Homemade cinnamon roll cookies come together with my favorite recipe for sugar cookies as the base, a buttery cinnamon sugar filling, and vanilla icing drizzle. They’re soft in the centers with slightly crisp edges and taste like a cookie version of cinnamon rolls!
I know exactly what your plans should be today and they must include these cinnamon roll cookies. They’re fun to make, taste like cinnamon buns, and they’re itty bitty adorable. Mini cookies are ALWAYS a good idea! (PS: you’ll love my mini M&M cookies, too.)
Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe Video
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cookies
These cookies are prepared just like cinnamon rolls, but without the yeast, dough rising, and all that razzmatazz. Let’s review:
- Make the sugar cookie dough. We’ll use my favorite recipe for sugar cookies. If you’ve already made them, you’re a pro.
- Shape the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough out into 2 rectangles (about 9ร7 inches) just like you would with cinnamon roll dough. We follow the same process for pumpkin spice roll cookies.
- Spread the filling onto the cookie dough rectangles.
- Roll into logs. Tightly roll up each rectangle into a 9-inch log. You’ll have 2 of them!
- Chill the logs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. We do this prior to slicing them so the cookies keep their cute shape.
- Cut into slices. Each cookie should be about 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake. Unlike cinnamon rolls, these cookies bake up pretty quickly.
- Make the icing. Drizzle vanilla icing on completely cooled cookies.
Here are some step-by-step pictures:
Baker’s Tips
- I always roll the cookie dough out on a silicone baking mat instead of a floured counter because it makes clean up easier. I highly recommend it!
- When you’re rolling the dough into logs, the dough might crack a little. That’s ok! Simply smooth the dough out with your fingers if you notice any cracks. Roll the dough up slowly and tightly.
- Below: The left picture below is the dough all rolled up before chilling and the right picture is the dough log chilled. Chilling is the most important step because it prevents the cookies from over-spreading and losing their cinnamon roll shape.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies Icing
So they taste more like traditional cinnamon rolls, we have to top them with icing! If you’re not into vanilla icing, try any of the following instead: maple icing used on my maple brown sugar cookies, brown butter icing used on my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies, or cream cheese icing from my cinnamon rolls recipe.
If you are craving a more traditional style of cinnamon rolls but don’t want to wait hours for the dough to rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls next!
More Shaped Cookie Recipes
- Maple Cinnamon Cut-Out Cookies & Pecan Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies & Snowman Sugar Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Pistachio Linzer Cookies
- Pinwheel Cookies
- Brown Sugar Shortbread
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: about 36 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These simple, sweet, and irresistible cinnamon roll cookies are made from sugar cookie dough!
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Icing
- 1ย cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough:ย Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be a bit soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
- Shape and fill: Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out in a rectangle (about 9×7 inches) onto a floured silicone baking mat (or floured parchment paper) to about 1/4โณ thickness. Spread 1 Tablespoon of melted butter onto each rectangle. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together then sprinkle evenly over each.
- Working slowly, tightly roll up each rectangle into a 9-inch log. If the dough is cracking at all, use your fingers to smooth it out. Some cracks are OK. Chill the logs of dough for at least 2 hours (or freeze up to 3 months). What I like to do is carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board or plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line aย large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove dough logs from the refrigerator. Cutย into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned on the sides.ย Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over cookies.
- Cover and store cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies (with or without icing) freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can chill the cookie dough for up to 2 days (step 5). You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months before rolling it out. Prepare the dough through step 3, divide into two portions, flatten both halves into a disk as we do with pie crust, wrap each in plastic wrap, then freeze. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Continue with step 4. OR you can freeze the dough logs in step 5. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 6.
- Special Toolsย (affiliate links):ย Electric Mixer (Handheldย orย Stand Mixer) |ย Baking Sheetsย |ย Silicone Baking Matย orย Parchment Paperย |ย Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin
- Be sure to check out my top 5ย cookie baking tipsย AND these are my 10 must-haveย cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are delicious and super easy! I made a simple brown sugar glaze and they tasted just like a cinnamon rollโฆyummy!
