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Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Cookies are slice-and-bake spirals with a cinnamon-brown sugar ribbon inside, chilled for easy slicing and baked until the edges turn just golden. Finish with a quick cream cheese glaze drizzle for a soft, cookie-like bite.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 230
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie dough
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon filling
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
Cream cheese glaze
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cookie dough
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. You should see a lighter, smoother mixture.
  2. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. The dough will look thick and slightly sticky.
  3. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion so it’s ready for rolling.
Add cinnamon filling and chill
  1. Roll each dough half into a 10x8 rectangle on parchment, then spread the softened unsalted butter over the surface. Cover evenly so it reaches the edges.
  2. Sprinkle the packed brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttered dough, creating a visible cinnamon-brown sugar layer. Press lightly so the topping adheres.
  3. Roll each rectangle tightly from the long side into a log, keeping the spiral as tight as possible. Wrap the log in parchment to hold its shape.
  4. Refrigerate the wrapped logs for 1 hour. Chill until firm enough to slice cleanly.
Bake and glaze
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a sheet pan. Let the oven fully reach temperature before baking.
  2. Slice the chilled logs into 1/2-inch rounds and place them on the sheet pan with space between cookies. The swirl cross-section should be visible on top.
  3. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just golden. The centers should look set but not overly dark.
  4. Mix the cream cheese glaze, then drizzle it over the warm cookies. Finish with thin ribbons so the glaze lightly melts into the spirals.

Notes

Pro tip: wrap the logs in parchment snugly before chilling so the spirals stay tight for clean 1/2-inch slices. Store cookies covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze baked cookies (without extra glaze) up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm briefly. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese for the glaze without changing the method.