Everything you love about a cinnamon roll in a cookie that takes a fraction of the time and makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible. These cinnamon roll cookies have been one of the most requested recipes I have shared and once you make them you will completely understand why. Soft, buttery, swirled with a brown sugar cinnamon filling, and drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze that ties the whole thing together. The kind of cookie that disappears from the counter faster than you can plate them.

The technique is a little different from a drop cookie and it is what makes these so special. You roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread it with softened butter, cover it in the cinnamon sugar filling, roll it up tightly into a log, and chill it before slicing into rounds. Two things to know before you start. First, work quickly once the filling goes on because the warmer the dough gets the harder it is to roll up cleanly. Second, do not skip the chilling steps. Fifteen to twenty minutes after rolling the dough out and at least an hour after forming the log. Those resting periods are what keep the swirl intact and give you that clean defined spiral in every single cookie.

The other detail worth calling out is the bake time. Nine minutes at 350 degrees and you pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone. This is not a mistake, this is the move. They continue to set as they cool and the result is a cookie with that perfect soft, almost pillowy center that makes cinnamon roll cookies completely different from every other cookie in your rotation. Overbake them and you lose that magic entirely so trust the process and pull them early.

Drizzle the vanilla glaze over completely cooled cookies and then try to let them sit for five minutes before eating one. I will not promise that is easy. These are the cookies you bring to a cookie exchange and come home with zero of, the ones people ask you for the recipe for before they have even finished their first one. Make a batch this weekend and see for yourself.

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A post shared by Nicole Warren | Faith, Food & Motherhood (@nicole_thenomad)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

All the flavors of a cinnamon roll in a cookie that takes a fraction of the time and fills your kitchen with that same warm cinnamon smell that makes everyone appear in the kitchen wondering what you are making
The slice and bake technique gives you that beautiful defined spiral in every single cookie that makes these look completely bakery professional without any advanced decorating skill required
These are the cookies you bring to a cookie exchange and come home with zero of which is the highest possible endorsement any cookie recipe can receive
The vanilla glaze is three ingredients whisked together in two minutes and is the finishing touch that makes every cookie look and taste exactly like a proper cinnamon roll

Key Ingredients:

Brown sugar heavy dough: Three quarters of a cup of brown sugar to just a quarter cup of granulated sugar gives the dough that warm caramelized sweetness and moisture that makes these taste so specifically like a cinnamon roll rather than just a vanilla cookie with cinnamon on it
Cornstarch: One and a half teaspoons in the dry ingredients is the soft center secret. It inhibits gluten development and keeps the interior of these cookies pillowy and tender even after they have fully cooled which is exactly the cinnamon roll texture you are going for
Very soft but not melted butter for the filling: The specific consistency that matters enormously for the filling. Butter that is too hard tears the dough when you spread it. Butter that is melted makes the filling too wet and the swirl bleeds into the dough. Very soft but spreadable with a spatula is exactly right
Brown sugar and cinnamon filling: Half a cup of brown sugar and one and a half tablespoons of cinnamon spread across the dough create that signature filling that caramelizes slightly in the oven and creates those beautiful swirls of cinnamon sugar running through every single slice
Vanilla glaze: Three quarters of a cup of powdered sugar, one to two tablespoons of milk, and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla whisked until smooth is the finishing drizzle that completes the cinnamon roll experience. Thin enough to drizzle beautifully and thick enough to set on the cooled cookies

Tips for Success:

Do not skip either chilling step. Fifteen to twenty minutes after rolling the dough into a rectangle and at least one hour after forming the log. Both resting periods are what keep the swirl intact and give you that clean defined spiral rather than a smeared blurry one
Work quickly once the filling goes on. The warmer the dough gets the harder it is to roll up tightly and cleanly without the filling sliding or the dough tearing. Have everything ready before the dough comes out of the first chill
Pull at nine minutes when the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue to set as they cool on the pan and that slightly underdone pull is what gives you that pillowy soft center that makes these so different from every other cookie
Drizzle the glaze only after the cookies are completely cooled. Glaze on warm cookies melts right off rather than setting into that beautiful drizzle pattern that makes these look completely finished

Storage:

Store cinnamon roll cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They stay soft and pillowy throughout the entire storage window which is one of the best things about the cornstarch in the dough formula. Add a slice of bread to the container to help maintain moisture and softness all week. The unsliced log can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to two months. Slice and bake directly from frozen adding two to three extra minutes to the bake time.

FAQ:

Can I freeze the cookie log before baking?
Yes and it is a great make ahead option. Form the log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to two months. When you are ready to bake let it sit at room temperature for five to ten minutes to soften slightly before slicing. Slice into three quarter inch rounds and bake as directed adding two to three extra minutes to the bake time since the dough is going in colder than refrigerated dough would be.

Why did my swirl bleed into the dough?
The most common reasons are butter that was too melted rather than very soft, not pressing the filling firmly enough into the dough before rolling, or skipping the one hour log chill before slicing. All three of those things contribute to a filling that migrates into the surrounding dough during baking rather than staying in its own distinct swirl. Make sure the filling butter is soft and spreadable but not liquid and never skip the full hour chill.

Can I make these without the glaze?
Yes. The cookies are completely delicious without the glaze and taste exactly like a cinnamon roll without it. The glaze adds sweetness and that visual cinnamon roll finishing touch that makes them look so complete and so impressive but it is genuinely optional if you prefer a less sweet cookie or want to skip one more step.