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5 from 1 vote

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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon roll cookies
Servings: 22 cookies
Author: Chelsea Lords
Cost: $7.22

Equipment

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
US - Metric

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.

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