Description
These Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies combine everything you love about warm, buttery cinnamon rolls with the irresistibly soft and chewy texture of homemade sugar cookies. Made with a rich vanilla sugar cookie dough and generous ribbons of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon filling, these beautiful bakery-style cookies feature delicately golden edges, tender centers, and deliciously sweet cinnamon swirls in every bite. The chilled cinnamon filling creates gorgeous marbled patterns while delivering that classic cinnamon-roll flavor without the need for yeast or complicated rolling. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, Christmas baking, afternoon treats, homemade gifts, or enjoying slightly warm with a comforting cup of coffee or tea!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl Filling:
- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick / 56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (67 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp (12 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine salt
- For the Soft Sugar Cookie Dough Base:
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 1/3 cups (266 g) granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), positioning the oven racks near the center. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare and Freeze Cinnamon Filling: In a small mixing bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons (56 g) of softened unsalted butter, 1/3 cup (67 g) of packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons (12 g) of all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of fine salt. Mix thoroughly with a fork until the filling forms a smooth, thick cinnamon-sugar paste. Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up before incorporating it into the cookie dough.
- Cream Butter and Granulated Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 cup (226 g) of softened but still cool unsalted butter and 1 1/3 cups (266 g) of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes light, pale, smooth, and creamy.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the 1 3/4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, room-temperature whole egg, and room-temperature egg yolk to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Combine Dry Flour Base: In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 3/4 cups (344 g) of all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt until evenly combined.
- Form Sugar Cookie Dough: Gradually add the prepared dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until a soft, thick, cohesive sugar cookie dough forms and no dry flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing to preserve the wonderfully tender, chewy texture.
- Layer and Fold Cinnamon Swirls: Set half of the prepared sugar cookie dough aside. Spread the remaining half across the bottom of the mixing bowl and scatter small teaspoon-sized pieces of half the chilled cinnamon-sugar filling over the surface. Layer the reserved sugar cookie dough on top and distribute the remaining cinnamon filling across it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dough over itself just 2–3 times, stopping while thick, distinct cinnamon ribbons remain visible throughout the vanilla dough. Do not blend the filling completely into the dough.
- Portion, Shape, and Freeze Dough Balls: Scoop approximately 2-tablespoon portions of the cinnamon-swirled cookie dough (~40 g each), ensuring each portion contains visible ribbons of cinnamon filling. Gently shape the portions into tall dough balls without flattening them. Arrange the shaped balls on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes to firm up the butter fats and help prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Bake Until Golden Edges Form: Transfer the chilled cinnamon roll sugar cookie dough balls to the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers remain soft and tender. Avoid overbaking to maintain their deliciously chewy texture.
- Reshape and Cool Completely: Remove the baking sheets from the oven. If desired, immediately place a round cookie cutter around each warm cookie and gently swirl it to create a perfectly rounded bakery-style shape. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes so their soft centers can finish setting. Carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely before serving!
Notes
- Do Not Over-Fold the Dough: Fold the chilled cinnamon-sugar paste into the vanilla sugar cookie dough only 2–3 times using a rubber spatula. Overmixing causes the cinnamon filling to blend completely into the dough, eliminating the beautiful, distinctive cinnamon-roll swirl pattern.
- Keep Cinnamon Filling Chilled: Freezing the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon filling for 10 minutes helps prevent the paste from liquefying prematurely while mixing and shaping. This keeps the cinnamon ribbons distinct and creates attractive marbled cookies.
- Freeze Dough Balls Before Baking: Do not skip the final 10-minute freezer rest for the shaped cookie dough balls. Starting with cold dough in a 350°F (175°C) oven helps limit spreading and produces thicker, chewier cookies with wonderfully soft centers.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg