Soft Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon roll sugar cookies come together with my favorite sugar cookie dough flavored with cinnamon. They have a cinnamon brown sugar filling and are rolled into an adorable mini cinnamon bun shape before baking.  Then the soft cinnamon roll cookies are drizzled with cream cheese frosting and will melt in your mouth!

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My love for sugar cookies runs deep as does my love for a soft and gooey cinnamon roll or a cinnamon cupcake. This easy sugar cookie recipe is going to make your house smell like you’ve walked into Cinnabon.  In fact, my entire family makes appearances in the kitchen when these cookies are baking.  All wondering when they get to eat some!

You will love how quickly these cookies come together.  The dough gets rolled out like you would cinnamon roll dough.  Then the dough is filled with a buttery brown sugar and cinnamon filling and rolled into logs.  They take a quick 30 minute chill in the refrigerator, are sliced and baked. 

I have been sitting on sharing this recipe for years.  It has been tested and retested multiple times to give you the best cinnamon roll cookies!  They keep their shape, have a soft sugar cookie texture and are full of cinnamon bun flavor.

🛒 ingredient notes

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Ground cinnamon ~ this is a big flavor component to your sugar cookies, so make sure your cinnamon is fresh.  When stored in a cool, dry place, it should last for 6-12 months.
• Brown sugar ~ dark brown sugar adds richness and more flavor.  It also adds moisture, making the cookies extra soft and chewy.  You can substitute light brown sugar if that is all you have.
• Baking powder ~ I prefer baking with aluminum free baking powder; Trader Joe's or Rumford are the brands I use. I definitely notice a flavor difference if using baking powder with aluminum.
• Unsalted butter ~ you want this room temperature for the cookie dough, which is about 65°F {I check with my Thermapen}. It should still be cool to the touch and not shiny and greasy. If you only have salted butter, omit the kosher salt. A few tablespoons are also melted for the cinnamon roll filling.

🥣 how to make soft cinnamon roll cookie dough

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon with a whisk.  Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and kosher salt on medium speed until combined. 

Add in sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium until smooth, stop and scrape the bowl one time during the mixing.

Scrape the bowl, then beat in egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl.  The dough should form a ball around the paddle when the mixing is finished.  The dough should be soft, but not sticky.

🌀how to create the cinnamon bun shape

Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough half into a 12-inch by 6-inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt the 3 tablespoons butter and mix into the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. Spread the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top, using half on each rectangle of sugar cookie dough. 

Working slowly, roll each rectangle into a 12-inch log. Roll as tightly as you can. If the dough cracks, use your fingers to smooth it back together. Wrap each log individually in plastic wrap and chill both logs for 30 minutes. If you would like the dough to not have a flat side, place the logs inside a tall glass to hold them upright while chilling in the refrigerator.

Cut each log into 24 slices and place on prepared sheet about 1-2 inches apart. If the cookies aren't as round as you would like, use your fingers to manipulate the cookie slices into circles.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until slightly puffy. The cookies will not be browned. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cinnamon roll cookies are cool, drizzle them with cream cheese frosting.

👩🏻‍🍳 baking tips for this sugar cookie recipe

• Start with room temperature butter and a room temperature egg. This usually takes 1-2 hours of sitting on the counter {depending on the temperature of your kitchen}. To test, your finger should make an indent without sinking or sliding down into the butter. The butter should not be warm to the touch or shiny or greasy.
• Chill the dough. The recipe requires a 30 minute chill time after rolling and filling and rolling into logs. 
• Try not to overwork the dough. Overworked dough = tough cookies.
• Do not over bake the cookies! It takes about 8 minutes for the soft cinnamon roll cookie dough to bake. They should NOT have brown edges. Allow them to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

🆘 Troubleshooting

Help, my dough is crumbly! The dough should be soft, but not sticky when you roll it out. If the dough seems dry and crumbly when you press it into a rectangle you likely added too much flour or overworked the dough. Add a little egg white {start with one tablespoon} and gently work it into the dough until it is soft, but not sticky.

Help, my dough split when I was rolling it up! If the dough cracks while rolling into a log, use your fingers to smooth it back together {see photos in my strawberry lemonade cookies post for a visual}.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖recipe

Continue to Content

Yield: 48 cookies

Soft Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Print

Soft cinnamon roll sugar cookies are made with cinnamon dough, rolled like mini buns, baked and drizzled with cream cheese frosting.

I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Bake Time 8 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Total Time 58 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
• 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (50g)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

cinnamon roll filling

• ½ cup brown sugar, packed (100g)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (42g)

cream cheese glaze

• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (56g)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar (120g)
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk or half and half (15mL)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour (3 cups/375g), baking powder (2 teaspoons) and ground cinnamon (1 tablespoon) with a whisk.  Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter (1 cup/226g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) on medium speed (4 on KitchenAid mixer) until combined, about 1 minute. 
3. Add in sugar (¾ cup/150g) and brown sugar (¼ cup/50g) and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 ½ minutes, stop and scrape the bowl one time during the mixing. Scrape the bowl, then beat in egg (1 large) and vanilla (1 tablespoon) and mix until well combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl.  The dough should form a ball around the paddle when the mixing is finished.  The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
5. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough half into a 12-inch by 6-inch rectangle.
6. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar (½ cup/100g) and cinnamon (1 tablespoon). Melt the 3 tablespoons butter (42g) and mix into the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. Spread the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top, using half on each rectangle of sugar cookie dough. 
7. Working slowly, roll each rectangle into a 12-inch log. Roll as tightly as you can. If the dough cracks, use your fingers to smooth it back together. Wrap each log individually in plastic wrap and chill both logs for 30 minutes. If you would like the dough to not have a flat side, place the logs inside a tall glass to hold them upright while chilling in the refrigerator.
8. Preheat the oven to 375°. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
9. Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator. Cut each log into 24 slices and place on prepared sheet about 1-2 inches apart. If the cookies aren't as round as you would like, use your fingers to manipulate the cookie slices into circles.
10. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until slightly puffy. The cookies will not be browned. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. For the cream cheese glaze: place the cream cheese (2 ounces/56g), confectioners' sugar (1 cup/120g) and vanilla (¼ teaspoon) in a small bowl and use a spoon or spatula to combine the ingredients. It will take a few minutes for the mixture to start to come together, once it does, add 1 tablespoon milk or half and half and stir until a thick glaze forms. If needed, add additional milk in ¼ teaspoon increments, but you want a thick glaze. Either spoon the glaze on top or place in a piping or zip-top bag and snip off a tiny corner with scissors to drizzle over the tops of the cookies.

Notes

The cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough should be soft after mixing. If it seems dry and crumbly, you likely added too much flour (be sure to lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, if not using a kitchen scale) or the dough was over mixed. Add a little egg white, 1 tablespoon at a time and lightly knead it into the dough until it comes together to be soft, but not sticky.

Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Ultra Cuisine 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling Rack for Baking fits Half Sheet Pans Cool Cookies, Cakes, Breads - Oven Safe for Cooking, Roasting, Grilling - Heavy Duty Commercial Quality
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  Fox Run Polished Marble Rolling Pin with Wooden Cradle, 10-Inch Barrel, White
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  Silpat Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat, Half Sheet Size, 11-⅝" x 16-½"
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  USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan, Warp Resistant Nonstick Baking Pan, Made in the USA from Aluminized Steel
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  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

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