Best Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe

Three cinnamon roll cookies piled on top of each other with a bite missing from the top cookie.

5 from 1 vote

Best Cinnamon Roll Cookie Recipe

Cinnamon Roll Cookies are soft rolled cookies filled with a cinnamon sugar, pecan, raisin filling, and drizzled with a simple frosting. They taste just like cinnamon buns and they're absolutely delicious.

Prep Time15

Cook Time17

Chill Time, divided2

Total Time2 32

Servings:

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup butter or 2 sticks
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup powdered sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract -
3 cups plus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Filling

1 cup pecans, chopped more or less to taste
1 cup raisins more or less to taste
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
cooking spray

Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup icing or powdered sugar

Instructions

Dough

In large sized bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, combine brown sugar, icing or powdered sugar, white sugar and butter. Cream together the butter and all three sugars until smooth.
Beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until combined. Set aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
With your mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined. Do not over mix. Remove the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Filling

In a medium sized bowl, combine the pecans, raisins, brown sugar, butter, nutmeg and cinnamon.
The recipe calls for melted butter. As it sits the butter will thicken as it cools making it easier to spread than when the butter is actually completely melted. I just didn't want you to be concerned if your butter was not total liquid.
Flour your work surface. Remove dough from fridge and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 10- by 10-inch square, approximately.
Roll your dough out onto a silicone baking mat instead of on a floured surface. Your clean up will be so much easier and I can't urge you to try one enough. I was so glad when I got one, actually there were two in the set.
Mine looks like these, just in case you want to see what a silicone mat looks like. This is a set of two and they are amazing but there are lots of them out there for you to choose from.
Spread the filling evenly across the top of the dough. If you want to be able to see the filling in your cookie, bring your filling right to the edge.
Starting at the widest side, gently roll the dough up into a tight log. The log will stretch to about 15 inches when rolled. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, if not overnight. The longer the better.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 1 twelve cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
Remove your log of dough from the fridge and cut the log into 20 ¾ inch thick slices.
Make sure all the cookies are the same size so they bake evenly. Place each slice in a greased muffin cup.
Bake until the tops are starting to turn a nice brown color, around 15-17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.
Remove from your oven and allow to cool in the muffin pans for at least 10 minutes.

Frosting

Using a handheld or stand mixer whip together the cream cheese and butter.
Slowly beat in the icing or powdered sugar until totally incorporated.
Using a spatula scrape icing into a resealable freezer bag and set aside in the fridge until needed.
When ready to use remove icing from fridge and squeeze into one of the bottom corners of the bag.
Snip of the corner, using scissors, to cut a small hole. Squeeze icing on top of each cookie. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to check the full post above for more ingredient tips, storage info, serving ideas, and more!

Chill the dough. I recommend at least one hour though two is better. This helps the cookies keep their shape while slicing and make the dough easier to handle.

Even thickness. When rolling out the dough ensure that it's of uniform thickness so cookies bake evenly.

Don't over-mix the dough. Mix until just combined to prevent tough, dense cookies.

Slice the cookies uniformly to achieve a consistent bake and appearance..

Don't over bake your cookies. They're ready when they're slightly puffy and have a hint of golden brown color.

Easily adjust your frosting consistency. Remember if you make your frosting too thin, just add a little more icing or powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk.

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