Julie Clark
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Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies
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Love cinnamon rolls? Make these super soft cinnamon roll cookies! Top with a sweet glaze or cream cheese frosting.
I am SO excited to share this recipe with you today. It’s one that has been in my mind for a few years now. Cinnamon roll cookies are nothing new…you can find lots of recipes online. But since we are known for our cinnamon rolls, I wanted to create our own soft cinnamon roll cookie recipe that was like no other.
And this my friends…is it:
We took our lofthouse super soft sugar cookie and turned into a soft cinnamon roll cookie with a cinnamon-sugar swirl. Let me tell you all about it so you can enjoy it too!
Why you’ll love this soft cinnamon roll cookie recipe:
- Soft buttermilk sugar cookie dough.
- Swirls of cinnamon and sugar.
- Fluffy, raised cookie.
- Choice of sweet glaze or cream cheese based frosting.
Ingredients for Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies
This might look like a long list of ingredients, but I think you’ll find that most are pantry staples.
The recipe does call for buttermilk. I recommend buying buttermilk in the dairy section, but in a pinch you can make your own buy putting 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup and filling it the rest of the way with whole milk. I don’t recommend using a low fat milk for this.
The other ingredients are simple:
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs (Notice you only put one large egg and one egg yolk in the cookies. The other egg white gets brushed over the cookie dough.)
- Salt
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour. The cookies are cake-like, but you don’t need cake flour.
- Baking powder. If you find that your baked goods sometimes have a metallic flavor, make sure that you are using aluminum free baking soda.
- Cinnamon
The frosting will depend on which option you choose, but make sure use powdered sugar for either one.
Before You Begin
There are exact directions below, but here are some tips.
- Plan ahead. This cookie dough needs to refrigerate overnight. I like doughs like this (when I remember to plan ahead), because it splits up the cookie making process. I can get the mess of making the cookie dough done before rolling and baking.
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer. You want to make sure the ingredients are creamed together really well, so I suggest a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you have a hand mixer, that will work as well.
- This recipe calls for two eggs, but you’ll only put in one whole egg and one egg yolk into the cookie batter. The other egg white gets brushed on top of the rolled out dough.
How to Make Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Mix the baking soda and half of the buttermilk together as the first step. This will create a reaction and you’ll see a few bubbles in the milk. You’ll then add this into the cookie dough later.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. (Save the egg white for brushing over the rolled dough. Place the egg white in a covered container in the fridge for overnight.) Then add the salt, vanilla and ¼ cup buttermilk. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add 1 ½ cups of flour and the baking powder. Blend until combined.
- Add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the last 1 ½ cups of flour. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky. It’s important to do the next step of refrigerating the dough so that it firms up.
- Refrigerate the dough. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and gently press it into a disc. Be sure it is wrapped tightly and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- The next day, lightly flour a pastry mat. Roll the dough to a rectangle about 11×19”. Brush the cookie dough with the egg white. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon and sugar.
- Starting at the long end, roll up the sugar cookie dough carefully jelly roll style. Make sure the roll is tight and press it together gently so that there are no air pockets. The dough is soft, so use floss or thread to cut the rolls cleanly so that they don’t smoosh.
- Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 350º for 9-10 minutes. Do NOT overbake or they will be dry. The cookies should puff up slightly when done, but not be brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire cooling rack.
Frosting for Cinnamon Roll Cookies
There are two ways to go with the frosting for these rolled cookies:
- A simple powdered sugar glaze. I like this one because it is easy to mix up with a bowl and a whisk. The glaze soaks into the cookie slightly as it covers the top. It’s amazing!
- A richer cream cheese frosting. If you’re looking for a more traditional cinnamon roll frosting, use the cream cheese frosting. You can pile it on high or just use a knife to swipe some across the top. It’s mouthwatering!
How to Store Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies
The cookies are safe to store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I actually like to eat them best the day after baking. They are so soft! You can also freeze them for up to 6 weeks.
When you defrost them, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the container. This will help keep them fresh.
Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Love cinnamon rolls? Make these super soft cinnamon roll cookies! Top with a sweet glaze or cream cheese frosting.
Servings 26
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup buttermilk divided, 4 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened, 4 ounces
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 2 large eggs divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 gram
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 grams
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
For the Filling:
- egg white (use the white left from mixing the dough)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Powdered Sugar Glaze Option:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting Option:
- 4 ounces salted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 8 ounces powdered sugar about 2 cups
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Combine ¼ cup buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside until step 5. ½ cup buttermilk , ½ teaspoon baking soda
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. ½ cup salted butter , 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. (Save the egg white for brushing over the rolled dough. Place the egg white in a covered container in the fridge for overnight.) Then add the salt, vanilla and ¼ cup buttermilk. Mix well. 2 large eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add 1 ½ cups of flour and the baking powder. Blend until combined. 3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon baking powder
- Add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the last 1 ½ cups of flour. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky. It's important to do the next step of refrigerating the dough so that it firms up.
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and gently press it into a disc. Be sure it is wrapped tightly and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- The next day, lightly flour a pastry mat. Roll the dough to a rectangle about 11×19”. Brush the cookie dough with the egg white. egg white
- Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon and sugar. 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Starting at the long end, roll up the sugar cookie dough carefully jelly roll style. Make sure the roll is tight. Use thread or floss to cut the dough in ½” thick slices.
- Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350º for 9-10 minutes. Do NOT overbake or they will be dry. The cookies should puff up slightly when done, but not be brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
For the glaze option:
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium-size bowl. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Dollop the icing on top of each cookie while the cookies are still warm.
- Allow the glaze to melt slightly, then use a pastry brush to cover the cookie completely. Some of the glaze may run off and that’s ok.
- Move the cookies while they are still warm to a wire rack to cool completely. If you wait, the powdered sugar frosting may crack slightly when moving.
- This option doesn’t look as pretty, but the glaze melts in slightly and makes the cookies taste amazing.
For the cream cheese frosting option:
- In a medium size bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. 4 ounces salted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well until all of the sugar is mixed in, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 8 ounces powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- When the cookies are completely cool, use a knife to spread the frosting over the cookies. Or you can use Wilton tip 1A to pipe a pretty dollop of frosting on top.
Notes
Store the ingredients in an airtight container at room temperature.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making about 26 glazed cookies, with 1 serving being 1 glazed cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Absolutely delicious 😋 I love this recipe, they taste amazing, exactly like cinnamon rolls. I did the icing sugar glaze and it just completed the cookie. My friend Katie, who I made these for said they were her favourite cookie ever. I will definitely make these again and again 😊 thank you for this recipe!