Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe tastes like a soft, buttery sugar cookie hugged around a gooey cinnamon-sugar swirl with a creamy vanilla glaze on top. It works perfectly for bakers who crave cinnamon rolls but want a quicker treat, since this whole recipe takes about 1 hour including chill time. I grew up eating cinnamon rolls every Sunday, so these cookies feel like my childhood in bite-size form.

Why Choose This Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

This Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe gives you all the flavor of a bakery-style cinnamon roll in a cookie that fits on a holiday tray. The dough rolls easily, slices cleanly, and bakes into pretty spirals without drama.

You mix simple pantry ingredients, chill briefly, slice, and bake, so the process stays beginner friendly. Kids love helping roll the dough, and adults love that the cookies taste like they came from a fancy bakery case.

“These cinnamon roll cookies disappeared from the cookie tray in under ten minutes, and my family asked for a double batch next time! ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dough ingredients

• 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
  • Use a standard unbleached flour; King Arthur or Gold Medal work great.
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • Use real butter, not margarine, for best flavor.
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Cinnamon filling

• 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, very soft
• ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt

Vanilla glaze

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2–3 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness

Optional add-ins and swaps

• Add ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg to the filling for a bakery-style flavor twist.
• Swap in pumpkin pie spice for part of the cinnamon during fall baking.
• Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if you need a gluten-free version; choose a brand that includes xanthan gum.
• Use plant-based butter sticks and non-dairy milk if you want a dairy-light version; the texture stays very similar.

Equipment list

• Stand mixer with paddle or hand mixer and large mixing bowl
• Medium bowl for dry ingredients
• Small bowl for filling
• Rubber spatula
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Baking sheets
• Sharp knife or bench scraper for slicing
• Cooling racks
• Small whisk or fork for the glaze

Tips & Tricks

• Chill the dough log at least 30 minutes so the spiral holds its shape while you slice.
• Use cool room temperature butter that gives slightly when pressed but does not look shiny or greasy.
• Lightly flour the rolling pin and parchment so the dough does not stick or tear.
• Spread the cinnamon filling in a very thin, even layer so it does not squeeze out when you roll.
• Roll the dough tightly but gently, like a cinnamon roll, to keep a neat swirl.
• Slice with a sharp, non-serrated knife and clean the blade every few cuts for tidy edges.
• Bake one test cookie to check timing, then adjust by 1–2 minutes for your oven.
• Pull the cookies when the edges just start to turn light golden; they finish setting as they cool.
• Let the cookies cool almost completely before glazing so the glaze sets instead of running off.
• If the glaze looks too thick, add milk by ½ teaspoon at a time; if too thin, whisk in a spoonful of powdered sugar.

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Mix the dry ingredients

1. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl.
2. Whisk until everything looks evenly combined, then set the bowl aside.
3. This step keeps the leavening and salt from clumping in the dough.

Cream the butter and sugars

1. Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so no butter pockets hide at the bottom.

Add egg, vanilla, and milk

1. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture.
2. Beat on medium speed until the mixture looks smooth and slightly lighter in color.
3. Add the milk or cream and mix again until fully combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients

1. Pour about half of the dry mixture into the wet ingredients.
2. Mix on low speed until the flour almost disappears.
3. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix on low just until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain.
4. Use a spatula to finish folding so you avoid overmixing.

Shape and chill the dough

1. Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on your counter.
2. Transfer the dough onto the parchment and gently pat it into a rough rectangle.
3. Place another sheet of parchment on top and roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 by 14 inches and about ¼ inch thick.
4. Slide the dough (still between parchment) onto a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

Mix the cinnamon filling

1. While the dough chills, add the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt to a small bowl.
2. Mash and stir with a fork until the mixture turns into a smooth, spreadable paste.
3. If it looks too stiff, add ½ teaspoon of milk; if it looks too loose, add a teaspoon of brown sugar.

