Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies

cinnamon roll cookies with a dollop of frosting

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4.43 from 26 votes

Love cinnamon rolls? Make these super soft cinnamon roll cookies! Top with a sweet glaze or cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10

Chill Time10

Total Time10 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon roll recipe, cookie recipes

Servings:

Calories: 162kcal

Author: Julie Clark

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 1/4 cup buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside until step 5. 1/2 cup buttermilk , 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. 1/2 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 1/4 cup buttermilk. Mix well. 2 large eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and the baking powder. Blend until combined. 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
Add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the last 1 1/2 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 11x19”. 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 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 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