Homemade cinnamon roll cookies come together with my favorite sugar cookie recipe 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 9×7 inches) just like you would with cinnamon roll dough.
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 coffee icing from my cinnamon rolls recipe.

More Shaped Cookie Recipes

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

★★★★★ 4.7 from 19 reviews

Author: Sally
Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 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 flour (spoon & leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (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 (15g) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing

1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
3 Tablespoons (45ml) milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy. On medium-high speed, beat in the granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough still seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
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 1/4″ 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. 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 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Always recommended for cookies.)
Remove dough logs from the refrigerator. Cut 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. 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.
Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Silpat Baking Mat | Rolling Pin | Baking Sheet | Polka Dot Knife

Keywords: cinnamon roll cookies, cinnamon cookies

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