Spread the filling

1. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and peel off the top sheet of parchment.
2. Dollop the cinnamon filling over the surface of the dough.
3. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the filling into a very thin, even layer, leaving a ½ inch border along one long edge.
4. That clean edge helps seal the log.

Roll into a log

1. Start at the long edge opposite the clean border.
2. Use the parchment to help lift and roll the dough into a tight log, just like a cinnamon roll.
3. Gently pinch the seam along the clean edge to seal the log.
4. Wrap the log in parchment or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

Slice the cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
2. Unwrap the chilled dough log and place it on a cutting board.
3. Use a sharp knife to slice the log into ¼ to ⅓ inch thick rounds.
4. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between cookies.

Bake the cookies

1. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 13 minutes.
2. Watch for edges that look set and very lightly golden while the centers still look soft.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the vanilla glaze

1. Add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl.
2. Whisk until smooth and pourable; add more milk a few drops at a time if needed.
3. The glaze should ribbon off the whisk and slowly disappear back into the bowl.

Glaze the cinnamon roll cookies

1. Place the cooled cookies on a rack set over parchment to catch drips.
2. Use a spoon or small piping bag to drizzle the glaze over each cookie in zigzags or spirals.
3. Let the glaze set for at least 20 minutes before stacking or storing.
4. Taste one while the glaze still feels a little soft, because that first cookie always belongs to the baker.

What to Serve with Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Serve these cinnamon roll cookies with cold milk, hot coffee, or a big mug of hot chocolate for a cozy treat. They fit perfectly on holiday cookie platters next to chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and sugar cookies. Pack them in lunchboxes as a sweet surprise or serve them at brunch alongside fruit salad and yogurt. Kids also love them as an after-school snack with apple slices and peanut butter.

Storage Options

• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
• Keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week if your kitchen runs warm or humid.
• Freeze unglazed baked cookies in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature, then glaze.
• Freeze the shaped dough log tightly wrapped for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge until sliceable, then bake.
• Refresh cookies by warming them in a 275°F (135°C) oven for 4 to 5 minutes to bring back that soft, just-baked texture.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Cinnamon Roll Cookies taste like soft, buttery sugar cookies wrapped around a gooey cinnamon-sugar swirl and topped with creamy vanilla glaze. They deliver classic cinnamon roll flavor in about an hour, including chill time.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 36

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Add the egg and vanilla to the creamed mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly lighter in color. Add the milk or cream and mix until fully combined.
4. Add about half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix on low until the dough comes together with no dry streaks. Finish folding by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing.

1. Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and transfer the dough onto it. Gently pat into a rough rectangle.
2. Place another sheet of parchment on top and roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 x 14 inches and about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Slide the dough, still between the parchment sheets, onto a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.

1. While the dough chills, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt in a small bowl.
2. Mash and stir with a fork until the mixture forms a smooth, spreadable paste. If it seems too stiff, add a few drops of milk; if too loose, add a bit more brown sugar.

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top sheet of parchment.
2. Dollop the cinnamon filling over the surface of the dough and spread it into a thin, even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge to help seal the log.
3. Starting from the long edge opposite the clean border, use the parchment to help roll the dough into a tight log, like a cinnamon roll. Gently pinch along the clean edge to seal the seam.
4. Wrap the log in parchment or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Unwrap the chilled dough log and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp, non-serrated knife, slice the log into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick rounds, cleaning the blade every few cuts for neat edges.
3. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for slight spreading.
4. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 13 minutes, until the edges look set and very lightly golden while the centers still appear soft.
5. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Add a few more drops of milk if needed until the glaze ribbons off the whisk and slowly disappears back into the bowl.
2. Place the cooled cookies on a rack set over parchment to catch drips. Drizzle the glaze over each cookie in zigzags or spirals.
3. Allow the glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before stacking or storing.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 cookie (about 1/36 of recipe): 140 calories; fat 6 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 21 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 13 g; protein 2 g; sodium 80 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients, brands, and cookie size.