Soft Cake-Like Cinnamon Roll Cookies
I made many batches of these cookies until I finally perfected them and achieved that true cinnamon roll flavor and a similar soft texture to what you get from a real cinnamon roll. The secret was to add a whole brick of cream cheese into the cookie dough (rather than making a thick sticky frosting that only covers the pretty design of the cookies). It added great flavor and improved overall texture. These super tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies have a fluffy Lofthouse cookie style softness. And their flavor is light tangy, deeply cinnamony, richly buttery, and highlighted with vanilla. The cookie dough itself isn’t very sweet but once you layer it with brown sugar and cinnamon and finish them with a sweet icing it has just the right level of sweetness you hope to get from a cookie. Just plan ahead with these cookies. You’ll need some time for the dough to chill so it’s not overly sticky to work with and time to allow the icing to set. They’ll make a great weekend baking project. And fortunate tasters will be smitten with their reminiscent cinnamon roll flavor!
Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe Ingredients
All-purpose flour: Flour builds the structure of the cookie. Unbleached or bleached all-purpose flour works here. Baking powder and baking soda: These leavening agents help the cookies rise nice and puffy. Salt: This will balance the flavors in the cookie. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar: Sugar is used in the dough, for rolling and for icing and each type adds different flavor and texture. Cinnamon: I recommend Saigon cinnamon for best flavor. Unsalted butter: Fat adds flavor and moisture. Is using salted butter simply omit salt in the recipe. Cream cheese: This add moisture, flavor and tenderizes the cookies. I don’t recommend using light cream cheese. Egg: Used to help bind ingredients in the cookie and add lift. Vanilla extract: An ingredient used to highlight the cookies. Real vanilla is best. Whole milk: This is used to thin the icing out. Half and half could also be used to make a rich icing.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Here’s a summary of the steps to making the dough (see below for full recipe).
Helpful Tips for the Best Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Cream the fats (butter/cream cheese) and sugar until it’s light and fluffy to add more lift and fluffiness to the cookies. Don’t skip chilling the dough or it will be overly sticky and unmanageable to work with. Use a well floured surface to roll dough so it doesn’t stick. Use dental floss for slicing for cleaner cuts, and no sticking. Roll the cookie dough log up snuggly so cookies don’t have gaps and for cleaner appearance. Icing can be spread underneath cookies to leave their pretty swirl design uncovered atop. Or if drizzling it over the top just make it thinner to be a bit little more opaque.
How to Store the Cookies
Let icing set completely before storing. Store cookies in an airtight container on parchment paper once iced. Store them in the fridge up to 5 days. Cookies can also be frozen up to 3 months. Ice after freezing and thawing for better results.
More Delicious Cookies to Try
Cut Out Sugar Cookies Linzer Cookies Snickerdoodles Soft Sugar Cookies Stained Glass Cookies
