Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe – All the illusion of the cinnamon roll swirls with the allure of the cookies into one amazing recipe. This sugar cookie based treat with cinnamon sugar filling makes for a great dessert.
Not just a cinnamon roll. Not just cinnamon cookies. These, my friends, are Cinnamon Roll Cookies! Let’s pause and relish the idea.
Why? Why not leave things be and let a spice cookie be a spice cookie and a cinnamon roll be a cinnamon roll?
Well for starters, I’m an overachiever.
Second, cinnamon cookies and spice cookies are generally not that visually appealing.
Third, cinnamon rolls take all day to make.
Fourth, cinnamon rolls do not fit in your pocket.
…I knew you’d see it my way sooner or later.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies for the Holidays
Cinnamon Roll Cookies, however, are perfect for lunchbox treats and your holiday cookie exchange. They look as good and they smell, and taste EVEN BETTER.
There are two secret ingredients that take these little beauties to the next level.
First, cream cheese because:
- The cream cheese gives the cookies a light and tangy flavor with a tender texture.
- It makes the chilled dough easier to roll out.
- It helps the cookies to stand up a little–like cinnamon rolls!
Second, dry active yeast because it gives the cookies that underlying flavor that makes cinnamon rolls so irresistible.
The goal here is to include the yeasty essence without activating it. So mix the yeast with cool vanilla prior to adding it to the dough. As long as it’s not warm, it will infuse with the vanilla, but shouldn’t foam and cause the cookie dough to rise more than needed.
Ingredients Checklist
- Unsalted butter softened
- Softened cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Dry active yeast
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Whole milk
- Powdered sugar
How to Make This Cinnamon Cookie Recipe
Instructions…
Mix 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast.
Cream the butter, cream cheese, vanilla with yeast, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until the wet ingredients are light and fluffy—2-3 minutes.
Turn the mixer on low. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until the dry ingredients are well combined.
Press the dough into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for (at least) 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Cut the dough in half and leave one half in the fridge while working with the first half.
Flour a piece of wax paper and roll the dough into a 7×13-inch rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then cut the dough into two sections to make the rolling easier.
Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough leaving 1 1/2 inches bare along the long edge. Starting on the cinnamon-covered side, carefully roll the dough tightly toward the bare edge. Press the seam firmly on the sugar cookie dough log.
Repeat with the remaining dough and cinnamon sugar. Place the rolls back in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to harden the dough. *At this point, you can wrap the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 2-3 weeks if needed.
Cut the roll into 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices and lay on parchment paper lined or silicone baking mat lined cookie/baking sheets.
Bake for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely. Then whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and remaining vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Dip the face of each cookie into the glaze and set them on a wire rack to dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make This Dough Ahead Of Time?
Sure you can! Make a batch and bake half the cookies now. Then wrap the other roll for later. They can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can slice and bake homemade Cinnamon Roll Cookies in minutes whenever you need them!
How Long Do These Cookies Last?
You can store the baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
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Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin, and calcium percentages.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix 2 teaspoons vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, vanilla with yeast, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy—2-3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer on low. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour. Scrape the bowl and mix until well combined.
- Press the dough into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for (at least) 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Cut the dough in half and leave one half in the fridge while working with the first half.
- Flour a piece of wax paper and roll the dough into a 7×13-inch rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then cut the dough into two sections to make the rolling easier.
- Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar over the dough leaving 1 1/2 inches bare along the long edge. Starting on the cinnamon-covered side, carefully roll the dough tightly toward the bare edge. Press the seam firmly.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and cinnamon sugar. Place the rolls back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to harden the dough. *At this point, you can wrap the rolls and refrigerate for 2-3 weeks if needed.
- Cut the roll into 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices and lay on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely. Then whisk the powdered sugar, milk and remaining vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Dip the face of each cookie into the glaze and set on a rack to dry.
Absolutely delicious! Tastes like a fine pastry.
I did have one problem while rolling the dough tightly, it kept breaking in places.
I had the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Did you experience this?
I’ll definitely make it again, the flavor is wonderful!
Ummmm yes please!! So yummy
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When baking, how do you tell when cookies are done?
I’ve been looking for a pretty cinnamon cookie to add to my holiday cookie collection, and this looks like the one! I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. I think I might add some orange zest to the glaze… hoping they look as lovely as yours! Thanks for the inspiration : )
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I have been looking for a good cinnamon roll cookie recipe for a while and I really thought I had found it this time since your instructions were so simple! The dough looked great, I let it sit for around 45 minutes until it was pretty stiff, rolled it out and put the sugar in, it was all perfect. I tried cutting it right away and the dough crumbled. I decided to throw it in the fridge for a bit thinking that it was too warm and cooling down may help… that didn’t work, it crumbled even quicker when I cut into it. I let it set for 15 minutes, then 30 then 45. I had two logs so I tried leaving one out and letting it get warm again before cutting and still all of the rolls crumbled.
They smell amazing but the end product was a disaster. Maybe, after reading this, you could make some suggestions on where I may have gone off the beaten path? Any help would be welcome!! I still baked the crumbled dough and it was pretty good, I just wish that the shape would have held.
Let me know your thoughts! Thanks :)
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The recipe sounded great, but after giving it a try I found that my dough completely fell apart when I tried to roll it up. :o( So I ended up turning them into little cinnamon balls, still very tasty though.
Erica – I am sorry that happened but so glad it did. I had the same problem. The flavor, however, was awesome! I am guessing I either had too much flour or the dough was too cold?
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You hit the nail on the head! I have yet to make cinnamon rolls because of the time factor with the yeast. Yet I LOVE anything cinnamon and sugary. I have to try these – they sound amazing!
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LOVE these!! Linked back to this fab recipe in my latest fall round-up :)
would it ruin them if i made these with 2% milk and not whole milk?
Wow, these look absolutely delicious! Thanks for the idea…and the Sugar Rush!
Made these last night! SUCCESS and everybody at work loved them! Gone within an hour! The dough was alittle tricky to roll by itself, but the waxed paper helped without making a mess. Guaranteed to be an annual Christmas cookie! :-)
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)