Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Why choose between cookies and cinnamon rolls? Have it all with this recipe!
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There’s nothing quite like a warm, gooey cinnamon roll piled high with cream cheese frosting, am I right? There’s just something magical about the combination of cinnamon, sugar, and decadent frosting. Normally when I’m going for something sweet, I opt for the chocolate option. But if there are cinnamon rolls available, all bets are off.
I decided to recreate the flavors we all love about cinnamon rolls and put them into a different package – cookies! There’s nothing wrong with devouring a cinnamon roll the size of your face (trust me, there’s no judgment here), but what about those times you want just a little taste to tide you over? That’s where these cinnamon roll cookies come into play!
The cookie dough is similar to sugar cookie dough, only with half brown sugar, extra vanilla, and of course, cinnamon. The finished product is thick and chewy – the perfect delivery system for the cream cheese frosting. Oh yes. You read that right. We’re not skipping out on the best part of cinnamon rolls!
The frosting is your typical cream cheese frosting with butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. You’ll add milk (or half and half for extra creamy frosting) a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. For the purposes of these cookies, I made the frosting on the thicker side so I could get that beautiful swirl!
Once the frosting is whipped up and the cookies have baked and cooled, it’s time for the magic. Okay, so it’s not really magic, but it sure makes for a delicious-looking cookie, don’t you agree?
Scoop the frosting into a piping bag, or use a ziplock bag and cut one corner off. Make your swirl, and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. That’s it! If you’re a fan cinnamon rolls and cookies (who isn’t?!) then this is the recipe for you!
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
For the cookie dough:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 teaspoons milk, as needed
- Additional cinnamon for topping
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. mixing until a firm dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into one inch balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly, so they are about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.
- Bake 7-9 minutes or until the bottom edges are just slightly golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Beat until light and fluffy. Pipe onto cooled cookies in a spiral shape and sprinkle with cinnamon. (Can cut the tip of a ziplock bag to use in place of a piping bag if you don’t have one).
Recipe adapted from I Heart Naptime.