Soft, thick, and chewy Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe are topped with a rich cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
author’s note
Same Cinnamon Roll Flavor, Zero Rise Time Cookies!
I made a big batch of cream cheese frosting for my Pumpkin Cookies and had a little left in the bowl. On the counter were snickerdoodles I was re-shooting. I piped a quick swirl of frosting on one, took a bite, and just stood there. It was so good.
That kicked off testing. I kept the cinnamon sugar vibe but worked on a base that feels more like a cinnamon roll: soft, thick, lots of cinnamon. The cream cheese swirl ties it all together. After a few tweaks to dough height and bake time, I ended up with what might be my favorite cookie yet. Warm spice, plush center, tangy frosting. Simple and so good.
If you love cinnamon rolls and aren’t up for a long rise, this is your answer. Same flavors, less wait.
Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | Simple swap or tip |
|---|---|
| Melted unsalted butter | Cool fully before mixing so cookies don’t get greasy. Try browned butter for deeper flavor. |
| Granulated + light brown sugar | Keep the blend for best texture. Don’t pack the white sugar; pack the brown. |
| Egg + yolk | Use room-temp eggs. Save extra whites for Meringue Cookies. |
| All-purpose flour | Spoon and level. If dough feels sticky, chill longer instead of adding more flour. |
| Cream of tartar | Key to the flavor profile here; skip only if you must. |
| Baking soda | Check freshness. Old soda = flat cookies. |
| Cornstarch | Keeps cookies soft; don’t omit. |
| Ground cinnamon | Use a fresh jar for bold flavor. Try pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a twist. |
| Cream cheese (block-style) | Full-fat only for sturdy frosting; soften before beating. |
| Powdered sugar | Sift if lumpy for a smooth swirl. |
How To Make Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe
- Prepare Dough: Mix melted butter and sugars, add eggs and vanilla, then combine with dry ingredients. Form dough balls and coat with cinnamon sugar.
- Chill & Bake: Refrigerate dough balls, then bake.
- Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar.
- Finish: Frost cooled cinnamon roll cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Expert Tips
- Flour: Spoon flour into the cup, level with a knife. Packed cups make dense cookies.
- Shape tall: Roll dough into tall mounds, not round balls. The bottoms spread first for chewy centers and crisp edges.
- Cinnamon sugar first: Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar before chilling.
- Bake at 325°F (162°C): Lower heat sets edges gently and keeps centers soft.
- Use a liner: Bake on parchment or a silicone mat for even browning and easy release.
Storage
- Separate Storage for Frosting and Cookies: Store frosting in the fridge and cinnamon roll cookies at room temperature in airtight containers. Frost them just before serving.
- Frosting Thawing: Let frosting reach room temperature for about 30 minutes before use. Use any extra frosting on waffles or pancakes for a fun sweet breakfast!
- Freeze Dough, Not Baked Cookies: For future baking, freeze unbaked dough balls instead of baked cookies. Once solid, store in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen adding a minute or two to the bake time.
More Cookie Recipes:
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Cinnamon Roll Cookies are thick, soft, and chewy, topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. All the cozy flavors of a cinnamon roll in cookie form!
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
Cookies
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk discard whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese full-fat, softened
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large bowl and melt in the microwave. Set aside to cool to room temperature. If the butter/bowl is warm or hot, it will melt the sugars and cause greasy cookies. Once completely cool, add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Whisk together briskly until creamy. Add the whole egg and egg yolk (reserve the whites for a separate recipe or discard) and the vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined and smooth.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whisk together.
- Add all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and, using a strong wooden spoon, mix until just combined. Do not overmix the dough. Roll dough balls that are 1 and 1/2 tablespoons (45 grams) in size. Roll the balls tall instead of wide (see note 1). In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough balls generously into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Reserve the rest of the cinnamon-sugar mixture for later.
- Place dough balls on a parchment or slicone-lined sheet pan or plate and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (162°C) Place 6 cookies at a time on a parchment or silicone-lined sheet pan (they need a good amount of room) and bake straight from the fridge for 9–11 minutes. Gently remove from the oven so they don’t deflate, let stand on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then gently remove to a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Add in powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth (it will seem like you need more liquid, but just keep beating; it will come together!
- Transfer the frosting to a resealable plastic bag or piping bag and cut off the tip. Frost each cooled cookie by piping the frosting in a swirl on top. Sprinkle tops of the cookies with leftover cinnamon sugar mixture.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Instead of rolling a round ball, roll the dough taller and skinnier. When the cookies bake, you’ll get that perfect thick and chewy center and crisp edges, as the bottom bakes first and spreads while the top stays soft.
Storage: Store frosting in the fridge and cinnamon roll cookies at room temperature in airtight containers. Frost cookies just before serving. For future baking, freeze the dough balls instead of baked cookies. Once solid, store in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or 2 to the bake time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 163mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 31.5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did anyone that commented actually make these? The amount of flour is absurd and I know how to measure flour. Additionally, the cream cheese/butter measurements should be cut in half and the powdered sugar cut in third for the frosting. Not sure who commented but assume you did try making the recipe.
Did you try the recipe?
I’ve made these cookies many times and the flour amount is correct if spooned and leveled. Additionally, there is a lot of frosting, but the frosting ratios will yield a delicious frosting; I’ve made it many times as well. You can halve the frosting if you don’t like a lot of frosting on the cookies as mentioned in the “leftovers” section in the post.
I’m thinking about cutting the recipe in half, but the only thing I’m hung up on is the egg. Would just cracking one egg do the trick?
It’s hard to say, sorry! Baking is so finicky that I’m really not sure how they’d turn out with just one egg; wish I could be of more help, but I’m not sure without personally testing
Just wanted to say that one egg was fine! They came out great for anyone else interested in cutting this recipe in half. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know! So glad it worked well 🙂
Yeah one egg works perfectly for half the recipe as that is what I did for a smaller batch
These cookies look delicious! Definitely going to give them a try! I love recipes that you can switch out the ingredients!
So excited for you to try! Thanks Rose! 🙂
You never cease to amaze me with your delicious treats!!! My family would flip over these cinnamon roll cookies and request them every day if I made them!
These cinnamon roll cookiess look incredible, Chelsea!
These are waaaaaaaaaaaaay too easy for someone who loves cinnamon rolls. Sigh.
Happy Holidays!
Cinnamon rolls are our Christmas tradition!!! These cookies look amazing 🙂