I added a half cup of finely chopped pecans it was fantastic. ๐
Can I substitute oil for butter in this recipe and in all your other icebox cookie recipes?
Hi Lily, butter is necessary here as you need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that it can be creamed with the sugar. Solid coconut oil may work, but the results will be different.
Very tasty cookies–definitely a hit! This recipe is a keeper, but the icing was quite thin and didn’t keep it’s shape even though the cookies were cold. Next time, I’ll use less milk for a thicker icing.
i used one of your recipes on a whim last year, and have truly fallen in love with baking. youโre my go-to for just about anything now. thank you for the inspiration, i now have a pass time that brings me so much peace.
So happy to read you trust and enjoy our recipes, Jane! Thank you!
I had to add double the amount of flour. I used measurements, so I don’t know what the problem was. They ate in the fridge now, I hope they turn out!
I made these cookies and sold them at our local Farmers Market, they were our best seller!! I have had requests for them
What a compliment!
Can we I substitute in brown sugar for the granulated sugar for the filling?
Hi John, absolutely! Same amount.
This recipe is a nice progression from Sallyโs sugar cookie recipe.
In the sugar cookie recipe, the game changer was adding a bit of almond extract. We so loved the incredulity of flavor using it that I completely kicked vanilla out of the mix. I did the same with these cinnamon โcuffinsโ as I call them, using almond extract exclusively. The result is a spectral partnership of both flavor and scent.
As for shape retention, I rolled and stored them in the fridge overnight and baked them at dawn. Before baking I flip them over to keep them uniformly flatter.
Cutting the cold rolls was easy and any misshapen casualties were easily re rolled.
After removing from oven, I placed them on the cooling rack in my freezer for ten minutes and then iced them.
For the icing, I added about half C more of 10x to provide more form and white icing color. I wonder, Sally, if one might add a touch of meringue powder to provide more structure instead of adding more 10X? Using a plastic squeeze bottle with a 1 mm opening, I was able to control a nice patterned drizzle.
The silicone mats are a housekeeping timesaver, as Sally suggests. I used to use parchment paper and swapping out the two has made baking a sheer pleasure.
Sally, thank you for this. One of the most fun yet!
Hi Cecelia, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies. If you wish to use meringue powder, you can absolutely use our royal icing instead of the icing listed in the recipe card.
Can I chill these overnight and bake in the morning? Making this weekend!! ๐ Love your recipes
Definitely!
I made these for a church coffee hour and were the hit of the day! Asked to share the recipe!!! These are my new favorite!
I made these on a whim for one of my Christmas cookies. They were delicious, easy to make and tasted like a bite sized cinnamon roll. Everyone loved them. Next time I might try an eggnog icing as something a little extra.
Really lovely recipe and similar to one I’ve been making since I was a kid (This recipe is better than mine though!). My only issue is it didn’t make quite as much as I thought it would. I was only able to get about 24 good cookies out of this, so I’ll probably double next time.
One extra thing I like to do with these is brown the butter for the filling (and let it reform a bit before using it). The nuttiness adds a nice depth imho.
Wow, these are out of this world delicious! I thought I would be giving them as gifts but my husband and I have eaten too many of my first batch. Can I double the recipe or should I make in two separate batches next time?
Hi Tracie, the dough should double well.
Hi, can you keep the rolled dough in the fridge for a couple days before cutting and cooking or is it better to freeze? Iโve got to bake cookies for an event on a Wednesday but Iโm working Monday and Tuesday so was hoping I could prep something Sunday
Hi Jodi, the rolled dough can stay in the refrigerator for that long, yes. Enjoy!
Its like a mix bwtween a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle. Relitively easy, just gotta be careful when rolling. They’re cute! all the people that tried it said they were really good, so
there’s no cinnamon roll aspect to the cookies unless you heavily modify it. It’s just like a kinda dry crumbly sugar cookie with some cinnamon
Super recipe! Donโt know why the commenter had a less than great result. Maybe try again and do EXACTLY what it says in the recipe. These were a favourite at a tea party I had. Baking is Science. Follow the recipe and measure carefully.
