This is the cookie for cinnamon-lovers! This delicious recipe is a mashup between a cinnamon roll, a snickerdoodle, and a sugar cookie. Soft and chewy sugar cookies with an incredible brown sugar-cinnamon swirl marbled all throughout.
This recipe is made with pantry staples and several tips and tricks for getting perfect cinnamon roll cookies every time. Read on for everything you need to make this delicious recipe!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Taste: Brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla! A delicious and comforting flavor combination.
Texture: Crisp edges, soft centers, with chewiness all throughout.
Basic ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples, plus eggs and butter.
Ease: No special equipment required. The “hardest” part of this recipe is the cinnamon swirl technique and I have detailed tips and tricks for getting it right.
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Make the cinnamon sugar filling:
Stir together softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Place in the freezer for several minutes (to firm up) while you prepare the cookie dough.
Make the sugar cookie dough:
This is a variation of our Easy Sugar Cookies. This simple dough comes together in minutes.
Assembly:
In order to get layers, swirls, and pockets of cinnamon all throughout the cookie dough you’re going to layer the dough and pieces of the chilled cinnamon mixture. Here’s how to do that:
- Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl and spread the remaining dough out across the bottom the mixing bowl.
- Remove the cinnamon mixture from the freezer and use two spoons to scoop small pieces (about a teaspoon each) of the cinnamon mixture and place them all over the dough in the mixing bowl.
- Once you have used half of the cinnamon mixture, get the cookie dough that you have set aside, and spread it or press it with your fingers into an somewhat even layer on top of the cinnamon and dough in the mixing bowl.
- Proceed to add the remaining cinnamon mixture (in little pieces) all over the top of that piece of dough.
Stir the cookie dough – BARELY:
Once you have your dough layered you are going to fold and mix it just barely. I do two folds, scraping up and over, followed by one to two stirs by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not use an electric mixer, this needs to be a brief stir that leaves some pieces of the cinnamon mixture in chunks and some pieces swirled into the dough.
Scoop and chill:
Scoop the dough into two-tablespoon portions using a cookie scoop. Pay attention while scooping to ensure that each scoop has a fair amount of dough mixed with cinnamon.
Place the dough balls on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes. This quick chill firms up the butter so the cookies don’t spread too much.
Bake:
Bake the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets for 10-12 minutes. They will look slightly under baked but they will firm up as they cool. If some of the cookies are misshapen after baking see the instructions below for shaping them.
Key technique for round cookies
This is a technique that I mention as an optional step for most of my cookie recipes but for this recipe it is crucial.
Some of the cookies will bake up a little misshapen. This is because pockets of cinnamon sugar might melt out while baking. Don’t worry, either of these techniques work for getting a perfectly round shape for every cookie in the batch!
Option 1: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven place a round glass, bowl, or cookie cutter (larger than the cookie) upside down over the top of the cookie. Gently swirl the glass/bowl/cookie cutter in a circular motion. The edges of the cookie will bump against the inside of the glass creating a perfectly round shape. Note: This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
Option 2: Immediately after the cookies come out the oven use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward to create clean edges and a round shape.
Recipe tips
Brief freezes for the cinnamon sugar mixture and the dough balls ensure that the cookies don’t spread too much while baking.
Layering the cookie dough with cinnamon sugar and gently folding the dough makes perfect cinnamon swirls.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Space the dough balls a couple inches apart on the baking sheets to give adequate room for spreading.
For thicker cookies leave the dough balls in higher mounds, for thinner cookies give them a slight pat down before baking.
Love cinnamon? Try these:
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Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cinnamon sugar filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, SEE NOTE
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with racks near the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cinnamon sugar filling:
- Mix together all ingredients (I use a small rubber spatula or fork) until well combined. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the cookie dough.
Cookies:
- Using an hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour (see note), baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined.
- Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl and spread the remaining dough out across the bottom the mixing bowl. Remove the cinnamon mixture from the freezer and use two spoons to scoop small pieces (about a teaspoon each) of the cinnamon mixture and place them all over the dough in the mixing bowl. Once you have used half of the cinnamon mixture, get the cookie dough that you have set aside, and spread it or press it with your fingers into a somewhat even layer on top of the cinnamon and dough in the mixing bowl. Proceed to add the remaining cinnamon mixture (in little pieces) all over the top of that piece of dough. Your bowl should now have two layers of cookie dough, each layer topped with cinnamon sugar bits.
- Once you have your dough layered you are going to fold and mix it just barely. I do two folds, scraping up and over, followed by one to two stirs by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not use an electric mixer, this needs to be a brief stir that leaves some pieces of the cinnamon mixture in chunks and some pieces swirled into the dough.
- Scoop the dough into two-tablespoon portions using a cookie scoop. Pay attention while scooping to ensure that each scoop has a fair amount of dough mixed with cinnamon. Place the dough balls on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes. This quick chill firms up the butter so the cookies don't spread too much.
- Place dough balls a couple inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. For thicker cookies leave the dough balls in higher mounds, for thinner cookies give them a slight pat down before baking. Any dough balls that do not fit into this batch that's baking should be refrigerated (not frozen) until the baking sheets have cooled and you're ready to bake them.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have spread, the edges are beginning to brown and the center is still slightly underdone. Some of the cookies will bake up a little misshapen. This is because pockets of cinnamon sugar might melt out while baking. Don't worry, I have two techniques that work for getting a perfectly round shape for every cookie in the batch! See notes for shaping cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Notes
Option 2: Immediately after the cookies come out the oven use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward to create clean edges and a round shape.Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Shadi
Easy and delicious, this one is a keeper. I know I’m going to make it over and over again!
Gina
Such a delicious cookie flavor! We ate them up all so fast! I’m already getting request to make again!
Teri
I made these this week and shared them with my colleagues. Everyone enjoyed these amazing cinnamon roll cookies! Thanks for this creative recipe!
Jill
Amazing cookie recipe! I went one step further and drizzled with cream cheese frosting but I’m super popular now for this bake😊! Thanks for sharing 👍
S voigt
Always on the lookout for no chocolate cookies to send our troops in the summer. This is perfect! In the oven now, they smell soooo good!
Allison
Enjoy!
Jessica
I can’t wait to make these. I was searching for a recipe similar to the pre-made Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies because those are so good and I found this one on Tiktok. These look like a match! Yummm!
Allison
Great! I hope you enjoy them!
vicky
could i use self raising flour and omit the baking powder?
Allison
I’m not sure. I’ve only made the recipe as written.
Liz
Can I make the dough and refrigerate overnight? To bake the next day.
Thanks!
Allison
Yes. I’d recommend scooping the dough balls before refrigerating.
Janice Fricker
Can you make this gluten free? Would it be an even substitute?
Allison
I haven’t tried it. I usually use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend when I do use gf flour.
Renee
Too much butter, they just stay mushy in the center no matter how brown the edges get. Two tablespoons is far too much per scoop. The bake time and/or temp might be off, contributing to the consistency issue. Not sure about that. What I am sure about is that I am an experienced baker and followed the recipe to the letter, and used weighted measurements rather than volume, yet I -along with the rest of my family- gave these cookies a B minus bordering on C. I now have to make another batch of old favorites to make up for the let down or face a riot.
Allison
Hi, Renee. I would guess your flour was less than mine seeing as how you used weighted measurements and this recipe uses volume. A “cup” of flour can vary greatly in weight. Face a riot? Yikes! Good luck over there. 😉
Maureen
It would be helpful if you could tell us how much a cup of flour weighs for you, and what kind you use.
Allison
One cup of all purpose flour weighs 125g for me. I typically use unbleached and a variety of brands.
Britt
In the pictures you posted – did you flatten your cookies at all before baking? Or did you leave them in balls?
Allison
I left them in balls and then shaped them when they came out of the oven.
Chenelle
Easy to make & DELICIOUS!! Reminds me of a cinnamon cereal… yum.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Keiarra
Not a lot of work, but easy. I am excited for these to come out of the oven! This recipe is forever!