Buttery, cinnamon cookies with rich, creamy icing that melts in your mouth – Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies are the best cookie recipe to share!
If you love cinnamon, this is going to beat out Snickerdoodles to become your favorite cookie ever! Extra butter in these Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies makes the edges slightly crumble while being chewy in the middle. But it’s the rich cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar-cinnamon-swirled frosting that is absolutely to die for!
All the Reasons to Love Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies!
Oh, just SO many reasons to LOVE this cookie! First, it’s a pantry staple recipe, meaning you will likely have all the ingredients on hand already. There is no need to run to the store. That’s always a win! Secondly, these cinnamon-sugar cookies have all the textures you love to sink your teeth into – soft in the center, crunchy on the edges, and creamy on top – you’ll savor every single nibble! And finally, of course, the cinnamon sugar cream cheese icing is decadently delicious!
This dessert will remind you of every delicious childhood slice of cinnamon toast, can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, grandma’s coffee cake, and cream-filled doughnut—all rolled into one! You HAVE to try these!
Other Classic Cinnamon Roll Recipes
- Mamaw’s Cinnamon Rolls give Cinnabon a run for their money. These are big and fluffy and absolutely amazing!
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are everything you love about cinnamon rolls and apple pie rolled into one yummy bite!
Ingredients
Cookie Dry Ingredients: We start with a basic sugar cookie dough—all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt—and then add brown sugar and cinnamon powder.
Cookie Wet Ingredients: You’ll need an egg and some vanilla extract (or vanilla paste) to enhance the sugar cookie flavor. And don’t forget the extra butter, which makes these cookies extra delicious!
Frosting: The swirly icing on these cinnamon cookies uses softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract (or, again, vanilla paste), and cinnamon powder.
Topping: After the cookies are frosted, sprinkle a little cinnamon powder over the top for a gorgeous finished cookie!
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
STEP ONE: Add parchment to a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until smooth (1-2 minutes). Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed.
STEP TWO: Add the dry and wet ingredients in two additions. Mix until well combined after each addition.
STEP THREE: Roll the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands or the bottom of a glass, flatten the balls so they are about 1/2-inch thick.
STEP FOUR: Bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges will be lightly golden, and the middle of the cookie should look dry/set. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Be gentle – these cookies are quite delicate. Let the cookies cool completely.
STEP FIVE: Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth and creamy.
STEP SIX: When the cookies have cooled, put the frosting in a piping bag with a medium or large round piping tip. (You can also use a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off.) Pipe the frosting onto the cookies in a spiral pattern, starting in the center of the cookie. Top off each cookie with a dusting of ground cinnamon for added flavor.
Tips for Success
- Make sure your ingredients are all room temperature before beginning. It’s essential for this recipe!
- After you place your cookie dough on the baking tray, you can easily flatten each one using the bottom of a drinking glass.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. (It also makes clean-up easier!)
- Always cool cookies before frosting them – otherwise, your frosting will melt into a gooey, messy glaze.
- Freezing the cookie dough on the trays before popping it into the oven helps it keep its shape.
- To keep the cookies fresh, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How Do I Get Perfectly Round Cookies?
The shape is not so important for recipes like chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. But other cookies, like these Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies, need to be round to have a perfect platform for the spiral cream cheese frosting! Here are four tips to make your cookies perfectly round:
- Chill the cookie dough on the baking tray before putting it into a preheated oven.
- Leave plenty of space between cookies to allow them to spread evenly without “bumping” into other cookies.
- Cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes to create air pockets that help the cookies keep their shape.…
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round object over them – glass, cookie cutter, small bowl, etc.- gently swirl the object over the cookie. This will “shape” the warm cookie into an ideal circle.
What’s the Difference Between Cinnamon Roll Cookies and Snickerdoodles?
The difference between snickerdoodles and cinnamon roll cookies can be summed up in one word: ICING! Snickerdoodles are fabulous on their own! But these Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies build on that cinnamon sugar cookie base by adding a rich, sweetened cinnamon cream cheese swirled frosting that’s just indescribably YUMMMM!!!
Other Scrumptious Cinnamon Recipes
- No Bake Cinnamon Tiramisu
- Cinnamon Pumpkin Pretzels
- Cranberry Cinnamon Snack Mix
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
- Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Equipment
- Round Piping Tip (see note)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cups granulated sugar 1/2
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for dusting
- 4 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon together until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (or measuring spoon) to scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon portions. Roll each scoop into a ball, place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet, and then gently flatten the balls so they are about 1/2-inch thick.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the middle of the cookie looks dry. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cookies are delicate, so be careful when moving them.)
Frosting
- Once the cookies are cooled, make the frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until evenly combined. Beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until the frosting is smooth.
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag with a medium or large round tip. Starting in the center of the cookie, pipe the frosting in a spiral pattern to the outer edge. Repeat with the rest of the cookies and frosting. Dust the tops of the cookies with a little more ground cinnamon before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have piping bags and tips, you can put the frosting into a large ziploc bag and cut one corner off. (The larger the hole, the wider the frosting swirls will be.)
- Chill the frosted cookies in the fridge in a single layer for about 30 minutes until the frosting firms up. Then, you’ll be able to stack the cookies on top of each other.
- Store the cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leave a Reply