Cinnamon Roll Cookies

A cinnamon roll cookie with icing drizzled on top.

The edges of these Cinnamon Roll Cookies crumble just so, giving way to a soft, tender center that’s bursting with the nostalgia of your favorite warm breakfast pastry. They’re the perfect blend of two iconic treats!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 40

Servings servings

Calories 224kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Hand mixer or stand mixer
Mixing Bowls
Baking Sheets
Parchment paper
Wire rack

Ingredients

For the Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
1 cup granulated sugar (100g)
2 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Filling:

¼ cup unsalted butter melted (56g)
½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Dough:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing. Place the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and press into a square. Lightly flour the top of the dough, and roll into a 13x13-inch square, about ¼-inch thick.

For the Filling:

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined.
Spread the filling over the dough in an even layer. Starting on one side, roll the dough up, jelly-roll style, using the bottom parchment as a guide. Tightly cover the dough roll in plastic wrap, and twist the ends until tight (this gently presses the dough together and gets rid of any air pockets that may be inside the log). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unroll the chilled dough and trim the edges to make a 12-inch-long log. Carefully slice the log into 24 cookies (about ½-inch-thick slices) with a sharp, warm knife. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are dry and the edges are lightly golden brown. Let cool slightly on the sheet pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the over cooled cookies.

Notes

For the roundest slices, rotate the dough log every 5-10 minutes of the first hour in the fridge to keep it from smooshing one side and turning into more of an oval. You can also cut an empty paper towel tube down one side lengthwise and place the dough log inside. The tube will act as a mold to keep the cylindrical shape while chilling.
For perfectly round cookies after baking, spin each cookie in a large round cookie cutter as soon as they come out of the oven will knock any wonky edges back into bakery-perfect shape.
Make the dough log ahead of time, then wrap it thoroughly in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, defrost the dough log in the fridge overnight, then slice and bake as directed!
Cool completely before adding the glaze. Allow the cookies to cool to room temp on a wire rack before adding the pretty drizzle on top, or you’ll risk the glaze soaking into the cookie instead of resting on top.

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