Soft and Chewy Cinnamon Roll Cookies with Cream Cheese Glaze
You get all the warm spice flavor and gooey texture of classic cinnamon rolls in a simple, handheld cookie form. This recipe skips the rising time for a quick, satisfying treat.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 42 min
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (for swirl)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for swirl)
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (for swirl)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (for glaze)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream (for glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare the cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Prepare the cinnamon swirl filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until it forms a thick paste.
- Divide the cookie dough in half. On a piece of parchment paper, roll one half of the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread half of the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough rectangle. Roll the dough tightly along the long edge to form a log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled dough logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look soft. You want these cookies to stay soft and chewy.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the cream cheese glaze: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add milk or cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick, drizzly consistency.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, drizzle the cream cheese glaze generously over the top of each cookie. Let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- For the softest texture, be careful not to overbake these cookies. They should look slightly underdone in the center when you remove them from the oven.
- If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor, you can roll the chilled dough logs in extra granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon before slicing.
- You can make the dough logs up to two days ahead and store them wrapped tightly in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 45