The best of both worlds: cinnamon rolls plus cookies in one tasty bite.
If you love the warm, comforting flavors of cinnamon rolls, you will fall for these cinnamon roll cookies. While cinnamon has been used in baking for centuries, the modern cinnamon roll as we know it (thank you, Cinnabon chain) first became popular in the States with the arrival of Northern European immigrants. Particularly popular in Swedish cuisine, the swirled baked good tasted as good as it looked, and it has been a bakery staple ever since.
While cinnamon rolls are wonderful if homemade, they also take quite a bit of time, as they are made from a yeast dough. Cinnamon roll cookies take the wonderful flavor and look of cinnamon rolls but combine them with a basic shortbread cookie, and it’s a much faster baked good to turn out.
You will love cinnamon roll cookies because they are adorable, looking like mini cinnamon rolls, and they taste amazing. As you bite into them, you will immediately recognize the flavors and structure of a cinnamon roll, with the warm cinnamon and brown sugar swirled into a buttery dough. But the cookie dough base makes for a delightfully soft crunch, which is quite different than a pillowy roll dough. The best part? This is an easy recipe but produces cookies that look worthy of a bakery case!
Rolling The Cookie Dough
In step four, you need to roll out the two pieces of cookie dough into two separate rectangles. If you’re not a rolling pro, no worries. First, the most important tool is a rolling pin. If you don’t have a rolling pin, try using a clean high-grade plastic water bottle like a Nalgene or a metal one like Owala. It needs to be something you can apply a fair amount of pressure to without it breaking. Next is your surface. Either use a clean stretch of countertop or a silicone mat. Sprinkle about a handful of flour on whatever surface you use. Finally, use a ruler to help you get close to the 9×7 inches the recipe calls for. It doesn’t have to be perfect but get as close as you can.
FAQs & Tips
How Do I Store Leftovers?
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them in stacked layers (place wax or parchment paper between the layers) for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 45 minutes before serving.
Don’t Skimp On The Chill Time
In step 5, there is 2 hours of chill time. Don’t skimp on this! You can even chill the dough up to 24 hours. Chilling the dough helps the swirl keep its pattern, and the cookies will slice more easily for baking.
Tips For Pretty Cookies
When slicing the roll into cookies, use a serrated knife of some sort—it will cut cleanly. Also, right after taking them out of the oven, take a quick look at the cookies. If there are some that are a bit misshapen, simply take the open end of a drinking glass that is a similar size to the diameter of your cookies. Place the open end on top of any misshapen cookies and then lift—you will get perfectly round cookies this way!
Serving Suggestions
If you like cream cheese flavor instead of the plain glaze the recipe calls for, replace it with Whipped Cream Cheese and apply a little dollop to each cookie for that tangy, cream flavor you want. Another variation is to add 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom to the cinnamon-sugar mixture in step 5. This spice adds a depth (and a more traditional Swedish flavor) to the swirl. Finally, when serving with other cookies, try ones like Cranberry Orange Cookies or Butterscotch Cookies, both of which complement the flavors of cinnamon roll cookies.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for cinnamon sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a 9×7 inch rectangle. Spread melted butter over each rectangle.
- Mix cinnamon sugar ingredients together, then sprinkle the mixture on top of the melted butter. Roll up each rectangle tightly, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the chilled dough into 1/2 inch slices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Mix powdered sugar and milk to create a smooth icing, starting with less milk and adding more if needed to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
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