Fun recipe – I love the concept. I only gave it 4 stars though, because I expected them to rise more and look more puffy and appealing like the photo. I am positive that I used the correct amount of ingredients. I was bringing them to an event so I made mine 1/4โ thick when I sliced them to get more quantity. The frosting is a great idea, and looks great in the photo, but it turned out pretty transparent for me. I added more icing sugar to get it more white colored but I honestly didnโt want or need more frosting to drizzle over the cookies. I had way too much left over and was disappointed about dumping out all the excess frosting when I was done. I also needed a longer bake time. I needed 13 – 14 minutes for 1/4โ thick cookies. The end result was a tasty cookie. I feel like it needs a couple of tweaks to make it a fantastic cookie.
couple years too late but you realized that making cookies twice as thin will cause their end result to be thinner, right? it’s important to me that you understand that
I have loved these and made them as Christmas gifts as they are so warming. I have used butter, however can you use a vegan type of butter, which is more of a vegetable oil / plant oil based butter? I ask as I have a lot of it as it is so much cheaper than butter here.
Hi Phil, we haven’t personally tested these cookies with a vegan butter, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do give it a try!
Hi, I tried and with the vegan butter, they were softer and a little more cakey. They also however took approximately 3 minutes longer to bake. I did have a tiny bit of butter left from something though, which was used as the sealant while rolling as I wanted to compare the stick, but the vegan block would not stick. So basically, if you want to use vegan butter, bake an extra 3 minutes or so, and find another alternative to hold it together.
Awesome and super easy. I added cardamom and nutmeg to the filling. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. I would add a picture if i could
Will this icing โset upโ firm enough so that you can stack these cookies?
I have made them and they are delicious – and adorable! But havenโt iced them yet.
You are my โgo toโ for all my baked goods now!!!!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Ann, the icing will set enough so that they can easily be stacked and transported. Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
I love and trust all your recipes but wanted to get a little guidance before I try this one for the neighborsโ Christmas cookies. Should the dough be chilled prior to rolling it out and once shaped into logs? The comments make it sound like chilling before rolling could be helpful? Thank you!
Hi Marti! If you follow the recipe as written you shouldn’t have any issues. Hope they’re a hit!
The recipe needed a longer cooking times considering thickness of 1/2 inch thick cookie. I also had to use the parchment paper to help roll it, similar to what is done for a rolled cake. Also added cream cheese to the glaze. Thanks!
I’ve made these multiple times and they’ve always turned out beautifully for me! Everyone loves them, they’re super addictive!! I’m looking to make a bunch for Christmas, I saw the freezing directions say to freeze them before rolling into logs. Could I freeze them already rolled up so I can just slice and bake when the time comes or would that be a bad idea?
Hi Sarah, yes you can absolutely freeze the logs of dough. I must have skipped over that suggestion, and I will add it.
Hi – do you think Brown sugar could be used instead of white granulated sugar in the cinnamon filling ?
Thanks!
Hi Beth, Absolutely! Same amount.
Is the metric measurement for butter in the filling correct? My sources say 2 Tablespoons would be 30 grams not 15 grams.
Hi Nancy, that’s correct. It’s 30g. The recipe used to call for 1 Tablespoon, which is 15g.
This recipe is obviously missing a step for chilling the dough before rolling. My dough completely fell apart while rolling and the cinnamon sugar makes patching the cracks impossible. I ended up mixing the dough and sugar all together into balls. I wish this step had been included in the recipe.
So sorry to hear the dough didn’t stay together for you! Always make sure to start with proper room temperature butter (it’s cooler than we think) and measure your flour properly (too much flour in the dough will cause it to be dry and crack more. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Recipe turned out really well. Dough was a bit difficult to work with even giving it ~30 minutes in the fridge before rolling out/coating in cinnamon sugar. I added a bit of the extra cinnamon sugar to the icing to give it some extra cinnamon flavor!