Description

Capture the warm, gooey, comforting magic of a classic cinnamon roll in a simple, bite-sized treat! These Cinnamon Roll Cookies are the perfect fusion of two beloved desserts, delivering all the flavor of a bakery-style cinnamon roll in a soft, chewy cookie that’s ready in about an hour. From the perfectly spiced, buttery dough to the rich, tangy cream cheese frosting, every bite is pure bliss.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

$1$ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
$1$ cup Granulated Sugar
$2$ Large Eggs, at room temperature
$1$ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
$2 3/4$ cups All-Purpose Flour
$2$ teaspoons Baking Powder
$2$ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
$1/2$ teaspoon Sea Salt
Optional: Cinnamon Sugar, for rolling

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

$4$ ounces Cream Cheese, softened
$8$ Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
$2 1/2$ cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
$1$ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
$1 - 2$ teaspoons Milk or Cream
Ground Cinnamon, for sprinkling

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a firm dough forms. Do not overmix.
Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat and Shape Cookies: Preheat oven to $375° F$ ( $190° C$ ) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into one-inch balls. For extra flavor, roll each ball in cinnamon sugar. Place the balls on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them, and gently flatten each to about ⅓-inch thick.
Bake to Perfection: Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden. The tops should look slightly underdone. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Prepare the Frosting: While the cookies cool, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and 1-2 teaspoons of milk to reach a light, fluffy consistency.
Frost and Garnish: Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spread the frosting on top in a spiral shape. Sprinkle with a little extra ground cinnamon.

Notes

Don’t Overmix: To keep cookies soft and tender, mix the flour in only until you no longer see dry streaks.
Don’t Skip Chilling: Chilling the dough is crucial! It prevents the cookies from spreading too much, ensuring they stay thick and chewy.
Slightly Underbake: The secret to a soft cookie is to pull it from the oven when the top still looks slightly underdone. It will finish setting on the hot baking sheet.
Cool Completely: Wait until the cookies are 100% cool before frosting. If they are even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt.
Use a Cookie Scoop: For uniform cookies that bake evenly, use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Category: Dessert, Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 185kcal
Sugar: 14g
Sodium: 95mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 30mg