Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Soft, buttery cinnamon roll cookies from a slice-and-bake sugar cookie dough rolled around a cinnamon swirl, chilled, sliced into spirals and baked in 12 minutes, then drizzled with a glaze. No yeast and no rising. The pictured batch uses the sprinkled filling and plain vanilla glaze in the notes.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg about 1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon Swirl Filling
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tbsp milk plus more as needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Plastic Wrap
- Baking Sheets
- Wire rack
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the whole egg, then the yolks one at a time, then the vanilla, until glossy.
- Combine. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
Fill and Roll
- Roll out the dough. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half on a sheet of parchment into a rectangle about 10 by 8 inches and a quarter-inch thick.
- Make the filling. Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter into a paste (or mix granulated sugar and cinnamon dry for the sprinkled version in the notes).
- Spread the filling. Spread half the filling over each rectangle to the long edges, leaving a half-inch bare strip along one long side.
- Roll and chill. Starting from the long side opposite the bare strip, roll each rectangle tightly into a log and pinch the seam. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
Slice and Bake
- Slice. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled logs into half-inch rounds, turning the log a quarter turn every few slices, and lay them 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the edges are barely golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Make the glaze. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt, adding milk a teaspoon at a time until it drizzles.
- Glaze the cookies. Drizzle or pipe the glaze over the cooled cookies and let it set for about an hour before storing.
Notes
Pictured version: the cookies in the photos use a sprinkled filling and a plain vanilla glaze. Brush each rectangle with the melted butter, then sprinkle over 1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon. For the glaze, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla and pipe it in thin lines. The brown sugar paste and cream cheese glaze above are richer; both work.
Make ahead: the wrapped logs keep 2 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. Slice frozen logs with a sharp knife and add a minute to the bake.
Storage: once the glaze has set, keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days (refrigerate after the first day if using the cream cheese glaze). Baked cookies freeze for up to 3 months.
Substitutions: vegan butter and the plain vanilla glaze for dairy-free; pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon in the filling; maple syrup in place of the milk in the glaze.
Doneness: edges barely golden and tops matte at 10 to 12 minutes. They set on the sheet during the 5-minute rest; a fully golden cookie is overbaked.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.5mg