Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious with soft, buttery sugar cookie dough swirled with gooey cinnamon-sugar filling! Topped with a creamy buttercream, they taste like a decadent cinnamon roll in cookie form!

I think we could all agree that the best part of a classic cinnamon roll is the very center – that ooey gooey bite with loads of filling and melty frosting! Now what if you took that bite and turned it into a cookie?!

That’s exactly what these cookies remind me of and that’s why I love them SO much. They’ve got a thick layer of cinnamon sugar filling in between each layer of dough, making each bite worth the extra steps of rolling and slicing the dough!

Ingredients Needed

This recipe looks like it has a long ingredient when the cookie dough, filling and frosting are all separated out. However, the three components of this recipe have overlapping ingredients and you just need 9 ingredients total.

Most of the ingredients you likely already have in your fridge or pantry. However, here are a couple I’d like to point out….

• Butter – I like to use salted butter in all three components of this recipe.
• Ground Cinnamon – I use a whole tablespoon in the filling. If you don’t want that flavor to be quite as strong, you can decrease it to 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons.

How to Make Delicious Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Start by making the cookie dough. It’s the same recipe as my Cut-Out Sugar Cookies without the almond extract. I use this recipe because it has very little leavening agent and therefore holds its shape when baked. Once the dough is made, you can roll it out right away or cover well and refrigerate.

Next, you’ll roll the dough out to a 12-inch square on a piece of floured plastic wrap. I like to use my adjustable rolling pin to ensure that it’s the same thickness all the way across.

Then you’ll combine the filling ingredients. Make sure the butter is very soft (but not melted). I suggest spooning the mixture over the dough and carefully spreading with an offset spatula. A butter knife will work too, just be careful not to press too much when spreading. Don’t forget the flour – it’s essential in making sure the buttery mixture doesn’t ooze out as it bakes…trust me, it’s science. 😉

Then, you’ll roll up the dough from one end to the other and wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Let the dough chill for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven and line some pans with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Unwrap the dough and use a sharp knife to cut into 32 even slices. I like to cut the log in half, then continue cutting in half until you have 32 slices.

If the knife pressed the dough into more of an oval shape, you can use your hands to shape the dough into more of a circle. Place the cookies on the prepared pan and bake until a light golden brown.

Let the cookies cool completely before mixing up the buttercream and frosting the cookies. You can pipe the cookies with frosting or use a butter knife to spread it on top!

Frosting Variation

Not a fan of buttercream or don’t want to mess with piping the frosting on top? Try dipping them in a super simple powdered sugar glaze.

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Add more water if needed to create that drippy consistency. Dip the top of the cookie into the icing and let the excess drip off into the bowl. This icing will harden when set. This method is fun because it shows the beautiful swirl underneath and is easier to store!

Cinnamon Roll Cookie Storage

Store these at room temperature for up to 3 days or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Other Cinnamon Recipes You’ll Love

• Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
• Snickerdoodle Bars
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
• Churro Bites
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Donuts