooled.
Glaze
- Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla, powdered sugar and enough milk to get a thick glaze consistency.2 ounces cream cheese, 1 Tablespoon butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons milk
- Dip top side of cookie into glaze or drizzle glaze over cookies and leave out until completely set. Once set all the way through, move to an air tight container until ready to eat. (If you want the icing to set faster, leave it thicker and pipe it over the cookies.)
- Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Thank you!
Such an adorable idea for a Bun in the Oven theme – LOVE.IT!
Thank you, Marsha! These have been a hit every time I've made them!
Oh my Carlee, these are wonderful.
Thanks for baking around the world for us! It was so much fun to see all of the cookies!
So adorable!! My youngest loves cinnamon rolls so he is going to love these cookies! Thanks for sharing with Saucy Saturdays
Thank you! They were really easy to make and so much fun for the party!