Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon roll cookies are super easy to make and only take 25 minutes from start to finish. These cookies have a sweet, creamy cinnamon swirl, plus they are egg-free.
Why you will love my cinnamon roll cookies
- My cinnamon roll cookies are egg-free! They are based on my recipe for zand cookies but with a Cream cinnamon filling.
- They take less than 30 minutes to make from scratch.
- The sugar filling will caramelize in the oven! This process creates a soft, chewy, almost fudgelike center.
Ingredients
Brown sugar: To make the cinnamon filling, I like to use brown sugar. The molasses in the sugar adds a nice caramel flavor and helps with the color. You can also make your own brown sugar with granulated sugar and molasses.
Flour: For cookies, you want a low-protein content, so all-purpose flour works great for this recipe. You can also use gluten-free flour or replace half the flour with whole wheat flour.
Butter: Since this recipe has only a few ingredients, it is essential to use high-quality butter. Look for butter with a high fat content, or make homemade butter from heavy cream if you want to make your cinnamon roll cookies extra special.
How to make cinnamon roll cookies
To make the dough, you add the flour, butter, salt, baking powder, and sugar to a mixing bowl and knead it with your hands or a stand mixer to a smooth dough. I don't chill the dough, but if yours got too warm, you can let it firm up in the fridge for about half an hour.
Roll out your dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. You can make it a little bit thinner if you want a more pronounced cinnamon swirl. Mix the cinnamon, sugar, and soft butter until you have a smooth paste and spread it on top of your dough.
Carefully roll your dough into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let it rest in the fridge for one hour to firm up and make it easier to cut out your cookies. Place them on a lined baking tray and bake them in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes. They stay soft in the oven, so let them cool on your tray before adding the frosting.
My tips for the best results
- Don't over-bake the cookies. They won't get a golden color and stay soft. It is tempting to leave them in the oven for a few more minutes, but don't. They continue to cook while they cool on a hot tray, so taking them out on time is crucial.
- I like the dough to be fairly thick, but you can roll it out thinner for a more pilwheel-like cookie.
- Chill the dough. To cut your cookie dough into perfect cookies, it is best to let the dough firm up in the fridge for a few hours. This will also prevent your cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Frequently asked questions
Yes!! You can replace the butter with margarine or a plant-based butter to make these cookies completely vegan.
The butter will soften when you work the dough, and that is what makes it harder to create perfectly round cookies. It will also make them spread more, so chilling the dough prevents this and helps create a better texture.
Of course! You can just leave it out or replace the frosting with melted chocolate or caramel sauce for cinnamon rolls. For an extra intense flavor, I like to use dark caramel sauce.
Storage
Freshly baked cinnamon roll cookies stay fresh for about four days when you store them in an airtight container at room temperature. In the freezer, they will last for three to six months. Let them thaw on your counter, then you're ready to enjoy your cookies.
You can also freeze the dough! Wrap it in plastic wrap before you place it in the freezer. This way, you will have cookie dough ready for at least three months for when you crave something sweet. I don't recommend freezing the cinnamon sugar filling. Give it a knead before you roll out the dough and continue with the recipe as usual.
More of my favorite cookie recipes
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ stick butter unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon filling
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl.
- Knead the dough with your hands or a stand mixer until you have a soft, supple dough. If your butter becomes too soft, you can let it firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and roll it out into a thin rectangle.
- Mix the ingredients for the cinnamon filling in a small bowl until completely combined, and spread it on top of the dough.
- Carefully roll it into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Take the dough out of the plastic wrap and preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Cut the dough into ¼ inch thick slices, and place them on a lined baking tray.
- Bake your cinnamon roll cookies for 12-15 minutes in the center of the oven.
- Let them cool in the tray because they will stay soft.
Notes
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour. This will make cutting out your coolies much easier and prevent the cookies from spreading in the oven.
- Cinnamon roll cookies stay fresh for five days at room temperature and for up to six months in the freezer.